FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO - Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 1943 movie, FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO. Is this World War II movie a spy movie? Listen as Dan tries to convince Tom it is, despite Tom's uncertainty. The story with this menacing title follows the exploits of Cpl. John Bramble in June 1942 after he fell out of his tank in the North African desert. Later on, he ends up meeting Rommel, The Desert Fox, himself. Most of the movie takes place inside the hotel “Empress of Britain”. It is a great setting. Also, something is interesting there underneath the first floor. The people behind this movie are...
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CRACKERJACK 3 -Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the movie CRACKERJACK 3, from 2000. Is this third movie in the series worth a watch? Listen to find out what we think! This is a “No holds barred” episode! The first two CRACKERJACK movies were not spy movies. They were closer to DIE HARD than a spy movie. CRACKERJACK 3, however, is a spy movie, even though there is no train sequence! This one stars Leo Rossi, Amy Weber, Oliver Gruner, and Bo Svenson. This one has an explosive device, a state-of-the-art cell phone, and a group of old retired spies. These are the...
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING - Review
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan, Tom, and Mike Reyes as they review (No Spoilers! ) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING – This movie stars Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames. Listen to find out what we think! We’ve seen MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING, and the most recent before this one, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING. Now we see if they all tie together. In our no-spoiler review, we dive into the following about MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING: · The Pre-Title Sequence ...
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THE TAMARIND SEED - Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 1974 spy movie THE TAMARIND SEED. This movie stars Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. Listen to find out all the good and perhaps the bad! We’ve seen Julie Andrews in Torn Curtain with Paul Newman. Now she is in a romantic spy movie with Omar Sharif. Does the match work? In this decoding episode we dive into the following about THE TAMARIND SEED: This is a romance/spy movie. Does that work? What we think of the pace of the movie Who was the director and what was his connection with Julie Andrews? Who did the...
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Character Spotlight on Fiona Volpe played by Luciana Paluzzi in THUNDERBALL
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom for their Character Spotlight on Fiona Volpe, played by Luciana Paluzzi in THUNDERBALL. Can she handle the harsh spotlight? We know that Fiona Volpe was a tough, determined, and beautiful villain. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her job done. And she wanted to take James Bond out. In this Character Spotlight we look at the following about this wonderful character: How was Luciana Paluzzi’s performance? What traits does Fiona Volpe portray in her villainess role? How important control is...
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SPY INTERVENTION - Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 2020 spy comedy movie SPY INTERVENTION. It is a spy movie, but how is the comedy? Is it worth a watch? Dan and Tom are in a lively discussion answering that question! Listen to find out why. SPY INTERVENTION is a comedy starring Drew Van Acker, Poppy Delevingne, and Blake Anderson. There is a strong supporting cast as well. The basic premise is that a spy falls in love with a woman which made him leave the spy business and move to the suburbs. Can he handle the mundane suburban life after a life of adventure? ...
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COUNT FIVE AND DIE - Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 1957 WW II spy movie COUNT FIVE AND DIE. It has intrigue and espionage. But, is it worth a watch? Listen to find out. COUNT FIVE AND DIE is based on the true story of how the Allies used deception to try to convince Adolph Hitler that the Allied invasion would be happening anywhere instead of Normandy. In this movie, the focus is on The Netherlands. This decoding session on COUNT FIVE AND DIE includes talk of: · The cast and crew · The...
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Raymond Benson, Bond author, talks his new book on Felix Leiter
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
In this episode, Dan and Tom bring in a special guest. Join us as Raymond Benson, Bond author, talks his new book on Felix Leiter. Novels are being written about some of the non-James Bond characters from the Ian Fleming James Bond novels. To that end, Raymond Benson, who was the first American James Bond continuation author, is getting set to release his latest book, “The Hook and the Eye”. This is a book about Felix Leiter after his shark attack. The book will be released initially as an e-book serial starting on May 27, 2025, with a paper book release in October. ...
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DECISION BEFORE DAWN – Decoded!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they decode the 1951 World War II spy movie DECISION BEFORE DAWN. It was the first spy movie nominated for the Best Motion Picture Academy Award. And we think it is likely that you never heard of it. So, take a listen and we’ll decode this one for you. There is a lot of realism in the movie, and we will highlight some of the real-world things that they adapted for this movie. DECISION BEFORE DAWN was one of the first post-World War II movies that tried to humanize the regular German citizen, not the NAZI party. In addition, DECISION BEFORE DAWN was the...
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THE AMATEUR Review - No-Spoilers!
Cracking the Code of Spy Movies!
Join Dan and Tom as they give you their no-spoiler review of the just-released spy movie, THE AMATEUR, starring Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne. Our goal is to give you the information you need to see if watching THE AMATEUR is worth your time and money. Listen to find out what we think. THE AMATEUR is a remake of the 1981 movie which starred John Savage. The cast is excellent with Malek, Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Adrian Martinez, and more. Some of the topics we discuss include in this review are: ...
info_outlineDan and Tom decode the 1979 comedy spy movie THE IN-LAWS. This movie stars Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. Plus they compare it to the 2003 remake with the same name.
The 1979 version of THE IN-LAWS is a classic comedy spy movie. But, the 2003 version is not held in the same high regard. Why is that?
Take a listen to find out more about the 1979 version. Why does it work? And, what works and what doesn’t work in the 2003 remake.
Some of the details we examine include:
- An overview of the plot
- The casting
- The chemistry between the two lead actors and their characters
- In what other movies have we seen some similar scenes as we see in THE IN-LAWS?
- How do they mislead the viewer as to Vince’s role in the beginning of the movie?
- What does Michael Lembeck, who played Tommy, have in common with Albert Brooks, other than appearing in a version of THE IN-LAWS.
- The success and failures of the casting in the 2003 version – Tom and Dan disagree here
- What was better and what was worse in the 2003 version?
- And more ….
There is a lot to decode, so take a listen to enhance your viewing experience as new things are discovered – worth a watch? Take a listen! Are you in?
Tell us what you think about our decoding of THE IN-LAWS
So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Have you seen THE IN-LAWS? If so, what did you think of it? Were there any other movies you think influenced this one that we didn’t mention?
Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at [email protected]. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely be! We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!
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