This week, we discuss Tom Cruise’s first take on masculinity and militarism in Harold Becker’s 1981 film Taps. Are we sympathetic to the wrong execution of the right idea? How has our relationship to the military changed in the last forty years? Is “General Harlan Beche” the best name in the popular culture?

Content Warnings: gun violence, violence against children, death of children, homophobic language

Unanswered Questions:

• What are the Sean Penn performances that might change our minds?
  
  
• Is Roger Ebert right about this film being more of a fantasy story?
  
  
• Is there a narrative value to doubling-up on inciting incidents? Do we need the school to be under threat and for General Beche to be arrested?
  
  
• Most importantly, can we support Brian Moreland’s actions?
  

Further reading:

• Roger Ebert’s review of Taps
  
  
• WGA Screen Credits Manual
  
  
• Valley Forge Military Academy and College
  
  
• Bunker Hill Military Academy
  
  
• J. R. R. Tolkien’s Letter 71
  
  
• The Bechdel-Wallace Test
  
  
• The Last Star In Hollywood Definitive List Of Tom Cruise Films
  
  
• The Last Star In Hollywood: Production Schedule
  

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Join us next time as we play fast and loose with the timeline and discuss Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 movie, The Outsiders.

The Last Star In Hollywood is an independent podcast produced
by Elizabeth Rae and Alastair Stephens.

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