For this week’s episode, Jamelle and John were joined by Linda Holmes of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Our to discuss the 1995 political romantic comedy “The American President,” directed by Rob Reiner, written by — you guessed it — Aaron Sorkin, and starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, David Paymer, Samantha Mathis and Michael J. Fox, among others. “The American President” stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, a widow, who falls in love with an environmental...
Sep 17, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast For this week’s episode, Jamelle and John were joined by Isaac Chotiner of the New Yorker magazine to watch and discuss 1995’s GoldenEye, the first James Bond film of the 1990s and the first James Bond film of the post-Cold War era. GoldenEye is the seventeenth film in the James Bond series and the first to star Pierce Brosnan, who would go on to star in three subsequent pictures, all of which we will eventually cover on the podcast: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another D...
Sep 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast For this week’s episode, we watched the 1995 coming-of-age tale slash Vietnam War movie slash crime thriller “Dead Presidents,” produced and directed by Albert and Allen Hughes. It stars Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, N’Bushe Wright, Freddy Rodriguez and Bokeem Woodbine. “Dead Presidents” is the story of Anthony Curtis, a soon-to-be high school graduate from the Bronx who chooses to join the Marines in search of his own destiny. The year is 1969 and he is sent to Vietnam, leaving his fa...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast For this week’s episode, Jamelle and John watched Kathryn Bigelow’s 1995 cult favorite Strange Days , a collaboration with James Cameron inspired by the political and social turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although not quite “cyberpunk” — it isn’t a William Gibson pastiche like its contemporary Johnny Mnemonic — Strange Days borrows heavily from the genre and its various conceits. Strange Days stars Ralph Fiennes as protagonist Lenny Nero, Angela Bassett as “Mace,” Juliette Lewis...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Jamelle and John were joined by scholar and author Sam Goldman to watch and discuss the1994 alt-history thriller “Fatherland,” a made-for-HBO adaptation of Robert Harris’ 1992 novel of the same name. Both the novel and the film take place in a 1964 where Nazi Germany won the war in Europe. In the week leading up to the 75th birthday of Adolf Hitler, and the opening up of diplomatic relations with the United States, an investigator in the SS looks into the suspicious death of a high-ra...
Jul 08, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John are joined by the Josie Duffy Rice of the Unreformed podcast to discuss “The Net,” a 1995 techno-thriller, directed by Irwin Winkler and starring Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northam and Dennis Miller. The Net was one of several films in a mini-genre that you can describe as, “What if computer technology was used for evil?” Contemporaries include Hackers and Enemy of the State, both films we will eventually cover on this podcast. H...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watch the satirical sci-fi action thriller “Demolition Man,” starring Sylvester Stallone as “John Spartan,” a Los Angeles city police officer who is cryogenically frozen as punishment for a failed rescue attempt; Wesley Snipes as “Simon Phoenix,” his primary antagonist; Sandra Bullock as a cop in the sterile, Brave New World-esque future society in which the film takes place; and Nigel Hawthorne as the leader of that future s...
Jun 10, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John are joined by David Sims of The Atlantic magazine and the Blank Check podcast to discuss the 1995 comic book adaptation “Judge Dredd.” Made in the era when Hollywood had no idea what to do with comics and science fiction properties, “Judge Dredd” is, in most respects, a failure. But within that failure is interesting glimpse into one of the major political preoccupations of the 1990s — crime. As such, the conversation touches...
May 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watch “True Lies,” James Cameron’s tonally-incoherent (but hugely successful) spy thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. They discuss the film as a straightforward take on the American crisis of masculinity in the 1990s, as a depiction of American beliefs and ideologies around sex and power, and as the beginning of a significant turn in the cultural depiction of America’s enemies. They also talk about A...
May 14, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watched “Canadian Bacon,” a 1995 political comedy written, produced and directed by Michael Moore, which takes aim at American politics in the wake of the Cold War. It stars an ensemble cast of John Candy (in his last film role), Alan Alda as the president of the United States, Bill Nunn, Kevin J. O’Connor, Rhea Perlman, Kevin Pollak and Rip Torn. In their conversation, Jamelle and John discuss Michael Moore’s work and impact (especially ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, we watched “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” the 1995 threequel to the original 1988 “Die Hard.” Directed by John McTiernan, who helmed the first film, it was written by prolific Holllywood screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh based on an original screenplay and stars Bruce Willis as recurring hero John McClane, Samuel L. Jackson as “Zeus,” and Jeremy Irons as Simon Gruber, brother of Hans. In the episode, Jamelle and John discuss Rudy Giuliani’s New Y...
Apr 15, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John discuss Wolfgang Petersen’s medical thriller slash action movie “Outbreak.” We spend the bulk of the episode discussing the experience of watching this movie having lived through a pandemic, as well as the pandemic fears of the 1990s that might have inspired this film. Unfortunately, a few technical difficulties meant the audio quality isn’t as high as it should be, but we did our best to compensate and we appreciate your pat...
Apr 02, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Jamelle and John are joined by Soraya Roberts of Defector and Pipe Wrench magazine to talk “Drop Zone,” a quintessentially 1990s action film starring Wesley Snipes and Gary Busey. They talk Snipes' career and his fall into “sovereign citizenship,” the 90s obsession with “extreme” sports, and race and Hollywood. In our next episode, we’ll discuss the (ridiculous) disaster thriller “Outbreak,” directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo. It’s available to re...
Mar 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watch “Toys,” a largely-forgotten fantasy-comedy film from director Barry Levinson. Despite its myriad flaws, the boys have a productive conversation about the film’s obvious themes — the military-industrial complex and the rise of remote and drone warfare — and its less obvious themes, specifically the bourgeois vision of family capitalism and industrial harmony at the heart of the film. “Toys” is virtually impossible t...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast We are concluding our Graham Greene series with an obscure spy drama from director Otto Preminger, the 1979 film "The Human Factor." It is of a piece with "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and to that point, Jamelle and John spend this episode discussing the connections between the two works and the similarities (and differences) between how Le Carre and Greene view betrayal and deception. "The Human Factor" is pretty good — Preminger was a master — so we both recommend that you check it out. It'...
Feb 18, 2023•11 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode, Jamelle and John watch Disney’s “The Rocketeer,” a throwback action-adventure film starring Billy Campbell, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Sorvino and Timothy Dalton. They discuss the 1930s revival of the late 80s and early 90s, the real-life conspiracies that might have inspired the plot of “The Rocketeer,” and the political power of nostalgia for Americans on the left and the right. Episodes come out every other Friday, so we’ll see you two weeks from now with the ...
Feb 18, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode, Jamelle and John discuss “Without Warning,” a made-for-television science fiction film from 1994, produced as if it were an actual breaking news event, with “reports” from on-the-ground correspondents from around the world. They discuss the inspiration for this “docudrama” genre as well as the general wave of “asteroid attack” films in the 1990s. They also talk the psychology behind the idea that a global disaster would bring humanity together (under American leadership, ...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast New Episode This week, Jamelle and John are joined by historian Gillet Rosenblith to discuss the 1994 action thriller “Surviving the Game,” a loose adaptation of “The Most Dangerous Game” and a glimpse into anxieties and fears regarding poverty, homelessness and urban decay in the 1990s. They also discuss other, similar films of the era, like John Woo’s “Hard Target,” and they discuss further what distinguishes the action movies of the 1990s from their predecessors in the 70s and 80s. Connor Lyn...
Jan 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year! In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, we watch “The Puppet Masters,” an adaptation of a 1951 Robert Heinlein novel that feels aimless in the absence of the original Cold War context. Jamelle and John discuss, among other things, the “Body Snatcher” genre, science fiction as a vehicle for allegory, and the war on drugs. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie UnclearPod And join the Uncle...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast What do you get when you mix Boston, bad accents and a lot of explosions? The 1994 thriller “Blown Away” starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones! Jamelle and John are joined by Clare Malone of The New Yorker to talk Irish-American identity, Irish nationalism, the racial politics of Boston and much, much more. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie UnclearPod And join the Unclear and Present Patreon ! For just $5 a m...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Hello listeners! This on the Patreon week we continued our journey into the work of Graham Greene and Carol Reed with the 1949 British noir “The Third Man.” It suffices to say that this is one of the most famous and acclaimed movies of all time, so Jamelle and John had a lot to say about its production, its writing and its themes. They also spoke a great deal about Orson Welles, the politics of postwar Europe, existentialism, and the career of star Joseph Cotten. Connor Lynch produced this episo...
Dec 16, 2022•9 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode, Jamelle and John scrape the bottom of the cinematic barrel with the 1994 environmentalist action flick, “On Deadly Ground,” directed by and starring Steven Seagall. It’s not a good movie, but they had a good conversation covering Seagall’s political trajectory, right-wing misogyny, and the psychological origins of authoritarian politics. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie UnclearPod And joi...
Dec 10, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast For this week’s Patreon episode, Jamelle and John cover the 1959 film “Our Man in Havana,” an adaptation of a 1958 Graham Greene novel by the same name. We talk Graham Greene, director Carol Reed, and Alec Guinness, the star, as well as esoteric topics like motivated reasoning, the nature of intelligence work, and the power and peril of propaganda. We also, as always, looked at the news for the day the film was released, December 30, 1959. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Ec...
Dec 02, 2022•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle, John and special guest Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes discuss the 1993 adaptation of John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief,” and ask whether anything about the movie’s plot actually makes any sense. They also discuss the early days of the conservative legal movement, the political hegemony of capital, and Stanley Tucci. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie ...
Nov 25, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast We have another Patreon episode for you and this week, it’s a John favorite: the 1979 BBC adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” We go deep into the character of George Smiley, John le Carre’s critique of the British ruling class, and the idea of national “decadence.” Jamelle also spends a little time talking about the American constitutional system, so it’s basically an episode where everyone is on brand. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . To hear the full episode, ...
Nov 18, 2022•11 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Jamelle and John are joined by Michael Liroff of the Five Four podcast to discuss “The Fugitive,” a masterpiece of Dad cinema. They talk the liberal politics of the 1990s, the surprisingly nuanced racial politics of the film, and complain, as always, that they just don’t make them like this anymore. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie UnclearPod And join the Unclear and Present Patreon ! For just $5 a month, patron...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 26 — The Hunt for Red October (Take Two) In this one year anniversary episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John return to the film that started it all, “The Hunt for Red October.” They discuss the film as an elegy for the Cold War era, and further explore the dilemma of American power and identity in the post-Soviet world. Next week’s episode…”The Fugitive.” Contact us! Sign up for our Patreon show on the films of the Cold War! Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwo...
Oct 30, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 25 — The Firm In this episode of Unclear and Present Danger, John and Jamelle discuss the 1993 John Grisham film adaptation “The Firm.” They use the genre of the legal thriller to discuss the legalization of American life in the 1990s and the turn from politics in crucible of history to management at its putative end. They also talk about Wilford Brimley, so there’s that too. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jame...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John are joined by Amanda Smith of the Disaster Girls podcast to discuss the Wesley Snipes vehicle “Passenger 57,” which features an extremely charismatic Snipes facing off against an off-band Hannibal Lecter and also, casual racism. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! • UnclearPod • John Ganz • Jamelle Bouie • Amanda Smith Links from the episode! • New York Times front-page for N...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Somehow, a crime thriller starring Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Mickey Rourke set in the New Mexico desert isn’t especially good. Still, the 1992 film “White Sands” gave Jamelle and John a little bit to discuss for this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger. Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck . Contact us! Follow us on Twitter! John Ganz Jamelle Bouie Links from the episode! New York Times front-page for April 24, 1992...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 
