Postbag Episode

A commercial flop on release in 1933, Duck Soup is now considered the Marx Brothers' masterpiece. The tale of a narcissistic madman who takes over a country and leads it into war on a whim, it was intended as a satire on Mussolini - and indeed was banned in Italy - but John McKie, the former editor of Smash Hits, argues that it works well as a picture of Washington in 2026. Rob has a lot of questions, but Duncan is delighted to explain why this really might have been a movie that changed the course of World War 2.John's new book is Prince: A Sign O' The TimesNext week: Godzilla Minus One.

Definitely Not Vietnam Month comes to a frankly confusing conclusion with a movie that everyone thinks is about Vietnam, but which Duncan argues is actually about something else.Apocalypse Now is Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 exploration of the madness of war. Making it turned into its own craziness, as costs spiraled, Martin Sheen had a heart attack and Marlon Brando was difficult even by his own high standards.Joining us is Nick Dent of the Brisbane Times.Next week: Duck Soup.

Definitely Not Vietnam Month rolls on with The Wild Bunch, a 1969 film so violent it had viewers throwing up in the foyer. Director Sam Peckinpah was clear that he wanted to bring the violence of war, especially the war in South East Asia, into cinemas, and if he had to fire live ammunition at his crew to do that, then he would. The film pioneered a wealth of new techniques, with fast cuts and slow motion evoking the chaos of combat. Is it a war film? Did it chance the course of a different 1969 Western? And will Duncan ever tell his friends about his podcast?Next Week: Apocalypse Now.Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Definitely Not Vietnam Month rolls on with a film about a US force with superior equipment and training going into a swamp, upsetting the locals, and being killed them. Yep, definitely not about Vietnam. Is this the first time that Nastiest Nazi has been won by a piece of geography? And who exactly are the baddies here?Next week: The Wild Bunch.Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Definitely Not Vietnam Month takes us to a galaxy far, far away as we discuss a 1977 film about a small resistance movement taking on and beating a powerful empire. Joining us to explain that Darth Vader isn't actually in Star Wars is historian of the universe Chris Kempshall, while zipping by in his X-Wing with memories of the shoot is actor Jack Klaff, who played one of the pilots to take on the Death Star. Rob wants to know whether anyone involved in the film understood what they were making, but Duncan's big question is about Imperial health and safety policies.Next week: Definitely Not Vietnam Month continues with Southern ComfortDrop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Definitely Not Vietnam Month opens with one of the greatest films ever to be made that definitely wasn't about the Vietnam War. Robert Altman's 1970 debut M*A*S*H was the tale of the 4077th Army hospital in the Korean - repeat Korean - War. It defied cinematic conventions, with no story arcs, overlapping dialogue, and a cynical attitude to life right from the opening song. The studio didn't expect much, but it was a critical and commercial hit, spawning a long-running sitcom and putting rocket boosters under the careers of not just Altman but also stars Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould.Duncan and Rob weren't sure how it had aged, but guest Joe Twyman, who spent three years as a "Fobbit" in Baghdad, argues that it's the most authentic portrayal of life on a military base that he's ever seen.Next week, Definitely Not Vietnam Month continues with an obscure 1977 film called Star Wars.Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Near the top of any list of war films, Full Metal Jacket was Stanley Kubrick's bleak take on Vietnam. It gave us cinema's greatest drill sergeant, a script full of unforgettable lines, and an Asian country as it could only look if it had been filmed in an East London gasworks. Joining us is Sarah Ditum, who's been fascinated by the film since growing up near a military base where all the dads loved the movie. Her book Toxic: Women, Fame and The Noughties is about misogyny in culture. Will this film's female characters offer a chance to discuss this subject? Her conclusions may surprise you.Next week, Definitely Not Vietnam Month kicks off with MASH.Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rogue Russian submarine, heading for the US coast: does the captain plan to defect or start a nuclear war? Based on Tom Clancy's bestselling technothriller, this was a Cold War movie released just as the Cold War ended. Gripping from the first scene, it was a masterclass in film-making, helped by a stellar supporting cast, including Sam Neill and Tim Curry, both taken from us this year. Next week: Full Metal Jacket.Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Errol Flynn! Olivia de Havilland! Horses! The only thing that's hard to understand about this swashbuckling 1930s epic is the decision to set a film about the most famous moment of the Crimean War in India. And to portray one of history's great military blunders as a strategic masterstroke. Just what was going on in Hollywood? Still, despite Rob struggling to process what he was watching, it's a wild ride. And Duncan learns how the poem of the charge of the movie might, conceivably, have changed the course of World War 2. Next week: The Hunt For Red October. Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What films do we wish were war films? What has most surprised us over the course of 100 war movies? Do British people watch different war films from Americans? Which battles really need a film?Yes, for one week only, we're answering your questions. Next week, normal service resumes with The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936).Drop us a line! Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] you like to know more? See the list of films we'd like to do? Buy merch? Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.comVisit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.