What have you been watching?

How can you say that? "Saving Private Ryan" is a very lousy war film compared to the "Longest Day"! First, it's a fiction story in the middle of D-day which portrays —very accurately, yes— just the fighting in Dog-Green sector of Omaha Beach and a fake mini-battle in Ramelle against German units which weren't at Normandy yet.

"The Longest Day" is a huge and extremely accurate complete history of D-day, with real characters, real stories, etc. That the action scenes are not as realistic as Spielberg's is quite obvious why: the budget and technology difference between 1970 and 1998...

 

For starters,the part where the Brits are tied down in the town by MG-42s and a AT gun.Here comes these 4 nuns walking down the street in a hail of gun fire?? "I'll go get us some tank support"; here he comes riding into town later standing on the back of a Sherman whose commander is standing up in the turret.Knocks the German AT gun out and the Germans run?Hurray!Hurray!Those Germans must have been piss poor shots. I know SPR was fiction. I like the movie but it's corny."Hey I hear bagpipes".

 

They were not Brits, but Free French.

That did happen in reality. And that precise scene has one of the best aerial shots and edition I have ever seen in my life. Wtahc it again and you'll be amazed by how the camera turn 180o + while men run and action is going on without you even noticing that's like 50+ takes! Spielberg dreams about scenes like that...

And not precisely the best fiction... The screenplay is quite awkward in the middle, though it is not bad at all. But "The Longest Day"'s script is what a script and a screenplay must be. It's incredibly well-written. Not to mention the five directors made a supperb job, uniforms were better than in "Saving Private Ryan" and
also was not biased at all.

That did happen.

And of course, if you watched it in TV dubbed to English, then you wasted your time.

 

I just saw Captain Corelli's Mandolin on A&E. Wow!

 

I recently "watched at" an old B&W named "ATTACK" w/Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, and "Animal" from Stalag 17, and another one I can't remember the name to starring Yul Brenner as a German Merchant? captain and Marlon Brando as an ally spy aboard ship... ???ANYONE think the upcoming (at the Theatre) "ALAMO" is gonna be worth a hoot??? I saw "THE PASSION" last week but didn't care for it a great deal...I thought "JESUS OF NAZARETH" with the British actor (what's his name) was better...

 

The original Alamo was on British tv yesterday. Still a classic.

Regards,
Gordon

 

THC ran Band of Brothers over the past week. Wow!

Say what you will about Ambrose but without his book, the amazing story of Easy Company would never have been filmed.

[ 21. April 2004, 02:42 AM: Message edited by: Deep Web Diver ]

 

just finished band of brothers for the 3rd or 4th time, and i'm still trying to finish "the longest day" for the first time (just dont have enough time nowadays)

 

Still suffering from 'Pearl Harbor' aftereffects....ummmhhh....errrrhhhh.... BAAARRRFFFF!!

 

It is very good. You get to love the Italians! And it is much better than the book at some parts.

Well, Martin. The film is crap. But at least give it a try to the bombing. That part's good. And you'll be happy in the end when the characters suffer a lot.

 

Just watched last week Serguéi Eisenstein's "The Potemkin battleship". Wow! For a 1927, propaganda film it is more than amazing. It's simply shockening and incredibly beautiful!

The scene of the pram going down Odessa's stairs is dramatic as hell —but Brian De Palma ruined it in his version in "The Untouchables"...

Watch it. If you haven't watched it, then you just haven't watched what a real film is.

 

Gee whizz Martin,do you hate "Pearl Harbor" that BAD?? How about a couple hours of " Friends" for a nightcap?

 

or a 3 hour finale of "american idol"? haha

 

Friedrich, even if the characters were slowly pulled apart limb-from-limb, they couldn't have suffered more than I did in the first 45 minutes.....

 

I have to agree with you General, Battleship Potmekin is a great film even with no sound !
The scene with the side of beef with all the magots on it was good too. Makes you want to turn vegetatarian or something.

And I have to agree with you also Martin, Pearl Harbor was rather nauseous and down right dumb.

 

Been watching some documentary:

German War Files, The - Dive Bombers And Combat Aircraft Of World War II

Excellent footage with loadsa Stukas flying around. And some colour footage on Rudel and Galland together.Excellent!



http://www.bensons-world.co.uk/dvd/products/8/7000000088669.asp

 

I'm making my way threw the World at War doc which has been just amazing. The footage is endless and amazing pics, plus Laurence Olivier's voice gives effect a hundred times over!!

 

And I'm going to watch to-night a Mexican film of the 1940s called "Mejicanos al grito de guerra" —Mexican warcry— which is a war film about the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862 against the French Army. Quite a patriotic day for Mexico...

But here's this French citizen to remind them that after that temporary defeat the French Army took Puebla three months later and it wasn't recaptured until the French left Mexico —thanks to Bismarck...

 

Oh yes, almost forgot...

I also watched Bomber Harris movie a while ago
( John Thaw as Harris ) and quite liked it, especially due to Thaw´s excellent work in the head role.

If you can definitely worth watching!



http://www.mvc.co.uk/common/product.jhtml?pid=20186027

 

I watched Conspiracy. It's a movie about the Wannsee conference. Great movie and great acting.