“Most human problems can be solved with an appropriate charge of high explosive”

During the 1980s, it seemed as if Hollywood sent every one of its action stars on unsanctioned mission to Vietnam to rescue American POWs. But before Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone got in on the MIA rescuing act, it was the more unlikely figure of Gene Hackman who first went in to get ‘our boys’ back. So, on this show, we’re looking at the film that kicked off an entire sub-genre of the Eighties Namsploitation movie boom, UNCOMMON VALOR (1983).

We’re joined by Todd Liebenow from the Forgotten Filmcast to discuss Nam movie tropes, the film’s wildly eclectic cast, and whether America got to win this time.

Show notes

Director: Ted Kotcheff
Cast: Gene Hackan, Patrick Swayze, Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Robert Stack, Tim Thomerson, Harold Sylvester
Plot: Ten years after his son went M.I.A. in Vietnam, U.S. Marine retired Colonel Jason Rhodes assembles a private rescue team to find Americans held in P.O.W. camps in Laos.

Episode 146.

Follow Exploding Helicopter

Twitter: @chopperfireball
Website: explodinghelicopter.com
Instagram: explodinghelicopter

“Strange... I seem to remember... that the cathedral was on the other side of the square.”

On this episode of Exploding Cable Car we take a look at the classic war epic WHERE EAGLES DARE (1968).

We discuss inept interrogation tactics, Richard Burton’s bad mood, and all the explosive cable transportation action.

Episode 145.

“It’s time to befriend the devil.”

On this episode we return to the world of Bollywood to look at Shah Rukh Khan’s action blockbuster PATHAAN (2023). We fire up the wind machine so Asim Burney from the Khandaan podcast can make a suitably dramatic return to the show.

We discuss screen bromances, scandalous bikinis, and whether it’s not too late for us to get a sculpted six pack.

Episode 144.

Show notes

Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Dimple Kapadia
Plot: An Indian agent races against a doomsday clock as a ruthless mercenary, with a bitter vendetta, mounts an apocalyptic attack against the country.

Follow Asim Burney
Asim Burney Twitter/X
Khandaan – A Bollywood Podcast Twitter/X
Khandaan – A Bollywood Podcast YouTube
Khandaan - A Bollywood Podcast iTunes