Bang-Bang Podcast

• The Sum of All Fears (2002) w/ Max Read | Ep. 16

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comIn this episode, Van and Lyle are joined by writer Max Read to dissect The Sum of All Fears, the 2002 film adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel. The film thrusts CIA analyst Jack Ryan, portrayed by Ben Affleck, into a high-stakes scenario where a nuclear bomb detonates in Baltimore, pushing the U.S. and Russia to the brink of war. The movie’s release shortly after 9/11 adds a layer of poignancy to its themes of terrorism and national insecurity. The discussion delves into the portrayal of neo-Nazi antagonists manipulating global powers, a narrative choice that, while admirably distancing from the novel’s Middle Eastern villains, also anticipates our terrifying present. The trio likewise examines the character of Russian President Nemerov, a Vladimir Putin stand-in who, putting aside his central role in anti-Chechen violence, comes off as way too sympathetic in 2025. The narrative’s sanitized depiction of nuclear devastation, particularly the aftermath of the Baltimore explosion, earn well-deserved chuckles. Most of all, Max brings his media expertise on the “‘90s Dad Thriller” to the conversation, further offering stark relief to a current moment when such innocent and fun-loving thrills have been rendered quaint—perhaps even impossible.Further ReadingMax Read’s Substack“‘90s Dad Thrillers: a List,” by Max ReadThe Spook Who Sat By The Door, by Sam Greenlee"Trump dreams of a Maga empire – but he’s more likely to leave us a nuclear hellscape," by Alexander HurstThe Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner, by Daniel EllsbergCommand and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, by Eric Schlossser“The Man Who Knew Too Much,” by Lyle Jeremy RubinThe Hunt for Tom Clancy Substack, by Matt FarwellThe Sum of All Fears TrailerTeaser from The Episode

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• Part I: The Thin Red Line (1998) w/ Andrew Coville | Ep. 14

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comFew war films feel as sensuous, fractured, and unsettlingly beautiful as The Thin Red Line. Released the same year as Saving Private Ryan but standing in stark contrast to Spielberg’s unabashed Americanism, Terrence Malick’s adaptation of James Jones’ novel turns war into a meditation on nature, destruction, cosmos, self. Van and Lyle welcome Andrew Cov…

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• Part II: Three Kings (1999) w/ Kevin Fox | Ep. 13

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comThis is Part II of our coverage of Three Kings. Check out Part I here, or wherever you get podcasts. A madcap collage of American Berserk—that’s one way to describe David O. Russell’s Three Kings, and it’s exactly how Van, Lyle, and screenwriter Kevin Fox dive into it.This two-part episode (the second installment drops shortly) unpacks the film’s wild genre mash-up: comic book absurdities collide with nods to Star Wars and Apocalypse Now, all while a grim commentary on U.S. militarism and society simmers underneath. The group digs into how the film disorients viewers with slapstick humor and sudden, brutal violence—like Mark Wahlberg’s character, whose torture by an Iraqi soldier (grieving the loss of his son to an American bombing) flips the script on American power. When Wahlberg’s character feebly defends U.S. actions as “maintaining stability in the Middle East,” the soldier shoves a CD-ROM in his mouth—a searing metaphor for the imposition of U.S. hegemony.From cartoonish “United States of Freedom” patriotism to cow guts and milk truck explosions, Three Kings might not be the perfect vehicle for telling Americans—and all the privileged in the Global North—what they need to hear. But at times, it sure comes close.Further ReadingKevin’s Website“The Class of 1999: ‘Three Kings’,” by Matthew Goldenberg“Three Kings: neocolonial Arab representation,” by Lila Kitaeff“The Gulf War, Iraq and Western Liberalism,” by Peter Gowan“The Gulf War’s Afterlife: Dilemmas, Missed Opportunities, and the Post-Cold War Order Undone,” by Samuel HelfontThree Kings TrailerTeaser from the Episode

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• Part I: Three Kings (1999) w/ Kevin Fox | Ep. 12

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.comA madcap collage of American Berserk—that’s one way to describe David O. Russell’s Three Kings, and it’s exactly how Van, Lyle, and screenwriter Kevin Fox dive into it. This two-part episode (the second installment drops shortly) unpacks the film’s wild genre mash-up: comic book absurdities collide with nods to Star Wars and Apocalypse Now, all while a grim commentary on U.S. militarism and society simmers underneath. The group digs into how the film disorients viewers with slapstick humor and sudden, brutal violence—like Mark Wahlberg’s character, whose torture by an Iraqi soldier (grieving the loss of his son to an American bombing) flips the script on American power. When Wahlberg’s character feebly defends U.S. actions as “maintaining stability in the Middle East,” the soldier shoves a CD-ROM in his mouth—a searing metaphor for the imposition of U.S. hegemony. From cartoonish “United States of Freedom” patriotism to cow guts and milk truck explosions, Three Kings might not be the perfect vehicle for telling Americans—and all the privileged in the Global North—what they need to hear. But at times, it sure comes close.Further ReadingKevin’s Website“The Class of 1999: ‘Three Kings’,” by Matthew Goldenberg“Three Kings: neocolonial Arab representation,” by Lila Kitaeff“The Gulf War, Iraq and Western Liberalism,” by Peter Gowan“The Gulf War’s Afterlife: Dilemmas, Missed Opportunities, and the Post-Cold War Order Undone,” by Samuel HelfontThree Kings TrailerTeaser from the Episode

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• Bonus Episode! Pistachio Wars (2024) w/ Rowan Wernham | Ep. 11

  Free bonus episode!If you’re like us, many terrible things have been front of mind lately: California wildfires, overdevelopment in unsuitable locales, billionaire corruption, and the climate crisis to name a few. Lucky for us that Rowan Wernham, the co-writer and director of a 2024 documentary called Pistachio Wars, joins us to talk about how all of that converges. You might not think of those issues as constituting war in the traditional sense, but they sure do amount to a class war, from above. And as we discuss in the episode, California’s favorite agricultural oligarchs actually do play a role in American militarism, especially toward Iran! Enjoy this special live crossover episode with The Un-Diplomatic Podcast and the Bang-Bang Podcast. Stream the film at home: https://www.pistachiowars.comLivestream of Our Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.bangbangpod.com/subscribe

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