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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

 
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/2/2006 2:57:22 AM   
ShermanM4


Posts: 298
Joined: 7/14/2003
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quote:

Well, I showed both Gettysburg and Gods and Generals to my 8th grade Social Studies class and G&G kept them moderately interested (with a running historical commentary from me). They never forgot the scenes of the 20th Maine piling up bodies for protection and the sounds of bullets hitting dead flesh. It also graphically communicated the Union rout at Chancelorsville and the death of Jackson. As an educational aid, it served a purpose. I got pretty good test scores on the Civil War from the questions on Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, death of Jackson, Gettysburg, and Pickett's Charge.

Personally, I still found Gods and Generals to be a major disappointment as entertainement. Jeff Shaara just isn't as good a writer as his dad, Michael Shaara. To be fair, nothing tops Gettysburg for Civil War drama though.


Well said! I think the biggest problem with Gods and Generals overall was the lack of focus. The focus was so broad!!! Lots talk about battles, then causes, then Jackson's sex life, then Chamberlain's distraught wife and poor teaching abilities, a discussion on slavery, etc... The actual battle scenes, especially Fredericksburg, were well done. I love the whole 45min. sequence of Fredericksburg. I thought it was well laid out, focused, dramatic, accurate, and had plenty of action. Whereas Gettysburg was perfect because its focus was limited in scope. It simply focused on the battle and both minor and major players in it with no less and no more.

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Post #: 151
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/2/2006 4:27:49 AM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: ask doggie
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: oi_you_nutter

It would be good to have a film about the American Revolution that was not so, we are good and they are bad.




Revolution with Al Pacino

it's a tuff one to find though but worth the hunt




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Post #: 152
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/2/2006 4:42:59 AM   
Agrippa


Posts: 121
Joined: 1/20/2006
Status: offline 		I'll go along with you as far as the Fredericksburg scene. It was pretty well done. If it had not been for Fredericksburg, I think I might have walked out at intermission as well.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the extras. Egad, talk about breaches with realism!!! How many 300# flag bearers do you think they had in the Confederate Army? His jogging charge ruined an otherwise descent battle scene for me. The extras in general were awful.


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Post #: 153
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/2/2006 9:36:07 AM   
Pippin


Posts: 1233
Joined: 11/9/2002
Status: offline 		I have a copy of Gods & Generals. Not worth the money, but sadly I only found out AFTER I had watched it. Though since I can not really remember stuff worth remembering, I think I will have to watch it a second time soon :P



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Post #: 154
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/3/2006 8:57:57 AM   
ShermanM4


Posts: 298
Joined: 7/14/2003
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quote:

I have a copy of Gods & Generals. Not worth the money, but sadly I only found out AFTER I had watched it. Though since I can not really remember stuff worth remembering, I think I will have to watch it a second time soon :P


Somebody bought it for me three Xmas's ago, and I watched it several times. I, really, tried to like it, but in the end, it was just not that good. Like I said, the Fredericksburg scene is really worth watching. Its about 45mins. from the initial planning with General Burnside to the withdrawl of the 20th Maine over the pontoon bridge.

quote:

Revolution with Al Pacino

it's a tuff one to find though but worth the hunt


I liked that one. I thought the portrayel of the reluctance on the part of the colonists or Britsh Americans to fight was brought out nicely. I would not say that this reluctance was true for every one, but it was there for some. I also love the opnening battle scene in that movie. Especially because its the only military role Donald Sutherland truely played a serious part in. It does a descent job of showing that thin-red line move up to contact against the pitiful Yankee militia.

< Message edited by ShermanM4 -- 2/3/2006 9:00:24 AM >

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Post #: 155
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/4/2006 6:17:01 AM   
Zodiac


Posts: 10
Joined: 9/15/2004
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: offline 		I thought that the "Battle of the Bulge" really sucked. Althought it had a memorable scence or two. I really enjoyed the combat scenes that looked like they were filmed in the High Desert of the Mojave rather than the snow covered forests and fields of Belgium. Most of the film has no historical basis. Put it simply, this film irritates me.

BTW, I loved the Thin Red Line. I agree with those who posted that it wasn't a war film. It's a film that was set in a war. Every time I see it, I just think it gets better and better.

< Message edited by Zodiac -- 2/4/2006 6:21:42 AM >

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Post #: 156
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/5/2006 7:43:57 PM   
sictoat

 

Posts: 2
Joined: 2/3/2006
Status: offline 		Hollywood makes more money in the U.S.A. Americans like to see American heros.

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Post #: 157
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/5/2006 10:38:15 PM   
rhondabrwn


Posts: 2570
Joined: 9/29/2004
From: Snowflake, Arizona
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Agrippa

I'll go along with you as far as the Fredericksburg scene. It was pretty well done. If it had not been for Fredericksburg, I think I might have walked out at intermission as well.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the extras. Egad, talk about breaches with realism!!! How many 300# flag bearers do you think they had in the Confederate Army? His jogging charge ruined an otherwise descent battle scene for me. The extras in general were awful.



Yea, when I showed both Gods & Generals as well as Gettysburg in class, I made a point of pointing out that there would have been very few rotund, well fed, soldiers in the Confederate army by this point of the war. However, I'd rather have a 300 pound reenactor with authentic uniform and equipment who is scrupulously trying to be "real" than a hired extra who knows nothing about the period or the war. I really didn't let the "heavyweights" bother me after making sure my students knew that the Confederate army was woefully undersupplied and underequipped by this point of the war. It was the same way that we examined the varied assortment of uniforms on both sides at Bull Run and the confusion over flags. I have to say that Gods and Generals is not that bad as a classroom resource.

Someone else mentioned "Battle of the Bulge"... now that one I would NEVER show in a history class. There isn't anything in that movie of historical value!

Let me add another movie that is unfortunately banned from my class (after I had high hopes for it). I got a copy of "Dam Busters" which is quite authentic and full of great flying sequences. However, much to my dismay when I previewed it... it seems that the Squadron commander has a Black Labrador named "N*gg*r" (historical? maybe.) However, they beat it to death with constant "that's a good "N*gg*er""... "bring it here "N*gg*r"... and so forth ALL through the movie. On second thought, maybe I might show one scene just to make the point about racial attitudes in 1947 that would allow such an insensitive dialogue to be used, perhaps in conjunction with "The Tuskeegee Airmen" which I will be showing.

Yea, I'm being overly PC, but we've had an outbreak of the Junor High kids in my school picking up using the "N" word with each other as a taunt. We're trying to crack down on it. One of the nice discoveres here in Tsaile was the simple fact that the kids didn't go around constantly calling each other name and I hate to see them picking some of this stuff up from the Rap music they are all listening to. Talk about cultural pollution on the rez!

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Post #: 158
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/6/2006 5:58:04 AM   
ShermanM4


Posts: 298
Joined: 7/14/2003
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quote:

I thought that the "Battle of the Bulge" really sucked. Althought it had a memorable scence or two. I really enjoyed the combat scenes that looked like they were filmed in the High Desert of the Mojave rather than the snow covered forests and fields of Belgium. Most of the film has no historical basis. Put it simply, this film irritates me.

BTW, I loved the Thin Red Line. I agree with those who posted that it wasn't a war film. It's a film that was set in a war. Every time I see it, I just think it gets better and better.

< Message edited by Zodiac -- 2/3/2006 9:21:42 PM >


I agree, its funny how Spain in the middle of summer looks nothing like the Ardennes region of France, Germany, and Belgium during record lows of the winter of '44-'45.

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Post #: 159
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/6/2006 9:57:08 AM   
Code Talker

 

Posts: 48
Joined: 10/3/2001
From: The Colony, Texas
Status: offline
quote:

Many of the John Wayne movies suck, though they are obviously product of some other, bygone era, and should be viewed as such. (Some have oneliners usable as sigs too.)


I agree, but I have to still rank The Alamo (John Wayne's version) as my number one bad film. I know he made it to make America feel good about itself in a terrible time, but its simply awful.

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Post #: 160
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/6/2006 5:39:02 PM   
diesel7013


Posts: 245
Joined: 5/2/2002
From: Texas
Status: offline 		You can't be a native Texas and hate John Wayne movies ( no matter how bad ) - I bet you hate dogs, apple pie and you mom too!!

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Post #: 161
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/6/2006 6:58:10 PM   
Agrippa


Posts: 121
Joined: 1/20/2006
Status: offline 		"However, I'd rather have a 300 pound reenactor with authentic uniform and equipment who is scrupulously trying to be "real" than a hired extra who knows nothing about the period or the war. "



Authentic uniforms are a definite plus, and I'm sure the movie budget is helped by not having to outfit a regiment of soldier. However, I am still not sold on reenactors in movies. Nothing against reenacting, getting out for a weekend in another period sounds like a lot of fun.

The best movies with a lot of extras generally get them from the military. Waterloo used Russian soldiers and Gardens of Stone used actual troops from the 3rd US Infantry. Of course that doesn't solve all the problems with putting together realistic battle sequences. It still takes good directing and editing to make sure there aren't any individuals taking a time out in the middle of an advance.



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Post #: 162
RE: What's Your worst war movie ever - 2/8/2006 10:54:46 PM   
Zodiac


Posts: 10
Joined: 9/15/2004
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: offline 		Besides Battle of the Bulge, others on my suck list include:

The Green Berets (Need I explain why?)
The Big Red One (Terrible Combat scenes plus Mark Hamil-aparently coming off his recent hit "Camero Summer")
Midway (They used a lot of WWII combat footage aparently to save money on special effects.)
Tora Tora Tora (See Midway above)







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Post #: 163
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