CRIMSON TIDE with Isaac Butler, author of THE METHOD!

It’s Die Hard in a nuclear sub!

For this episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Isaac Butler, author of THE METHOD, arguably the definitive book about the evolution of method acting! Isaac is a veritable encyclopedia about the history of the acting craft and he lends his incredible insight to this discussion of CRIMSON TIDE, “an anti-action movie” where two of the greatest screen acting titans go head to head! 

When a US nuclear submarine loses communication with the command structure just as they’ve been ordered to fire their payload against a rogue Russian general, the sub’s two senior officers, Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and Hunter (Denzel Washington) disagree vehemently on whether or not they should launch their nuclear missiles, a situation that ultimately leads to a full-on mutiny, as the specter of World War Three looms large!

Isaac places this bombastic film in context within the lineage of method acting, discusses the differing schools of tradition that Hackman and Washington come from, and explains how their specific training informs their respective approaches towards their craft. The guys also talk about the film as a chamber-piece drama of sorts, and muse on how it compares to other nail-biting Cold War classics such as FAIL SAFE, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY and of course THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. 

They analyze its subtle but significant ‘DIE HARD DNA’ and debate whether or not this is Tony Scott’s best film. They discuss Quentin Tarantino’s controversial contributions to the screenplay, and discuss the complexities wrought by the film’s racial conflict. Finally the boys don their dress whites for the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and choose to collaborate for a particularly informative edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

 CRIMSON TIDE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS4I2Z1RBIw

At the time of release, CRIMSON TIDE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Direct TV, Spectrum TV and all the usual platforms.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/die-hard-on-a-blank/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy