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On this latest episode with special guest John Podhoretz subbing in for Victorino Matus, the gang talks “Greyhound.” Sonny wonders if the deal between AMC and Universal means the death of theaters. And JVL asks J-Pod for two very special rankings.
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I don’t listen often but was intrigued by the subjects. I will read The Good Shepherd first before watching the movie (?is that what it is or?) based on the discussion. Also enjoyed hearing Podhoretz’ musical ranking. I disagree that all people will want to do is get outdoors (but then I’m not living in a miniscule NY apartment) but I just don’t think they’ll be going back to the movies or malls much.
Could any part of a problem with Greyhound be that Hanks is playing a character 20 years younger than Hanks?
Also meant to comment on the Greek Orthodox faith of the Hanks. Apparently they have moved/become citizens of Greece (??), which would make a little more sense if they wish to live out their Greek Orthodox faith. Did not know that about him or Ms. Wilson.
I too didn’t know that part about them when John brought it up. I don’t pay attention to any celebrity interviews so hadn’t heard any of those moments that he mentioned. The blurb I saw about them becoming Greek citizens mentioned that they’d bought either an island or a house on an island years ago and decided to become citizens.
I miss Vic. J Pod adds no spark. Vic is the non-ahole on the show who balances Sonny and JV’s smarm. Adding a third smarmy voice as a temp is not a smart move.
J Pod isn’t one of the guys like he is on GLOP. For that matter he isn’t one of the guys on the Commentary podcast, he’s the boss.
Jpod hearts Tom Hanks.
I enjoyed John Podhoretz’s review of Greyhound the movie and the underlying novel The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester. I have not watched or read either, but I definitely plan on at least reading Shepherd.
I’m a sucker for Naval “porn”, and have read Forester’s Hornblower series. By the way, I loved In Harm’s Way, both the movie and the book, and it’s probably my first exposure to the genre.
I did read a recent assertion by Tom Hanks regarding authenticity of military portrayals specifically such Navy portrayals. He said that Star Trek (pretty well all of the various series) give the public a mis-impression how a naval chain of command works, given the way the captain leaves the command of the bridge (and therefore the whole command) to very junior officers while leaving the ship. That has always driven me nuts too, and have found the similar issues with Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. A lot of military style SciFi novels get it right, but SciFi based television often take short cuts.
J Pod mentioned that Shepherd is wholly inside the mind of the ship’s captain, something the movie wasn’t able to replicate very well. And it occurred to me that that is how Forester wrote Hornblower.
One thing that the Hornblower series showed me, as well as other readings of the Royal Navy is that the Brits set their Navy up as less aristocratic as their Army. Someone not of the aristocracy had a better chance of rising up through the ranks during the Napoleonic era than the Royal Army.
There’s a kind of apples and oranges in this comparison, but I find it ironic that when you compare the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, there’s more of a separation between officers and enlisted (and even Chief Petty Officers and the lower ranks). On ships, including when in a combat zone, the officers, including he junior officers, eat and live separate from the enlisted in a way an Army officer cannot in the field.
I suspect that that separation might have been portrayed in Greyhound.
With The Original Series (TOS) Shatner was the star, and being paid the most, etc, so he was always leading everything off-ship, etc. That was a significant issue back in the late 60s.
On The Next Generation (TNG) they started out with a more realistic (compared to how actual Navy ships work, etc) where “away teams” sometimes led by the First Officer but not necessarily even someone THAT high in rank, were the ones who left the ship and did the “grunt work.” And when Captain Picard wanted to leave the ship, First Officer Riker would at least try to stop him. But before too long, the realities of TV won out over the realities of… reality… and Picard left the ship most times.
The film, as well as the C.S. Forester book it’s based on, seems to be a gloss on The Cruel Sea (1953), based on Nicholas Monsarrat’s 1951 novel.
The scene no one can forget is when the Captain of the sub chaser (the great Jack Hawkins) realizes the U-boat is hiding under the survivors of the merchantman it just sank.
The other reality is it’s cheaper to turn to the same small ensemble of actors reusing them in various roles.
Leaving Sulu “in command” allows Spock (Nimoy) a better part in the episode, as he’s accompanying the captain in the latest episode.
The series was basically Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley (Dr. McCoy) as top tier, with everyone else a supporting second tier, though occasionally individuals in the second tier had their day in the sun.
The Next Generation series did spread the glory a little more, with Picard more of a first among equals — a presider — than Kirk, who had no one close to equal in his series, though there was more sharing in the movies.
In Star Trek Memories, William Shatner expresses remorse for hogging all the lines in TOS.
He explains that the idea of an ensemble TV show had not yet become current. He was the only “name” actor in the cast, and saw himself, and was seen as, simply the star of the show, period.
Of course, the popularity of Mr. Spock quickly began to change all of that.
Yes, that was part of my answer too. But by TNG things still hadn’t changed a lot. As mentioned, they started out with “knowing” that Picard would typically stay on the ship, but even if Patrick Stewart didn’t see himself/his character as “the star,” it seems like the studio and/or the fans did.