Favorite War Mini-Series

[Confusionreigns178]

18 hours ago, John1 said:

Simply find a Brit who will drop a quarter of a billion dollars on a miniseries devoted to Bomber Command.  

We all know that this will never happen. The British TV and film industry is tiny compared to the American industry. The fact is, it's only the major streaming services that could pay for a series of this expense, particularly in a post-COVID world.

 

I am not criticising the making of the show - I think it will be a very worthwhile event.  

 

I have often wondered if Peter Jackson's version of the Dambusters has been wrecked by the fact it's a British story? I cannot see any American film executive wanting to sink $200 Million plus in to a story that Hollywood would see as too "colloquial" and not one that US audiences will be drawn too. Having said that the Jackson-produced "Mortal Engines" was utter trash, with a very poor script indeed.... How much did that disaster cost? 

 

Chris. 

[John1]

31 minutes ago, Confusionreigns178 said:

Really not a good comparison, to be frank, Mike. Let me give you a couple of examples of how American dramas treat the British involvement in the war:

 

A. Saving Private Ryan - not even a background glimpse of a British soldier. The only reference to the British comes when Tom Hanks is discussing Gen. Montgomery with Ted Danson. Hanks: "Monty is trying to push his troops through the German lines, but he is over-rated in my opinion." Ted Danson:  "I won't disagree with you on that one". The relative merits / failings of Montgomery are a little beyond my areas of interest, to be honest, but thanks for trashing the most famous British commander of the war, in one very short and ill-considered scene. 

 

Chris,  I’m not sure why this is such an irritant to you?   SPR was a movie about a platoon of American Rangers. Most US troops in the ETO never laid eyes on British soldiers.   The units to the left and right of them were US.  
 

It seems that you feel that unless British troops are made an integral part of every movie, their sacrifices are being ignored by those self-centered Americans. By that standard, should we also not also include discussions about and scenes including Russians since they did most of the “heavy lifting” in the war against Germany?

 

None of the issues you flagged minimizes the heroic sacrifices of British forces during the war.   It just comes down to historical accuracy and catering to the intended audience.    Honestly, I’d love to see a good quality miniseries on a bomber command crew.   

Edited April 29, 2021 by John1

[Confusionreigns178]

9 minutes ago, John1 said:

It seems that you feel that unless British troops are made an integral part of every movie, their sacrifices are being ignored by those self-centered Americans. By that standard, should we also not also include discussions about and scenes including Russians since they did most of the “heavy lifting” in the war against Germany?  

No, that really is not my point. Why do Hollywood's hugely-overpaid scriptwriters often seem to go out of their way to either ridicule or exclude mention of any nation other than the US fighting during the war? What advantage does it give them? 

 

Hollywood has a very long history of distorting historical facts to its own ends. According to most Hollywood Vietnam movies, all the suffering was visited upon the US forces. I think there are many Vietnamese who would dispute that, to this day. 

 

I don't really want to get into a big fight over this subject. Let's leave it at that and agree to differ?

 

Chris. 

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Confusionreigns178
Correcting a typo.

[Panzerwomble]

Eeeeez only a film !!!!!!!  ...........personally I quite liked Shaving Ryan's Privates .....bit low budget and historically dubious  but hey ho . 

[BiggTim]

1 hour ago, Confusionreigns178 said:

Having said that the Jackson-produced "Mortal Engines" was utter trash, with a very poor script indeed.... How much did that disaster cost? 

 

Chris. 

I know I am in the minority, but I loved it, despite it's flaws.

[Confusionreigns178]

55 minutes ago, BiggTim said:

I know I am in the minority, but I loved it, despite it's flaws

From what I've read, it made less than $15 Million globally. For a film with a production budget of $110 Million (plus large advertising and distribution costs), that is one HUGE failure. I lasted about 20 minutes and clicked on something else, instead. The script was horrible and cliched, from what I remember of it. The quality of some of the acting didn't help much, either. 

 

Each to their own, though. 

 

Chris.  

[Confusionreigns178]

1 hour ago, Panzerwomble said:

Shaving Ryan's Privates

i think that was a very different kind of movie, involving healthy, young men, engaged in all sorts of jolly outdoor pursuits and having numerous adventures. 

 

Chris. 

[LSP_Ray]

You forgot U571, where a US team grabbed an enigma machine.

Didn’t I read somewhere the Brits did that? 

[John1]

46 minutes ago, LSP_Ray said:

You forgot U571, where a US team grabbed an enigma machine.

Didn’t I read somewhere the Brits did that? 

Yes (kind of).   The Brits captured U-101 with an enigma machine but this movie seems to more accurately portray the capture of U-505 (and its coding devices) by a USN hunter-killer group.    

Edited April 29, 2021 by John1

[RLWP]

3 hours ago, Panzerwomble said:

Eeeeez only a film !!!!!!!  ...........personally I quite liked Shaving Ryan's Privates .....bit low budget and historically dubious  but hey ho . 

 

I remember seeing that advertised outside a Kinema in Munich

 

Richard

[LSP_Mike]

Chris,

SPR was based on actual events, and was uniquely American in that sense.  The  Niland brothers.

Debating monty is a waste, each side has arguements, just as with MacArthur; so many factors play into any discussion .

[RLWP]

Speaking of Monty, I only recently discovered this:

 

 

Something for the HPH C-47 builders

 

Richard

[Panzerwomble]

21 hours ago, RLWP said:

Speaking of Monty, I only recently discovered this:

 

 

Something for the HPH C-47 builders

 

Richard

Present from Ike if I remember and believe it got destroyed on the ground during Bodenplatte.

Probably need to re read my Mike Reynolds biography  again .

[RLWP]

14 minutes ago, Panzerwomble said:

Present from Ike if I remember and believe it got destroyed on the ground during Bodenplatte.

Probably need to re read my Mike Reynolds biography  again .

 

There were apparently more than one

 

Richard

[Panzerwomble]

32 minutes ago, RLWP said:

 

There were apparently more than one

 

Richard

IIRC after the first one was destroyed Monty pushed Ike to give him another ......such an endearing chap . 

 

BTW Your pic -KN628 was a later one , July 45 - Jan 56 . 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Panzerwomble