Copaganda!

The terrorists are out here killing Americans while they play baseball and drink PBRs! They killed that coach from Friday Night Lights! How much do they hate America? Nicco is joined by Pratima Mani, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to discuss the 2007 film The Kingdom and how it's a patchwork of post 9/11 action film racism.

We look at one of the best Batman films ever... The Dark Knight. Joined by talented actor, hilarious comedian, good friend and painting talker Brian Morabito we get into the tough philosophical questions. Is Batman a cop or a terrorist? What does it mean to have a realistic Batman movie? What is Batman's jurisdiction? And what war crimes did Alfred commit in Burma?

A man realizes his revolution means nothing without intersectionality in the anti-copaganda film of the week The Crying Game. It's a 30 some year old movie but spoiler alert. Joined by Katie Boyle, we discuss the Troubles, Irish history, the marketing of the "secret" of the film, depictions of trans women in the 90's vs now, state violence and terrorism and more. It's a packed episode! You can find Katie's stand up special I'll Do It Myself at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRF7MRg060Q

Oh boy oh boy are you in for a treat! We have Alex Estrada (host of The Estate) to talk about the most whackadoodle movie we've seen yet: Samurai Cop! This 1991 movie is pure, uncut so unbelievably bad it's good. We also discuss Alex's podcast The Estate, a true crime podcast about Alex learning his father and his father's best friend were investigated for a murder in the 70's. Check out The Estate whereveer you get podcasts

The amazing Jeff Solomon, actor, writer, extraordinaire and dear friend, comes on to talk about a real puzzle of a movie: Dragged Across Concrete. This 2018 S Craig Zahler film... we just don't know what to make of it! A compelling Mamet-esque crime film? A racist vehicle for Mel Gibson? Some looney tunes style violence passed off as realistic? Unclear! But it did get us talking! Tangents include shoplifting, being a good kid, and discussions of when film is commentating on something versus when a film is simply repeating racist tropes.

We're talking about Shaft! Justin Catchens joins us to talk about the classic 1971 Gordon Parks film and discus knowing the parody before you know the original, earnest sex scenes and much more.

Joined by Jerah Milligan (Black Men Can't Jump in Hollywood) we discuss the wokest of Lethal Weapons: Lethal Weapon 2. Imagine a world where the police are against racist governments? Where Danny Glover fights Aparthied South Africa? Where dads are told to respect their daughter's sexual agency? Wow. Beyond woke for 1988. We also discuss criminalizing Black joy and how they screwed John Boyega in the recent Star Wars. Enjoy!

Marina is back to talk about another Sandra Bullock classic: Speed! We discuss city busses, de-escalation, and if it's practical to shoot hostages to save them from terrorists. And of course, the sexual between Keanu and Sandy thats so thick that you couldn't cut it with a sword.

This week we're joined by real life father Brendan Work to discuss our first children's film: Paw Patrol! Does "all cops are bastards" include Chase the Puppy from Adventure Bay? How do we feel about a town where social services are run by dogs? Are we really this miserable to hate on a movie for 3 year olds?

This episode doesn't feature any tv show or movie, but is just an interview with Michael Bane, a man who has been on Tennessee's Death Row since 1990. Connected by a listener of our Law and Order series, Michael talks about his arrest, conviction, re-sentencing and DNA testing. Michael is looking to get his story our into the world. So if you are a journalist or advocate who would want to be put in touch with Michael please reach out. I'd love to connect you.

Today we watched two Law and Order episodes about wrongful convictions: s11 Bronx Cheer and s12 The Myth of Fingerprints. What does the system do when they know they've imprisoned the wrong man? We find out with writer and court watcher Madalyn Baldanzi (https://www.madalynbaldanzi.com) We discuss Harerra v Collins, junk science, court watching and yet another human rights violation committed by Anita Van Buren.

This week we deep dive into two Law and Order episodes about self defense. Both based on real cases! We watched Law and Order s3e7 Self Defense, based on the Bernard Goetz case of 1984. And SVU s15e3 American Tragedy, in which a Paula Deen type pulls a George Zimmerman. Helping to breakdown this madness is Glo Tavarez (Late Night, Search Party) and we talk Florida, fear and the possibility Glo is being stalked via apple pod.

The year is 1996 and we watched the three part Law and Order episodes vaguely, loosely based on the OJ Simpson trial. Season 7 Episodes 15, 16 and 17. What is this sweep weeks? Joined by Tristan Griffin, a man who owns 8 seasons of law and order on DVD, we break down these episodes, examine what stuck out about the OJ trial in 96 versus what stands out now, and enjoy the New York cops going Hollywood. It's like when Family Matters went to Disney!

This week we look at two Law and Order episodes loosely based on the real 1987 case of Tawana Brawley. The first is from the original series Law and Order s1e11 Out of the Half Light, the second is from SVU s15e18 Criminal Stories. Joined by Donald Chang (Asian AF) we discuss the difference in how sexual assault and rape were treated by the police in 1990 and in 2015, how the original series cops spend more time fighting a civil rights leader than investigating the case, and how Olivia Benson tries to make up for past mistakes. Enjoy.

The first in our Law & Order series, I'm joined by public defender Urooj Khan as we dive into two Law and Order episodes about "Police Involved Shootings." What a euphemism! We watch episode Law and Order s5e06 "Competence" where Anita Van Buren shoots a disabled black 14 year old, and Law and Order SVU s3e02 Wrath, where Olivia Benson kills her first person. We discuss the 'shoot and cry' trope, the fantasy that the police enthusiastically police each other, and guess how may Law & Order cops have shot how many people. Enjoy!

No movie or TV show today. Nicco is joined by Anthony Franqui to talk about his brother Kathurima, how he was killed by the police in 1995 and why he made this podcast.

It's been a while Copaganda fans but we're back next week with brand new episodes. Our next batch is focusing on Law & Order! The iconic series have been on for over 30 years and are known for their "ripped from the headlines" episodes, which makes it the perfect lens to look at pop culture depictions of policing in recent history. For every famous human rights abuse the NYPD has committed there are several Law & Order episodes and we're gonna dive into all of it. Subscribe and catch up on previous episodes before new episodes begin next week

Tango and Cash. Cash and Tango! Once you see this amazing 80's buddy cop film you'll be shocked you hadn't been watching it sooner. Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone are the best cops in LA but they've been framed! Nicco is joined by good friend, amazing producer and comedian Michelle Francesca Thomas(Cute Story Bro, Black Girl Walks at Night) Michelle is not having Nicco's "Blam Blam Yadda Yadda bullsh*t", and is making sure we cover every detail of this perfect film. Also reflections on being related to the first Black Police Chief of your home town. Content Warning: This episode has discussion of sexual assault.

This is a first for Copaganda, we're breaking down a TV show! And that TV show is New Girl! I know not exactly the first show you think of when you think Copaganda. Look we LOVE New Girl and we don't think it's an arm of the state but... real talk... they did make Winston a cop. Joined by novelist Kaitlyn Greenidge (Liberte, We Love You Charlie Freeman) we break down what we look for in sitcoms, the historical moment that was the early 2010's, and how comedies change when viewed in different eras. For listeners who'd wanna re-listen the episodes we watched were: 402 (Dice), 406 (Background Check), 412 (Shark), 420 (Par 5)

Everyone just calm down. We can talk this through... Because we watched the 1998 F Gary Gray film The Negotiator and are hyped up on pop psychology! Joined by good friend, comedian and organizer Maurice Weeks (@mo87mo87) we discuss this tense Samuel L Jackson thriller. A hostage negotiator takes people hostage?! To prove his innocence?! AND HE'S BLACK?! This movie is full of miracles.

We're doing the other granddaddy of cop films, Die Hard. Unlike our other cop film grandaddy, Dirty Harry, this film goes down smooth. Joined by Mic Nguyen (Asian Not Asian Podcast) we break down what makes this a great film and also how it reinforces some pretty harmful police tropes. Still pretty cool that he writes "Ho Ho Ho Now I have a machine gun" on that guy's corpse.

News in America is too depressing so we're flying overseas to Hong Kong, to watch the classic Stephen Chow film: Fight Back to School. The Hong Kong police have never done anything problematic right? Doesn't matter. Nicco is joined on this international cinema adventure by Angel Yau (AzN Pop!) who talks about her dad teaching Kung Fu to a local cop. The first 30 seconds of the podcast are in Cantonese. Couldn't find a clip of an English dub of this film. Don't worry you're listening to the right thing.

We talk about the history of fat suits and the history of buffoonery as we tackle this monster hit Big Momma's House. Don't lie and say you haven't seen this movie at least twice. Nicco is joined by Sabeeh Jameel (The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, A Little Late with Lilly Singh) who discusses being a little southern boy worried about if the FBI was spying on him. It probably was! Enjoy this Martin Lawrence comedy which may as well be a nightmare!

Andrew Barlow joins Nicco to discuss what may very well be the last buddy cop movie ever: Let's Be Cops. The film was released the weekend Black lives Matter was born. Worse timing than when Collateral came out after 9/11. Does America simply not think cops are fun anymore? We hope so. We discuss the history of Buddy Cop films from 48 Hours to this, how charming the New Girl actors are, superhero stories vs cop stories and how we'd wreck our lives for Natasha Leggero.

This week we watched the 1995 film Clockers. It's an under talked about masterpiece! Directed by Spike Lee and written by Richard Price, this anti-copaganda film is an early precursor to The Wire and a real operatic piece of work. We're joined by good friend and amazing actor Peter Grosz (Veep, The President Show, The Menu) and talk about how much emotional labor goes into organized crime! We also talk father figures, New York character actors and the bouquet of racial slurs that only Spike Lee can properly capture. Enjoy!

Did we convict the wrong man? These cops don't care! We watched The Fugitive with Aaron LaRoche. How many manhunts are happening in the US right now? Is Tommy Lee Jones' character a fascist? How far would you get if the US Marshall's were on you? Enjoy!

We're doing it, we're watching Die Hard with a Vengeance. Die Hard 3. The most racist of the Die Hards. Joined by journalist and old friend Alvin Melathe. Poor John McClain has to call everyone in Harlem a slur for public safety. Alvin and Nicco discuss that wild opening sign, which cop volunteered to write it, how Zeus learns to love police and watching films with nudity when you're in middle school. Enjoy!

It's time to revisit the 2nd best Orson Welles film of all time 1958's Touch of Evil. This insightful piece of social criticism is completely in brown face! We're joined by the stand up Christiana Jackson, who tells us about Mexico, stalkers, and sitting on cops faces.

Nicco is joined by an friend and incredibly talented musician Doug Berns (@DugLust) to discuss the best comedy ever written The Naked Gun. Unlike so many 1980s comedies this one holds up! Especially cause there's been no meaningful change in policing in the past 35 years! Enjoy as we talk childhood cop dreams, run ins with the law in New York Public Parks, and how amazing Leslie Nielsen is. Follow Doug at DugLust on social media. His album is here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2l0mhDLmzjhHsCF9TMoVqI?si=rCQqAawZTy6V3RxI-YklFQ&nd=1

Intersectionality and interracial solidarity reached it's climax with this 1998 cop film Rush Hour! Nicco is joined by comedian and writer Nadia Iqbal to talk Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, the history of anti-asian racism in detective stories, whether power rangers counts as Copaganda and how this film single handedly healed racism in America. Enjoy!

The worst first day on the job can't compare to Training Day! We broke down this Anthony Fuqua Denzel Washington nightmare cop movie. Joined by Drex Clemons we discuss having a cop as a dad, protecting the KKK from Oprah and whether we'd do PCP if Denzel asked us. Strap in folks this is a great episode.

We go back to the simpler time of 1990, when the idea of a cop in a school was a silly premise for a family friendly comedy. Nicco is joined by Alejandro Kolleeny to discuss the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Kindergarten Cop! We get into the tough topics like: Just how many five year olds could Arnold fight single handedly? How has our ideas of cops in schools changed in the past 32 years? And we share some child hood memories of being warned of stranger danger. Enjoy! follow Marina and Nicco for other strange comedies: http://www.marinaandnicco.com/

This week we watched The Punisher. It's Dirty Harry on steroids. When you see The Punisher logo on someone's shirt or car you know you don't wanna see their facebook page. Nicco is joined by comedian and good friend Bill Schaefer. What genre is this movie? Does John Travolta make a good bad guy? Who authorized the undercover operation that starts this film? And is the biggest problem with the police that they don't kill enough people? We get into all this and more!

We return to the 1970s with another Pacino led Anti-Copaganda film Dog Day Afternoon. This episode Nicco has the honor of being joined by a real life lawyer and real good friend Alyssa Work! We discuss the moment the film was made in, flights to Algeria, the history of Attica and much more!

How would YOU hijack a subway car? Nicco is joined by David Bluvband (World of Tomorrow, Chris Gethard Show) to discuss what may be the best New York movie ever made The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Are the cops inept in this movie? Are they slow and responsible? What is the most New York reaction to seeing crime in the subway? We dig into all of it.

Nicco is breaking down the 2004 Wayans Brothers Classic: White Chicks. Joined by the one and only Amamah Sardar (Secret Family) we jump head first into the deep questions this movie asks. Is it insightful commentary? A Rollercoaster ride of stereotypes? An academy award deserving performance from Terry Crews?! We get into all of it.

Oh do we have a fun movie for you, it's the Sandra Bullock classic Miss Congeniality! Even more exciting we have the one and only Marina Tempelsman on the pod to break it down!!!! Let's go back to a simpler time, the year 2000 and see how many social standards have changed. Even though it's problematic it's still amazing!

This is one of my favorite episodes, which is good because we watched the WORST movie Bright! I breakdown this 2017 Will Smith vehicle with CJ Hunt (The Neutral Ground) and boy do we have a good time! From how we grew up, how to police orcs and the space mulatto tropes. Police, Orcs Elves and racism what more could you want?

Just two Palestinians rooting for the mafia as Nicco is joined by good friend and comedian Atheer Yacoub (No Fly List). We discuss the 1997 under cover cop film Donnie Brasco featuring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp, and ask do undercover cops count as secret police officers?

A cop movie that emphasizes psychological health and men sharing emotions? That's what we got here in today's episode Lethal Weapon with the one and only Jon Braylock (Astronomy Club, Grownish). Is it charming? Is it a little boring? You decide!

We're joined by the one and only Griffin Newman to discuss 48 Hours. We discuss whether the best cop is in fact a criminal, the birth of the Buddy Cop film, interracial friendships and more! But mostly we talk about how f***ing cool Eddie Murphy is.

This week we watch the anti-cop cop film, Sidney Lumet's Serpico. Finally a cop who prefers paperwork to shooting people! Joined by good friend and podcast extraordinaire Sam Dingman (Family Ghosts, The Rumor) we break down this classic film. Based on the real story of former police officer and whistle blower Frank Serpico, we chit chat about what's changed in the 50 years since Serpico gave his testimony.

Today we dive into the grandaddy of all cop films Dirty Harry. Beautifully shot, horribly problematic! Nicco is joined by Tristan Griffin (Dickinson, Kimmy Schmidt)to break down this whopper of a cop film!

Nicco is joined by Anthony Franqui to discuss the classic film Men in Black! Is this an immigration cop story? Does this film celebrate diversity or is it hella racist cause of all the illeagal alien jokes? How much training should cop get before he becomes a MIB? We dive into all this and more.

In this episode we rewatch the original Robocop (1987) with Monique Moses (Human Resources, Astronomy Club) and ask is this movie a satire or a blood thirsty revenge film?

Announcement trailer for our brand new podcast Copaganda! Where we rewatch cop movies to learn more about policing!