Intricate and personal dramatization of the real-life story of one of history’s most successful spies, Kim Philby.  Intertwining narratives tell the tale of how Philby came to defect to the USSR in 1969 as well as the effects it had on British and American intelligence thereafter.  Truly one of the most intense spy stories we have covered on this cast.  Find where to watch here. Due to the VERY complex nature of the tradecraft in this series we will be covering it over two episodes of our...

Darkly comic Netflix television series follows a young CIA lawyer who manages to get completely in over his head in his first week at the agency.  The CIA here is portrayed as being more obsessed with plausible deniability than operational effectiveness.  Find where to watch here. Our next topic will be the miniseries A Spy Among Friends.  Intricate drama centered on the career of Kim Philby, possibly history’s most successful spy.  Find where to watch here. Music is licensed under a Creative...

Timothy Dalton steps into the role of James Bond in the first film to try to ‘ground’ the story in somewhat more topical, post-Cold War scenarios.  No volcano-dwelling supervillain here, rather a Columbian drug cartel headed by Robert Davi.  A shockingly young Benicio del Toro provides the role of the Heavy.  Find where to watch here. Our next topic will be the first season of The Recruit (2022).  Dark comedy about a CIA lawyer who gets in way over his head in a CIA that is portrayed as being...

We’re adding a low budget B-movie to our collection of spy stories this time.  This made-for-tv production is admirable for how high it aims in terms of futurism, but falls flat in terms of tradecraft.  Director Colin Budds explains how he tried to thread the needle between an ambitious script and a restrictive budget and time frame in a special Bonus interview HERE.  At the time of recording, the only place to watch the film Max Knight Ultra Spy is here.    Our next topic will be the TV...

Guy Ritchie directs a reboot prequel of the TV series that rode the crest of the action spy mania of the 1960’s.  The film is also set in the 1960’s with Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer reimagining the iconic roles of Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin.  Alicia Vikander also stars as arguably a reimagining of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.  Find out where to stream it here. We have previously discussed the TV series, find those episodes here:  Part 1  Part 2 Our next topic will be Max Knight: Ultra Spy...

Marlene Dietrich stars as an Austrian prostitute recruited to spy on Russian agents during World War I.  This film can be streamed here. Our next topic will be The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015).  Modern reimagining of the 1960’s TV series.  Find out where to watch it here. We have previously discussed the TV series, find those episodes here:  Part 1  Part 2 Suggestions?  Comments?  Get nerdy about spy stuff with us...

Keira Knightley portrays Katherine Gunn, the British spy who risked everything to expose illegal intelligence operations in the leadup to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  Find out where you can watch it at:  https://reelgood.com/movie/official-secrets-2019 Suggestions?  Comments?  Get nerdy about spy stuff with us at:    https://www.facebook.com/spieslikeuspodcast/ https://twitter.com/spies_likeus https://www.spieslikeus.net/contact Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license...

The first film based on one of John Le Carre’s many international bestselling novels.  Richard Burton stars as a British intelligence officer who fakes his discharge from the service in drunken, disillusioned disgrace in order to draw the attention of Eastern German agents.  One of the most famous and influential spy films of all time.  Our next topic will be Official Secrets (2019).  Keira Knightley portrays Katherine Gunn, the British spy who risked everything to expose illegal intelligence...

Adam Driver and Annette Bening star in this highly critical evaluation of the CIA’s methodology in their prosecution of the ‘War on Terror’.  More of a political drama than a straight up spy story.  Based on true events.  Also known as ‘The Report’, also known as ‘The Torture Report’.   Our next subject will be The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), based on John Le Carre’s international bestselling novel.  One of the most famous and influential spy films of all time.  Give us your...

Jessica Chastain spearheads an ensemble cast in this representation of the CIA’s hunt for, and eventual assassination of, Osama Bin Laden.   Our next topic will be The Report, a highly critical evaluation of the CIA’s methodology in their prosecution of the ‘War on Terror’.  Give us your suggestions and comments at: https://www.spieslikeus.net/contact Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ‘Ice Cold’ by...

Science fiction spy stories are rare, but this fits the bill and has tradecraft worth discussing.  Tod brings in some disparate guests, all of which have different relationships with the Star Wars franchise.  Together, we untangle this unique entry into the canon.     Our next topic will be Zero Dark Thirty, an attempt at dramatizing the real-life work of the CIA in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.  Come talk spy film and television with us...

Also available as a video here. Fred Kennedy joins Tod to discuss the tradecraft of The Old Man, a seven episode FX series currently streaming on Hulu and other services.  Jeff Bridges stars as Dan Chase, a spy who has retired into deep cover to escape a troubling past.  When he resurfaces, his old station chief (John Lithgow) is tasked with bringing him in, but secretly wants nothing more than for Dan Chase to disappear again.  Permanently, if necessary.  Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat also...

Hopefully you guys have all already heard the regular Total Recall 1990 episode and subscribed to the Sci-Fi Wise Guys podcast.  Find it on your favorite podcast app or here: https://linktr.ee/scifiwiseguys What?  Need more convincing?  Here’s a free sample.  Here, I go on to Chris and Anthony’s podcast and join in a conversation about the Total Recall 2012 remake starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsdale, Jessica Biel and Bryan Cranston. But seriously, don’t listen to it here.  Go listen...

NEW!  Now available as a video!  Let us know what you think! https://youtu.be/6_6q1_-soxk   Chris and Anthony of the Sci-Fi Wise Guys podcast take a break from their usual schtick of reviewing straight- to- stream science fiction and join Tod to discuss Total Recall (1990).  In order to thwart an insurgency of mind-reading mutants, a spy undergoes the radical procedure of having his memories replaced.  The plan goes seriously awry when his unsuspecting alter-ego tries to have those...

Red Sparrow (2018) Jennifer Lawrence is a Russian SVR-trained ‘Sparrow’ who matches wits against a CIA agent (Joel Edgerton) while trying to stay one step ahead of her handlers.   We are taking some weeks off here.  Next month, Total Recall (1990) qualifies as a spy movie, if only barely.  OK, maybe I am just using it as an excuse to geek out over Verhoeven.   We’re always inviting input on what movies and films to cover on the podcast...

Gary Oldman leads a 6-episode adaptation of the 2010 novel by Mick Herron, the first of eight so far.  The core high concept of this series is that Mi5 has a secret side agency where they send all of their fuckup agents into a sort of purgatory (Slough House).  A brilliantly written dark comedy. Next week, movie episode!  Red Sparrow (2018) stars Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian SVR-trained 'Sparrow' who matches wits against a CIA agent (Joel Edgerton) while trying to stay one step ahead of...

Gary Oldman leads a 6-episode adaptation of the 2010 novel by Mick Herron, the first of eight so far.  The core high concept of this series is that Mi5 has a secret side agency where they send all of their fuckup agents into a sort of purgatory (Slough House).  A brilliantly written dark comedy. We’re always inviting input on what movies and films to cover on the podcast at: https://www.spieslikeus.net/contact https://www.facebook.com/spieslikeuspodcast/ https://twitter.com/spies_likeus

Gary Oldman leads a 6-episode adaptation of the 2010 novel by Mick Herron, the first of eight so far.  The core high concept of this series is that Mi5 has a secret side agency where they send all of their fuckup agents into a sort of purgatory (Slough House).  A brilliantly written dark comedy. We’re always inviting input on what movies and films to cover on the podcast at: https://www.spieslikeus.net/contact https://www.facebook.com/spieslikeuspodcast/ https://twitter.com/spies_likeus

Our first anime!  It’s more proof (if you needed it) that we are dedicated to cover anything spy-related.  This manga has been a big hit in Japan, and weebs like David have been eagerly anticipating the translation into television.  More of a family sitcom than a pure spy thriller, but we will give it a look and discuss the tradecraft of the show.     Next week we will start in on Slow Horses, a 6-episode AppleTV offering starring Gary Oldman and Jonathan Pryce.   Our next spy MOVIE episode...

Palmerfest concludes with our analysis of the return of Michael Caine to the role of the iconic bespectacled secret agent in the 90’s.  Filmed back-to-back with its sequel Midnight in St. Petersburg (1996), it was initially meant for theatrical release but scaled back to a Showtime cable channel offering.  Tod and David can only speculate on the reasons why, but speculate we will.   Next week, a brief deviation into one of the stranger corners of spy entertainment, a look at the first few...

CONCLUSION of our discussion of the six-episode IPCRESS File from ITV.   ‘Palmerfest’ continues next week however with a change of plans, the movie will be Bullet to Beijing (1995).  Discussion of the new AppleTV series Slow Horses (Gary Oldman, Jonathan Pryce) on the near horizon.   Let us know what you would like covered at: https://www.spieslikeus.net/contact https://www.facebook.com/spieslikeuspodcast/ https://twitter.com/spies_likeus

Discussion of the newly released British ITV adaptation of the IPCRESS File continues with analysis of the fifth of this six-episode offering.  This Len Deighton novel was most famously adapted for film in 1965 starring Michael Caine and produced by Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman.   Next week will be our last on this TV series.  SCHEDULE CHANGE announcement, our ‘Palmerfest’ will conclude not with Midnight in St. Petersburg, but with Bullet to Beijing (1995).  Reasons for this will be...

Discussion of the newly released British ITV adaptation of the IPCRESS File continues with analysis of the fourth of this six-episode offering.  This Len Deighton novel was most famously adapted for film in 1965 starring Michael Caine and produced by Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman.   We will continue to give weekly coverage on this TV series, and cap out our ‘Palmerfest’ with a movie episode discussing the final Palmer film, Midnight in St. Petersburg (1996). Next television series and...

Producer Harry Saltzman takes newly-minted superstar Michael Caine back for a third dip into the Harry Palmer well, and the results are not great.  In fact, the movie’s performance with audiences and critics are so bad that Caine convinces Saltzman to release him from the planned five movie contract.  It’s the tradecraft that we are most interested in though, and Tod and Dave get into it like we always do. Please look forward to our continued week-by-week discussion of the new IPCRESS File...