The Peacemaker (1997)

This week, we continue to collect members of the Ocean's gang like Infinity Stones, as we find Danny playing a convincing soldier and compelling leading man in a 90s geo-political thriller that feels like a total forgotbuster, despite starring two massive movie stars and launching DreamWorks as a studio. It's 1997's The Peacemaker, directed by Mimi Leder, and starring George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iureș, Aleksandr Baluev, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Holt McCallany, Goran Višnjić, and Michael Boatman. One of the Cloondog's early jumps from ER star to silverscreen leading man, this movie is also deeply tied to ER as a production. Clooney unquestionably has the juice however, and the movie's 90s thriller sensibilities -- while not as refined as some of its contemporaries -- still feels like something of a lost art, a type of movie we just don't get enough of these days. If you'd like to watch the movie before listening to our discussion, it is not available to stream in Canada but can be rented on YouTube and Cineplex. Other works discussed on this episode include The X-Files, Groundhog Day, Source Code, The X-Files: Fight The Future, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, You've Got Mail, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thelma, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, The Beekeeper, The Art of War, The Foreigner, Superman Returns, Strangers on a Train, Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, The House, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Bourne Identity, Clear and Present Danger, Mission: Impossible, Batman & Robin, The Green Hornet, Deep Impact, Armageddon, Pay It Forward, On The Basis Of Sex, The Leftovers, The Morning Show, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Three Kings, The Men Who Stare At Goats, 24, Burn After Reading, Michael Clayton, Out of Sight, Twisters and Legally Blonde. Next week, we're switching things up and going back to Hayley's new VHS stack to talk one of the all-time great westerns: 1992's Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood's deconstruction of the genre that made him famous and a worthy winner of Best Picture Oscar gold. Unforgiven is streaming on Crave in Canada and Max in the US. Until then, we'll see you at the movies!!