This week, we discuss our favorite spy films, remember classic X-Files episodes, and have a laugh over Adam’s wolverine claws. Plus, we talk about the new James Bond movie Spectre without spoiling it. Consider this a non-spoilercast!
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What about – True Lies ?
That’s a great spy film, that’s Arnie wanting to be the next Bond, but realizing it’s never going to happen, so creating a whole new spy that is just as cool, has all the gadgets, but has to live the “normal life” of a spy. Also, a really great cast. Such a shame there was never a sequel to that film.
Seriously guys, get the damn microphones out of your faces!
I know I’m not the first one to say it.
There are no tour shows in Texas 🙁
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Je_Souhaite
“Je Souhaite was the first episode Vince Gilligan directed”
How about that!
Will was close. Bond goes to Miami in Casino Royale. The airport sequence is in Miami.
Spy Game is one of those films for me (like The Shawshank Redemption, The 5th Element, and Cold Comfort Farm) that I will always stop and watch, no matter where it is in the story, should I encounter it while channel surfing.
As for the X-Files, “Home” (Season 4, episode 2) is the episode that Adam was referencing and it is truly one of the single-most disturbing TV episodes to have ever been aired. The Peacock family… (shivers) still haunt my memories nearly 20 years later.
A Wookie Terminator would be terrifying!
Really appreciated having the podcast title in the article header; now I can tell what it is in my RSS feed!
i LOVE true lies
Not so much a film, but “Rubicon” that was aired on AMC , a couple of years ago, was a great behind the scene spyish show.
NORM, they do travel to the US in Casino Royale. They have the whole Miami chase at the airport and body worlds scene.
You can stop listening to this at about 17:20 where it goes completely off the rails. “Bond is a misogynist and horrible, but the movie acknowledges it in a way that makes it okay….” Wow, first off, it’s not okay to be a misogynist, unless it’s the villain, and the hero is about to off him.
A misunderstanding of misogyny is prevalent in this discourse especially when it comes to Bonds treatment of women. Historically the Bond franchise has been chauvinistic in certain cases, and perhaps even to the point of misogyny; and this is true for the film industry as a whole. In the 007 franchise, I don’t think any scene is as bad as the Lucia Sciarra (Monica Belucci) is near raped, until she finally relents, and the act becomes consensual. The media somehow sees this as Bond being seduced by an older woman… bizarre. (She is older by the way, so it’s not incorrect)
However, more recently in the Bond franchise, we have seen Bond be loyal to a female M (Judi Dench) and acting in the best interest of HRH The Queen, even when MI6 betrayed/abandoned 007. We’ve seen Jinx, a sexy confident and capable American agent who carries out her own mission that is interrupted by a fumbling Bond. It’s hard for me to say that Bond hates women. I think the movie industry hates women, and often uses them as plot devices. When it comes to a male lead where he is SUPPOSED to do the rescuing, where HE is the one who is supposed to save the day, it’s hard to make it so that supporting cast is the hero, whether that person is cast as a man or a woman.
I have no doubt the guys agree fully with you that misogyny is unacceptable, but perhaps they disagree that the so-called “hero” cannot have an unacceptable personality and associated behaviour.
There is nothing inherently wrong, in my opinion, with a main character also being awful to people around him or her. Bond in the books always wasn’t heroic, he was a problematic a twisted, violent misanthrope who, fueled by dependencies on alcohol and drugs, is abusive to himself and those who come into contact with him.
He is, in Fleming’s words, a “blunt instrument”, who unquestioningly does what he’s told… out of duty to his country (and a paycheck), not as a result of a well-developed moral compass.
Craig’s Bond holds true to the blunt instrument, but throughout his run gradually experiences a crisis of confidence. As his behaviour punishes him psychologically and results in being shunned professionally, threatening his existence and perceived value to society.
His misogyny is unacceptable, and in the movie this behaviour paints him as a thin veneer of competence on a fragile and sad framework. And in spite of his heroic actions, he himself is not a hero.
Edit: and yes, it is a tricky balance, sometimes they get it wrong. But this is the character they are given, it comes with that challenge.
Part of the Bond Tradition, as PMB mentions, is that Bond gets the **** knocked out of him for at least the first 1/3 if not 1/2 the movie. Until he ‘figures out’ enough to start taking command. “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond– I expect you to die!” <-- one of the best Villain lines ever!
One thing about a New Bond– the Broccoli family always wanted (still wants?) Bond to be British.
And the fat southern sheriff in “Live and Let Die” was Clifton James.
I’ve always felt that all of the chases and fights in the Bond movies just slow down the plot!
For a British take on James Bond, consider the series “The Avengers,” with Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as John Steed and Emma Peel. The ads used to say that Emma was a “very talented amateur.” Lots of strange doings (maybe a cross between James Bond and the X-Files).
A nice book about ‘true names’ is “True Names” by Vernor Vinge. Someone figures out the real names and addresses of a computer fantasy (?) group and they start getting killed off. Our Hero has to convince the next victim to reveal her true name and location so she can be saved…
And, finally, this old joke. Two venerable pirate captains meet in a bar. One says to the other, “Looks like you’ve had a rough time! Missing a hand and an eye!” “Aye, been a bad year. Lemme tell you how I lost the hand…” They talk, and pirate #2 finally winds down with “…and all I have to show for it is this hook.” Pirate number one asks, “But tell me– how’d you lose your eye?” “Well, it was a windy day… and something got caught in me eye. And it was me first day with me new hook….”
Careful with the claws!
–Paul E Musselman
Was really cool that you guys brought up X Files randomly. I have been on a binge trying to watch them all. Unfortunately I was a bit young when it first came out, and never got to watch it. Its all on Amazon now, so I am catching up. I actually JUST watched the Cerulean Blue one on Sunday, so it was great that it got brought up.
Also, True Lies is awesome, might have to go back and watch that again.
Man from UNCLE is an under rated film. I found it quite enjoyable. The music is great, and the lead actors have good chemistry together. Don’t let the critics keep you away the movie is a lot of fun.
I think the new Spiderman movies are better than the Toby Maguire movies. The second and third Toby Maguire movies were very tacky. That being said, the final battle between Spiderman, Sandman, Venom and Harry was really good. The lead up was not.
I think we should all be glad Michael Bay has yet to make a Bond flick… We would never know where any one was and how they got there… The explosions and gadgets would be awesomeness!
When are Adam’s toolbox posters shipping out?
They have been shipping for the last several weeks, but they have five months of back-logged orders to get through. It seems like most of those who have gotten theirs signed up in june/july, so depending on when you signed up you might have to be patient 🙂
Hey Norm, can you ask Will the name of that X-Files rewatch podcast? Thanks!
It wasn’t intentional, but I ended up seeing Spectre, then listening to this podcast (yes, I listen to, not watch it), then listening to Nerdist’s interview with Daniel Craig back to back. It was interesting to contrast the Tested guy’s perception of what has been going on with Daniel Craig against how Craig himself describes things.
Despite Norm’s attempt to explain what he wanted in Spectre, I can’t figure out what he really wanted from it. Then again, despite some clunkiness that I expect from Bond films, Spectre was one of my favorites. Except for the end. (Not going to spoil it here.)
I think it’s amazing people were taken aback by Daniel Craig saying that Bond was a misogynist. Of course he was! That was the allure of Fleming’s original character. He was a terrible person, and he was well aware of it. He was a cold-blooded killer, misogynistic, self-hating, self destructive, an alcoholic, chain-smoker, you name it. Maybe referencing the books doesn’t apply to the films, but the end of Casino Royale has him finding out that the love interest that he genuinely held feelings for, Vesper Lynd, was the one playing him the entire time, after he finds her dead body in a hotel room with her suicide note. After that, literally, the book ends with the lines: “This is 007 speaking. This is an open line. It’s an emergency. Can you hear me? Pass this on at once. 3030 was a double, working for Redland. Yes, dammit, I said “was”. The bitch is dead now.”
I first read those books at 12, it’s been a while, should go back and reread them.
Hi. I believe Will may be referring to ‘Kumail Nanjiani’s The X-Files Files’ podcast. Jumail and Will have some conversations on Twitter so Kumail may be the friend he was referring to. http://www.feralaudio.com/show/x-files-files/
I love your podcast, but can you please do something about balancing your audio levels? Turning it up load enough to hear the quietest person leaves me *figuratively* bleeding from the ears whenever someone laughs or yells. Help me give my volume knob a rest please.
– in another podcast you mentioned producing but not being sure what ideas or projects you want to be involved in yet. Your story about the CIA married couple being on assignment when something bad happens and they can’t connect to let each other know they are ok sounds a lot like a great project pitch to me.