Objective Jerk
I use my MIC and my platform as a form of "therapy" or "medicine" for myself.
Objective Jerk
DAS BOOT & WOLFGANG PETERSEN'S LEGACY: WWII Cinema, Claustrophobia, and Hollywood Milestones
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live inside a cramped U-boat during World War II? Journey with me as I escape the relentless flood of political conspiracy theories and immerse myself in the gripping, claustrophobic world of "Das Boot." This timeless German film brings both the mundane and the harrowing aspects of war to life with unparalleled authenticity. Even if you're not a fan of subtitles, I promise you'll find the storytelling so engrossing that you'll hardly notice. We also draw comparisons to other WWII movies like "U-571" and discuss how "Das Boot" stands out in its portrayal of the human experience during war.
But the exploration doesn't stop there. We'll reflect on the illustrious career of director Wolfgang Petersen, whose work has left a lasting impact on both German and American cinema. From the enchanting realms of "The NeverEnding Story" to the high-stakes drama of "Air Force One," Petersen's diverse filmography offers something for everyone. I recount how his films influenced my tastes growing up and invite you to revisit some of his most iconic works. This episode is a tribute to Petersen's storytelling genius and a call to appreciate the cinematic milestones that have shaped our cultural landscape.
What's going on. This is the Objective Jerk. And I'm Said Jerk, how's everybody doing? I am doing another podcast. I was kind of going over some stuff and I was thinking about more of the crap. More of the crap. Like you know, there's more evidence of of the of the shooter for trump and just more bs crap with that, and just more conspiracy, more conspiracy theory crap and not that that stuff's crap. But it's just more and more and more and more.
Speaker 1:And I'm kind of just I can't, you know, I gotta take breaks from it. I have. I can't, you know, I got to take breaks from it. I have to. I can't just constantly, uh, look at it, talk about it, and I don't know, I just can't. I got to have a break of it some. You know a little bit. So I was kind of in the mood to actually talk about it, but I was just like God, I just don't, I just want. I want to throw a little bit of non-political conspiracy stuff, and I know that's like my least. You know, viewership would dictate that that's the wrong thing to do, but I don't know, I don't care, anyway. So I thought of something that happened to me last night. Well, actually, well yesterday.
Speaker 1:But before I continue on, this video is sponsored by nobody. But I'm not going to drink coffee. I always drink coffee and I think it's kind of annoying, like when I go back and I watch my videos or listen to it and I can just tell I'm like drinking the coffee and stuff, and it's just not. It's just kind of. If it's annoying me, I know it's got to be annoying people listening and you know, I mean, if it was like a long conversation with somebody else, then maybe, but I think when I'm just doing like little 20 minute whatever, that's kind of pointless, so so anyway. So let me know if, uh, you like that um decision or not, or did you care, I don't know, but anyway I can see my camera shaking, um to get a more sturdy table.
Speaker 1:But what was I going to say? Um, but yeah, so yesterday I'm on Netflix, so I keep talking about how I'm like checked out of Hollywood and everything. And it's true, like as far as new stuff coming out which it's not really new because everything is reboots and reimagined crap but you know, I still enjoy older films and that's the one good thing about Hollywood being shit right now is I'm going back and watching films that I've always kind of watched, just never did. You know old classic movies that I always heard about? What was one I watched? I can't remember it was uh, damn it, what was it? Anyway, yesterday I watched das boot the boat right german film about, uh, u-boats, world war ii.
Speaker 1:Um, I've always heard it's such a great film and and I just I never, I never, um, I just never sat down and watched it, and so I I just happened to catch that on Netflix. It was saying leaving soon, so I was like, oh man, maybe I need to watch it. Now's the time to watch it. Right, and great film. Great film. It's a lot longer. I wasn't expecting it to be as long. I remember watching it and then like pausing to see where I'm at, thinking I'm like halfway and it's like just like just starting, basically because I was watching the directors.
Speaker 1:There's a bunch of versions, I guess. But, um, yeah, it's pretty long, but it's, it's really good though, man, it really kind of. Yeah, sometimes you want a movie that's just, that's quick and everything like that, but this one, really kind of it, is trying to show you how mundane it could be on a U-boat back in those times. You know what I mean and just how stuff would suck. And then you'd have flashes of excitement, of war, but then you're going to die and fear. So it's really good If you haven't seen it. If you like U-571, which is a great movie I love that movie. That's more of a Hollywood version of it, I guess. Or, you know, if you like World War II films, it's a great film, and the one on Netflix.
Speaker 1:By the time anybody hears this. Well, I guess it depends on where you hear it from, but it's, you know, I think it's today was the last day. That's one reason why I watched it too, because it was actually the day right now that I'm recording this. It was the last day, so that's why I watched it yesterday. But it was subtitled.
Speaker 1:I wasn't, you know, it's a German film. I wasn't really in the mood to read subtitles, especially like older Kind of good, like of titles, especially like older kind of good, like period movies. I'm doing a podcast. I like to look at it, I like to see the little stuff and just everything in the background, and you can't do that when you're reading, you know. But I mean, you know, as you get going in a in a film and you're reading the subtitles, it gets a little more automatic and you can kind of watch and read, you know, then, so you don't really notice it. You know, I used to enjoy films that had subtitles way more when I was younger.
Speaker 1:Now I'm like, eh, I don't mind, like when, like movies like, uh, inglourious Basterds, which I would say maybe half of it is subtitled, but um, you know it's a little mix, but you can, um, obviously, get Das Boot in dubbed and like, if you were to buy it, you could watch the dubbed version. Um, and I guess it's by pretty much every actor that was in the film recorded and did the dubbing for the english version and the thing about, like german, the german language and stuff too, it doesn't look as bad. You know, when you watch, um, like, you know, I don't know Japanese or any kind of Asian, it's like, and they're doing the English and it's like it's so off, you know, I mean, but the German ones not, you don't see it as much, at least for me, I don't, I don't know. So I mean it's not that bad, but but yeah, it uh, no, dubbing, it was, it was in German obviously, and, um, I read subtitles and it was. It was really good.
Speaker 1:Oh god, I was gonna say something I had in my mind that I wanted to say after I finished what I was saying and then I just lost it, whatever, anyway. So I get done watching it and, like most films, I'll get on Wikipedia and I'll just kind of start looking up some stuff about the film. That's an old habit, like I said, I used to be a pretty big film buff and I would research stuff on movies and this and that. But I noticed that the director is Wolfgang peterson and I was like what? And just like last week or two weeks ago, I watched well, I've seen it before, but it'd been a long time, but I watched, re-watched in damn what's it called oh, I got the thing right here, just to make sure in the line of fire, which is a clinton eastwood movie where he's a secret service agent, another great film and I watched that. And then you know critics, and I didn't catch it at the beginning, I caught it at the end where it said directed by wolfgang pierson. So that one last week or two weeks ago and this one I was like dang really, because I didn't realize that he had directed those films. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Now I didn't really kind of pay attention to who directed what until, you know, I was like 19,. 20 is when I started really paying attention to that and following directors and whatever. And so the first film that I remember here in Wolfgang Peterson was the Perfect Storm, which is a great movie. And so then yesterday when I pulled up you know Wikipedia and looked up the film a little bit and then I looked at Wolfgang Peterson I mean he hadn't done a whole, like you know, a buttload, but pretty much all his movies are awesome. They're like films I grew up loving. I mean some are not, like you know, classics, but a lot of them are.
Speaker 1:So he's like no, I think he's Dutch. So I mean, as far as I know, as far as like commercial success, he's like the most popular German director for the States. I mean I guess he lived over here in the States a lot more or whatever I think I read. So he was kind of German. But I mean he was born in Germany, grew up in Germany, so he's German, but I mean he spent the last, you know, majority of his life in the States. I think he got a citizenship or dual citizenship, but anyway. So I'm looking at this and I see this movie, one or the Other of Us, which was in 74. It's a German film. I haven't seen it, maybe someday I'll watch it.
Speaker 1:And then you got Das Boot right, and then you got the Never Ending Story like what, dude? That is like one of my favorite films from when I was growing up, you know, along with like Goonies and and um, there's a couple other ones I can't really think at the moment. But yeah, never Ending Story, dude, I was like what I didn't know think of at the moment. But yeah, neverending Story, dude, I was like what I didn't know. He directed that. And then the next one, enemy Mine. I was like that's an awesome, awesome movie. I don't know if you've seen it. It's kind of like one that flew under the radar, I think. But I just remember it being on HBO when I was a kid, a lot, when HBO was kind of new, and I remember it being on a lot and I always thought it was an interesting film, you know.
Speaker 1:And then he did Shattered, which I remember it's kind of like a thriller. I remember that film and I remember watching it, but I'd have to watch it again. But then he did In the Line of Fire, which we talked about. Then he did Outbreak, which I just watched on Netflix again for the first time in a long time. I think I talked about it but I didn't really did. I know it was, but you know, again I'm like dang dude.
Speaker 1:He did Outbreak, air Force One, which, um, I was kind of into different films at that time. So I mean I've seen Air Force One but I have to watch again. But then you got the Perfect Storm and then Troy and then, well, you got Poseidon, which I don't know. It was all right, it's probably better than I remember, but I just haven't watched it in a while. But, dude, you have. So you got basically a streak of like 10 films that are just outstandingly awesome that I can remember and probably you know. So, like you got Das Boot and ending with Troy in 2004, which is an awesome film I have that. I have the Perfect Storm, I think I don't have. But I mean these are all movies that I would love to own if I don't own them and I was just like dang dude, I didn't realize that that he did all of those. You know what I mean. Like I was just like whoa dude, how did I not know this? It's kind of crazy. And then, but he died, though not too long ago. When was it? Yeah, yeah, 2022, the age of 81, but yeah, so that's kind of crazy.
Speaker 1:So, like the never-ending story, I wonder if that's like a big film in germany. I have some people that listen to my podcast in germany. I know that I don't know why. I don't know if it's just an american that lives there, but if you're german and you're listening to this, I don't know why. I don't know if it's just an American that lives there, but if you're German and you're listening to this, I don't know. Let me know, is Wolfgang Peterson, is he a big? Is he popular in Germany, or are these movies? Were these movies popular in Germany? Maybe not so much, like In the Line of Fire and stuff, but yeah, man. So Never Ending Story.
Speaker 1:I remember again, again, just like enemy mind, just seeing that on tv or cable and watching that all the time. Great movie, it's one of my favorites, like if I had a top 10 film, which is funny because as I get older, my top 10 kind of reverts back to when I was younger. You know what I mean and it's. But the thing is is, like you know, if you watch, if you watch like the He-Man cartoon, like I loved He-Man, I love He-Man. You know I'm a big fan of He-Man um, I mean, I'm not, like you know, I have a toy that I trying to collect, the whatever. But I don know, I'm not a big collector of stuff like that, but, um, but yeah, I loved, loved He-Man and when I was a kid I had the toys and you know huge, huge He-Man.
Speaker 1:You know the movie came out and it was all right. It wasn't much like the cartoon, but I still liked it a lot. But I remember being older and just like getting a chance to watch some of the cartoons and being like, oh my God, that is so corny. And so I mean the way they did it was cool, like realistic looking, the way they did their rotoscope, whatever kind of like it's impressive. But I just remember like, okay, I can't, like I can watch the batman animated series today and it's awesome, he man can't do it. Um, and the newest one on netflix would be cool if it didn't suck. I mean it looks cool, but anyway, I'm kind of getting off track. So the never-ending story, you know, was awesome as a kid. And then you, you watch it now. It's still awesome, it's still great.
Speaker 1:You know, and that's the cool thing about those movies, too, is the practical effects and this and that hold up so much better than early CGI. You know what I mean. Mean. Like we just watched. I just watched with my family, um, the big hit with mark walbert, which is a movie that I own, and my wife saw like a clip of it on facebook or something and she's like what is this? What movie is this? And I was like, oh, yeah, that's, you know, the big hit. I was like we have that movie and she was like, oh, let's watch it. So we watched it and you know there's some parts in that where it's like I mean it's a corny over the top comedy action film. But you, there's some parts in that where it's like I mean it's a corny over the top comedy action film. But you know, there's some stuff that's like very dated, it doesn't look as good, and even my oldest son kind of pointed it out. But then you can look at you know, never Ending Story, which came out over 10 years before, and it looks amazing. You know what I mean. So that's the cool thing about those movies they hold up. Well, not all of them, but a lot of them do. And then Enemy Mind I haven't watched that in so long.
Speaker 1:It's about, you know, um, a human and an alien who are fighting each other. It's kind of like the beginning of of uh, I don't know if that's where they got the idea from, but on kong skull island, the japanese soldier and the american soldier crashing on the planet and fighting and they end up becoming whatever. It's the same kind of. It's a thing you know, but this obviously came out first. So it's like an alien and an american. They decide to kind of work together and live together so they can survive, both survive and they end up growing to respect and love each other and stuff, not love, love, not today's LGBT love. But I can love a dude and not want to sleep with him or anything. So, yeah, so there's that.
Speaker 1:And then, and then, six years later, he does shattered. Why was there such a huge gap? I wonder why that is. I'm looking to see on his television thing to see why. Maybe he just took a break or something, I don't know. But so, like I said, shattered. I remember it's just took a break or something, I don't know. But so, like I said, shattered, I remember it's just like a weird psychological movie with a car accident, tom Berringer's in it and his face is jacked up or something, and then, but there's like split personality, I want to say. I don't know for sure, but that's what I remember.
Speaker 1:I remember being like intrigued by it, like it was on pay-per-view back when. It's like when you own pay-per-view, pay-per-view used to be um, kind of like how hbo and stuff was. It was like you didn't order to watch it and watch it that one time and that was it. Like you would order and it would just sit there and play over and over and over and over again for a while or something, or it was kind of. I might be a little wrong on why, but I just remember like tombstone was out at this time and so this movie. So it's like you go and turn it on, it's like, oh, here I'm in this part of this film. You know what I mean. So it was like I used to watch movies that way. It's like I would catch it a certain point and just finish watching it another day. I'd go back and look, you know, now it's at the beginning or whatever, I don't know. You know what I mean. So it was kind of a weird situation, but I remember watching it that way and then In the Line of Fire, I don't. I remember watching it but I don't really remember the background, but I always thought it was kind of interesting First time seeing John Malkovich for me, but yeah, it was always pretty good.
Speaker 1:And then Outbreak. I remember watching Outbreak. I want to say I talked about this already, but I watched it while recovering from either, my tonsils 95. I think it was my tonsils, yeah, when I had my tonsils 95. I think it was my tonsils, yeah, when I had my tonsils removed. So I had to sit there and my mom read me some movies and I was just laying in bed. So I think that's when I watched that and that's like a really great movie.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, I mean, as an adult now and being in the military and you can see some stuff that's like yeah, I don't know, but um, it it's pretty, especially, I guess I guess it was pretty popular during covid. But anyway, air force one. I know I've seen it and I remember it was, but I don't really have a backstory for that one. And then the perfect storm. I remember watching the perfect storm in theaters and that's a great movie, sad but awesome movie. And then you know, troy Troy was, I remember, coming back from Iraq and I think that was like the first film I watched in the theaters was no, maybe not. No, that's not right, is that? No, I think it was on srt, maybe, or I don't know, but it was around the same time and, um, I guess I could look and see. No for sure, when it was released, let me see and I could know running time, release date, may so not long after I got back, but but yeah, that was pretty cool movie. I own like a huge box set of that. It's a dvd.
Speaker 1:Um, I mean, you know, and they're and they're not like, they're not like I don't know how to say it like masterpieces, you know, and the films aren't masterpieces, except for maybe like Das Boot and I don't know. There's like, you know they all have their flaws or whatever. But I mean, you know it's not like he's making them all by himself. You know he's got to deal with whatever flaws or whatever, but I mean, you know, it's not like he's making them all by himself. You know he's got to deal with whatever, but but they're all compelling, entertaining movies. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And it was just I was just kind of like I was just kind of shocked that they're all Wolfgang Peterson. So it's kind of crazy. Um, I had no idea and those are kind of things that I used to know or I used to kind of you know. Now I'll remember or know or whatever. But yeah, I was just, I was just kind of surprised that, um, he had done so many. It's kind of like verhoeven or whatever his name is.
Speaker 1:The guy did robocop and um, I mean, I mean, if you're a film person, I guess it's kind of obvious a little bit. But you know, and he's Dutch or something, I want to say maybe he's German, but I don't think he is um, you know, robocop, total Recall, starship or, uh, starship Troopers, you know, were all him. And I think a lot of people were like, oh crap, I didn't realize that. But he also did what's that movie with the strippers. But yeah, see, wolfgang Petersen doesn't really have like a bomb in his thing.
Speaker 1:I mean, maybe Enemy Mine didn't make a lot of money, but what is that movie called the stripper movie, with how much time do I got? Oh, my time's almost up, I'm not going to but I mean that movie was just a bad movie and it didn't make money. You know, enemy Mind may have not have been made a lot of money, but it is a popular and well regarded film and I think even was at the. You know, at the time it was never looked at as a bad movie. It just sometimes movies don't make a lot of money in the theaters, you know. But yeah, so I don't know, I just felt like talking about that, like I said, I was just kind of it's crazy, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:So all my german listeners out there hit me up with a little comment or something what you think about wolfgang peterson, how is he looked at over there in Germany? And is Das Boot? Is it as popular there or was popular as it was here? I think it was like the most expensive film German film and it made a lot of money. So I guess it was popular. But but yeah, it's a good film.
Speaker 1:If you haven't seen it Any of those films I talked about If you have not seen Das Boot, which I can't really be like, oh, if you haven't seen it. You're an idiot. I just saw it. But Never Ending Story great film, especially before they start remaking these Enemy Mine, shattered I can't really say much for Shattered In the Line of fire, outbreak, the perfect storm and troy outstanding films, air force one I think it's pretty good poseidon, not bad.
Speaker 1:Shattered don't really remember, but yeah, everything else. Man is like he had a pretty good, he had a pretty good record, man as far as good movies. It's kind of crazy. Also, he wrote dos boot too. I didn't realize that wrote the screen because it's based off a book. Oh, and he wrote never ending story too. I'll have to look that up. Man dude, I never just crazy, you know, it's kind of crazy. Anyway, I hope maybe you enjoyed this departure from. I mean not like I don't talk about movies before, but I just kind of I was going to talk about the wannabe oswald, like his apartment or his home being completely cleaned and just more weird stuff that add to the conspiracy. But I was just like nah, I'm going to talk about Das Boot, which is the boat which I didn't know until I looked it up. Anyway, that's it. I appreciate your time and I'll see you guys next time. All right, bye.
