Looks like Many WW2 Movies Coming!

[Bigduke6]

Wait a minute, isn't Olivier is playing an American? He sure speaks speaks letter-perfect Yankee in the scene where James Caan pulls a .45 on him?

Since Olivier's character in the movie is US colonel I assume they took the Dutch character in the book and made him an American in the movie.

Great scene.

[Michael Emrys]

Wait a minute, isn't octor Olivier is playing an American? He sure speaks speaks letter-perfect Yankee in the scene where James Caan pulls a .45 on him?

Wrong doc. No, the one Olivier plays is called Spaander and is Dutch, living in Arnhem or nearby. Here's a pic of him in character.

Michael

[General Lee Irked]

Speaking of Dutch, has anyone seen Black Book? (A Dutch made film)

It can be found on Netflix.

A Jewish woman infiltrates the Nazis on behalf of the Dutch resistamce.

I found it quite enjoyable. Not a groggy film but a well made drama IMO.

[noob]

This is one to watch, but only once.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091251/

[Wodin]

Double post.

[Wodin]

Speaking of Dutch, has anyone seen Black Book? (A Dutch made film)

It can be found on Netflix.

A Jewish woman infiltrates the Nazis on behalf of the Dutch resistamce.

I found it quite enjoyable. Not a groggy film but a well made drama IMO.

Good film. I enjoyed it.

I watched another foreign WW2 film which was brilliant as well called Flame and Citeron and another called The Reader.

Watched Brest fortress the other month. Worth watching, but does the usual thing Russian films do and thats make the Germans look like mindless incompetent robots. Still well worth a watch.

My favourites of recent years are..

Stalingrad (dubbing was terrible though)

Thin Red line (gets alot of stick but I thought was great with amazing cinematography)

When Trumpets Fade

Downfall

Not so recent but probably my favourite WW2 warfilm of all time is Cross of Iron. The book is amazing aswell.

[Bigduke6]

I stand corrected. But it's still a great scene.

[Pak40]

OK, I'm going to do something unheard of - steer this thread back to it's original topic...

Did anyone actually read the long list of WWII movie coming out? Two of these really interested me:

Combat - yes, it's based on the 60s television show which I always loved.

No Better Place to Die Based on Robert Murphy's book for the La Fiere Causeway fight on D-Day and the following days.

[John Kettler]

Pak40,

Went back and rewatched the trailers. White Tiger has what sure looks like an IS-2 at 0:42. I missed the M-18 Hellcat in the early part of Saints and Sinners, which I note has a clash in which a Mohawk wearing guy from one particular squad of the 101st Airborne is seen.

See the post by Kaoschallenged here (Fair Use)

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=179703

"The Filthy 13

"No other group the 440th Troop Carrier Group carried into battle has inspired more legend and myth than the story of the special demolition squad, the "Filthy Thirteen." Their story, told on page 40 of DZ Europe: The Story of the 440th Troop Carrier Group, was an account of the Thirteen taken from a June 1944 issue of Stars and Stripes. It's hard to tell almost sixty years on whether the fictional parts were derived to inspire the folks at home or to scare the hell out of the Germans, maybe both.

The few survivors of the famous Filthy Thirteen have a slightly different story to tell. 101st Airborne historian Mark Bando interviewed a couple of the original Thirteen for his book, The 101st Airborne at Normandy, published in 1994.

They were members of HQ/ 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the roster included: "Jake McNiece, Jack Womer, John Agnew, Lt. Charles Mellen, Joseph Oleskiewicz, John Hale, James T. Green, George Radeka, Clarence Ware, Robert S. Cone, Roland R. Baribeau, James E. Leach and Andrew Rassmussen. Others including Frank Palys and Charles Plaudo were sometimes members of the group." Only a few survived the Normandy mission, though the members of the unit did complete their assigned mission, blowing bridges over the Douve River.

A review of surnames from the group quickly disposes of the myth that they were all "Indians." Several are of Polish descent and Robert Cone who was badly wounded in Normandy and captured was Jewish. He would spend the remainder of the war in POW camps.

Another myth of the Thirteen was that Lt. Mellen could whip any member of the group. According to Jake McNiece, "any one of our group could have whipped him without working up a sweat." Lt. Mellen was KIA in Normandy and was found dead, bandaged about the arm and leg. Apparently he fought on for some time after being wounded.

The notoriety the Filthy Thirteen gained in Stars and Stripes and the famous photo in DZ Europe of two of them applying war paint certainly inspired first the novel and then the movie, "The Dirty Dozen," a completely fictional story. Fortunately, a new book about the famous Thirteen is due out in April 2003, The Filthy Thirteen: The True Story of the Dirty Dozen, by Richard Killblane and Jake McNiece. It is to be published by Casemate and details the story of the famous squad from Normandy to Bavaria.

Sources: The 101st Airborne at Normandy, by Mark Bando; Trigger Time, 101st Airborne web site, by Mark Bando; Stone & Stone Second World War Books web site"

Regards,

John Kettler

[Michael Emrys]

Speaking of Dutch, has anyone seen Black Book? (A Dutch made film)

It can be found on Netflix.

A Jewish woman infiltrates the Nazis on behalf of the Dutch resistamce.

I found it quite enjoyable. Not a groggy film but a well made drama IMO.

I watched it a couple of years ago and liked it quite a lot.

Michael

[John Kettler]

White Tiger has British voiced Russians! Why can't we have Russians who sound like Russians? Is there some full employment act I've never heard of for British actors?

Regards,

John Kettler

[TheBlackHand]

Scratch the surface of any ardent SPR critic and you'll likely find an ultra-conservative, who hates Spielberg more for his political leanings than for his sappy movies.

Anyhow, I sure would like to see a decent adaptation of "The Forgotten Soldier" . . . but I doubt that'll ever happen. It makes a nice, historical bookend to "All Quiet on the Western Front". It's a great book with a good "war is hell" message, but Sajer's unapologetic pro-NAZI sympathies wouldn't stand up to well to criticism.

Maybe "Black Edelweiss" would make for an interesting movie. In the same way that "Letters From Iwo Jima" was able to show the war from the opposite POV.

I still don't think the general public would accept it though.

[Erwin]

Many times the casting decisions have a lot to do with a nation's film subsidy conditions and contracts with local Actors' Unions.

[MikeyD]

For sheer historical accuracy don't forget Steve's favorite "space nazis from the moon battle president Palin" -IRON SKY:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKb8FoH3Vk4

[ZPB II]

For sheer historical accuracy don't forget Steve's favorite "space nazis from the moon battle president Palin" -IRON SKY:

I had a great deal of expectations for Iron Sky. It was Finnish and it was going to have Space Nazis, how could it not be a great movie?

Unfortunately it was utter ****e. My friend fell asleep while we watched it and I almost did too. And we represent the target audience pretty well, 20-somethings who love loud flashy stuff and laughing. We had been smoking and drinking the entire evening before watching the film, so one would think we were attuned. After the movie ended we woke from our torpor and resumed watching funny videos on Youtube.

The problem with the movie was that it's makers have never produced funny material and they sure didn't start doing it now. They can make good CGI but that's about it. For a movie whose concept was born in a Sauna while drinking beer, it was astonishingly dry. The bit with Sarah Palin was funny, but you can't make comedy with only one joke. I got the feeling that the people who made the movie thought that the mere idea of Space Nazis from the Moon is enough sheer funny lunacy that you don't need to come up with actual jokes or funny dialogue.

It is almost criminal how they could make a movie that is about Space Nazis and the end result lacks both humour and wit. I guess that is what happens when geeks who love computer graphics make a film, the things that make a movie good are neglected in favour of visual fireworks. But if someone wants to look at pretty pictures, why not simply run 3dmark on your computer?

I love cheap, tongue-in-cheek exploitation films with outlandish themes, but Iron Sky was just plain bad. Nevertheless, it was a crowdsourcing milestone and an important project in other aspects, but as a movie it failed.

I do have to add that Julia Dietze is smoking hot. Oh my.

[Vark]

Scratch the surface of any ardent SPR critic and you'll likely find an ultra-conservative, who hates Spielberg more for his political leanings than for his sappy movies.

I think it's the other way around, I don't like the later Spielberg movies, BECAUSE he cannot resist using them as a vehicle for his political beliefs. As for SPR, it stood under the banner of veracity and therefore should be judged by that standard, ergo it was mainly pants, with a truly stunning opening.

Talking of films The Big Red One (directors cut) is for me a classic depiction of war, as is Battleground and Come and See (genuinely shocking).

[ZPB II]

By the way, has Malick's version of "The Thin Red Line" been mentioned? It is perhaps my favourite war film, truly mesmerizing.

I've heard people say that it's boring and, well, boring. I can see where that opinion stems from, but personally I love the pacing and atmosphere.

There are so many scenes where the atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Could someone recommend similar war movies?

[Ranger33]

^^I found The Thin Red Line to be mesmerizing. The images of the tall grass swaying gently on that hill, so calm yet hiding instant death. The film was just bursting with incredible imagery like that. It's also fun to watch and spot all the future big time actors playing bit roles, just like in SPR and Black Hawk Down.

I can see why some people might not like it though, especially if they went in looking for an action war movie and not something more akin to poetry. My biggest annoyance was that George Clooney gets his name plastered all over the movie, but his role consists of talking in the background during a single scene.

Don't know if it's been mentioned already, but I would suggest "Tae Guk Gi" for anyone interested in the Korean War from the view of Koreans. I watched it a few years ago and thought it was great.

[Paper Tiger]

While The Thin Red Line is a movie that is set in Guadalcanal during WW2, I don't feel that it's a war movie but rather, a philosophical study of the Human condition. Man is seen to be fighting some battle, interior or exterior, for glory or survival, while remaining utterly ignorant of the staggering beauty of his environment. Except in the case of our transcendental hero. Man never left the Garden of Eden. We still live there. We're just too wrapped up with the struggle to survive (life or death, economic or whatever) to appreciate it.

[TheBlackHand]

I HATED The Thin Red Line the first time I saw it. Mostly because I hate it when a director or screenwriter takes a great book and turns it into something unrecognizable (Bat 21 for example).

I knew that the movie was in production so I read the book just before it came out. Big mistake.

I refused to watch it again for years. When I did, I found that I actually liked it. I think I liked it because I hadn't read the book in a long time and so watching the movie didn't cause me to constantly recall the book. I could watch it as if it were it's own story.

The book was still much better though. Always is.

Here's a good song from one of my favorite bands that uses the movie in samples:

[John Kettler]

Vark,

Director and writer of The Big Red 1, Samuel Fuller, served in World War II--in The Big Red 1, He saw the elephant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Fuller

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002087/

I haven't seen the director's cut, but considering the movie as I saw it, it must really be special.

Regards,

John Kettler

[MikeyD]

I recall when 'Big Red 1' came out it felt very much like an 'old fashioned' war movie. It came out three years after 'Cross of Iron', a year after 'Apocalypse now', ten full years after 'Kelly's Heroes'! But in cinematic terms it seems to predate all of them. Really, the only thing that kept the film from being entirely pedestrian was Lee Marvin. Of course nowadays they're all 'old fashioned' films and the retro quality of that particular film would be less glaringly obvious.

[Michael Emrys]

It is almost criminal how they could make a movie that is about Space Nazis and the end result lacks both humour and wit. I guess that is what happens when geeks who love computer graphics make a film, the things that make a movie good are neglected in favour of visual fireworks.

You might be amazed at how many film makers manage to talk somebody into giving them the money to make a film even though their IQs top out somewhere around 65.

Michael

[Macisle]

'The Big Red 1' holds a special place for me. Not because it is a great movie (Lee Marvin very much carried the film). Rather, because it brings back memories of the golden years of childhood for me in three ways.

First, if there was a classic WWII film on TV, Dad parked the channel there. Most of my favorite actors come from those films (watching ABTF is like seeing old family again!). Lee Marvin links into that.

Second, I was right in the prime kid demographic for 'Star Wars,' so seeing Mark Hamill in a WWII film was ace.

Lastly, that movie was in heavy rotation in the early days of cable movie channels. I remember what a big deal that all was and the massive dish we had for our apartment complex.

There are elements of the film I really like -- mostly music and atmosphere. I also like the cast generally (though the acting was barely passable with some of them).

However, one thing that annoyed the heck out of me as a kid and that still does to this day is that the Germans are the stereotypical numbskulls who can't seem to hit the broadside of a barn. No matter how favorable the situation, they fall in droves to any lead that happens to leave an American rifle. More balance there would really have helped the film.

'The Thin Red Line' has the dubious distinction of being my least favorite war film of all time. I HATED it. Which is strange, because I was expecting to really like it. The trailer and poster looked great. The cast looked good. And, I'm the kind of person that likes arty movies (on a case-by-case basis), anti-war movies, and difficult to follow movies.

So, I was very surprised to find myself unable to connect with any of the characters to the point of being almost relieved when they died. I literally cheered when the main character finally got killed. I've never had that reaction with any other war movie.

I think the cause is likely the WWII setting. Had it been Vietnam ('Apocalypse Now' is one of my all-time favorites), where our reason for being there is so questionable, then things may have worked in the film. But it's pretty much impossible to argue that America should not have fought in the second world war. The Japanese attacked us first and treated captured allied soldiers with a level of cruelty that was beyond the pale. There was no choice. To do otherwise would have been a dereliction of duty and dishonorable on a base human level.

So, to me, the main character came off like a quadruple-down on SPR's Upham with pretty much no saving feature or quality. I just wanted to slap him and say, "Do your job, maggot! Maybe you'd like to discuss all your anti-war navel-gazing with the local girls in occupied China!"

He-he.

I should probably watch it again. 14 years on, it may hit me differently.

My second least-favorite war film is 'Pearl Harbor.' For the first 15 minutes, I was like, "Hey, this isn't so bad. What are people complaining about?" After that, it was like, "Oh...my...God."

Macisle

[Baneman]

...is that the Germans are the stereotypical numbskulls who can't seem to hit the broadside of a barn. No matter how favorable the situation, they fall in droves to any lead that happens to leave an American rifle. ...

Hey, I got those in CMBN