Bang-Bang Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.bangbangpod.com“When I understand my enemy well enough to defeat him, then in that moment, I also love him.” So begins the 2013 film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s classic sci-fi novel Ender’s Game. Neither achieving box office nor critical success, the movie still evokes a wide range of reactions. Especially when it comes to its ambiguous relationship to the origin…

Auteur Sam Peckinpah is most famous for The Wild Bunch, his blistering take on the Western. Few outside the aficionados bother to mention Cross of Iron, Peckinpah’s foray into the Good War, and one that earned him pans upon its initial release. Yet despite its rough start and later relegation to mass cultural obscurity, the work has rightfully garnered a committed if dwindling following. Including some of the most accomplished filmmakers of our time. Van and Lyle welcome author and combat vet Adrian Bonenberger onto the show to make sense of the glorious, no-holds-barred mess. And why it still haunts us with its cackle.Further Reading“All Loud on the Eastern Front: Peckinpah’s Cross of Iron Revisited,” by Andrew StimpsonThe Road Ahead, edited by Adrian Bonenberger and Brian CastnerThe Disappointed Soldier, by Adrian BonenbergerAfghan Post, by Adrian BonenbergerThe Wrath-Bearing TreeCross of Iron TrailerTeaser from the EpisodeBang-Bang only exists because of its patrons. If you think we’re doing something useful, or at least entertaining, please consider backing us! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.bangbangpod.com/subscribe

Scottish filmmaker Armando Iannucci’s In the Loop, a satire about the lead-up to the Iraq War, never achieved the household success of Veep (Iannucci’s later HBO series). Yet, D.C. staffers have come to see it as a cult classic, and there is much to be gleaned from the black comedy beyond the predictable, Beltway absurdities. Van and Lyle have the acclaimed journalist Spencer Ackerman on the show to discuss his own role in the film’s creation, as all three exchange biting laughs and commentary along the way. Especially about the rotting tooth that is Washington. Bonus: In addition to dissecting the film, the first 30 minutes of this episode are an oral history of Spencer Ackerman’s experience with the making of In The Loop.Further Reading“How to succeed in Hollywood without really trying” (2009), by Spencer Ackerman“That’s Me and Him From The Sopranos” (2009), by Armando IannucciReign of Terror (2022), by Spencer AckermanIron Man Vol. 1 (2025), by Spencer Ackerman and Julius OhtaForever Wars Newsletter, by Spencer AckermanPerils of Dominance, by Gareth PorterIn The Loop TrailerTeasers from the EpisodeVan and Lyle can only keep this show going with the support of patrons. Consider becoming part of the Bang-Bang tribe! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.bangbangpod.com/subscribe

Van and Lyle jumped on the mic to record some stuff for Bang-Bang, but started off just musing about what just happened in the presidential election. This is their wide-ranging conversation, which explores why Kamala Harris lost, American fascism, India-China rivalry, and where Democrats go from here.Bang-Bang is a patron-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.bangbangpod.com/subscribe