Porkins Policy ReviewFrom Our Interesting Times:
Pearse Redmond of Porkins Policy Review returns to the show to discuss the 2016 Presidential race and his research regarding the Disney Corporation’s ties to the CIA. We talk about the assistance Disney received from Langley in building Disney World and the Magic Kingdom’s other connections to the intelligence community.
Rounding off this second season we take a look at SALT, the 2010 action thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA officer accused of being a Russian sleeper agent. We chart the development of the film, from its origins as an attempt to recreate the Bourne franchise, through Amy Pascal and Jolie’s conversations about making a female-led spy thriller. SALT is one of the less well known CIA-assisted productions, but along with technical advice from former CIA officer Melissa Boyle Mahle the producers also consulted with the CIA themselves in a video conference. The producers also employed Kurt Wimmer, one of the screenwriters from The Recruit. There is also a very weird story involving one of the extras in the opening sequence in North Korea.
We analyse the mystery of Evelyn Salt’s underwear and then the conversation hones in on Russia, who in 2010 were not on the news agenda, and how this movie predicted the rise of the ‘new Cold War’ that is commonplace in most current spy films and TV shows. The whole notion of a sleeper agent Russian spy ring was risible at the time but before long this exact story hit the news in a big way. We touch on the transhuman disguise that Jolie employs in the film and how this relates both to Argo and to Mission: Impossible, two other CIA-assisted movies. We round off looking back on season 2 of The CIA and Hollywood and suggest a possibility for doing season 3 in a different way.
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 15
Show notes:
The Ultimate Action Hero – Salt (Making Of #1)
Spy Disguise: The Looks of Evelyn Salt (Making Of #2)
Robbie Martin is our final guest for this season as we dissect the 2012 docudrama Zero Dark Thirty. We discussed the difficulty in defining what kind of film this is – somewhere between a spy thriller, a documentary and a dry European art house movie. We get into the well-documented CIA support for the film and ask why this is the only major movie about the Abbottabad raid to get ‘Bin Laden’ and why it wasn’t particularly successful. Was the film meant to serve as a substitute for any real evidence of what happened in Abbottabad in 2011? Did the filmmakers even care whether what they were portraying was true or were they blinded by the excitement of the special access they were granted?
After summarizing the role of senior CIA and DOD intelligence officer Michael Vickers (who is portrayed in Charlie Wilson’s War) we discuss why so many CIA agents are portrayed in movies and TV. The conversation then zeroes in on ‘Maya’ – based on the real life CIA officer Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, who was critically involved in the 9/11 intelligence breakdown and the post-9/11 torture program. Getting back to the film we talk about the raid sequence itself which is very dry and realistic but we never actually see Bin Laden. We conclude that Zero Dark Thirty is like a rorschach test where you can bring your own expectations and prejudices to your experience of watching the movie. We round off talking about the portrayal of torture in the film and ask whether the controversies around the film were created as a smokescreen to avoid people asking the question: was it really Bin Laden?
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 14
Show Notes:
CIA Memo on Rewriting Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty the CIA and DOD files
The ‘Dynamite’ Pentagon Interview Behind ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Bin Laden Burial took place on Top Gun ship
CIA Inspector General’s Report on Engagement with the Entertainment Industry
CIA’s Queen of Torture Married to Former CIA Official Who Urges War Between Sunnis and Shiites
For this special episode on Porkins Great Game Christoph and I take at look at the recent coup attempt in Turkey. Christoph and I go through the main events of the coup and what went wrong for the coup plotters. We discuss a variety of theories related to the event including: was this staged by Erdgoan, is this due to a Russian realignment, was this a warning form the CIA/NATO? We also touch on the ongoing purge of he Gulen movement with in Turkey. We also discuss how this coup has been interpreted not only by MSM and alt-media but around the world.
Show notes:
Why Turkey’s coup didn’t stand a chance
Military coup was well planned and very nearly succeeded, say Turkish officials
Turkish F-16 patrolling the skies near Ankara could be tracked online
Top officers at Incirlik Air Base arrested in Turkey coup attempt
There’s more to Turkey’s failed coup than meets the eye
Pro-West generals plotted coup to overthrow Erdoğan: Kadyrov
Turkish pilots who downed Russian jet part of coup plot: Official
Porkins Great Game episode 13 Fetullah Gulen Lives!
Fethullah Gülen’s role in the shooting of the Russian jet
Eurasian bloc in Turkey: Erdoğan and the Kemalists against Gülen and the US
Turkey requests extradition of cleric from U.S. as post-coup purge widens
Turkish Military’s Influence Rises Again
Turkish president says other countries may be involved
Saudi Whistleblower Discloses Saudi Deputy Prince’s Major Role in Turkey Coup
Saudis Al Jubeir Accused of Invovlement in Turkish Coup Attempt by Former Qatari Emir
For this inaugural episode I am joined by my good friend and frequent collaborator Tom Secker. We begin by discussing the bizarre life and career of the CIA Hollywood liaison Chase Brandon. We then move onto the relationship between entertainment and the security services. We explore the notion that this going beyond mere propaganda, and instead represents a significant distortion of our culture and perception of reality and world events. Tom and I finish off by discussing the recent coup attempt in Turkey and some of our problems with the way the alt-media has covered this event.
Show Notes:
Biggest ever FOIA release from Pentagon Entertainment Liaison Offices
CIA Inspector Generals Report on Engagement with the Entertainment Industry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJpIw7PHds
From Our Interesting Times:
Pearse Redmond of Porkins Policy Review joins the show. We discuss his monthly series Porkins Great Game and the series he does with the UK’s Tom Secker CIA and Hollywood. We talk about the CIA’s involvement in the entertainment industry and deleterious effects it has had on society. Later we talk about Pearse’s research into the OJ Simpson murder trial and the several interviews he conducted with journalist Stephen Singular who wrote the book Legacy of Deception: An Investigation of Mark Fuhrman and Racism in the L.A.P.D.
James Evan Pilato is our latest guest as we dissect the 2009 Disney UFO adventure Race to Witch Mountain. We start off looking at Disney as a corporation – its long standing interest in UFOs and extraterrestrials, the connections to government agencies and their recent takeover of the fantasy genre. We then get into Race to Witch Mountain itself – a strange blend of a kids’ movie, a love letter to the UFO culture and an homage to spy thrillers especially Enemy of the State. Next, we examine the deliberately hyperreal nature of the film and dwell on the effects of a fantasy movie set in the real world with real people. A children’s movie about ‘illegal aliens’ being pursued under the Patriot Act is not Hollywood’s typical output.
Then the conversation moves on to the mysterious CIA involvement in Race to Witch Mountain, which the CIA themselves deny but the director Andy Fickman insists took place. After discussing the CIA Inspector General’s Report on their Engagement with the Entertainment Industry we move on to the question of infiltration of the UFO culture, and the use of UFOlogy to infiltrate alternative cultures more broadly. We round off looking at the effect of films like this on people’s perceptions and expectations of government secrecy, and we each try to answer the question ‘are you a believer?’.
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 13
Show Notes:
Silver Screen Saucers (book by Robbie Graham)
ClandesTime 076 – Walt Disney and the FBI
A Look Back … Robert Carey Broughton: From Walt Disney to War Movies
CIA’s Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-1990
A History of Government Management of UFO Perceptions through Film and Television
“Alien language” presented by CIA & Disney
UFOs and Disney: Behind the Magic Kingdom
Robbie Graham – UFOs, Hyperreality, and the Disclosure Myth – Copenhagen 2014
On this episode Christoph and I turn our attention to Kazakhstan and the June 5th mass shooting. We examine the attack itself, breaking down what happened and the governments swift response. We explore the socioeconomic problems facing western Kazakhstan and how this may have played a decisive role is spurring on these attacks. We discuss the recent land protests across the Central Asian nation, and give a historical overview of Aktobe, including the role of western Kazakhstan in propping up the ruling regime.
Next we move on to the recent killing of Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor. Less than a year after his rise to power Mansoor was killed by a US drone strike in yet another blow to the peace process. Christoph and I explain the precedent set by the US in not only targeting the top Taliban leader, but also having the strike take place in the spiritual and operational city of Quetta. We consider Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the US for breaking its commitment to forging a lasting peace between Kabul and the Taliban. We examine Mansoor’s frequent travel to Dubai, Bahrain, and Iran, as well as his Pakistani passport. Christoph explains the reasons behind Mansoor’s frequent travel to Iran. We also touch on the increasing violence in Northern Afghanistan which is slowly getting the attention of the US and Russia.
Lastly, we discuss the recent row between Germany and Turkey over Germany’s parliamentary recognition of the Armenian genocide. We review the litany of harsh remarks from Erdogan and his government against Germany. Christoph gives us his perspective from within Germany as to how this is playing out there. He also discusses the satirical video put out by Jan Bohmermann about Erdogan and how this plays into the tense relationship between Turkey and Germany.
We finish off with our “weird terrorism” segment by looking at several interesting stories: the CIA-Pentagon fight over supporting Al Nusra; the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, an update on Alparslan Celik.
Christoph and I together announce the start of our Patreon campaign. For anyone interested in supporting the podcast and helping it to expand you can now donate on an episode-by-episode basis through Patreon. To find out more please visit us here.
Show Notes:
Porkins Great Game Patreon
Aktobe shootings:
Kazakhstan: Aktobe Violence Wrongfoots Authorities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE0fQyotVJQ
Kazakh leader says Aktobe attacks orchestrated from abroad
Kazakhstan guard base attackers heard ‘holy war’ broadcast from Syria: minister
Exclusive: Suspect in Kazakh shooting posted Islamic State-linked video
Hate-filled extremism from beyond our borders will not divide Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Official Blames Mafia for Suicide Bombing
Killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour:
Porkins Great Game ep. 9 The Death of Mullah Omar
U.S. Strike on Taliban Leader Is Seen as a Message to Pakistan
Frequent traveller Mullah Mansour used Pakistan airports
Death Showcases Afghan Taliban Leader’s Iran Connection
Pakistan Considers Canceling U.S. F-16 Deal, Buying From Jordan
U.S. military sees Afghan talks with new Taliban leader unlikely
Mansour in Iran for medical treatment (German)
Afghan Government Secretly Fosters Taliban Splinter Groups
Fighting in northern Afghanistan:
Majlis Podcast: Confusion, Fighting In Northern Afghanistan
Armenian Genocide row between Turkey and Germany:
Erdogan’s Attempt to Suppress German Satire Has the Opposite Effect
Bundestag passes Armenia ‘genocide’ resolution unanimously, Turkey recalls ambassador
Germany summons Turkish envoy in row over Erdogan comments
Turkey blocking German official’s visit to Incirlik base: Germany
German minister says will visit Turkey base after Ankara criticism
Pentagon vs. CIA:
CIA and Pentagon Bicker While Russia Wipes Out U.S.-Backed Rebels
Lavrov: West asking Moscow not to bomb positions of al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria
Jaysh al Fath coalition launches new offensive in Aleppo province
Islamist rebels seize village near Aleppo, 73 killed: monitor
Syria insurgents launch assault against government forces near Aleppo: monitors
51 U.S. Diplomats Urge Strikes Against Assad in Syria
Speaking Nonsense to Power: Misadventures in Dissent Over Syria
Jonathan Pollard:
American spy for Israel released after 30-year sentence “still a threat to US”
Update Celik:
Investigation into alleged killer of Russian jet pilot reopened in Turkey
Alleged killer of Russian jet pilot released from prison in Turkey
Turkey’s Erdoğan says ‘sorry’ over downed Russian jet
Music:
Adam from Themes and Memes is our guest to talk about the 2015 action comedy American Ultra. We start by trying to define this film, which is an intense mixture of cartoonish ultra violence, CIA covert operations, romance, comedy and horror, looking at the dissociating nature of this blend. The intentions of screenwriter Max Landis and the director Nima Nourizadeh are discussed and we ask whether they were reaching out to the CIA or trying to flatter them by making MKULTRA seem cool to stoners and young people. We go on to look at the prominence of female and often maternal characters in modern spy fiction, particular in CIA-assisted productions and ask what difference this makes to how these films and TV shows portray the CIA as a whole, not just MKULTRA and similar experiments.
We also examined a bizarre weed-based marketing campaign for the film at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con and ask whether like the Pentagon and NASA, the CIA now sees Comic-Con as a key networking and recruitment opportunity. The conversation rounds of discussing the director Nima Nourizadeh’s father Ali Reza, who bears all the hallmarks of being a CIA asset (complete with mysterious name changes and working for Voice of America). The presence of footage of Langley and the prominent use of the CIA logo suggests that at the least the CIA were aware of American Ultra and approved use of these for the film, so we ask whether they were involved in the making of the film and if so, why.
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 12
Show Notes:
Activating American Ultra (making of)
American Ultra offering free pot at Comic-Con
Centre for Iranian and Arab Studies – Companies House
Wikileaks cables – IRAN WATCHER CONTACT TARGETED BY IRANIAN REGIME
Jay Dyer joins us for this episode where we analyse the 2009 comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, loosely based on Jon Ronson’s book of the same name. It tells the story of a journalist who is inducted into the world of psychic soldiers during the Iraq war. The movie goes on to explain some of the history behind the First Earth Battalion, an experimental Pentagon unit devoted to developing a new generation of super soldier informed by the hippy and New Age movements. We examine what the film leaves out, especially in the form of MKULTRA and similar CIA projects and experiments with similar aims, and ask whether the purpose was not to ask ‘How could love and peace help win wars?’ but to weaponise New Age philosophy and the New Age movement.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is the final movie in the George Clooney/Grant Heslov series before they took the full plunge and made Argo with the help of the CIA. We look at whether Goats – Heslov’s directorial debut – was the final step in their long-term overture to the CIA. The fact that Goats reduces the CIA’s involvement in such projects to a single scene, and was distributed by none other than Overture Films are strong hints towards this. We also map out the evidence and implications of state sponsorship of the entire Goats project, from Ronson’s original book and documentary series through to the Hollywood version. The use of technical advisors who were part of these Pentagon units back in the 70s/80s and who were ‘reactivated’ to help fight the War on Terror implies that at least the DOD, if not the CIA, were in favour of this film. We round off by pondering the plausibility of the remote viewing phenomenon.
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 11
Show Notes:
The Men Who Stare at Goats (book)
Crazy Rulers of the World (documentary series)
The Men Who Stare at Goats (film)
First Earth Battalion Field Manual
Jim Channon’s website (archived)
Goats Declassified: The real men of the First Earth Battalion
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