S9E5: JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN

Once nearly impossible to find and now... still pretty tough to obtain via legitimate means, Dalton Trumbo's JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN—the 1971 film he wrote and directed based on his own 1939 novel—is both legendary and forgotten at the same time. It tells the disturbing tale of a young soldier who loses his limbs and nearly all of his senses, but whose mind remains intact as he's trapped inside his own body in a military hospital. Adapted into Metallica's music video "One" and rubbing shoulders with the great anti-war and surrealist films, Johnny Got His Gun is not easy to watch. Also discussed: the film's most effective techniques; Trumbo's career and politics; other adaptations on stage and film; and its maybe-possible influence on Better Call Saul. Plus: does Metallica really own the film outright?

Episode links:

Johnny Got His Gun on IMDb Johnny Got His Gun (film) on Wikipedia Johnny Got His Gun (novel) on Wikipedia Roger Ebert 1971 film review New York Times 1971 film review TCM overview of Johnny Got His Gun PopMatters review of 2009 DVD release Keith Phipps in AV Club on 2009 release Lee Miller in Santa Fe Reporter on the novel New York Times review of 1982 stage version New York Times review of 2008 McKenzie film Variety review of 2008 McKenzie version Metallica "One" music video at YouTube Metallica "One" music video on Wikipedia  Column asserting Metallica owns film rights Pitchfork retrospective on "One" video

Show links:

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