Unclear and Present Danger

On episode 21 of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John discuss the horrifically problematic 1993 thriller “Rising Sun” starring Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery. It’s lurid, salacious and incredibly racist, which makes it fertile ground for a discussion of the anti-Japanese panic of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Additional topics include Wesley Snipes' career, Michael Crighton’s whole deal, and the question of whether it is even possible to forge a unifying national narrative.Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!The Washington Post on the protests against the release of “Rising Sun.”Hobart Rowen on Japan-bashing in the 1980s.Roger Ebert’s review of “Gung Ho.”New York Times front page for July 30, 1993

In this, our twentieth episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watched the hit 1993 thriller “In the Line of Fire,” directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo and John Malkovich. They discuss Eastwood’s career and star persona, the anti-political apathy of the 1990s, and the “end of history” vibes of Eastwood and Malkovich’s characters.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for July 9, 1993A 2010 Guardian profile of Clint Eastwood.New York Times review of “The Defiant Ones.”

For episode 19 of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John watch “In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco,” a ripped-from-the-headlines-style movie about the siege at Waco. They use the movie as an occasion to discuss right-wing extremism, abuse and overreach among federal law enforcement, and how both played themselves out in American culture.Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for May 23, 1993“Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America” by Kathleen BelewAmerican Experience: Ruby Ridge“Waco: The Rules of Engagement,” a 1997 documentary on the siege and its fallout.

Jamelle, for one, has been very excited about this episode, an analysis of Joel Schumacher’s 1993 film “Falling Down.” In the conversation, Jamelle and John discuss the populist moment of the early 1990s, the discourse around the “angry white man,” the class politics (or lack thereof) of the film, and the erosion of the post-war anti-fascist consensus.Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for February 26, 1993Carol Clover on “Falling Down” in Sight and Sound magazine.A New York Time story on the “race to win over the angry white male” from 1995.

In this episode of Unclear and President Danger, Jamelle and John discuss “Sniper,” a delightful piece of genre trash that also happens to speak to some of the paranoias and prejudices of the era. To that point, their conversation veers from the anti-Bill Clinton conspiracy theories of the early 1990s to the militia aesthetic that emerged later in the decade.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times front page for January 29, 1993“The Panama Deception” documentaryWikipedia page for “Soldier of Fortune” magazine.

For episode 16 of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John discuss “Under Siege,” 1992 action thriller directed by Andrew Davis and starring Steven Seagal in what is clearly his best role. We talk about Seagal’s career, Hollywood’s view of the American military in this era of filmmaking, and the strange, almost left-wing politics of this movie in particular. Jamelle also attempts a bad impression of Seagal. It’s a good time.“Under Siege” is available for rent on Amazon and iTunes.Our logo, as always, is courtesy of the great Rachel Eck, who you can find on Instagram.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times frontpage for October 9, 1992Steven Seagal’s infamously unwatchable appearance on Saturday Night Live.Scene in “Austin Powers” where Austin learns the Cold War is over.

On episode 15 of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John are joined by Mike Duncan (Revolutions podcast, “Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution”) to discuss the delightful 1992 thriller Sneakers. It’s a movie about a tech mogul who hopes to stage an information revolution and, not surprisingly, John, Jamelle and Mike discuss the internet, social revolutions, and the challenge of building something out of nothing.Our logo, as always, is courtesy of the great Rachel Eck, who you can find on Instagram.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieMike DuncanLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for September 11, 1992Sneakers Computer Press Kit“Marxism and Politics” by Ralph Miliband

It’s episode 14 of Unclear and Present Danger and we’re talking Oliver Stone’s ridiculous yet incredibly-compelling conspiracy thriller, JFK. Jamelle and John are joined by the historian Alexis Coe to discuss the film, as well as the real John F. Kennedy, his life and legacy. This is a long and fruitful conversation, that covers everything from the Boomer wish-fulfillment which animates the movie to the political consequences of conspiracy-thinking.Once again, our new logo is courtesy of the great Rachel Eck! You can find her on Instagram.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieAlexis CoeLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for December 20, 1991Oliver Stone’s New York Times op-ed defending the film.Miller Center of Public Affairs page on the Kennedy presidency.Politico Magazine on John F. Kennedy and Margaret CoitOnce Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford

Is a Star Trek movie a political and military thriller? We think so! Which is why, for this thirteenth episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John (and their guest, Sam Adler-Bell of the “Know Your Enemy” podcast) discussed Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. They talked about the nature of Star Trek’s utopianism, questioned whether the Federation is actually a good thing, and gave a close reading of the film’s Cold War allegory.Our new logo is courtesy of the great Rachel Eck! You can find her on Instagram.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieSam Adler-BellLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for December 6, 1991IMDB page for Nicholas MeyerThe Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years

On episode 12 of Unclear and Present and Danger, Jamelle and John talk about, and puzzle over, the 1991 action comedy (comedic thriller?) “Company Business.” They have an extended discussion of Gene Hackman’s career, talk Mikhail Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and think about the surge of populism that struck American politics in the early 1990s.Our new logo is courtesy of the great Rachel Eck! You can find her on Instagram.Contact us!Follow us on Twitter!John GanzJamelle BouieLinks from the episode!New York Times front-page for September 6, 1991Martin Chilton’s 2020 profile of Gene Hackman“Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union” by Vladislav M. Zubok