For Screen and Country

Jason is still taking care of a tiny human so enjoy this old episode of What Were They Thinking? where he joined Brendan and Nathan to discuss the Michael Bay opus Pearl Harbor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason is WITH CHILD. In celebration of this monumental event, the guys pre-emptively recorded a surprise commentary for one of the most important educational films of all-time, Where Did I Come From? Click the link below and watch along as the fellas learn about some important (and problematic) stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRmj3zjXZA0& Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always sho...

A movie as timeless as any other film and an important one at that. Brendan and Jason discuss Spielberg's Holocaust drama Schindler's List. No clever little summary here, folks - just a frank discussion of one of the greatest modern films of all-time. Next week: ignore the announcement of the next movie! Jason's havin' a baby... so enjoy something special we've prepared as an emergency kit episode...

Ah, Miklós Jancsó... you beam of positivity, what have you bestowed upon the podcast next? It's 1966's The Round-Up (oh, that could be fun!) about the treatment of Kossuth's 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule in Hungary (oh... never mind). The fellas discuss the total lack of musical score, the use of big empty spaces, using a historical event to slyly comment on current political troubles and...

We return to Bosnia (last seen in 1998's Savior), and once more take in a film from the Serbian perspective. But this is no propaganda piece. Families torn apart, life long friendships destroyed, and one possibly haunted tunnel. A common language, a common culture, the death of communism sees sectarian violence reign supreme once more. Next week: not-so-civil war. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?...

Another sequel?! This time, it's a sequel to a... let's say... less-beloved original film. The guys talk all about the Nazi meme-filled Iron Sky 2 co-starring Tom Green as a Steve Jobs-esque cult leader. They also discuss the surprisingly good CGI, their very different opinions on the film, edgelord material and much more. Next week: Bosnia! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot u...

Boy howdy, remember back a spell when we watched the classic war movie The Great Escape? Turns out some people thought that it needed a sequel 20 years later! Sort of. Maybe. A story so big it could not be contained within the confines of one feature film and a film so important that they drafted Superman himself to star in it. A story only television could tell.  So get ready,...

People of France, we've got a revolution to fight! But it's not going to be as sexy as it normally is because this is Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 methodically-paced war thriller Army of Shadows. The guys discuss the intentionally un-Hollywood approach of Melville's direction, the bleak and saturated colour design, all of the off-screen and vague fates of some of the characters and much more. Next...

Beat to Quarters, men! Experience the timeless tale of Man and the Sea and all he asks for is a tall ship and a star to steer her by! It's Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. It's 1805 and Napoleon is a problem! War rages and is even spilling over to the Pacific Ocean as the HMS Surprise pursues the French gunship Acheron. Her Captain, 'Lucky' Jack Aubrey has to complete...

Enjoy this oldie from the What Were They Thinking? vaults as Brendan enjoys his brief vacation. Please ignore the plugs for things that have clearly already happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we return to the Yangtze River in 208 AD at the Battle of Red Cliffs! Last week we saw the lead up and now it is time for the main event! On this bank, Prime Minister Cao Cao! On the other, our band of scrappy heroes! Who will prevail in this battle for the ages? Only John Woo and us and the entire nation of China know! Next week: a breakie-poo so enjoy some content from the other podcas...

It's time to discuss Red Cliff, the movie so big that it takes two episodes to talk about... even though this is a shorter episode. .. Look... the movie is 5 hours, okay? We're only HUMAN! Next week: the rest of the movie. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot us an e-mail at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠forscreenandcountry@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Two men. One island. Stranded and their countries at war, they have a choice: continue fighting that war here in the middle of nowhere or set aside their differences to survive. Hell, the movie has Toshiro Mifune and Lee Marvin. That's reason enough to watch it! Next week: WOO! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot us an e-mail at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Is it his masterpiece? Maybe! Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is next on the docket. Does the movie take place in QT's alternate history multiverse? Is this the best career-launching performance in film history (Christoph Waltz)? Does the Mike Myers cameo work? How about that delightfully self-indulgent final line? All this and more! Next week: no man is an island. Questions? Comments? Su...

This is London. It is 1940 and the Blitz is at its most intense... seeing a period of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. Afraid for young George's life, his mother attempts to send him away from London to ride out the attacks. George has no interest in leaving,and jumps from the train intending to head back home. But much like Odysseus, Xenophon and The Warriors... the journey would not be simple o...

Are you about to be... IN HARM'S WAY? Well, certainly if you reject Kirk Douglas! The guys talk about Eddington's (Douglas) very questionable redemption arc, John Wayne's unconvincing romance plot, the movie's exciting and dangerous first act and much more. Next week: GLORIOUS! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot us an e-mail at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Imagine a world where Nazis roam... in Wales! The menfolk have left and its up to the ladies to endure a strange occupation by a small unit of Heer soldiers who, among other things, like to play English dress up - just another day in Nazi-occupied Wales. Bring a pillow.  Next week: two very manly men. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot us an e-mail at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The boys are back in town! This week, the fellas revisit the Afghanistan crew from Restrepo with the documentary "sequel" Korengal. The guys question if a sequel can just be a selection of deleted scenes from the original film and then discuss masculinity and homoeroticism in the military along with a slew of other topics! Next week: alternate history! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can alw...

Like Tom Cruise, Reinhard Heydrich lives, dies, and repeats for our amusement. This time, we take a look at a 2016 version of the story, Anthropoid with our old Irish pals Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy! If you can't get real Czechs or Slovaks, you can always get a couple of Irishmen. That's just good sense! Next week: checking in on the boys in Afghanistan! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You...

We're off-list this week to discuss the Oscar-nominated biopic The Imitation Game concerning the story of Alan Turing and his code-breaking skills that helped to put to rest some nasty Nazis. The guys talk about the gaggle of historical inaccuracies in this Hollywood adaptation and whether it ruins the film at all, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley's wonderful performances, the controversy...

This week the fellas fire up their DeLorean and head back to Afghanistan and this time, they drop in on the Soviet-Afghan war! After a group of Soviet tanks massacre and destroy a civilian town hiding Mujahideen, the surviving war machine attempts to escape to the lines. Meanwhile, local Khan Taj and his guerilla brethren vow to destroy the tank and wreck vengeance upon the invaders. Ripping stuff...

The fellas get all greased up and talk about some manly men this week with 1968's Where Eagles Dare. Clint Eastwood AND Richard Burton together? You betcha! The guys talk about the surprising lack of tension on the set, the acting masterclass during the pivotal reveal, Ingrid Pitt's horrifying backstory, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's connections with the film and much more! Next week: Afghan...

This week, the Dark Knight rises! No, we're not watching the 2012 Batman threequel, you silly person! Why would you think that? It's the rise of the actor Christian Bale, in 1987 's Empire of the Sun! As the young son of British diplomats, Jamie (Bale) navigates the second world war as the Japanese invade his hometown of Shanghai. Separated from his parents, he clings to American sailor Bassie (Jo...

DDL is back, baby! But this time... are the guys celebrating as much as usual? In what is sure to be a divisive episode, Brendan and Jason take a close look at Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans and question if Daniel Day-Lewis is at his usual best. They also talk about the non-stereotypical portrayal of the indigenous peoples, the very recognizable score and much more. Next week: Spielberg!...

Boy, war is hell, all bloody and dirty and whatnot. But it isn't all glum, chum! No, the boys and girls of the 4077th MASH unit find plenty of time to play grab-ass and and cause all kinds of chaos. Surely, you didn't think the war ended at the front line! These nurses and doctors are fighting the only way they know how - surgery, sex and awful misogynist attacks disguised as pranks! There's a rea...