Sep 28 2019

SYSK Selects: What Happened at Kent State?

Selects 39 min 10 movies discussed
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On May 4, 1970, four days of anti-war protests at Kent State University in Ohio culminated in the unthinkable when Ohio guardsmen opened fire on protesters, killing four students. How could this tragedy take place? Learn more in this classic episode.

AI Summary

This episode dives into the tragic Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, when National Guard soldiers opened fire on student protesters, killing four and wounding nine others during demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the invasion of Cambodia. Josh and Chuck explore the complex tensions leading up to that dark day—the clash between the anti-establishment movement and authorities, the escalating protests and riots, and the confusion surrounding an unofficial declaration of martial law that set the stage for disaster. They also discuss the often-overlooked Jackson State University shooting that occurred just ten days later, where police fired on Black students protesting both the war and racial injustice, killing two, and examine how these pivotal moments shaped American history and continue to spark debate decades later.


Movies Discussed

Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
1979 2h 27m
★ 8.3
"And then just initially serving as advisors. Oh right. And then becoming embroiled in the war. I forgot all about that movie. Yeah. You know in Apocalypse now there are some deleted scenes of them meeting up with a French family in Vietnam and like having dinner. — Chuck mentions deleted scenes from Apocalypse Now featuring a French family dinner in Vietnam during discussion of French influence in Vietnam." — Chuck
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
2008
★ 8.9
"The wire, the shield, house of cards, Orange is the New Black, everything, every breaking bad, all of them can thank Oz. — Josh cites Breaking Bad as one of the major prestige dramas influenced by Oz." — Josh
House of Cards
House of Cards
2013 TV-MA
★ 8.0
"The wire, the shield, house of cards, Orange is the New Black, everything, every breaking bad, all of them can thank Oz. — Josh includes House of Cards in the list of prestige dramas influenced by Oz." — Josh
Orange Is the New Black
Orange Is the New Black
2013
★ 7.6
"A pop culture nearly always portrays guards as heavies and villains and even smart portrayals of prison life like Orange is the New Black has every prison official character as a comic book mustache twirling villain or a mouth breathing idiot. — Referenced in listener mail from Craig criticizing prison guard portrayals in Orange Is the New Black."
Oz
Oz
1997
★ 8.0
"Or Oz. I never watched Oz. What? Yeah. That was the first that Oz is the show that kicked off all the shows you love in binge watch now. — Chuck discusses Oz as the pioneering HBO series that started the trend of binge-worthy TV dramas." — Chuck
The Green Mile
The Green Mile
1999 3h 9m
★ 8.5
"It's pretty one note if you're a prison guard in a movie in general unless it's the Green Mile and that movie has problems of its own. — Josh discusses prison guard portrayals in films, mentioning The Green Mile as an exception to typical villain portrayals." — Josh
The Road
The Road
2009 1h 51m
★ 7.0
"Like if you go Mortensen in the road. Yes. Although he was not alone. — Josh references Viggo Mortensen's performance in The Road while discussing snow and apocalyptic scenarios." — Josh
The Shield
The Shield
2002
★ 8.1
"The wire, the shield, house of cards, Orange is the New Black, everything, every breaking bad, all of them can thank Oz. — Josh lists The Shield as part of the lineage of prestige dramas influenced by Oz." — Josh
The Wire
The Wire
2002
★ 8.6
"The wire, the shield, house of cards, Orange is the New Black, everything, every breaking bad, all of them can thank Oz. — Josh credits Oz as the origin show that influenced The Wire and other prestige television dramas." — Josh
We Were Soldiers
We Were Soldiers
2002 2h 18m
★ 7.1
"Have you ever seen Weaver Soldiers? Yes. It's almost like a snuff film. It's one of the most graphically violent movies I've ever seen in my life. — Josh mentions We Were Soldiers as an example of a graphically violent film about the French-to-American transition in Vietnam." — Josh

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