In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman dig into five films that handle hostage standoffs, media critique, and moral panic with more precision, depth, and directorial vision than Money Monster. Whether it's Ned Beatty yelling about the gods of commerce or Denzel outwitting a hostage scenario in style, these films ask big questions about what media shows, what it hides, and who gets hurt in the process.
Films Discussed:
Network (1976)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Inside Man (2006)
Little Fish (2020)
Medium Cool (1969)
Topics Covered:
Live TV as a weapon, prophecy, and punchline (Network)
Al Pacino’s iconic standoff in Dog Day Afternoon and its gritty realism
Spike Lee's sleek social heist in Inside Man
Jack O’Connell’s emotional intensity in the underseen Little Fish
Haskell Wexler’s cinéma vérité masterpiece Medium Cool and its confrontation with media complicity
Key Takeaways:
Money Monster is a 2010s Hollywood remix of better 70s thrillers
Sidney Lumet remains the gold standard for confined tension and character realism
Denzel could outdance Clooney any day
Little Fish proves Jack O’Connell’s talent wasn’t a fluke
Sometimes, media ethics are better tackled in experimental cinema than mainstream thrillers
Listener Prompt:
What’s your favorite movie about media, money, or moral standoffs? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
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