Oliver Stone in the 80s
Born on the Fourth of July
What’s the better Vietnam film in Oliver Stone’s career – _Platoon_ or _Born on the Fourth of July_? How well does Tom Cruise work in the lead role, especially at this point in his career? And how does this film show the culmination of everything Stone’s learned to tell the filmic stories he wants to tell over the course of the 80s? Tune in to this week’s show to hear us answer these questions and more!
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Talk Radio
Why did this film never connect to audiences? How strong are Eric Bogosian, Alec Baldwin, and the rest of the cast in their roles? And is this a Stone classic? It is in our eyes! Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Wall Street
How great is Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko and why is Douglas sad when people tell him they became brokers after seeing this movie? Does he ever actually say, “Greed is good”? Why does Charlie Sheen not seem to connect as much as he did in ‘Platoon’? And why did Darryl Hannah feel disconnected from her role? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Platoon
How does Oliver Stone’s semi-autobiographical anti-war Vietnam film hold up after nearly 35 years? Does Charlie Sheen do his father proud in his take on the Vietnam War? Does Stone’s messaging come through too strongly or is it well-balanced? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more.
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8 Million Ways to Die
Is Hal Ashby’s last feature film really as bad as people say or are its glimmers of neo-noir enough to make it worth talking about? How well does Jeff Bridges play an alcoholic? And what is a funicular anyway? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Salvador
Is this the film where Oliver Stone’s angle on political filmmaking takes shape? How good is James Woods as the unlikeable protagonist? And do we really learn much about politics in El Salvador at the time? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Year of the Dragon
Do the character relationship problems in this film weigh down the strengths of the crime plot? How well do Mickey Rourke, John Lone, and the rest of the cast do? And just how well does the final shootout work? Tune in to this week’s episode to get answers to these questions and more.
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Scarface
Why has this film endured the test of time? Is Pacino’s depiction of a Cuban over-the-top, offensive, or does it work? In the realm of remakes, how well does this work in retelling Howard Hawks’ original version? And is the film too violent? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Conan the Barbarian
How well doe Schwarzenegger work in the film that kickstarted his career? Why didn’t this series take off the way the filmmakers wanted it to? How does this film about cults and false truths still feel relevant today in the world of QAnon? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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The Hand
How realistic is any story about a severed hand that attacks people, and are we able to get past that premise to enjoy this movie? Is Michael Caine’s descent into madness effective or too much? Were the effects believable? And what is this film saying about psychology and science in the 80s? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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