Who doesn't love a good story about comeuppance? Whether served cold or piping hot, revenge is an ancient idea -- and history is filled with acts of vengeance. Join Josh and Chuck as they trace the concept of revenge from the bygone days of Hammurabi to the modern era.
AI Summary
This episode of Stuff You Should Know explores the dark and fascinating world of revenge throughout history, from its origins in ancient Babylonian law to modern-day acts of payback. Josh and Chuck dive into legendary cases of vengeance, including the 47 Ronin samurai story, the spam king who got a taste of his own medicine, and some truly shocking instances of personal retribution that made headlines. They examine how revenge has shaped human civilization and justice systems, discussing everything from historical massacres to prison justice, while maintaining their signature blend of serious research and conversational humor.
Movies Discussed
47 Ronin
"Including the movie, the 47 Ronin — Mentioned as one of the countless movies made about the historical 47 Ronin story"
— Josh
Ally McBeal
"Or Ally McBeal — Referenced in relation to The Shawshank Redemption, possibly confusing actors or characters"
— Chuck
Ben-Hur
"Ben Hur, one of the granddaddies of all revenge movies — Listed as a classic revenge movie, though Josh admits he's never seen it"
— Chuck
Carrie
"Carrie. Great revenge movie — Listed and praised as a great revenge movie"
— Chuck
Commando
"commando — Listed as one of the top revenge movies from a film website"
— Chuck
Death Wish
"And they said Death Wish is the number one — Listed as the number one revenge movie on a top 10 list"
— Chuck
Friday the 13th
"Friday the 13th — Listed as a revenge movie because the mother seeks revenge for her son's drowning"
— Chuck
Gladiator
"Gladiator — Listed as one of the top revenge movies from a film website"
— Chuck
Hard Candy
"hard candy — Listed as a revenge movie that Chuck recommends Josh should see"
— Chuck
I Spit on Your Grave
"Yeah, like I spit on your grave — Mentioned as an example of the revenge exploitation subgenre of films"
— Josh
Inglourious Basterds
"Quentin Tarantino probably got some inspiration for his movie, Glorious Bastards — Referenced as a revenge movie inspired by WWII stories like the Dachau incident"
— Chuck
Irreversible
"Irreversible — Listed as a hardcore revenge movie that's good but tough to watch"
— Chuck
Jawbreaker
"That's been confused with Jawbreaker, I'll bet — Josh suggests Hard Candy might be confused with Jawbreaker, which he found surprisingly good"
— Josh
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
"That Kill Bill — Listed as an example of Tarantino's revenge movies"
— Josh
Léon: The Professional
"the professional — Listed among revenge movies from various top 10 lists"
— Chuck
Mad Max
"Mad Max — Listed among other revenge movies from various top 10 lists"
— Chuck
Memento
"Memento — Listed among other revenge movies from various top 10 lists"
— Chuck
Munich
"Munich. Oh, yeah — Listed and agreed upon as a great revenge movie"
— Chuck
Oldboy
"But they didn't have Old Boy on there — Chuck notes its absence from the revenge movie list and calls it the ultimate revenge movie"
— Chuck
Once Upon a Time in the West
"Once upon a time in the West — Listed as a top revenge movie that Josh hasn't seen but is supposedly awesome"
— Chuck
Pulp Fiction
"Pulp Fiction. Was there any revenge in there? — Analyzed for revenge elements, with the hosts noting redemption vs revenge themes"
— Josh
Reservoir Dogs
"I don't know if Reservoir Dogs is revenge — Discussed as possibly not being a revenge movie unlike other Tarantino films"
— Josh
Shutter Island
"And it was in Shutter Island, prominently — Mentioned alongside Inglourious Basterds as featuring WWII concentration camp themes"
— Chuck
Six Feet Under
"Alan Ball, the writer of Six Feet Under — Mentioned in a story about Alan Ball's feud with Quentin Tarantino over pet birds"
— Josh
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
"Star Trek II, Wrath of Khan — Listed as a revenge movie, with Josh expressing surprise at its inclusion"
— Chuck
Straw Dogs
"Straw dogs — Listed as a revenge movie and described as disturbing"
— Chuck
Taken
"And then Taken with Liam Neeson — Listed as a revenge movie that both hosts enjoyed despite Josh's reservations about Neeson as action star"
— Chuck
The Crow
"the crow — Listed among revenge movies from various top 10 lists"
— Chuck
The Godfather
"And the Godfather, which I didn't really see that as a revenge pick — Listed on a revenge movie list though Chuck questions its classification as revenge"
— Chuck
The Last House on the Left
"What about Last House on the Left? — Mentioned as a classic rape-revenge movie, compared to I Spit on Your Grave"
— Josh
The Shawshank Redemption
"You know, like Shawshank or Brooks Hung himself — Chuck uses it as an example of comeuppance/revenge in movies that he finds satisfying"
— Chuck
The Virgin Spring
"The Virgin Spring, which I have not seen — Listed as a revenge movie and identified as a Bergman picture"
— Chuck
Unforgiven
"Unforgiven. Pretty good one — Listed as a revenge movie, though Chuck notes it's a great film but not super revenge-focused"
— Chuck
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