They needed a hero.

Understand he has a background in intelligence.

There's two tours with naval intelligence.

Get him here.

He liked excitement.

Take us somewhere.

He wanted her.

Their passion upset the balance of power.

Kevin Costner,

Jean Hackman,

Sean Young, Will Patton, No Way Out.

The Welcome to Episode 4 of Unclear and Present Danger, a podcast about the political and military

thrillers of the 1990s and what they say about the politics of that decade. I'm Jamel Bowie. I'm a columnist

for the New York Times opinion section. I'm John Gans. I write a column for Gawker, a newsletter called

Unpopular Front, and I'm working on a book about politics in the 1990s.

Today we are talking about the 1987 movie No Way Out, starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young,

Will Patton, and Howard Duff, also in appearance by Fred Thompson. Always happy to see that guy.

Directed by Roger Donaldson, screenplay by Robert Garland, and based off The Big Clock by Kenneth

Fearing. The Big Clock was adapted into a movie by the same name, The Big Clock in 1948.

And there was apparently another adaptation of this, of this story, kind of this thriller

inside of a building called Police Python 357, a French movie starring Yvese Montan, who's

great, who is one of my favorite French actors.

...