Pretty much everything you know about duels is true - it's a challenge to violence to defend honor. But did you know the U.S. Navy used to publish detailed guidelines in its midshipmen's handbook? Learn all there is to know about dueling in this classic episode.
AI Summary
This episode explores the fascinating and surprisingly elaborate world of dueling—from the strict codes of honor that governed these deadly one-on-one battles to how they evolved from medieval jousting into a widespread (and surprisingly formal) practice among nobility and eventually common folk. Josh and Chuck dive into the intricate rules that actually discouraged killing, the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and how firearms democratized dueling by making it cheaper and more accessible than traditional sword training. You'll learn why insulting someone's hat could literally get you killed, how the church and military actually worked to stamp out the practice, and why these ritualized combats gradually faded away—especially after the brutality of real warfare made recreational fighting seem rather foolish.
A Knight's Tale
2001
2h 13m
★ 6.9
"As Heath Ledger did. As Heath Ledger did. What, what was that? First night? Yeah, that's a good movie. — Mentioning Heath Ledger's role in A Knight's Tale regarding the lifting of visors before jousting."
— Josh
Evil Dead II
1987
1h 24m
★ 7.5
"The evil dead, too, is a remake of the evil dead. — Explaining that Evil Dead II is essentially a remake of the original Evil Dead."
— Josh
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
1985
1h 47m
★ 6.2
"What was the most guy in the Mad Max 3? Master Blaster. You fight Master Blaster. — Referencing Master Blaster as an analogy for fighting a court-appointed professional duelist."
— Chuck
Stand by Me
1986
1h 29m
★ 7.8
"Or River Phoenix's character takes a knife to the neck and dies in a bar, like at the end of Stand By Me. — Using a reference to a tragic scene from Stand By Me as an analogy for what could happen in a bar fight."
— Josh
The Evil Dead
1981
1h 25m
★ 7.3
"He's got something coming. He might be working on another evil dead, like a modern remakey uptake. — Discussing Sam Raimi's upcoming film projects and his history with the Evil Dead franchise."
— Chuck
The Quick and the Dead
1995
1h 47m
★ 6.5
"The quick and the dead. It's exactly right. If you have not seen that, pause this podcast. — Josh recommends this as the best dueling movie of all time while discussing Wild West duels."
— Josh
💬 Comments
Log in to leave a comment.