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Nov 26 2009

How Hostage Negotiation Works

28 min 8 movies discussed
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In this episode, Josh and Chuck explain the finer points of hostage negotiation, including the symbolism of hostages, the negotiator's goals and tactics, Stockholm syndrome -- and what happens when people refuse to negotiate.

AI Summary

This episode of Stuff You Should Know dives into the fascinating world of hostage negotiation, exploring the psychology and tactics behind one of law enforcement's most high-stakes situations. Josh and Chuck break down the three phases of hostage situations - from the initial chaos to the lengthy negotiation period to the final resolution - while examining real-world cases like the 1972 Munich Olympics crisis. They also discuss the strategic methods negotiators use to buy time and save lives, plus the surprising phenomenon of Stockholm syndrome where hostages actually begin to sympathize with their captors.


Movies Discussed

30 Minutes or Less
30 Minutes or Less
2011 1h 23m
★ 5.8
"As a pizza delivery person could have delivered that segue better than me. Yeah. In 30 minutes or less. — Josh makes a reference to this comedy film when discussing his poor segue about hostage negotiation." — Josh
Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon
1975 2h 4m
★ 7.8
"I haven't seen Dog Day Afternoon, but I think it's the greatest hostage movie ever made. — Josh mentions this classic Al Pacino hostage film, though admits he hasn't seen it despite calling it great." — Josh
Inside Man
Inside Man
2006 2h 9m
★ 7.4
"Have you ever seen Inside Man? No, is that, which one was that? Denzel. — Josh asks Chuck if he's seen this hostage movie starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, calling it possibly the greatest hostage movie ever made." — Josh
Knock at the Cabin
Knock at the Cabin
2023 1h 40m
★ 6.3
"They're breaking in! From M. Night Shyamalan. — This appears to be a movie trailer or advertisement that played during the podcast."
Munich
Munich
2005 2h 44m
★ 7.1
"Did you see Munich? That was a good one. — Josh references this Steven Spielberg film about the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis." — Josh
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Baader Meinhof Complex
2008 2h 29m
★ 7.0
"It's actually the, there's a movie out called the Bader-Meinhoff complex, I think. — Josh references this German film about the Red Army Faction terrorist group when discussing historical terrorism." — Josh
The Colbert Report
The Colbert Report
2005
★ 6.9
"We challenged the Colbert Report, or I like to call it the Colbert Report — Josh mentions their challenge to Stephen Colbert's comedy show as part of their Kiva microlending competition." — Josh
The Negotiator
The Negotiator
1998 2h 20m
★ 7.1
"And, um, if you've ever seen the movie, the negotiator, you're clearly disappointed. — Josh mentions this Samuel L. Jackson film as an example of unrealistic portrayals of hostage negotiation." — Josh

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