Episodes

  • Otto Preminger's "Advise and Consent"
    Jun 5 2025

    Jim and Gary discuss the 1962 adaptation of "Advise and Consent," possibly the most popular American political novel of all time, which was turned into movie by the director Otto Preminger. They muse on the meaning of so many conspiracy and paranoid movies from the early 1960s and debate theU.S. Senate's power to advise and consent on a Presidential nomination.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Daryl F. Zanuck's "Wilson"
    May 6 2025

    In 1944, Daryl F. Zanuck, the head of Twentieth Century Fox, produced a movie about his political hero Woodrow Wilson. Despite being nominated for ten Academy Awards and the winner of five, the film is now largely forgotten. Jim and Gary discuss its historical and artistic merits, while chewing over what they think about Wilson the president.

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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Donald Trump as "The Apprentice"
    Apr 7 2025

    "The Apprentice" purports to tell Donald Trump's origin story, back when the notorious Roy Cohn took him under his wing and showed him how to win at any cost. Jim and Gary take the movie on its own terms -- as a piece of history in the 1970s and 80's -- and refrain from discussing contemporary events.

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • A Complete Unknown -- The Bob Dylan Origin Story
    Mar 7 2025

    Jim and Gary discuss "A Complete Unknown," the Oscar-nominated biopic of Bob Dylan, which explores the cultural and social politics of the early 1960s. And, yes, there is a reference or two to the US President who exemplifies those years -- JFK.

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • John Ford's "Young Mr. Lincoln"
    Feb 9 2025

    As they look forward to Lincoln's Birthday, Gary and Jim discuss John Ford's "Young Mr. Lincoln," the 1939 classic tale of Abe Lincoln as a young aspiring lawyer in Springfield, Illinois. Henry Fonda seems to embody Lincoln's very essence in a strong performance that challenges Daniel Day-Lewis for the best impersonation of Lincoln in cinematic history.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Dave
    Jan 18 2025

    Gary and Jim discuss the 1993 political comedy "Dave," in which a Presidential lookalike assumes the powers of the Chief Executive when the real President has a stroke. And what do you know, the imposter starts solving the country's problems. Starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver as rough stand-ins for Bill and Hillary Clinton.

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    57 mins
  • Love Actually
    Dec 7 2024

    In the spirit of Christmas, Gary and Jim sought out a Christmas classic that depicts a U.S. President and landed on "Love Actually," one of Gary's least favorite Christmas movies. Has he changed his mind since the last time he watched it? And what did Jim think now that he's finally seen it? Crack open a bottle of Christmas cheer and fire up the podcast to find out what love actually means.

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Amazon's "Elvis & Nixon"
    Nov 16 2024

    On December 21, 1970, Elvis Presley materialized at the White House gates requesting a meeting with President Nixon. The photo that was taken later that after at the subsequent meeting is the most requested image in the National Archives. Jim and Gary discuss the 2016 movie that was made of this strange event and wonder what it is about famous people that makes them so kooky.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
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