Episode #2: The Last Samurai

In this episode, after a brief discussion of Tom Selleck and the House season premiere, we discuss The Last Samurai, a movie which Adam made Carter watch because he knows he hates it.

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Movie Synopsis (from IMDB): In the 1870s, Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a cynical veteran of the American Civil war who will work for anyone, is hired by Americans who want lucrative contracts with the Emperor of Japan to train the peasant conscripts for the first standing imperial army in modern warfare using firearms. The imperial Omura cabinet's first priority is to repress a rebellion of traditionalist Samurai -hereditary warriors- who remain devoted to the sacred dynasty but reject the Westernizing policy and even refuse firearms. Yet when his ill-prepared superior force sets out too soon, their panic allows the sword-wielding samurai to crush them. Badly wounded, Algren's courageous stand makes the samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) spare his life; once nursed to health he learns to know and respect the old Japanese way, and participates as advisor in Katsumoto's failed attempt to save the Bushido tradition, but Omura gets repressive laws enacted- he must now choose to honor his loyalty to one of the embittered sides when the conflict returns to the battlefield.

Carter's Verdict: 5/10

Adam's Verdict: 6.5/10

Next Time: Since Adam picked something he knows that Carter dislikes this time, Carter decided to respond in kind, by choosing something he owns that Adam doesn't care for. To this end, the next podcast will concern Blade 2.

As always, you can email comments, questions or other random nonsense to made.men.tell.no.tales.podcast@gmail.com and special thanks to musician Kevin MacLoed of Incompetech for the use of his songs "Kick Shock" and "Phat Sketch", as the opener and closer of the podcast, respectively.

Episode #1: Swimming With Sharks

In this episode, after introducing ourselves, we discuss the Kevin Spacey masterwork, Swimming With Sharks. There are some audio isssues, which we hope to fix in later episodes and, also, there's no music, we'll have to find some Creative Commons stuff that we like.

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Movie Synopsis (from IMDB): Movie producer Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey) is one of Hollywood's most powerful men whose quickly on the rise for someone else's higher profile job. But that doesn't make Buddy such a nice guy, which his very naive assistant Guy (Frank Whaley) is just about to learn. As he barely endures and tolerates Buddy's daily rituals of constant abuse and humiliation in front of the office, Guy has his own agenda to rise within Hollywood's ranks and Buddy is his only ticket there. But when Guy learns a potentially explosive personal secret involving both he, his producer girlfriend (Michelle Forbes) and his boss, he's decided he's had just enough. Now Buddy is about to be on a much harsher receiving end of Guy's wrath when he's been kidnapped, held hostage, and relentlessly tortured in his own home, with both men having no idea how this night is going to end when the cards will finally be on the table.

A Classic Scene

Adam's Verdict: 7/10

Carter's Verdict: 7/10

Next Time: Since Carter picked this movie, Adam got to pick the next one . . . and he chose The Last Samurai, that should tell you something.

Please send questions, comments or concerns to: made.men.tell.no.tales.podcast@gmail.com