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PODCAST

War Movie Theatre

Robert Hutton & Duncan Weldon

Love war movies? So do we. Authors Robert Hutton and Duncan Weldon, banned from watching war films by their families, meet in their secret basement to discuss why the navy don"t simply sail round the other side of Navarone, and why everyone is too old in Saving Private Ryan. Each week, a different film, sometimes brought along by a guest. What will win the Broadsword Radio Prize For The Most Implausible Moment? Who will take the Cooler King Award For Most Gratuitous American? And what gets the

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

1:15:10

Malta Story - with Matthew Doyle

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/12/11

This week, Rob and Duncan are stranded in the Mediterranean, holding out against constant bombing, and starving under siege conditions, watching Malta Story. They're joined by former Downing Street Director of Communications Matthew Doyle, who since we recorded has joined the House of Lords - the second peer to come on the show. Jack Hawkins is as good as ever, but how is Alec Guinness as a romantic reconnaissance pilot? Is it fair to the people of Malta for the film to spend quite so much time

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51:27

The Desert Rats

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/12/04

For the second week running, we're with Australian troops, this time in the 1941 defence of Tobruk. Desert Rats took its name from a different unit, and quite a few liberties with the history, but it also delivered a some terrific scenes of commandos sneaking through the enemy lines on do-or-die missions, and caught Richard Burton as he was on the brink of stardom. And then of course there's James Mason, James Masoning. Next week: Malta Story.Help us out by doing our listener survey:

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1:05:10

Gallipoli - with Chris Kempshall

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/11/27

Peter Weir's 1981 Gallipoli set both him and Mel Gibson on a path to Hollywood glory, and also helped establish the popular narrative for a campaign that is crucial to Australia's national identity. Which is hardly a surprise, as it's one of the greatest films about the Great War. Even though -- or because -- it actually doesn't feature that much war. Rob and Duncan are joined by Chris Kempshall, historian of the First World War and Star Wars (though not both at once), and consultant on the

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1:04:26

Biggles: Adventures In Time - with Mark Wallace

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/11/20

A beloved British hero, an evil German, a super-weapon, and... a time-travelling 1980s New York executive? How did everyone get it so wrong when it came to putting WW1 flying ace Biggles on the big screen? It was supposed to be a rival to Raiders of the Lost Ark, then it was going to be the new Back to the Future. In the end it was a war crime. And that's before we get to the music. Rob and Duncan are joined by Biggles fanboy Mark Wallace to discuss what might have been, why Biggles stories are far

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54:13

All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/11/13

Is this the war movie that explains all war movies? Rob and Duncan watch the first version of All Quiet On The Western Front, made barely a decade after the First World War ended. Somehow, it turns out to be a chance to talk about Starship Troopers again.[Apologies for a fat-finger error that led Rob to delete the first five minutes of this episode when we first uploaded it. All fixed now, we hope, and Duncan is working on a suitable punishment.]Next week, we continue Great War Month with

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55:25

1917 Live at the Imperial War Museum - with John Crace

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/11/06

Live from the Imperial War Museum's Podcast Festival, we kick off Great War Month by watching Sam Mendes's men-with-a-mission trench-running bonanza, 1917, with John Crace of the Guardian. Is this the operation that changed the course of the Great War? Should they have searched that farmhouse? Might there, in fact, be a better way to get the message through? All this and more. Help us out by doing our listener survey: http://bit.ly/warmovietheatre-surveySuggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at

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57:10

The Battle of Algiers

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/10/30

Adored by Stanley Kubrick and studied at the Pentagon, 1966's The Battle of Algiers is a film quite unlike any other. Is it a guide to how to run an insurgency, or how to fight one? Supported by the newly independent Algerian government, it doesn't shy away from the violent realities of the independence movement's terrorist campaign. There's never been anything quite like it.Next week, we'll be watching 1917, if we can successfully record our appearance at the Imperial War Museum's podcast festival

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1:08:46

Who Dares Wins - with History Rage's Paul Bavill

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/10/23

Is this the film that changed the course of the SAS? Helicopters on the roof as we watch some of the worst spying in cinema history, followed by some of the best embassy-storming. Released as "The Final Option" in the US, this is the film that failed to turn Lewis Collins into James Bond. We're joined by Paul Bavill of the History Rage podcast, and he's not even the angriest person featured. That turns out to be listener Russell Phillips, who got in touch to complain about one scene in the film

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57:23

49th Parallel - with Terry Stiastny

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/10/16

This week, we're hunting Nazis through Canada as we watch Powell and Pressburger's 1941 breakthrough movie 49th Parallel. Would the submarine crew on the run have made it further if they hadn't felt the need to kill everyone who was rude about Hitler? And what was the frankly appalling reason the US censor demanded so many cuts? We're joined by Terry Stiastny, author of Believable Lies: The Misfits Who Fought Churchill's Secret Propaganda War.Next week, we're storming the US embassy in Who Dares

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1:04:17

Is Paris Burning - with Karim Palant

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/10/09

Zut alors! This week we're popping over the Channel to watch the Frenchest war movie ever made, the true story of the frantic arguments on both sides about how to save - or destroy - the city. Featuring effortlessly cool members of the Resistance, battles of bicycles, and a furious Fuhrer. Rob and Duncan are joined by former Labour party policy man Karim Palant, whose entire street WhatsApp group was mobilised to find a cable that would let him watch his DVD. Next week, we're off to Canada to watch

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1:00:43

The English Patient - with Lucy Beresford

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/10/02

This week, a Booker-winning novel that becomes an Oscar-winning film. A tale of war and love in the desert, based, very loosely on a real World War 2 espionage mission. Rob and Duncan are joined by the author and psychotherapist Lucy Beresford, to talk about her relationship with war movies, why she loves this film, and whether it would have been better if the studio had got their way and cast Demi Moore in the lead. Watch War Movie Theatre discuss 1917 LIVE at the Imperial War Museum on November 1

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1:15:57

Fail Safe - with Mark Pack

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/09/25

A 1964 film about accidental nuclear war from a legendary director and featuring a German scientist with homicidal ideas? That's right, it's Dr Strangelove... hang on, no, it's Fail Safe. Overshadowed on release because of a lawsuit from a rival film (you can guess which), this parable from Sidney Lumet has come to be regarded as a classic, with fans including George Clooney.The Ocean's 11 star couldn't be with us to make the case for it himself, so we're joined by a man known to many as the Clooney

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1:19:08

Aliens - with Brian Raftery

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/09/18

Is this going be a bug hunt, or a stand-up fight? Rob is joined by Brian Raftery to talk about James Cameron's 1986 magnificent take on the Alien universe. Has there ever been a better sequel? Is it really a Vietnam allegory? And after all that time in hyper-sleep, shouldn't Ripley's savings be worth more?Next week, it's Cold War countdown Zero Hour.The podcast series by Brian mentioned in the show are "Do We Get To Win This Time?" and "Mission Accomplished", from Ringer podcasts.Watch War Movie

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1:00:33

Memphis Belle - both of them

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/09/11

Rob and Duncan have done their job for Uncle Sam. Now they're podcasting for themselves. This week we're watching the 1990 movie Memphis Belle and the 1944 documentary that inspired it: The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress. Is the crew going to finish its 25th mission? Which of them will go on to save Frodo? And would Eric Stoltz have had a better career if he'd realised Back To The Future was a comedy?You can watch the 19944 documentary here:

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1:06:28

Platoon - with Hugo Rifkind

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/09/04

An obsessed director, a cast of unknowns, and a country on the brink of revolution. Somehow these ingredients produced one of the great Vietnam movies. Hugo Rifkind of The Times goes further, making the case that Platoon is the greatest Vietnam movie of them all. Hugo's novel "Rabbits", about a different kind of teenage battle, is now out in paperback. Watch War Movie Theatre discuss 1917 LIVE at the Imperial War Museum on November 1! Tickets here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-liveHelp us

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44:32

Classic Episode: The Longest Day with Al Murray

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/08/28

Pub landlord and war-waffler Al Murray joins Rob and Duncan to watch The Longest Day in this episode from 2024. Can any American be more gratuitous than John Wayne? And while everyone knows Sean Connery was in the film, not that many people know about the TWO other Bond stars in tiny roles...Next week, we're back with a new episode, watching Platoon.Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter. Hosted on Acast

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30:35

Classic Episode: King Rat

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/08/21

Over August, we're replaying old episodes while we record some new ones. This is one from 2023 where we watched a film we hadn't seen before and which really stayed with us, a depiction of hunger, betrayal and the struggle to survive in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Is it possible to do so and keep your integrity? And has anyone seen my dog?Next week: The Longest Day.Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and

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48:03

Classic Episode: Where Eagles Dare with Tim Shipman

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/08/14

Continuing our August season of repeats, this week's classic episode, first aired in May 2024, sees Rob and Duncan high in the Bavarian Alps on a mission of such complexity that they need special guest Tim Shipman to tell them what's going on. But can they trust him? Can they trust anyone? And what will win the Broadsword Radio Award for Total Implausibility? Next week: King RatSuggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky

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44:03

Classic Episode: Casablanca with Hadley Freeman

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/08/07

The first in our August repeat run is the revival of our Christmas 2023 episode on Casablanca, with special guest Hadley Freeman. A passionately political film disguised as a romance, this is also a Jewish movie where no one mentions being Jewish, and a war movie where the war is all offscreen. It's hardly a surprise that Rob and Duncan think Humphrey Bogart is cool, but Hadley's pick for the sexiest man in the film is frankly a shock. .Next week: Where Eagles Dare with Tim Shipman. Suggestions

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1:09:14

Prisoner of War - with Phil Tinline

War Movie Theatre ·

2025/07/31

In what is surely the most obscure episode of any podcast ever recorded, Rob and Duncan are joined by author and documentary-maker Phil Tinline to watch 1954's "Prisoner of War", the film that was going to turn Ronald Reagan into a major movie star. The reason that never happened wasn't simply the quality of the movie. It was also because of a shift in the US military's attitude to prisoners returning from Korea, which makes this film a fascinating window into the changing mindset. "Every man has

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