Danger Close

If you only saw one movie in the summer of 2023… statistically speaking it was probably Barbie. But if you saw two movies in the summer of 2023… okay, statistically it's fairly likely they were both Barbie. But if you saw two movies on the same day in the summer of 2023, there is technically a non-zero chance that today's film wasn’t one of them, but it probably was. Sweeping into the zeitgeist and on its way to grossing over one billion dollars, Christopher Nolan's new three-hour imax 70mm extravaganza seems to be winning over most viewers and almost all of the critics. Labels of "masterpiece" are being thrown around everywhere by peers and laymen alike, and it seems there is no stopping this juggernaut from becoming one of the most-watched and most-talked about films of the last decade. But what do your intrepid Danger Close hosts think? Who will be "the Liam" in this episode, and has Nolan redeemed himself from the abysmal failure that was Tenet (or Inception if you ask Liam, but that's a fight for another day)? Tune in and find out, on this episode of your favorite war film podcast! Next Episode: To Be or Not to Be (1942) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWII #worldwartwo #oppenheimer #manhattanproject

We've talked Nazis before. And we have covered WWII in several films which varied in style and subject manner, but this is our first time dealing with the Holocaust, so we figured we should start with an old classic that is famous for the way it handled its difficult subject matter. Premiering in West Berlin in 1961, Judgment at Nuremberg was met with mostly silence by its German audiences, praise by many critics, and criticism by others. It was a fictional retelling of "The Judges' Trial", one of twelve American military tribunals held after the main Nuremberg Trials to try various judges and lawyers for war crimes during and before the war. It tackles extremely difficult subject matter for audiences who had mostly lived through its events, and the phenomenal acting and Oscar-winning script makes it a gripping watch for its entire three-hour runtime. VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: extremely graphic war footage is shown in this film. Next Episode: Oppenheimer (2023) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWII #worldwartwo #nuremberg #courtroomdrama

First conceived in 2015 and released in 2022, The Woman King had a long, turbulent road to the box office. An historical action epic starring and driven by a cast of black women, it was a tough sell to studios until the overwhelming success of Black Panther proved beyond a doubt that there was not only an audience for films with this kind of representation, but a hungry market as well.   The green light and positive reviews did not keep controversy and criticism from creeping into the conversation from every corner of the internet though, and we discuss those arguments at length. This film tries very hard to ethically blend history, high drama, and gripping action, into a compelling and inspirational narrative that also does right by the culture it is representing. The results of those efforts are varied on all fronts.   Our hosts all had different thoughts on this one and our discussion ranges across myriad topics and more than a couple tangents, but one thing we can all agree on is that The Woman King is one of the most thoroughly researched but ambiguously filmed “based on real history” films we have had the chance to discuss thus far. Next Episode: Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #holocaust #wwII #worldwartwo

Released in November of 2001, Behind Enemy Lines came out in a totally different time in history. 9/11 had just happened, and tensions were high all over the world, especially in the U.S. This movie is a little dose of “rah-rah NATO” rescuing an American navigator from…Yugoslavians? No, Serbs. But there are Bosnians there too, and Croats? What _exactly _was going on over there? Don’t worry, this movie doesn’t really cover that, and there is no quiz at the end. Loosely based on the 1995 downing of U.S. Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady (who sued the production for not getting his permission to tell the story), the film is a pretty straight-forward action movie. Owen Wilson's Lt. Burnett is shot down by Serb militia, the U.S. pushes to go rescue him, and all the while NATO is concerned about the rescue threatening the tenuous cease-fire agreement and the war starting back up. This is not a complex political thriller, but more of a popcorn war movie that is equally as good as it is bad. Join us for Tyler's return to the show as he uses his training and expertise you heard all about in our last episode to analyze what the film got right and what it got wrong. Kt and Liam will be back next episode, we promise! Next Episode: The Woman King (2022) Sources for the history in this episode: Reflecting History Podcast Episodes 62-69: The Bosnian War (https://www.reflectinghistory.com/podcast-1/episode62) Johnny Harris - The Worst War You Never Learned About (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czQrU0OPIR8&t=351s) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #africa #benin #dahomey

Dan sits down with good friend and former Marine Sergeant Tyler Funk. Tyler enlisted in the USMC as an Air Traffic Controller in 2003. After some initial training, he volunteered for deployment, and later was selected for the MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit), and an MMT (Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team), a small enlisted team trained to be dropped off by helicopter in the middle of nowhere, set up a dirt airstrip, and have aircraft landing on it with personnel and equipment within 30-40 minutes. To prepare for this role, he had to go through extensive training before deployment, including the helo dunker and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) school. Join us as Tyler gives us an intimate look into some pretty intense military training and his experiences in his time in the Marines. WARNING: we discuss some simulated and not-so simulated “enhanced interrogation techniques” that are part of this military training. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED. Next Episode: Behind Enemy Lines (2001) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #aviation #Veterans #interviews

Last episode, we talked about a military aviation film. It had some pretty great aerial scenes, the best Cessna vs motorcycle race we have ever seen, and a fun soundtrack! But not nearly as good as the one for the film we are covering today (although apparently some in the audience will debate this point). This movie was released the same year as Iron Eagle, was WAY more successful, and ironically spawned fewer sequels. We are of course talking about Top Gun, and this time around we have a special guest; you have probably heard something that we learned from him on the show, our regular researcher Richard Stephens! Released in the spring of 1986, Top Gun had a slump for the month after release but went on to be the box office champ for the year and gave Tom Cruise the boost he needed to become a bona fide star. The story follows a group of exceptional Naval aviators focusing on hotshot Maverick and his quest to be the best. Given the chance to train at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, a.k.a. Top Gun, Maverick and his radar intercept officer Goose (Anthony Edwards) do their best to beat out the competition under the command of Viper (Tom Skerritt). But when tragedy strikes, Maverick is shaken to his core and must find a way to overcome his doubts. This episode has lots of nostalgia, some hot takes, and, well, you will just have to listen to see how we all feel about this classic 80s action film! Next Episode: Veteran Interview Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #aviation

1986 was a landmark year for military aviation in cinema. Top Gun came out in May, the very start of the Summer blockbuster season, and immediately boosted Navy recruitment by 10 bajillion percent. That’s not an approximation, those are the official figures from the Navy. 10 bajillion percent. People flocked to this movie, and who could blame them? It was the perfect synthesis of Cool, Sex, Militarism, and Cinema. In Reagan Era America, it was a guaranteed recipe for success. Or was it? Because we aren’t talking about Top Gun. This week, courtesy of our audience choice poll, we are diving into the OTHER military aviation action extravaganza from the same year. It’s the story of a teenage boy whose father is shot down, held captive, and scheduled for execution in a “fictitious” enemy country. When the military seems unwilling or unable to do anything about it, the boy and his friends take matters into their own hands, with the reluctant help of Academy Award Winner Louis Gossett Jr. Released in January of 1986, today’s film is a testament to the notion that getting there first isn’t as important as getting it right. Next Episode: Top Gun (1986) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #aviation

One of the most famous and most successful retellings of one of the most infamous and highly mythologized incidents in the history of the British Navy, this 1935 adaptation of the novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Newton Hall might be a little old-fashioned for most modern audiences, both in its acting styles and in its special effects. But it was a force to be reckoned with at the 9th annual Academy Awards, winning Best Picture and scoring 3 nominations for its three lead actors in a single category. The facts of the mutiny were twisted, politicized, and hotly contested almost as soon as it happened, so a film made almost 150 years later might be forgiven for not being completely historically accurate, but what it got right and what it got wrong, where it holds up and where it doesn't all provide excellent topics of discussion on this final episode of our long suffering and much beleaguered series on Naval War Films. Next Episode: Iron Eagle (1986) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Or join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, go to our Patreon page at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #navy #napoleonic

One of Michael Mann’s most beloved films, this is the most recent and most enduring of ELEVEN screen adaptations of the historical fiction novel by James Fenimore Cooper, and it takes us to a war we seldom see depicted elsewhere in cinema: The French and Indian War in North America. It follows the journey of the last members of the vanishing Mohican people as they venture through the breathtaking forests and mountains of Northeastern North America in 1757, while Britain and France fight for control of the continent. Their progress is halted when they come to the aid of British troops and find themselves escorting a pair of sisters through some of the most notorious battles of the entire war, hounded by a Huron warrior who is bent on exacting revenge on their father, a British Colonel. At once a great adventure, sweeping romance, and epic war film, the simple plot is carried by a sublime score, some incredible set design, and the legendary performances of a powerhouse cast, all set against a complex and layered historical backdrop. Today we have a very special guest on the show: author, philosopher, and Native-American history professor Daniele Bolelli, host of the popular podcasts History on Fire and The Drunken Taoist. He’s here to help us separate the historical from the not-so-historical, and tell us why this is one of his favorite films. *We recommend the theatrical cut of this film (112 mins), not very accessible but available for purchase on ebay or as a region B disk (Australia) on amazon. Make sure your disk player can read region B. Most other places (including streaming), you can find the Director's Definitive Cut (114 mins). Next Episode: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #nativeamericans #indians #frenchandindianwar #sevenyearswar #danielebolelli

For our first Wolfgang Peterson film, we decided to cover what is often touted as the best submarine film ever, and one that is on most people’s Top Ten War Film lists. Starring a young Jürgen Prochnow as the Captain of U-96 and a cast of mostly unknown actors as his crew, this is the thrilling story of one German submarine crew in the Battle of the Atlantic, stalking Allied cargo and military ships in an effort to reduce their enemies’ combat effectiveness and disrupt their supply chains. Based on the experiences of author Lothar G. Buchheim, the film uses a combination of models and very accurate moving sets to really make you feel the claustrophobia and descent into hell that these submariners experienced in a way that does not glorify war, but instead makes us ponder its cost. *We watched the 1997 Director’s Cut (208 minutes), available streaming on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/.../B00BZBPB98/ref=atvdpsharecur Next Episode: Last of the Mohicans (1992) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWII #worldwartwo #submarine

With a screenplay based on Erich Maria Remarque’s immensely popular book, first published in 1929, director Edward Berger has taken on the daunting task of leading the first German team to take this story to the big screen. It is written, directed, and portrayed by Germans, and offers a unique perspective to the war film genre: that of a country who started, and lost, two world wars, at a great cost to their own people. World War I had a devastating effect on “the lost generation” all around the world, and Germans have felt the shame, regret, and repercussions of this event for over 100 years. This is quite possibly the most famous anti-war story, and this newest adaptation is no exception. It carries all of the intent and messaging of the author, with the sharp cutting edge of modern filmmaking techniques and visceral, immersive sound and visuals. The film takes the biggest divergences from the previous adaptations, showing us some of the political ramifications of the war, while still keeping us intimately close with Paul and his friends who join up to go fight in the trenches with all the youthful enthusiasm of kids who grew up around war heroes. Join us as we explore this marvel of modern cinema in all of its terrifying beauty. Available on Netflix Spoiler Alert: we discuss the 1929 book, the 1930 film, and the 1979 tv movie of the same title in this conversation. Next Episode: Das Boot (1981) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWI #worldwarone

To give our fans some additional content while we are operating on a reduced release schedule - and in honor of Halloween - we are dropping an episode of our sister Horror Movie podcast, Fright Pub, into the main feed. Listen as Liam, Shaggy, and Lauren drink adult beverages and discuss a different horror movie each week. In this episode, recorded this past April, they discuss Edgar Wright's 2021 slick retro horror. You can find all the other fun episodes of Fright Pub at: https://frightpub.buzzsprout.com/ New episodes every Friday! Join their Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/348900316170245 If you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to be a guest on an episode of Fright Pub, feel free to contact them at frightpub@gmail.com If you like the show, please leave them a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

The year is 1990. The Cold War is in full swing, and the threat of thermonuclear world war is ever present. The Soviet Union is…wait…what? Oh the Berlin Wall came down last year? And the Soviet Union is rapidly dissolving? The Iron Curtain is being lifted? Ok then… Checks production notes… The year is 1984. The Cold war is in full swing, and the threat of thermonuclear world war is ever present. The Soviet Union is eagerly deploying a new submarine technology that could tip the delicate balance of power. Under the command of Captain Marko Ramius, the new Typhoon-Class nuclear submarine Red October is headed straight for the East Coast of the United States. Is he a madman bent on triggering World War 3? Or is he trying to stop this Cold War from turning Hot? It’s up to reluctant yet dashing hero, CIA analyst Jack Ryan in his first cinematic iteration, to throw himself into harms way and discover Ramius’ true intentions in the midst of a nuclear game of cat-and-mouse between the US and the USSR. Strap in for a deep dive with us into this 90s techno-thriller from acclaimed director John McTiernan, and let’s see how it holds up! 30 Rock clip mentioned in the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoXfQupV5n8 Next Episode: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #coldwar #sovietunion #subwarfare

A classic example of the once popular "Service Comedy" genre, this hit film was adapted from a hit stage play, in turn adapted from a hit novel. Henry Fonda reprises his role from the stage play as the titular Lieutenant (j.g.) Roberts, alongside a young and hilarious Jack Lemmon playing Ensign Pulver, and our first time with James Cagney as the insufferable Captain guarding his beloved palm tree. Almost none of the actors are age appropriate for their roles, and some of the humor lands firmly in the “cringe” zone, but there is still plenty of merit in this war film sex comedy about the crew of a cargo ship dying from boredom and cabin fever in the safe area of the pacific during the waning days of World War II. Join us for this comedy classic! Next Episode: The Hunt for Red October (1990) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWII # worldwar2 #navy

One of the first big-budget Vietnam War films from the US, the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic was quite a war in its own right. The shooting was fraught with issues, including filming in the Philippines where rebels interrupted the work regularly, Coppola putting $7 million of his own funds on the line, and the usual complications that come with the jungle territory, like typhoons. Add to that a main actor who almost died during filming (Martin Sheen) and a bigger than life star who was…let’s say less than professional (Marlon Brando), and you have quite the interesting tale before you even get to the plot of the film. Surreal and disturbing, Captain Willard’s journey into this adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is a visual spectacle of men losing their grip on sanity that takes the audience into the unknown. The infamous Colonel Kurtz awaits at the end of the journey, and Willard has orders to eliminate him “with extreme prejudice”. Join us as we venture upriver in our PBR and discuss this award-winning epic! Next Episode: Mister Roberts (1955) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #Vietnam

Finishing in second place for our third poll in a row earned this film its rightful spot in the Danger Close catalogue. Set in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand in 1943, it pits the principled Lt Col Nicholson (Alec Guinness) against the ruthless camp commandant Col Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) in a battle of character and wit. This fictional story, loosely based on real events, won seven Academy Awards, including David Lean’s first Oscar for Best Director. So whistle while you march to join us as we discuss this world-famous film and its epic story! Next Episode: Apocalypse Now (1979) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #WWII

Even in a year like 1939 - which gave us the likes of Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Gone with the Wind - it’s hard to believe that an Oscar-nominated action adventure from a legendary, Oscar winning director, featuring an all-star cast of future Oscar winners, would somehow get lost in the shuffle, but here we are. It’s a film most of you have probably never heard of, but it’s a rollicking yarn that disproves the theory that the remake is never better than the original. When three English brothers all fall under suspicion for the theft of a priceless jewel, they seek refuge in their romantic childhood fantasies by running off to join the French Foreign Legion, where they find themselves fighting for their lives in the desert under the merciless command of a tyrannical sergeant. Join us as we listen to Liam gush over one of his all-time favorite films NOT made by Wes Anderson! available on youtube Next Episode: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #foreignlegion #northafrica

This film has been requested many times; usually by our Aussie and Kiwi listeners, and occasionally by people who think our podcast is entirely dedicated to this one film from 2019. Well-known down under, but not as much in the rest of the world, this is the story of one of the most famous battles Anzac troops fought in the Vietnam War. They were outnumbered between 10 and 20-to-1, and had it not been for their tactical decision-making, the fight could have had a very different outcome. We’ve done films “based on true events” (and people) many times before; how does this one compare to We Were Soldiers or The Outpost? Did they do justice to the real soldiers who fought in this battle? Join us on Danger Close: A War Film Podcast, and find out! Next Episode: Beau Geste (1939) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #ANZAC #Vietnam

Get ready for an alien-invader stompin' good time! In the rare case where Liam loves a film just because it is so fun, we go back to our childhoods and reminisce over the roll-out and execution of this Roland Emerich gem. From a time when a relatively sane Randy Quaid played insane characters (as opposed to just playing himself), comes this surprisingly well-aged "War of the Worlds" style adventure. Buckle up! We are armed and ready, and we're packin! If you enjoy this episode and want to hear us return for T2, you can sign up for just $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support You will get access to our entire catalogue, and a brand new episode every month of Danger Close...Enough, the show where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war films (or close enough).

Robert Egger’s third film, following The VVitch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), The Northman has the largest budget and the biggest scope by far. Set in the late 9th/early 10th centuries in central Europe and Iceland, this epic revenge story is undoubtedly the most thoroughly researched and most accurate Viking film to date. With a phenomenal cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Ethan Hawke, the story goes all the way back to the Norse myths that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and the meticulous production and costume design immerses you in a world from over 1000 years ago with flawless attention to detail. We debated for a bit whether this belonged on the Danger Close list as a war film, or whether the psychedelic feel and mythical elements pushed it over into our war adjacent film category for DCE. In the end, there is enough pillaging and conflict in this that we decided it qualified, and we wanted to give this episode the exposure it deserved. We are joined by special guest Dave for this one, as his background in HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), and his knowledge of Viking history made him the perfect person to join our discussion. So, do we think Eggers pulled off this ambitious project, and did we like it? And just how accurate is it? Next Episode: Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan (2019) Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments! Our website: www.dangerclosepod.com Join our Facebook group at: Danger Close - Podcast Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442264899493646/) If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! If you would like to support the show and get extra episodes where we discuss sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy war movies, join our Patreon for only $4 a month at: www.dangerclosepod.com/support warmovies #warfilms #war #film #films #movies #history #cinema #vikings #middleages #vikingage