What does it take to change the essence of a man? This week, we find out (along with regular guest Derek Jarvis) as we dive into Steven Seagal’s eco-friendly auteur explosion-fest, On Deadly Ground!
Seagal’s sole director credit, On Deadly Ground features He of the Ponytail as oil-fire specialist/secret military badass Forrest Taft, a fixer for evil petroleum exec Michael Jennings (Michael Caine, doing his damndest to sound American) in the Alaskan oil fields. After he uncovers a conspiracy to knowingly allow their new super-rig to blow up just so they can keep the rights to Native American land, Taft teams up with perpetually useless Native representative Masu (Joan Chen) to bludgeon, explode, and gun down every single one of Jennings’ mercenaries – you know, for Mother Earth.
On Deadly Ground is suffused with a healthy dose of Steven Seagal earnestness, gross native mysticism, and a hamfisted environmental message that would make Greenpeace execs wrinkle their nose. (Don’t forget the incredible non sequitur bar fight that suddenly turns into a treatise on toxic masculinity.)
It’s a crazy, crazy ride, so take a listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game!
(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)
Related links:
Nathan Rabin’s piece on Steven Seagal’s alt-right novel The Way of the Shadow Wolves
DRINKING RULES FOR ON DEADLY GROUND:
- Any time a character goes on and on about how much of a mystical warrior/secret military badass Forrest Taft is
- Every time the film cuts to a majestic shot of a forest creature
- Whenever Taft barks an order at the perpetually-useless Masu (Joan Chen)
FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:
The village chief says after Taft’s big speech about environmentalism, “The Earth is our grandmother.”
Be sure to join us for our LIVE show at Bar Moxy in Chicago on May 14th, where we’ll make a custom cocktail and talk about the Jason Alexander-vs-ape kid’s comedy Dunston Checks In!
