Episode 203 - The Untouchables

This week at 100 Things Towers, we’re diving headfirst into Brian De Palma’s operatic gangster classic The Untouchables: a film where history takes a back seat and pure cinema grabs the wheel.

We break down:

1. The myth vs reality of Eliot Ness and Al Capone
2. Behind-the-scenes production stories and casting choices
3. Sean Connery’s career-reviving, Oscar-winning performance
4. Why De Palma treated crime like opera, not reportage
5. Iconic moments like the Union Station steps, baseball bats, and moral absolutes

This episode was picked by Lovely Rob Jones, one of our brilliant Patreon supporters proof that backing the show really does let you shape what we cover next.

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Rob also wants us to highlight the Stop Portland Incinerator Campaign (SPIC), a grassroots project currently fundraising via Chuffed.org to support independent air-quality monitoring equipment.

SPIC’s aim is to begin their own air-quality monitoring from January 2026, rather than relying solely on self-monitoring by incinerator operators. By gathering baseline data now, the group hopes to make meaningful comparisons in the future and potentially launch a citizen science project, helping local residents better understand the real environmental impact should the incinerator go ahead.

You can find and support the campaign here:

👉 https://chuffed.org/project/spic