Saving the World from Nazis, One Punch at a Time.
- Mike Fisher
- Jul 10, 2023
- 15 min read
“I Know”
- Han Solo
I’m legitimately torn between two distinct memories, and I’m afraid neither are fully helpful in allowing me to be decisive. I will go with chronological order as the coin toss winner for which one goes first.
I only knew what a no-hitter was because the year previous Dave Stieb had finally gotten one. This was one of those wonderful memories I have, where watching the game paled in comparison to listening to my Dad tell me stories of all the times Stieb almost threw either a no-hitter or a perfect game. So when about a year later on May 1st, 1991 - oddly enough on the same day that Ricky Henderson set his all time stolen bases record - Nolan Ryan pitched his 7th and final no-hitter against my Toronto Blue Jays, I at least knew the context of this being very difficult and ultimately important. I don’t remember too many specifics of the game, but I do remember Roberto Alomar (back when it was ok to like him as we didn’t know about anything he did outside of the ballpark) falling to a knee as he swung and missed at Ryan’s 122nd pitch to cement his record setting landmark. Even though we didn’t know for sure it would be his last chance at a no-no - we kinda knew. You couldn’t watch a Nolan Ryan game without commentary gushing over how good he used to be. Honestly, the last time I watched For Love of the Game, I thought about watching Ryan’s 7th with my Dad. The sun setting on Billy Chappel line may as well have been about Ryan himself. However, this doesn’t discount that Ryan was a staple workhorse who leads career stats in both Strikeouts and Walks over his 27 year career. He was known to be a hard nosed but influential member of the clubhouse and well respected around the league. And while technically he won a championship as a member of the 1969 Mets team, he wasn’t a starter at that point and only made two appearances in the entire playoff run. He never made a World Series afterwards, nor did he win a Cy Young award (2nd place in 1973 - same year he peaked at 14th in MVP). Yet he was the face of the franchises he helmed and is still an important figure in baseball (stepping down as CEO of the Rangers in 2013). He was ranked 42nd in ESPN’s top 100 of all time, and still has a reputation of being a hard throwing pitcher who rarely backed down to any hitter. Plus, he’s the guy who beat up Robin Ventura after getting him in a headlock when Ventura (Robin.. Not Ace) charged the mound. (If you don’t end up watching the clip - they threw out Ventura and allowed Ryan to stay in the game… that is not what would have happened today…)
The second memory is a far more common one for anyone who was alive in the 90’s and watched baseball. On September 6th, 1995 I learned what Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) was as I watched a number change on B&O Warehouse, just past the right field stands in Camden Yards. It was just as the game became official, and Cal Ripken Jr. broke the unbreakable consecutive games played streak set by Lou Gehrig. Because Ripken played for the Baltimore Orioles, I was far more familiar with him as a kid as they were a division rival so I saw him much more each season. I knew him as the perennial All Star (19 in a row), former Rookie of the Year (1982) and two time MVP (1983, 1991). He won a World Series early in his career (1983) and only made two more runs to the Championship Series in his career (1996, 1997) only to fall to Cleveland and the Yankees respectively. He rarely led the league in any specific category (with some exceptions) but he was always lurking in just about every major stat they kept at that time. He was also a solid defensive short-stop and was somewhat known for leadership in the clubhouse (with a few hiccups involving his travel habits that wouldn’t always be team focused).
Both of these players were no-doubt Hall of Famers, but were in a way, faces of the decades they played in. They were celebrated often and with enthusiasm while both sticking to the things they did well. They would occasionally get chances to be creative, but for the most part were known for their mass appeal and marketability, while also producing at a consistent level. On the same ESPN list, Ripken was ranked 66th, which if you only looked at their stats, would be alarming as he seems more celebrated. However, first off, there are simply more hitters to compete against - but also - it is arguable that Ryan was just the best at what he did whereas Ripken was extremely balanced and solid all around. In baseball, just like in other facets of life, sometimes we celebrate the extremes more than consistently and equilibrium.
However, if you seek out articles and opinions of who the players were of the 70's, 80's and 90’s - you don’t always see their names. Bleacher Report has Ryan as a SP of the 80’s but no Ripken - ESPN has Ryan in the 70’s and Ripken as SS of the 80’s, so it’s not like they are forgotten at all. In fact, you’re just as likely to find articles having these two labeled as overrated. My point is that rarely are they THE face of their time. Important, but not as vital as others. You see Reggie Jackson quite often in the 70’s as Mr. October, or Henderson in the 80’s highlighting being the absolute best at one thing as a priority, and then by the time you get to the 90’s, you run into Griffey’s world making Cal not even the best Jr. of the decade.
The appropriate question to ask yourself goes back to my first two lines. What exactly was I thinking when these two people/events came into my mind? Well if the quote and title didn’t give it away, I was thinking about the legacy of Harrison Ford.
I was trying to pair him perfectly with an athlete, and these two were the ones that kept coming to mind. To some, Ford is the face of a movie star of the 80’s and 90’s. Someone with massive mass appeal who took franchises to greater heights, before franchises were meant to be the centre of our cultural universes. He was also a staple in the industry as there was a significant time frame that putting his face on a poster would guarantee an opening weekend and a decent return. His roles also had personas that he would only occasionally mess with. He was cocky but competent. A ladies man who rarely and only selectively cared about ladies. However, when he did - he might have cared too much making him many people’s ideal long term partner choice. His skill sets were often due to his ability to DIY, before that was a thing. If you needed a drive, he could sort you out. Lost something? You’re in luck. He likes to find things. He was caring but also kind of an ass (with a heart of gold of course) and ultimately, his success came by being in the right place at the right time. Intelligence was there, but his luck seemed to be more vital (This extends outside of his movie roles as it’s well known that if Magnum P.I. didn’t exist, likely Tom Selleck would have been Indy instead of Ford, which completely changes the character. I would bet there would be far more shooting and way less whip usage if that was the case). Further, the more everyone got to know about him, the less he wanted to share. All everyone seemed to know is that he was at one point, a carpenter.
Looking back as he just released his fifth and likely last Indiana Jones adventure, his legacy seems fairly set. Someone who represented an older school grisly yet charismatic leading man. However, if you look at this stereotype in Hollywood history and make a list of the top 10 - he might be the only one on that list that doesn’t have a horrific backstory leading him to potential revision or post-prime cancellation. The John Wayne and Erryl Flynn’s that preceded Ford have all made claims that make it harder for other generations to treat their screen roles with similar levels of respect. Even the aforementioned Selleck has huge success with older demographics in Blue Bloods, but might not have the same mass appeal with younger generations who don’t agree with him politically. Through all of this, Ford has stayed the course as a cultural icon who defines masculinity by what it entails - rather than what it excludes.
He can manage to be both bratty and brilliant in the same role. A scoundrel who is selfish and also the hero that you feel he was always meant to be. No element of his character cements this more than his choice of weaponry. While he has fired blasters, pistols and larger ammunition, that is not what he is known for. If Harrison Ford wants you down, he will punch you in the face (Either by accident or design). In fact, he is almost synonymous with this archaic and yet more dignified style of combat. The personal nature of punching someone is brand appropriate for Ford as someone who is willing to get his hands dirty and maybe even PG-13 bloody, in order to get the job done. And when you combine all of this, in many ways, Harrison Ford has defined masculinity to a certain extent for several decades and generations.
Yet similar to Ryan and Ripken, he is likely not the face of those generations nor has he hit the ultimate highs. In our recent podcast looking at his successes, we discuss his lack of Oscar success. Part of that is that the Academy rarely highlights the type of movie he does, or the kinds of parts he tends to play. However, despite him being the highest grossing movie star until Samuel L. Jackson started doing MCU & Star Wars movies, he himself has only been nominated for an acting Oscar once (1985’s Witness) and no movie he has been in has ever won Best Picture (most recent nominee was 1993’s The Fugitive). He has had his high points, with one of the best 5 movie stretches of all time (Empire, Raiders, Blade Runner, Return of the Jedi & Temple of Doom were all in a row for him from 1980 - 1984) and of course he was a former winner of People Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year in 1998 but arguably that was well past his movie making prime. He still holds the minds, hearts (and if you listen to the Big Picture Podcast making his Hall of Fame, he holds the libido of women of multiple generations), it’s unclear if he was ever the true top dog. Just a consistent workhorse who hit insane highs, persevered through varying levels of low with his charisma and personality, and ultimately let generations of men know that it’s ok to be a bit idiotic, impulsive and incorrect - as long as you live life for adventures, take care of your mistakes, love hard when it’s worth it - and of course - be willing to punch someone in the face. But only when they deserve it.
If you want to listen to the pod, check it out on the site or on Spotify (if the link isn’t working just search “A Pint or Three Podcast” and it should sort you out.
Content consumed prior to writing this article:
Movies:
Random Thoughts:
It was legitimately the first time I had watched all three (plus the special) in a row. I had seen most of these before in pieces but I had never seen the special or Empire/Jedi as complete movies.
The only one that really stands for someone who isn’t taken by the whole element of the series is truly Empire - and I completely get why people thought it was Ford’s movie.
It was the birth of the lovable asshole with the heart of gold (in a modern context)
I remember watching the Ewoks cartoon as a kid. When they started to look like they were going to cook and eat a person - I started to realise how messed up my childhood really was. See also the sheer amount of times I watched the original Charlie and Chocolate Factory and Labyrinth. How are those kids movies?
Did people in the 70’s and 80’s know how bad the dialogue was and just forgive it because of the special effects?
I need to stop as they were certainly entertaining, but with all the hype I’m clearly going to come across as a massive hater.
Quotes:
None that aren’t already massive cannon. I feel like there are people that can go line for line… so this already exists.
Random Thoughts:
Raiders:
One of the best intros - You only see the back of him but then he whips and turns - then there’s out guy. At this point, someone turns, runs and screams at the icon that he is going after. We already love the moxie in our hero.
No one has come out alive, but Ford just strolls in. He is the boss here and owns it.
Lucas made more money - Spielberg got more credit but everyone wanted to be Ford and it started with this opening scene.
I like in the third one that they explained his findings and how he knew the traps but in this one you just had to trust that he knew what he was doing.
Molina is scared and vaguely ethnic - so you know he is going to screw Indy at some point
I’m sure there is a reason - but why can’t he just let the ball go first?
The role of “savages” is super problematic
This screams of Spielberg as Nazis to use religious power to win wars
The hat over your head while you sleep on a plane is a power move
No subtitles for the drink off in the bar. Kinda makes Karen Allen more of a badass.
So is it assumed that during the flight from Nepal to Cairo - the two of them hooked up?
Is Indy what spurred on the obsession with DIY guys?
While it’s nice to have the guys attacking them until the market as “faceless” so they can be killed easier (note all deaths by the hero’s are a big deal especially from her where some of the attacks are off screen) BUT I can’t imagine it was helpful to have makeshift Hijabs on the evil doers as a good idea stereotype wise.
Indy shooting the guy instead of fighting has to me the most famous clip of someone with the shits.
You can’t do this to me. I'm an American. It might be the worst thing to come from this movie. I’ve legitimately heard this while traveling coming from someone way less attractive.
There is sad - and then there is drinking with a monkey in Cairo sad
Sucks that the Arab guy is so quick to be subservient in this. We can say 80’s but I’m not sure how much better it is now in mass market movies.
Pretty sure the hat Indy wears is just to mask his face so a stunt double was easier.
He passes out as they start making out. Super odd and very PG. Yet they wake up and she’s naked? There is a story here.
The supernatural element never really fit if you think of it. We accept the face melting, but this leads to the most unbelievable parts of Indy 2, 4 & 5. It justifies their decisions by saying - well - he has already seen magic/proof of God.
What clues does he have that let him know not to look? Or is that just common knowledge for all Professors of Archaeology?
First evidence that all Indy really does is take the bad guys to the main spot and then have God &/or Magic smite them.
Quotes:
I’m already missing you
It’s not the years it’s the mileage
Temple:
Very supernatural start and from what I’ve read this is very indicative of what I’m about to watch. That and ethnic insensitivity.
Indy is very much making a play for bond here with the white tux and all
Why do all people who pay people to get them treasures always try to double cross you?
Five minutes in, he threatens and punches two different women. Ouch.
Short round. Not even sure I know where to start. Although this leads to the best part of the 95th Oscars.
Subtitles just say - man speaking Chinese to other man - then laughing - both are super helpful.
My problem with the boat saving them from jumping from the plane is that it’s in the first spot of the movie. Now how can I take anything seriously? Are they ever really in danger for the rest of the flick?
Also - are they actively trying to make the female lead the most annoying character of all time?
More food than they see in a week? Super insulting and how could that be true if they whipped it up for them so quickly. If this was what people in the US were using as a reference to southern Asian culture, I can see why some have such a fucked view of southeast Asia.
If this was made with more Indian influence - this could have been a cool exploration culturally / instead .... well it isn’t. At all. I’m going to relax on this and just see if I can enjoy the action and not hate the woman who would become Spielberg's wife.
The monkeys just around their camp site are super unrealistic. I’m curious how much this screwed people’s understanding of this area - if she keeps screaming I’m turning this off
She is almost naked and I just don’t want to have her on the screen at all.
Who wouldn’t want an elephant beat friend?
The scientist as a way to try and hook up with her was odd - quick double check to make sure Lucas wrote this… and yes. It all makes sense now.
The heart thing and the special effects have both aged super poorly
So “he’s back” and that’s good enough for all??
Love the drop kick attempt.
The mine shaft cart ride was clearly made with an amusement park ride in mind
Harrison’s oh shit still made me like him at least, not the movie so much.
It’s the same croc scene every time someone falls in any movie.. ever.
Capshaw physically ages well but that’s about it
White saviour all over this ... both with British and with Indy and the stone
You can really tell guys made all the movies in the 80s.. He whips her and pulls her close, then kisses her while everyone cheers.
Last Crusade
Five years later and both Spielberg and Ford need a win. Curious what market research said. Less raciest? Less annoying female lead?
What kid wants something to belong in a museum?
River had star appeal right away. It’s crazy that you can just tell.
They make a snake reference, I wonder what else will they try to explain?
The zoo train is just super sad at this stage
Ahhh.. the whip is explained too.
How much of 80s and 90s white guy hero’s skill sets involve getting punched in the face and not dying? It’s Rocky and maybe Ford second?
No explanation on how he gets back from being in the middle of the water/ocean and alone?
Apples to professors - Did that ever happen? If so, when did it start? When did it end?
First connection to the first movie: classroom lecture. Talk of the importance of the profession. You know they are trying to play the hits right away.
Dad quest / connected with immortality - this becomes Spielberg’s next 30 years in many ways.
My fathers eyes and my mother’s ears, the rest is all for you. It would be less creepy in another context.
He doesn’t need to be on the second floor to see the massive X, but it’s cinematic.
She sees skulls and kind of gets that “I’m enjoying this too much” look. This is our first Nazi clue.
Why do animals/rodents/snakes/spiders always pile up in these rooms?
They really don’t go into a lot of depth to explain getaways.
Super appropriate as Indy is clearly the American bond, so Connery being his dad seems about right.
She clearly went through all the drawers, no one else could have been in there. There is no way her heel turn is really a shock.
Crazy that the side car wasn’t until the third but I totally associate it with Indy in general.
Not sure how they throw off a head Nazi and the blimp doesn’t hesitate to keep going.
The bird genocide is a bit harsh
The tank chase is still pretty epic. Doesn’t age a day.
Harrison has a good little kid face when he’s getting hugged.
How does a bad Penny always turn up?
The Nazi is Sheen’s girlfriend in Major League 2. My mind is blown, and her name is doody.
Why is this the best one? (Hot take, I know. But it’s better. It’s just not as important) - it shows the understanding of the clues
Kneels before God, but he has to barrel roll
The leap is cool but a bit far fetched.
The guy who chooses the wrong cup looks like Christopher Lloyd when he dies and I don’t know anyone who could convince me otherwise
Seems odd that he just takes the cup from the woman without questioning or thinking, he would for sure have gotten someone else to test it
So are both Indy and his dad immortal?
He was supposed to protect the cup, and they bury it in Petra
Quotes:
“We’re pilgrims in an unholy land”
Random Thoughts:
If that’s not Brian Dennehy then they ran out of money and bought his doppelgänger.
Classic 90s PG13 move - They don’t actually show violence and murder.
I’m 100% sure Ford has a beard just so he can shave later.
With DNA evidence, this wouldn’t even be a case. Between this and the use of phones I can see why so many premier filmmakers use older settings.
I wonder what percent of courtroom based movie scenes leave the audience actually trusting the legal system?
Love the honour among thieves bit.
Great action set piece that stands the test of time.
Why is it so appealing to have a high ranking officer that hates bureaucracy ?
Harrison is still looking good shirtless..
“I don’t care”: such a great response .. epic line .. in terms of lines that won an academy award.. the henhouse speech and this pretty much do it
Million dollar question when you watch this: Could he survive the jump? Could you survive the jump?
Why wasn’t Sela Ward a bigger star?
Why would the Marshalls leave while the search is still going?
Hitch hiking - wonder if that happens in the US anymore?
Tommy lee jones with the toque is fantastic
Big dog is a weird name to give yourself
Ha - Jane lynch
He even apologises when he bumps into someone while running away from trouble
Ford has a couple scenes where he talks like a normal dude. I guess that’s his appeal.
Why would he be in the parade? I guess it’s direct?
Middle of the subway he pulls a gun. Bold move.
The entire city is looking for him and he walks right into a room they know he is going to and still gets a speech off and walks out.
All things considered - this might be my favourite Ford movie.
Quotes:
“Pulled a Peter Pan”
Other Media Consumed:
Rewatchables Pods: Raiders, Temple, Last Crusade, Fugitive
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