Episode 149 - THE PATRIOT

Some nations have oral histories that tell the story of their ancient origins. Others have sprawling cosmologies that explain how each part of their culture was forged. In the United States of America, we frame our founding myth as a three-hour Hollywood war epic directed by a German and starring two Australians.

On this special crossover episode, the hosts of the Lieography podcast--John Parton, Ace Cordova, and Joanna Phillips--join us to take a comprehensive look at the historical basis of The Patriot. With the help of their meticulous and illuminating research, we grade the movie's factual accuracy (or lack thereof) and celebrate our freedom as Americans to fudge the details. Happy 4th of July!

The Patriot (2000)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Produced by Dean Devlin, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn
Written by Robert Rodat
Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, Chris Cooper, Tchéky Karyo, René Auberjonois, Lisa Brenner, Donal Logue, Leon Rippy, Adam Baldwin, and Tom Wilkinson

Episode 146 - GODZILLA

Before "reboot" entered the average moviegoer's vocabulary, the 1998 American version of Godzilla traded on the appeal of a beloved cultural icon while treading all over its cinematic legacy with Hollywood brashness. And whether you appreciate the big lizard's unapologetic makeover or hate it with the atomic passion of a French nuclear weapons test, most of us can agree: this movie has a kick-ass soundtrack.

Daren Sprawls joins us for a verbal rampage through some skyscraper-sized opinions, and also lends his artistic talents to a medley of songs from Godzilla: The Album. It's our biggest musical bonus to date...because size does matter.

Godzilla (1998)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Produced by Dean Devlin
Written by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin
Starring Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Arabella Field, Doug Savant, Vicki Lewis, and Harry Shearer

Episode 58 - INDEPENDENCE DAY

 

Best remembered for boot-strapping highlights like Bill Pullman's rousing speech or Will Smith's aggressive greeting of an alien visitor, Independence Day teaches us that only good old-fashioned American courage and ingenuity can take down an intergalactic threat.

Sure, the film also tries to be a gallery of character moments tied together by vague, warm feelings of human resilience and unity in times of great crisis. But what other country's head of state is going to strap into a fighter jet and feed those E.T.s a steady diet of air-to-air missiles?

For this special Fourth of July episode, we welcome two real patriots--Brian Rudloff and Daren Sprawls--to debate the merits of ID4, from the appearance of its extraterrestrials and the dimensionality of its cast, to its tempered version of blockbuster machismo and its entertainment value relative to Mars Attacks!

Independence Day (1996)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Produced by Dean Devlin
Written by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin
Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin, Mary McDonnell, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, and Brent Spiner