For Screen and Country

The guys go on a side-quest this week with the first edition of The Heydrich Files, an examination of the life and (mostly) death of Reinhart Heydrich, one of the most despicable figures in all of WWII. For the first edition, the guys talk about the 2001 HBO film Conspiracy, a film which depicts the Wannsee Conference and the birth of one of the worst atrocities in human history. The power dynamic...

From the air to the ground! This week, the guys talk about Lebanon - a film that takes place entirely within a tank! The guys talk about the controversy surrounding the film from Israeli officials, the inexperience of our main characters, "tank-vision," Jason talks about why Israel is so prevalent in American politics and much more. Plus: an update on that movie where Kevin Costner looks at a peni...

Cool your jets! It's time to talk all about the Howard Hawks propaganda war film Air Force. The guys talk about the character that's just so excited to go to war (gosh-darn it!), Winocki and his connection to Quentin Tarantino, the level of propaganda and racism in the film, the Pearl Harbor attack occurring off-screen, the lack of musical score throughout and much more.   Next week: a tank! Quest...

This week, the boys take a walk in the sun with... well... A Walk in the Sun! They discuss the film using an old-timey musical narrator at various points throughout, the Battle of Tibet references throughout, the evolution of director Lewis Milestone between this film and All Quiet on the Western Front, Samuel Fuller's negative reaction to the film, the ending that echoes anti-war sentiment in its...

The boys head to 'Nam this week and talk all about Oliver Stone's acclaimed gritty Vietnam War movie Platoon. They talk all about Berenger and Dafoe's scene-stealing performances, Stone's real Vietnam War experience shielding him from criticism, the use of music and voiceover, the less-than-stellar working conditions on the set and much more.   Next week: Look out, Italy! We're invading you! Quest...

This week, the boys take aim with the 2014 Clint Eastwood film American Sniper starring Bradley Cooper. They discuss the controversial nature of Chris Kyle, questioning the accuracy of some of the film's depicted historical events, the really melodramatic moments used to suggest PTSD, the fake baby... like, of course they talk a LOT about the fake baby. Oh yeah, and some more stuff.   Next week: P...

This week's film is the Jean Renoir (yes, the son of the famous painter) film La Grande Illusion. Brendan and Jason talk about the film's breakdown of the fall of the aristocracy as exemplified by Boldieu and Rauffenstein, the use of subtitles and lack thereof which figure significantly into the narrative, Renoir using the contemporary world of World War II to comment on World War I as portrayed i...

This week, the boys talk about Mel Gibson's take on WWII and more specifically... Desmond Doss in the film Hacksaw Ridge. The guys talk about the obvious Mel Gibson Factor, the portrayal of the Japanese occupation, the post-war tragedy of the real Desmond Doss' life, Andrew Garfield's performance and much more.   Next week: La Grande Illusion. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot...

A brand-new venture begins as the guys start conquering the 100 Greatest War Movies of All-Time (according to PASTE Magazine) by starting out with a rather important one - the 1930 adaptation of book-to-silver screen All Quiet on the Western Front. The guys talk about how such a vehemently anti-war film in 1930 must have been quite a sight to see and discuss the censorship of the film throughout t...

It's time for a brand-new venture on the show and this week, the guys introduce the MARCH TO WAR as they look to cover the Top 100 Greatest War Movies of All-Time (according to PASTE Magazine) but also a lot of extra war-related side hustles.   Next week: The war list begins with the 1930 anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoot us an...

Well, this British film journey has been quite a ride but it's all gotta end somewhere and this is it. The boys salute the movies they've watched, announce which films have been added to their respective lists and which ones have been cut, they point out highlights from the past and put a bow on the whole venture.   Next week: WARRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoo...

Back to the list for one more movie as the guys discuss the wartime musical Oh! What a Lovely War starring a bevy of British stars covered many times on this show. They talk about the use of real wartime songs, the way in which the film covers some truly dark material with a fake veneer of joy, Attenborough's criticisms directed at the ruling class and much more.   Next week: OUR FINAL BRITISH LIS...

In the final installment of And Now for Something Completely Similar, the guys talk about one of Jason's childhood favourites - Goldeneye. Does it hold up?! They talk about Famke Janssen's amazing performance as the villain, they analyze Brosnan's performance as Bond and what makes him stick out amongst all the other portrayals, Jason gives some history about the mega-hit Nintendo 64 game that cam...

Well... the guys covered Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so it's only natural that they'd finish the Cornetto trilogy with The World's End. They talk about the themes of returning as a stranger in your hometown and never growing up despite all your friends doing so while also discussing Edgar Wright's ability at maturing as a director through all three of these movies, the names of the pubs and how...

The next step on the Completely Similar express is an examination of another film about the Troubles... Some Mother's Son. The guys talk about this film leaving virtually NO cultural footprint at all, they discuss how the film represents the conflict from many different points of view while never fully vilifying one side or the other, the very relaxed election rules that would not be a good idea i...

Taking one last break from the list, the guys start the recurring series And Now for Something Completely Similar by discussing the sequel 28 Weeks Later. They talk about the movie being way better than expected, the Hitchcock-esque twist about 40 minutes in, all of the before-they-were-stars actors showing up, the innovative day-for-night shooting technique and much more.   Next week: a discussio...

This week, the guys get political while discussing Armando Iannucci's In the Loop. They talk about Peter Capaldi mastering the art of the swear word, the mockery of childish political backstabbing, James Gandolfini's underappreciated performance, comparisons between this and Iannucci's show Veep and much more.   Next week: Time for something... completely similar. Questions? Comments? Suggestions?...

Do you feel lucky, punk? This week, the guys tackle Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People, a movie all about the Manchester punk music scene of the 1960s. They discuss Steve Coogan's fourth wall-breaking as a narrative device, the controversial nature of Joy Division's name, the credits that are impossible to read and much more. Plus: one of the hosts may have a semi-hot take about this belo...

In a coincidental continuation of last week's prison theme, the guys talk about Starred Up this week, a father/son prison drama starring Jack O'Connell. They talk about the expected plot turns of an "inspirational" movie that surprisingly don't occur, the comparisons to Hunger and Good Will Hunting, the movie's questionable point of view with a character's sexual orientation and much more.   Next...

In a whiplash of tones, the guys talk about Steve McQueen's prison drama about the Troubles in Ireland - Hunger. They talk about the stuff that is implied but never shown on-screen, the 17-minute unbroken take of a conversation, Michael Fassbender's dramatic bodily transformation for the role, the guys imagine what Michael Bay would do with this story and much more.   Next week: another prison mov...

This week, the guys go back to Edgar Wright with the second installment in the unofficial Cornetto trilogy - Hot Fuzz. They talk about all the references to Shaun of the Dead, the cavalcade of cameos, Pegg and Frost doing completely different characterizations, the cliched action finale and much more.   Next week: an acclaimed director's debut! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can always shoo...

This week, don't shake their martinis, damn it! The guys tackle the other Daniel Craig Bond outing on this list - Skyfall! They discuss the serialized nature of the new Bond films, Victor Silva as a multiverse version of Bond himself, the exciting action sequences, Judi Dench's increased screen time and acting prowess, Bond's character development over the course of the five films and much more.  ...

This week, the guys go back to the list and watch the movie that nearly won Charlotte Rampling an Oscar - 45 Years. They talk about Rampling's tremendous face acting, how the cinematography and scenery highlight the growing isolation and emotional separation between the titular couple, Tom Courtenay's connection to his past roles, the very realistic and taboo-breaking sex scene and much more.   Ne...

And now for something... completely similar! One more for the road! This week, the guys talk about the ill-fated sequel The Descent Part 2. Surely we can just do exactly the same thing again but put some dudes in it too and it will be equally as good, right?! Eep. Nevertheless, Brendan and Jason discuss how lazy the whole thing is, the re-design of the monsters, the return of an "iconic" character...

And now for something... completely similar! This week, the guys are A House Divided™ as they discuss Duncan Jones' passion project, the Netflix Original - Mute. Does Justin Theroux's character NEED to be a pedophile? Why does this film have a seemingly cruel side towards gender fluidity? Do Paul Rudd's wild acting choices pay off? Is the movie just ripping off Blade Runner? It's a bit more conten...