Entertainment Liaison Offices

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ClandesTime 186 – NCIS

NCIS is a wildly successful TV drama, one of the most popular series of the last 20 years. This week...

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-186-ncis/

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Copaganda

As Top Gun: Maverick Trailer Drops, Tom Cruise Lies About Why the Sequel Took So Long

Tom Cruise dropped into San Diego Comic-Con this week to premiere the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, which is nothing short of a fan service nostalgia reel and some cheesy dialogue about how Maverick is still - you've guessed it - a Maverick. All indications are that it will be a soft reboot of the homoerotic military recruitment ad original, but more importantly,

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https://www.spyculture.com/as-top-gun-maverick-trailer-drops-tom-cruise-lies-about-why-the-sequel-took-so-long/

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As Top Gun: Maverick Trailer Drops, Tom Cruise Lies About Why the Sequel Took So Long

Tom Cruise dropped into San Diego Comic-Con this week to premiere the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick, which is nothing...

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https://www.spyculture.com/as-top-gun-maverick-trailer-drops-tom-cruise-lies-about-why-the-sequel-took-so-long/

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USAF’s Rules of Engagement for Hollywood: No Flipflops or Hoverboards, and No Goddamn Peanuts

The US Air Force recently released a tranche of documents on the support they provided to the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man. This included their Rules of Engagement for companies filming on Edwards Air Force Base, which detail the stringent and at times ludicrous restrictions the Air Force places on Hollywood film crews.

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https://www.spyculture.com/usafs-rules-of-engagement-for-hollywood-no-flipflops-or-hoverboards-and-no-goddamn-peanuts/

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nasa

USAF

USAF’s Rules of Engagement for Hollywood: No Flipflops or Hoverboards, and No Goddamn Peanuts

The US Air Force recently released a tranche of documents on the support they provided to the Neil Armstrong biopic...

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https://www.spyculture.com/usafs-rules-of-engagement-for-hollywood-no-flipflops-or-hoverboards-and-no-goddamn-peanuts/

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nasa

USAF

‘We Should be Concerned Where and How DOD Policy and Criticism of DOD Might be’ – Pentagon File on Heartbreak Ridge

The Pentagon’s Film Office file on Heartbreak Ridge is one of the more lengthy and interesting sets of documents. It tells the story of how the film was rejected by the Army but was supported by the Marine Corps, before being disowned by the DOD after they previewed a rought cut of the movie. One […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/we-should-be-concerned-where-and-how-dod-policy-and-criticism-of-dod-might-be-pentagon-file-on-heartbreak-ridge/

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‘We Should be Concerned Where and How DOD Policy and Criticism of DOD Might be’ – Pentagon File on Heartbreak Ridge

The Pentagon’s Film Office file on Heartbreak Ridge is one of the more lengthy and interesting sets of documents. It...

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https://www.spyculture.com/we-should-be-concerned-where-and-how-dod-policy-and-criticism-of-dod-might-be-pentagon-file-on-heartbreak-ridge/

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Don Baruch

US Army Doesn’t Work on ‘Audience Participation’ TV Due to ‘Spontaneity’

The US Army's regulations on Public Affairs activities are over 100 pages of rules and restriction governing how the Army interacts with news media, entertainment media and other public events. It outlines which activities require prior approval from Army Public Affairs chiefs (i.e.

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https://www.spyculture.com/us-army-doesnt-work-on-audience-participation-tv-due-to-spontaneity/

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US Army Doesn’t Work on ‘Audience Participation’ TV Due to ‘Spontaneity’

The US Army’s regulations on Public Affairs activities are over 100 pages of rules and restrictions governing how the Army...

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https://www.spyculture.com/us-army-doesnt-work-on-audience-participation-tv-due-to-spontaneity/

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censorship

creative freedom

‘Weave in Key Talking Points’ – Pentagon Contract for Top Gun: Maverick

The Pentagon recently released the Production Assistance Agreement they signed with the producers of Top Gun: Maverick. It details the vast scale of support provided to the film, including turning over command authority to Jerry Bruckheimer, and notes that Navy officials would 'weave in key talking points' after reviewing the script.

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https://www.spyculture.com/weave-in-key-talking-points-pentagon-contract-for-top-gun-maverick/

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‘Weave in Key Talking Points’ – Pentagon Contract for Top Gun: Maverick

The Pentagon recently released the Production Assistance Agreement they signed with the producers of Top Gun: Maverick. It details the...

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https://www.spyculture.com/weave-in-key-talking-points-pentagon-contract-for-top-gun-maverick/

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‘Awards Shows + Mental Health/PTSD Issues + DOD Endorsement Scares Me’ – The Pentagon and the PRISM Awards

The PRISM Awards are an entertainment industry ceremony that gives out gongs for accurate depictions of substance abuse and mental health problems in films and TV shows. In 2012 the Pentagon were asked to attend and participate in the awards, which caused quite a stir within the entertainment liaison offices.

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https://www.spyculture.com/awards-shows-mental-health-ptsd-issues-dod-endorsement-scares-me-the-pentagon-and-the-prism-awards/

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Psychology

‘Awards Shows + Mental Health/PTSD Issues + DOD Endorsement Scares Me’ – The Pentagon and the PRISM Awards

The PRISM Awards are an entertainment industry ceremony that gives out gongs for accurate depictions of substance abuse and mental...

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https://www.spyculture.com/awards-shows-mental-health-ptsd-issues-dod-endorsement-scares-me-the-pentagon-and-the-prism-awards/

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Psychology

The DEA and Breaking Bad: Why Hank Never Tapped Jesse’s Phone

Despite its enormous popularity there are many problems with Breaking Bad - the utterly racist depiction of Mexicans, the glorifying of a sociopathic protagonist and that incredibly boring and pointless fifth season come to mind. But what has never been discussed before is how the show functions as propaganda for the Drug Enforcement Administration, which likely explains why Hank never got a

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-dea-and-breaking-bad-why-hank-never-tapped-jesses-phone/

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The DEA and Breaking Bad: Why Hank Never Tapped Jesse’s Phone

Despite its enormous popularity there are many problems with Breaking Bad – the utterly racist depiction of Mexicans, the glorifying...

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-dea-and-breaking-bad-why-hank-never-tapped-jesses-phone/

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The Rebooted Designated Survivor: Sponsored by the CIA?

The soft reboot of the political drama Designated Survivor recently dropped on Netflix and in spite of Kiefer Sutherland making the least convincing president since Sarah Palin it is a considerable improvement on the first two seasons. What no other critic has noticed is that the CIA supported the series, likely through their 'longtime contact' Rich Klein.

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-rebooted-designated-survivor-sponsored-by-the-cia/

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The Rebooted Designated Survivor: Sponsored by the CIA?

The soft reboot of the political drama Designated Survivor recently dropped on Netflix and in spite of Kiefer Sutherland making...

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-rebooted-designated-survivor-sponsored-by-the-cia/

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features

CIA

‘Fuck John Wayne’ – Why the DOD Prevented the movie Fields of Fire from Being Made

When James Webb approached the Pentagon to ask for assistance making his Vietnam war drama Fields of Fire he had every right to expect their support. A former Marine and short-term Secretary of the Navy he was a military veteran who had written his novel based on his own real-life experiences of Vietnam. It therefore should have met the DOD's demands for a 'reasonably realis

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https://www.spyculture.com/fuck-john-wayne-why-the-dod-prevented-the-movie-fields-of-fire-from-being-made/

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‘Fuck John Wayne’ – Why the DOD Prevented the movie Fields of Fire from Being Made

When James Webb approached the Pentagon to ask for assistance making his Vietnam war drama Fields of Fire he had...

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https://www.spyculture.com/fuck-john-wayne-why-the-dod-prevented-the-movie-fields-of-fire-from-being-made/

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Black Hawk Down, the LA Riots and Clear and Present Danger

When the producers of Clear and Present Danger approached the Pentagon to ask for military support they probably weren't expecting 6 months of script negotiations to get their film into a shape deemed acceptable by the entertainment liaison offices. Documents from the DOD show how their concerns ranged from the depiction of the Colombian government to comparisons to the military's

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https://www.spyculture.com/black-hawk-down-the-la-riots-and-clear-and-present-danger/

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Black Hawk Down, the LA Riots and Clear and Present Danger

When the producers of Clear and Present Danger approached the Pentagon to ask for military support they probably weren’t expecting...

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https://www.spyculture.com/black-hawk-down-the-la-riots-and-clear-and-present-danger/

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Documents reveal Hollywood Cover-Up of Pentagon’s Sex Crime Problem

The Military, Movies and #MeToo

(Read more...)

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https://www.spyculture.com/documents-reveal-hollywood-cover-up-of-pentagons-sex-crime-problem/

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The FBI and DEA Spy on Hollywood Producers

The relationship between intelligence agencies and the entertainment industry is complex and multi-faceted. Angles include the influence of the agencies on their own public image, the influence of entertainment on the agencies, and intelligence-gathering by those agencies on the culture industry. Documents released by the FBI and the DEA show that before agreeing to work with Hollywood producers, both agenci

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-fbi-and-dea-spy-on-hollywood-producers/

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DEA

The DEA and the Entertainment Industry: Spying, Censorship and Control

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently released nearly 200 pages of contracts between themselves and entertainment producers, which for the first time shed light on how they interact with Hollywood.

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-dea-and-the-entertainment-industry-spying-censorship-and-control/

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DEA

‘A Complete Rewrite of the Storyline Would be Required’ – DOD File on The Presidio

1988's The Presidio wanted to film at the real Presidio in San Francisco, an Army installation. As per usual this required a full military script review, but the DOD responded demanding a 'complete rewrite' before they would approve access to the base. The resulting film bears little resemblance to the submitted script, leading to glowing feedback from the Army.

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https://www.spyculture.com/a-complete-rewrite-of-the-storyline-would-be-required-dod-file-on-the-presidio/

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Why Did the Pentagon Support Godzilla and Transformers, but Rejected Jarhead?

The 2005 biographical war film Jarhead is one of a very small number of films set in the first Gulf War. Despite being based on the autobiography of a Marine who served in Desert Storm the DOD refused to provide it with military support. But how can a film based on a first-hand account not meet the criterion of being a 'reasonably realistic depiction' of the military, when Transformer

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https://www.spyculture.com/why-did-the-pentagon-support-godzilla-and-transformers-but-rejected-jarhead/

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Iraq

Iraq War

Phil Strub

ClandesTime 179 – The Philosophy and Politics of Superman

Superman is one of the world’s most recognisable cultural icons. A symbol of human idealism, he has been subject to a range of political and philosophical agendas over the last 80 years. This week I analyse the ideas behind Superman, and how they have manifested and changed throughout the course of the films.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-179-the-philosophy-and-politics-of-superman/

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The Pentagon, Superman and the Freedom of Information Act

In 1977 the producers of Superman and Superman II approached the Pentagon to try to obtain stock footage of missiles launching, for use in depicting Lex Luthor's dastardly plot to nuke the San Andreas fault. The Air Force and Strategic Air Command were provided with copies of the script in order to assess the request, and there were disagreements between the various DOD components as to whethe

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-pentagon-superman-and-the-freedom-of-information-act/

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Watergate, the Mark Felt Biopic and the FBI

In my latest article for Shadowproof I examine the FBI's role in the Mark Felt biopic Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. Using documents obtained under FOIA and an interview with Ed Gray, the son of FBI acting director Pat Gray (who is depicted in Mark Felt) I reveal the film's production history, the FBI's influence on the script, and how it came to be so inaccurate when the Bu

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https://www.spyculture.com/watergate-the-mark-felt-biopic-and-the-fbi/

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ClandesTime 177 – Ice Station Zebra

While it is now considered a Cold War classic Ice Station Zebra was a flop when it was first released. This week, I review Ice Station Zebra and analyse the development of the film, how it differs quite radically from the book, and why the DOD rejected an early version of the script, leading to a total rewrite.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-177-ice-station-zebra/

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Veteran of Sadr City Ambush Exposes The Long Road Home as Shameful Propaganda

One of the veterans of the ambush in Sadr City in April 2004 has revealed that National Geographic's film The Long Road Home is a shameful piece of propaganda that butchers history and ignored offers of help from the squad who were actually in the firefight in order to present a bastardised and propagandistic version of events.

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https://www.spyculture.com/veteran-of-sadr-city-ambush-exposes-the-long-road-home-as-shameful-propaganda/

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Department of Propaganda – Spy Culture on The Statist Quo podcast

Word about the entertainment liaison offices continues to spread - The Statist Quo podcast recently did a focus episode on the DOD's film office, Phil Strub and the rewriting of movie scripts. Hosted by Matt, a US Army veteran and ex-convict, the episode focuses in on Black Hawk Down and also discusses Lone Survivor, Goldeneye, The Last Ship and other DOD-supported entertainment products.&nb

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https://www.spyculture.com/department-of-propaganda-spy-culture-on-the-statist-quo-podcast/

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Now Doing Military Outreach in Hollywood

Arnold Schwarzenegger is famous for many things – being Mr Universe, The Terminator, the Governator and Commando. Now he’s trying to add one more to the list – unofficial military entertainment liaison. The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy recently hosted a workshop to help Hollywood bigshots mingle with military leaders from across […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-now-doing-military-outreach-in-hollywood/

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When the US Army Decided a Chin Strap was More Important Than the Death of One of Their Soldiers

The US Army provided extensive support to the National Geographic film series The Long Road Home, supposedly to ensure it depicted the real-life battle of Sadr City in a 'reasonably realistic' way.

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https://www.spyculture.com/when-the-us-army-decided-a-chin-strap-was-more-important-than-the-death-of-one-of-their-soldiers/

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Iraq

Iraq War

war on terror

Subscriber Podcast #27 – The Suid Archive

In this month's subscriber-only podcast I explore several DOD-supported films and the files on them from the Lawrence Suid archive.

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https://www.spyculture.com/subscriber-podcast-27-the-suid-archive/

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identity politics

spy films

Stars of CBS’ FBI Admit They are Making Propaganda for the FBI

Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki, two of the stars of the CBS drama FBI were asked about the government shutdown this week, and responded with a statement that sounds like it was written by the FBI's Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit.

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https://www.spyculture.com/stars-of-cbs-fbi-admit-they-are-making-propaganda-for-the-fbi/

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economics

ClandesTime 167 – Phil Strub’s Greatest Hits

I recently found out that Strub retired from his job as the DOD’s Hollywood liaison last July, though this wasn’t covered by any news outlets and the DOD didn’t bother to tell anyone.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-167-phil-strubs-greatest-hits/

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US Army Documents Reveal Massive Support For Long Road Home Miniseries, Possible Fraud At Military’s Entertainment Liaison Office

The National Geographic drama series The Long Road Home tells a version of the story of the battle for Sadr City in 2004, a key moment in the war in Iraq.

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https://www.spyculture.com/us-army-documents-reveal-massive-support-for-long-road-home-miniseries-possible-fraud-at-militarys-entertainment-liaison-office/

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How Many Movies has the Pentagon Prevented from Being Made?

The Pentagon's censorship of movie scripts is fairly well established - I have documented numerous instances on this site. But their ultimate power is the ability to kill a production, to prevent a film being made.

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-many-movies-has-the-pentagon-prevented-from-being-made/

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Two Documents that Prove Phil Strub Has Not Told the Truth About the Entertainment Liaison Offices

A few months ago, then DOD Hollywood liaison Phil Strub gave an interview in which he described the work of the entertainment liaison offices.

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https://www.spyculture.com/two-documents-that-prove-phil-strub-has-not-told-the-truth-about-the-entertainment-liaison-offices/

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ClandesTime 165 – Military Meta-Propaganda

Since the publication of National Security Cinema last summer, we have seen an uptick in the media coverage of the Pentagon in Hollywood, much of it originating with the Pentagon itself. This week I take a look at the PR efforts the DOD has embarked upon, about its own PR efforts in Hollywood.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-165-military-meta-propaganda/

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Cultural Cold War

How Gerard Butler Wound Up Hosting a Press Conference at the Pentagon

A few weeks ago, Hollywood star Gerard Butler found himself behind a podium at the Pentagon talking to the national press. Given how rare Pentagon press conference have become in recent months, a number of people have asked the question as to how he ended up there, and why a Scottish movie star was deployed to talk to reporters.

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-gerard-butler-wound-up-hosting-a-press-conference-at-the-pentagon/

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How Does Cinema War Propaganda Really Work?

In our latest article, Matt and I reflect on two of the most common claims made about National Security Cinema, namely 1) That the government is really important in making movies more militaristic and 2) That Hollywood doesn’t produce dissenting films. While the first of these is somewhat true it is a simplification, the second is an outright falsehood.

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-does-cinema-war-propaganda-really-work/

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fbi

National Security Cinema

war on terror

On Her Majesty’s Clandestime Service – Tom Secker on Fortress on a Hill

Chris and Danny from Fortress on a Hill invited me onto their podcast to discuss militarism in Hollywood, the DOD's role in altering scripts, how recruitment propaganda works in the UK, the military vs intelligence approaches to counterinsurgency and other related topics.

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https://www.spyculture.com/on-her-majestys-clandestime-service-tom-secker-on-fortress-on-a-hill/

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Iraq War

MOD

The Pentagon’s China Syndrome

While some senior military officials have spoken openly about the possibility of a war between the US and China, the entertainment liaison offices appear to be working to ensure that doesn't happen.

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-pentagons-china-syndrome/

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The US Army rejected Wife Swap because of ‘60s era connotations’

The US Army’s entertainment liaison office has worked on as wide a variety of TV entertainment as you can imagine, from Oprah to Top Chef, from The Price is Right to Man of Steel. But they do sometimes reject requests for support, as was the case with Wife Swap which was turned down partly because […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-us-army-rejected-wife-swap-because-of-60s-era-connotations/

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reality TV