86 posts tagged with spy.
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Movie: Journey into Fear

An American engineer in Istanbul, Howard Graham (Joseph Cotten), becomes the target of a Nazi assassination due to his involvement in improving the Turkish navy. With the help of police Colonel Haki (Orson Welles), Graham escapes from his hotel to board a ship to safety, leaving behind his wife (Ruth Warrick). On board, he encounters a number of passengers, including the dancer Josette Martel (Dolores del Río). However, the passenger Peter Banat (Jack Moss) is not who he appears to be. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 9, 2024 - 1 comment

Movie: Role Play

[TRAILER] Emma (Kaley Cuoco) has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey. She also has a secret life as an assassin for hire... a secret that her husband David (David Oyelowo) discovers when the couple decide to spice up their marriage with a little role play. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jan 21, 2024 - 4 comments

Movie: The Bricklayer

An ex-CIA agent and his trusty bricklaying toolkit is reactivated when an extortionist targets the agency.
posted by sammyo on Jan 19, 2024 - 11 comments

Movie: Assassination

Assassination is a 2015 South Korean period action spy film co-written and directed by Choi Dong-hoon. The film, mainly set in 1930s Seoul and Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Korea, depicts a group of Korean resistance fighters' plan to assassinate a highly ranked Japanese officer. (via Wikipedia) [more inside]
posted by mark k on Oct 12, 2023 - 1 comment

Book: The Secret Hours

Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service. Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so. But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn. Now the administration that created Monochrome has been ousted, the investigation is a total bust—and Griselda and Malcolm are stuck watching as their career prospects are washed away by the pounding London rain. Until the eve of Monochrome’s shuttering, when an MI5 case file appears without explanation. It is the buried history of a classified operation in 1994 Berlin—an operation that ended in tragedy and scandal, whose cover-up has rewritten thirty years of Service history. [more inside]
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol on Sep 15, 2023 - 3 comments

A Very Secret Service: Au service de la France  Season 0, Ep 0

In 1960 the French intelligence service hires 23-year-old André Merlaux, a handsome and intelligent, but impressionable man with much to learn. Au Service de la France is like a cocktail of James Bond, The Office and Mad Men if all three were transported to a French context and imbued with contemporary New Wave influences. First season appeared in 2014 and the second 2016. [more inside]
posted by rongorongo on Aug 29, 2023 - 8 comments

Book: Waypoint Kangaroo

Kangaroo isn’t your typical spy. Sure, he has extensive agency training, access to bleeding-edge technology, and a ready supply of clever (to him) quips and retorts. But what sets him apart is “the pocket.” It’s a portal that opens into an empty, seemingly infinite, parallel universe, and Kangaroo is the only person in the world who can use it. But he's pretty sure the agency only keeps him around to exploit his superpower. After he bungles yet another mission, Kangaroo gets sent away on a mandatory “vacation:” an interplanetary cruise to Mars. While he tries to make the most of his exile, two passengers are found dead, and Kangaroo has to risk blowing his cover. It turns out he isn’t the only spy on the ship–and he’s just starting to unravel a massive conspiracy which threatens the entire Solar System.
posted by Literaryhero on Jun 28, 2023 - 4 comments

True Lies: Pilot  Season 1, Ep 1

An unfulfilled suburban housewife is shocked to discover that her bland and unremarkable computer consultant husband is a skilled international spy.
posted by porpoise on Mar 9, 2023 - 14 comments

Movie: Munich

After the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, the Israeli government secretly assigns Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana) to carry out a series of strategic retaliations. With the help of a driver (Daniel Craig), a forger (Hanns Zischler), a bomb-maker (Mathieu Kassovitz) and a former soldier (Ciarán Hinds), Avner conducts a worldwide operation, targeting 11 individuals. As the assassinations pile up, Avner begins to doubt the morality of his actions. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 5 comments

Kleo: Kleo  Season 1, Ep 0

Kleo is a young, idealistic East German assassin who is burned and sent to prison by her own people. After the Berlin Wall falls she is released from prison along with all political prisoners. She sets out to get revenge (and maybe some answers) from the people who burned her. [more inside]
posted by under_petticoat_rule on Sep 2, 2022 - 17 comments

Book: Bad Actors

A governmental think-tank, whose remit is to curb the independence of the intelligence service, has lost one of its key members, and Claude Whelan—one-time head of MI5's Regent’s Park—is tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads straight back to the Park itself, with Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Diana overplayed her hand at last? What’s her counterpart, Moscow’s First Desk, doing in London? And does Jackson Lamb know more than he’s telling? Over at Slough House, with Shirley Dander in rehab, Roddy Ho in dress rehearsal, and new recruit Ashley Khan turning up the heat, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation… [more inside]
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol on May 14, 2022 - 2 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: AGENT FOR H.A.R.M.  Rewatch   Season 8, Ep 15

Rewatch! A spy tries to stop the release of a dangerous flesh-eating bacterium. I don't think this was intended to be a spoof, although the title makes it seem like it must be one. This is the episode where Mike is taken to Space Court for blowing up all those planets. Notably, Patrick Brantseg takes over performing the big purple robot with this episode. It's also the first episode Mike directed! Previously.
posted by JHarris on Mar 31, 2022 - 2 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: DANGER! DEATH RAY  Rewatch   Season 6, Ep 20

Re-rewatch! Swave spy-guy Bart Fargo (Bart Fargo Bart Fargo) hunts people who've kidnapped the inventor of a death ray in an episode whose stature has grown over the years. Ding! Ba-dup-ba-dup-ba-da-dah da dah. Previously and again. With this, we have ten Comedy Central episodes left.
posted by JHarris on Sep 9, 2021 - 3 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: CODE NAME: DIAMOND HEAD  Rewatch   Season 6, Ep 8

Re-rewatch! This episode is more popular than I suspected, partly on the strength, perhaps, of its short, A Day at the Fair. The movie itself is a spy-themed made-for-TV thing, made by Quinn Martin, originally intended as an NBC series pilot. The plot has to do with a couple of people trying to protect a deadly gas that can kill people on contact, which is indeed pretty deadly. It sounds impossible to work with. The host segments spotlight MST3K's least-considered regular character: Magic Voice. Previously and again.
posted by JHarris on Jun 17, 2021 - 3 comments

Book: Slough House, by Mick Herron

At Slough House, Brexit has taken a toll. The slow horses have been pushed further into the cold, Slough House has been erased from official records, and its members are dying in unusual circumstances, at an unusual clip. No wonder Jackson Lamb’s crew is feeling paranoid. But are they actually targets? With a new populist movement taking hold of London’s streets and the old order ensuring that everything’s for sale to the highest bidder, the world’s a dangerous place for those deemed surplus. Jackson Lamb and the slow horses are in a fight for their lives as they navigate dizzying layers of lies, power, and death.
posted by The corpse in the library on Feb 14, 2021 - 5 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: OPERATION DOUBLE 007  Rewatch   Season 5, Ep 8

Re-rewatch! When James Bond is busy, who you gonna call? Neil Connery, Sean's brother, in this hugely weird Italian spy movie with a bad guy who employs a platoon of evil women, and a hero who's kind of a jerk, although pretty much an invincible one. Previously and again. We're nearing the end of Joel's tenure as host again.
posted by JHarris on Jan 2, 2021 - 3 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: SECRET AGENT SUPER DRAGON  Rewatch   Season 5, Ep 4

Rewatch! The secret-agentish MST movie that doesn't have Neil Connery, Bart Fargo (Bart Fargo Bart Fargo), an international superthief or was made for TV. It doesn't involve James Bond, but it was made in Italy. Previously
posted by JHarris on Dec 6, 2020 - 1 comment

Mystery Science Theater 3000: MIGHTY JACK  Rewatch   Season 3, Ep 14

Rewatch! Whatever this movie is about, it has sort of spies fighting "the organization known as Q" the leader of which has a cat and there's a flying thing and a base in an iceberg and a torture trap involving shining really bright lights at someone and it's really a mess. Sandy Frank sent a lot of crappy movies at Joel and the 'bots, but this is probably the crappiest. Good luck understanding it. Previously
posted by JHarris on Jul 25, 2020 - 1 comment

Queen Sono: Season 1 - all episodes  Season 1, Ep 0

South African spy Queen Sono finds herself in a nefarious web of business and politics as she seeks to uncover the truth behind her mother's death. (Netflix's first African tv-series, 6 episodes) [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 29, 2020 - 8 comments

Book: The Catch, by Mick Herron (novella)

John Bachelor is the saddest kind of spy: not a joe in the field, not even a desk jockey, but a milkman—a part-time pension administrator whose main job is to check in on aging retired spies. Late in his career and having lost his wife, his house, and his savings after a series of unlucky choices, John's been living in a dead man's London apartment, hoping the bureaucracy isn't going to catch up with him and leave him homeless. But keeping a secret among spies is a fool's errand, and now John has made himself eminently blackmailable.
posted by The corpse in the library on Jan 30, 2020 - 1 comment

Book: Slow Horses, by Mick Herron

London, England: Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what's left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can't be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another. [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library on Dec 6, 2019 - 11 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: DANGER! DEATH RAY  Rewatch   Season 6, Ep 20

A scientist made a death ray, insisting it's for peaceful purposes. He's been kidnapped, you say? Send in secret agent Bart Fargo Bart Fargo Bart Fargo to rescue him. Ba dup ba dup ba da dah? Ba dup ba dup ba da dah. Previously
posted by JHarris on Sep 25, 2019 - 3 comments

Counterpart: Better Angels  Season 2, Ep 10

Mira's looming threat forges some unlikely alliances. (Series Finale) [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 18, 2019 - 10 comments

Counterpart: You to You  Season 2, Ep 9

Management makes a historic decision; Emily sends a warning; Quayle, Clare and Temple investigate the final Indigo cell; and Howard Prime reaches out to an old contact. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 10, 2019 - 11 comments

Counterpart: In From the Cold  Season 2, Ep 8

Howard Prime and Emily work together to figure out Indigo's plans. Clare and Quayle consider their future. Howard must face the truth about his wife. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 3, 2019 - 4 comments

The Little Drummer Girl: Full Miniseries  Books Included   Season 1, Ep 1

Based on John le Carré’s best-selling literary masterpiece of the same name and directed by visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook, The Little Drummer Girl weaves a suspenseful and explosive story of espionage and high-stakes international intrigue. Set in the late 1970s, the pulsating thriller follows Charlie, a fiery actress and idealist whose resolve is tested after she meets the mysterious Becker while on holiday in Greece. It quickly becomes apparent that his intentions are not what they seem, and her encounter with him entangles her in a complex plot devised by the spy mastermind Kurtz. Charlie takes on the role of a lifetime as a double agent while remaining uncertain of her own loyalties. AMC [more inside]
posted by myotahapea on Jan 28, 2019 - 14 comments

Counterpart: No Strings Attached  Season 2, Ep 7

The fallout of the lockdown casts suspicions around the OI. Howard and Emily Prime find clues about the history of Management. Clare questions her allegiances. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jan 28, 2019 - 3 comments

Counterpart: Twin Cities  Season 2, Ep 6

The origins of the Crossing are revealed. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jan 21, 2019 - 15 comments

Counterpart: Shadow Puppets  Season 2, Ep 5

A new revelation puts Howard Prime and Quayle in jeopardy. Life at Echo is disrupted. Clare reconnects with her past. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jan 7, 2019 - 8 comments

Counterpart: Point of Departure  Season 2, Ep 4

Howard Prime, Quayle and Clare must unite against a common enemy. Emily Prime turns her investigation towards her other. Yanek probes Howard's past. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jan 1, 2019 - 6 comments

Counterpart: Something Borrowed  Season 2, Ep 3

Howard Alpha is transferred to a mysterious prison called Echo; an unexpected visit gives Emily Alpha a connection to her old life; and Emily Prime and Shaw's investigation is met with resistance. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Dec 24, 2018 - 4 comments

Any interest in overthinking 'The Little Drummer Girl'?

This question refers specifically to the recent miniseries adaptation of the 1983 John le Carré novel of the same name. [more inside]
posted by myotahapea on Dec 19, 2018 - 5 comments

Counterpart: Outside In  Season 2, Ep 2

Imprisoned on the Other Side, Howard's loyalties are tested; Emily Prime gets a promotion. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Dec 17, 2018 - 7 comments

Counterpart: Inside Out  Season 2, Ep 1

While hiding in Howard's life, Howard Prime must avoid detection at home and at the OI. Quayle and Clare struggle to adjust to their new arrangement. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Dec 9, 2018 - 3 comments

Bodyguard: Episode 3  Season 1, Ep 3

As the terrorist threat increases, PS David Budd strives to prevent the home secretary Julia Montague from falling victim to an assassination plot. [more inside]
posted by Stark on Oct 3, 2018 - 1 comment

Movie: Active Measures

Active Measures chronicles the most successful espionage operation in Russian history, the American presidential election of 2016. Filmmaker Jack Bryan exposes a 30-year history of covert political warfare devised by Vladimir Putin to disrupt, and ultimately control world events. In the process, the filmmakers follow a trail of money, real estate, mob connections, and on the record confessions to expose an insidious plot that leads directly back to The White House. [more inside]
posted by growabrain on Sep 8, 2018 - 2 comments

Movie: The Spy Who Dumped Me

Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy. [more inside]
posted by sardonyx on Aug 8, 2018 - 14 comments

Movie: North by Northwest

A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Jul 1, 2018 - 10 comments

The 100: Exit Wounds  Season 5, Ep 6

Diyoza forces Wonkru to consider their allegiance to Octavia. Madi faces an unexpected threat inside Wonkru. McCreary continues his hunt for Murphy. [more inside]
posted by numaner on Jun 11, 2018 - 0 comments

Movie: Three Days of the Condor

A bookish CIA researcher finds all his co-workers dead, and must outwit those responsible until he figures out who he can really trust. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on May 25, 2018 - 13 comments

Mystery Science Theater 3000: DIABOLIK  Season 10, Ep 13

AKA Danger: Diabolik. "Out for all he can take, seduce, or get away with." A master criminal steals all kinds of stuff in a series of capers, killing lots of people along the way. Oh, and he's our protagonist, yay! He's based on an Italian comic character, which might explain things a bit. Pearl plays around with a joystick she got at Radio Shack, but it breaks and sends the Satellite of Love into reentry, and she can't do anything about it. Mike and the 'bots are coming home! And with this, we have reached the end of our tour of Mystery Science Theater 3000; see inside for closing words and odds and ends. But MST Club isn't done yet! Episode 1013 is available on YouTube. Premiered August 8, 1999. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on May 5, 2018 - 16 comments

Counterpart: No Man's Land, Part Two  Season 1, Ep 10

A crisis at the O.I. leaves both Howards in precarious positions in the Season 1 finale. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Apr 1, 2018 - 11 comments

Counterpart: No Man's Land, Part One  Season 1, Ep 9

Howard attempts to thwart the Guest's plans. Howard and Emily chase Kaspar. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Mar 18, 2018 - 11 comments

Counterpart: Love the Lie  Season 1, Ep 8

The aftermath of the Indigo school discovery takes an emotional toll. Quayle grapples with his wife's new identity. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Mar 11, 2018 - 6 comments

Counterpart: The Sincerest Form of Flattery  Season 1, Ep 7

Clare's past is revealed; Quayle suffers through his own birthday party. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Mar 5, 2018 - 14 comments

Counterpart: Act Like You've Been Here Before  Season 1, Ep 6

Aldrich questions a not-too-recent death in the office; and Emily, Howard and Shaw follow a lead. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 25, 2018 - 6 comments

Book: Harriet the Spy

...she scribbled in her notebook: “LIFE IS A GREAT MYSTERY. IS EVERYBODY A DIFFERENT PERSON WHEN THEY ARE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE?” [more inside]
posted by roger ackroyd on Feb 23, 2018 - 6 comments

Counterpart: Shaking the Tree  Season 1, Ep 5

Howard and Emily search for answers about a mysterious drop site. Aldrich and Quayle seek intel from an old friend. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 18, 2018 - 7 comments

Counterpart: Both Sides Now  Season 1, Ep 4

Both Howards deepen their investigation of the conspiracy; Quayle meets one of Howard's sources; Clare must decide what to do about Baldwin. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 11, 2018 - 13 comments

Counterpart: The Lost Art of Diplomacy  Season 1, Ep 3

Both sides turn to diplomacy to resolve a conflict; Emily obtains a special visa; and Howard interrogates a suspect. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Feb 5, 2018 - 23 comments

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