Transcript: Christian Perspectives on War Movies in Classic Cinema

Greetings, Classic Cinema and TV fans. Jason back with you once again here on another Retro Drive-In Podcast. And today we're taking a journey into, you know, war cinema, if you will. You know, back in the day, there was a lot of war pictures. Some were a little more intense and some were a little more on the lighthearted side. Well, today we have two and each one is from one of those kinds of things. One is a real intense drama and the other one is a little more lighthearted. And that kind of makes it pretty cool. Both of these releases are brand new from Kino Lorbo Studio Classics, and I can't wait to jump into this. So we're going to save the lighthearted one for last because it's really fun. So we'll save that one for the last. But we're first going to start off with the more dramatic one. All right. So if you love physical media, if you're a fan of physical media, if you love that stuff that you can hold in your hands and put it in the disk and the disk in the drive and actually load up a menu and press play and do all that, this is the channel for you. We bring you brand new looks at first looks at brand new releases from all kinds of great companies. So be sure to like, share, and subscribe. We would appreciate it. Let's jump into this. All right, starting off, we start off with a really awesome film that features two, not one, but two megastars in classic cinema. We're talking about Clark Gable, and we're talking about Burt Lancaster. We're talking about the film Run Silent, Run Deep. Really kind of an interesting film. Just to give you an idea, Clark Gable stars as Officer Richardson, an officer of a submarine during World War II. And he has a grudge. He wants to destroy a Japanese vessel that he feels was responsible for destroying his previous vessel. So it's like, I want revenge, right? So he gathers the men of this new vessel that he is commanding, and he's drilling them and going crazy and just over and over and over telling them they've got to be ready, got to be ready for when this Japanese ship comes by, we're going to do it, we're going to do it. and he really, he's pushing them so hard that they're about to go and mutiny on the bounty type thing with him. I mean, it's because they're getting sick and tired of it. Well, finally, when he gets word that the Japanese vessel was in sight, little does he realize there's another threat coming, and we not going to spoil that You have to watch the film to find out But it is a wow is it an intense drama or what It is so awesome Clark Gable amazing in everything he does And Burt Lancaster, just as much amazing in everything he does as well. Such a great film, though. Action-packed, really awesome and so cool. Really a dramatic presentation. It really is. from 1958. So it is a classic. If ever there was classic, this is a classic. Now this thing looks amazing. The picture, I have popped it in and kind of looked at the picture quality and the picture quality is amazing. It is so crisp. The black and white is just so crisp and clean. Just beautiful, beautiful looking picture. It sounds awesome, too. I haven't watched the whole film, just kind of watched a little bit of it just to give it an idea. We're going to have a full written review of this coming up at Classics Cinema Plus, so you'll want to check it out there. In addition to the film looking so amazing, we do get an audio commentary with filmmaker and historian Steve Mitchell and combat films, American realism author, Stephen J. Rubin. And there's also the theatrical trailer. Now, as cool as all that is, there's something additional here that we get. Now, here you see this amazing artwork here, right? But you get this artwork on the inside or you can get different artwork. Yeah, so cool because that's the point. Also, black and white disc as always. Classy, love that. But see, you get your slipcover art here or you have the different artwork, which, of course, I'm always going to go with different artwork because I like to have it that way so that when I take out the disc and go to watch it, I can see this artwork and then I can see this artwork. Yeah, I like to see the two different kinds of artwork. I think that is pretty cool. So, yeah, King of Lorber doing some awesome stuff there. Definitely, definitely worth checking out. Run Silent, Run Deep, pretty awesome little film. All right, now for the more lighthearted side of war. This is kind of interesting. Uh, brand new, uh, from Kino Lorbo Studio Classics, uh, 1966, uh, lighthearted comedy. This is The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. Uh, interesting film. Okay. Um, same artwork on the inside just to show you. Um, but it's interesting because this is, uh, this is a Cold War film. and it has a cast that is filled with comedic legends. And as far as that goes, silver screen legends, just a mix of everything, but really, really cool stuff. Russian Lieutenant Rusanov played by Alan Arkin the amazing Alan Arkin and his crew hit the beaches of Massachusetts unaware of the panic they are about to create okay Their whole idea is a harmless visit nothing major just you know, harmless. But the folks of this little town in Massachusetts think a war is about to take place right in their town. So it's really interesting. The police chief played by Brian Keith leaves his hysterical assistant in charge. And his hysterical assistant is played by Jonathan Winters. Oh my goodness, no. And that's bad enough. But there is one guy that knows the truth, and that is Carl Reiner, the great Carl Reiner from the Dick Van Dyke show and all. And he knows the truth, but he just keeps stirring up the chaos. It is a off-the-wall nuts film. It really is. It is so crazy. Now, for those of you that love the off-the-wall crazy films. Maybe you remember the film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, one of my favorites. The writer of that film was William Rose, and he in turn wrote the screenplay for this film. So you kind of know what you're getting in a way. You're getting that crazy off the wall craziness that is sort of like Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, only in a war setting. It is a crazy film, but it is so awesome, so much fun, so crazy. Like I said, it's off the wall nuts. It really is, but off the wall nuts in an amazing way. That's the point. When you've got a film that goes off the rails and just goes crazy and you get all this craziness coming off. It makes a film that is dealing with war and that type of stuff and paranoia, it kind of gives it a lightheartedness. It makes you kind of laugh at it and makes you realize that sometimes we take things too seriously, right? Of course, there are things you have to take seriously in this world, but sometimes we take things too seriously, I think, And that's where we get into trouble a lot of times is we take things too seriously. And we need to learn to just pull back a little bit and laugh at life a little bit. I really do. I think that way sometimes. Amazing cast here. As we said, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters. You've got Brian Keith. You've got Alan Arkin, Paul Ford. And even Marie Saint is in this. I mean, amazing cast. Just an amazing cast. Okay. In addition to this, this amazing film, which, again, we took a quick look at it, and it looks pretty impressive. Colors are bright and vibrant. The picture looks crisp and clean. Audio is clear. I didn't hear any hiss or pops. It sounds really good. Looks like a really good transfer, really, really good. But in addition to an amazing looking picture we get an audio commentary with film historian Michael Schlesinger and Mark Evaner And then there the theatrical trailer and then a very very special featurette with director Norman Jusin, which is entitled The Russians Are Coming to Hollywood. Now, I will tell you, I have seen this film before, so I haven't watched this new transfer, but I know the film, so I did watch the featurette. And I love the featurette. The featurette, it really takes this release to a whole other level because they talk about how this thing was made, how this movie was made, all about how the Russians felt and how the United States felt, how that the director was having difficulty trying to get a submarine because the Russians and the Americans, they couldn't get together on this. And so we had to kind of make some adjustments and all and try to build a submarine and all. I mean, it's just I mean, it's so eye opening. It just makes such a great bonus feature to this release. I love it. I think it is so cool. Such an awesomely fun little film. Makes a great additional piece to the film. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world. The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. Comes with a slip case and same artwork. I wish I would have been in some different artwork, but it's the same artwork. But that's still okay. pretty interesting though looking forward to check these out both in their full new transfers full written reveals of both of these new releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics coming up very very soon here on Classic Cinema Plus so what are your thoughts? What are your thoughts on the dramatic run silent run deep and what's your thoughts on The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. Do you like these type of films? Do you prefer the dramatic or do you prefer the more lighthearted? What's your thoughts? Let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear from you. Also, be sure to like, share, and subscribe. We would appreciate it. It helps out so much. And yeah, and be sure to go to Classic Cinema Plus. Get a link below here and be sure to go there and check out all of the written reviews we have up there. We have tons and tons and tons of them. You'll be there for days and days and days and days. We put new content up five days a week, sometimes on the weekends as well, just depends, but you got to keep your eyes open. You just never know if you're going to get a little bonus that week. But at least five days a week, we put new content up all the week, days long. So be sure to go there every single day. All right. And until we're with you next time with another Retro Drive-In Podcast next month. This is Jason reminding you that if you want to see a great film or a TV series, check out a classic. And until we're with you next time, have a good one. We'll see you next time. Bye.