About this episode
The episode discusses the remake of The Manchurian Candidate and its relevance to post-9/11 culture, featuring performances by Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.
If you make a remake to a cinema classic (and Oscar nominee), chances are the buzz starts there. But in revamping The Manchurian Candidate to the post-9/11 culture, Oscar winning director also added the pedigree of recent winner Denzel Washington and then-recent nomination record breaker Meryl Streep, the buzz multiplied. But this version of a paranoia thriller about a political candidate whose brain has been hijacked was a mild summer success, kept only in the race by Streep in villain mode. This episode, we talk about whether or not the material comfortably fits in with the era’s concerns and the period after Washington won his second Oscar. We also discuss Liev Schreiber breaking out of Cotton Weary mold, the film’s pseudo-incestuous bath scene, and a double Six Timer hottie quiz for Washington and Schreiber. Topics also include surprise Ann Dowd, the 2004 Supporting Actress race, and sleeper cell activation phrases.
People in this episode
Hosts: Joe, Chris
Topics covered
- remake of a classic film
- Oscar nominations
- political thriller
- post-9/11 culture
- acting performances
- Supporting Actress race
- sleeper cell activation
Keywords
- The Manchurian Candidate
- Denzel Washington
- Meryl Streep
- political thriller
- Oscar buzz
- remake
- 2004 Supporting Actress race
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Manchurian Candidate
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- CATEGORY IS… – Choreography · May 18, 2026 · 2h 5m
- CATEGORY IS… – Voice Acting · May 11, 2026 · 2h 10m
- CATEGORY IS… – Casting · May 4, 2026 · 2h 18m
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