What have you been watching?

PBS is airing an entertaining World War II mystery series from Britain called Foyle's War. The series features a police detective (Foyle) at work in wartime Britain.

 

Just picked up the Hoagn's Heroes complete season two DVD. You know what I'll be doing all weekend.

 

Just bought a couple of films on post war "nazi hunting"

"The statement" with Michael Caine in it

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340376/combined

"Music box" with jessica Lange in it

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100211/

 

I have been increasingly interested in the Vietnam War as of late. This week I watched Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, and Good Morning Vietnam.

 

Kingdom of Heaven, Stalingrad, Bridge over River Kwai

 

Just bought a couple of videos:

The War file: Secret armies 1. Mountain men of Crete, 2. The French resistance

Aviation at war: F4U Corsair in WW2

Battlefield : The West Wall ( actually a bit weird as in this the Battle of the Bulge is considered as a trap by Ike who deliberately put weaker forces in the Ardennes to lure the Germans into attack. I thought he put them there because he thought it was a more peaceful place )

 

Killer Tanks: The KV Tank - Russian Steel Monster

Killer Tanks: The T34 Tank- Russia's Cutting Edge

 

Just recently saw a Russian production called "Come See". It was weird. Some parts look accurate and well done but most of it was just different. Anyone see it?

 

You mean this? No, I havent´seen this one.The Russian films though still seem alot like done by the propaganda machine of USSR...

http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/105706.htm

This towering, cathartic experience won the Grand Prize at the Moscow Film Festival. The story is based on writer Ales Adamovich's WWII memoirs of SS reprisals against partisans. Set in occupied Byelorussia in 1943, the film follows a raw teenager into the swamps and forests of the border provinces, where he undergoes a hell of atrocities, becoming a middle-aged wreck as he tries to survive the carnage. Remarkable acting, camera work, crowd scenes and direction raise the film far beyond anything comparable, as director Elem Klimov manages both a savage beauty and an impassioned elegy in this anti-war film. "It's a masterpiece not only of filmmaking, but of humanity itself" (Sean Penn). In Russian with English subtitles. Two DVD-set. Includes subtitle options in 13 different languages, interviews with cast and crew, production stills gallery, and two archival segments: "Partisans in Belarus" and "Nazi Brutalities." Elem Klimov USSR 1985 142 mins.

 

Europe's Secret Armies: Germany - Resisting from Within

The Sherman Tank - The Workhorse

Got also a 2-DVD on German science projects and human experimenting results which should hopefully bring new light to what happened...

 

Yes and I would agree. This did come out as very pro-mother russia.

 

Just watched a couple of old documents from 1975, the Secret War: "the battle of the beams" and "To see for a hundred miles".

Both were very interesting with people interviewed who were making the miracles back in WW2 and how they did it.

Especially I was surprised by the simplicity and possible effect of the knickebein system. If it had not been figured out how much destruction could the Luftwaffe had caused really...or could it?

Also a time-lapse film found in Peenemünde was quite startling showing a time -lapse film of a Berlin radar of a bombing raid Jan 1944. After seeing the film the voice said " You just witnessed the shooting down of 33 bombers..."
The Berlin radar was called something like "Jankschloss" (??)...

 

Was that the series with William Woollard from tv's Tomorrow's World, Kai? Think I remember seeing it first time round ( ). The radar screen footage was incredible.

 

Hi Kai-Petri yes the Secret War is a great series I bought it years ago and still watch it today a well made series if you get the opportunity to buy it well worth doing so there is also a book to go with the series.

 

Yes, Gordon, that´s the one! Many programs tend to think people know alot to start with but here they tell you everything from the beginning which is quite nice especially with the beams and radar stuff...

Nice to hear Richard42 that you enjoyed the series as well.

 

The Secret War open my eyes up to what was going on in the back rooms the Wizard war a very enjoyable series and well constructed as well I think the BBC should repeat this classic series

[ 18. January 2006, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: Richard42 ]

 

Just watched a document on resistance on Crete 1941-1945. Incredible. Even how cruel you are the people still continue the resistance...

 

Back to the the Secret War: "the battle of the beams":

You don´t always need the newest equipment to deal with the threat. for instance Knickebein:

Countermeasures to jam the beams were soon developed, at first employing jury-rigged diathermy machines borrowed from local hospitals .

http://home.earthlink.net/~nbrass1/2enigma.htm

 

thats a good series all should watch

 

A couple of DVD´s coming my way:

Classic British Jets: Meteor-- The Ultimate Profiles

FlightInto Death - The Sinking of the Freighter Goya