BUBBLE-B???????Driving Pleasure Podcast

In the final installment of our Patton series, we discuss his relationship with Omar Bradley, his performance during the Battle of the Bulge, and the enduring appeal of the film.

We continue the discussion of the epic 1970 World War II film, “Patton”. This segment features thoughts on staff work, the famous “slap”, Montgomery, Eisenhower, and more.

Join us as we dig into arguably the most important war movie ever made.  We are approaching the 50th anniversary of the epic film, “Patton”.  How accurate was George C. Scott’s portrayal?  To what extent did the movie capture Patton’s personality, his strengths, his flaws?  What about his relationship with peers such as Bradley and Montgomery?  We dig into all of these questions and more in this series, broken down into three parts.  Listen to Part 1 below…

This episode covers lots of ground: the passing of LTG Hal Moore and William Christopher (“Father Mulcahey”), followed by initial impressions of “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”.  Reflections on the impact of war on siblings, the Bhagavad Gita, & more… Post your feedback below or email us at [email protected]

  Part 2 picks up with Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” and takes listeners through a tour of Vietnam war movies from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.  Other notable flicks include “Full Metal Jacket”, “Forrest Gump”, and “We Were Soldiers”.  We discuss each film’s characters, plotlines, realism, and ethical situations.

  This episode features insights and dialogue clips involving documentaries and films made about the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s.  We discuss such diverse movies as “The Anderson Platoon” (a French documentary), John Wayne’s “The Green Berets”, “The Boys in Company C”, “Go Tell the Spartans”, Australia’s “The Odd, Angry Shot”, and of course, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic  “Apocalypse Now”.  Tune in and let us know what you think in the comments here or on Facebook.  Look for Part 2 covering the Vietnam War films of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s in early February…

Happy New Year, Everyone, especially our listeners overseas!  In this episode we continue our examination of combat leadership in film and television, with a special emphasis on the “backbone” of the military — the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO).  It is the sergeants and chiefs who make the military run effectively in war and peace.  We were only able to scratch the surface in this session and plan on returning to this important topic in future episodes.  Scenes and characters from “The Sands of Iwo Jima”, “Zulu”, “The Boys in Company C”, “Generation Kill”, and “Gardens of Stone” are featured and discussed.

Combat Leadership — what is it?  In this episode we talk about some universal tenets of effective leadership that apply whether it’s the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, on land, at sea, or in the air.  Listen in to hear us discuss some of our favorite scenes!  Got a favorite movie or TV leadership moment you’d like to us to talk about?  Leave us a comment. Click “Featured Media” to the left to find the movies, shows, and books discussed in this episode.

Welcome to our first episode!  In this segment we discuss growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, and how the classic movies and television of that time shaped our impression of the U.S. military.  Over the course of this series, we will discuss the aspects of military life and wartime service that Hollywood gets right as well as what it misses.  Although film and TV can never replace or match training, mentorship, and self-study, great movies and shows provide a common starting point for discussing the enduring challenges of leadership and soldiering.  Thanks for tuning in, and let us know your thoughts and where YOU’D like to see this series go by leaving us a comment. Click “Featured Media” to the left to find the movies, shows, and books discussed in this episode.