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This week on The Gimme Three Podcast, co-host Bella Efstratis is joined by her good friend Matt Cochran, a cinephile and history buff, for a deep dive into America’s complex relationship with war in cinema. Together, they explore three films that arguably blur the line between being anti-war and glorifying it.

Matt’s three film recommendations for this episode include:

• Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987)
• Sam Mendes' Jarhead (2005)
• Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (2009)

Throughout the episode, Matt provides in-depth history lessons on each war depicted in the films we discuss, allowing us to analyze them not only within their historical contexts but also considering the cultural climate in which they were released.

Together, we break down the elements we appreciated in each film while also reflecting on our own contradictions in grappling with the allure of war movies.

And, of course, we dive into whether these films really hit the mark with their anti-war message or miss it entirely.

Expect equal praise and criticism of these iconic films! We can't wait to hear your thoughts, so send us your takes and let us know what you think of ours!

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You can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd
You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on Letterboxd

Shout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.