#584 - The Manchurian Candidate (1962): Cold War Politics and Mind Control - WatchThis W/RickRamos

John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to discuss a classic of Cold War, Political Cinema, John Frankenheimer's groundbreaking 1962 The Manchurian Candidate . Based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, Frankenheimer's film would captivate audiences with a paranoid and chilling story of American soldiers brain-washed by Soviet and North Korean intelligence agencies to act as hypnotized robots. There are aspects of the film that are certainly far-fetched, however the core of the story is very real and a credible warning in its depiction of national and international struggles for power. As always, Mr. Chavez & I look at the film in the broader context of the world it depicts. There is a great deal to discuss here as well as the comparison/contrast that we will undertake when we discuss Jonathan Demme's 2004 re-interpreation in our next episode. It's a fun and exciting talk concerning one of our favorite topics. Take a listen and let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Our Continued Thanks. For those of you who would like to donate to this undying labor of love, you can do so with a contribution at - Anything and Everything is appreciated, You Cheap Bastards.

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#584 - The Manchurian Candidate (1962): Cold War Politics and Mind Control - WatchThis W/RickRamos is an episode from Watch This With Rick Ramos by Rick Ramos.

This episode is 56:42 long.

This episode was published on Jan 20, 2026.

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