Memorial Day Movie Watching

[Alex Karev 1030]

The Longest Day has always been one of my favorites and another is Saving Private Ryan.

The later depicts the 29th Division's courageous landing on Omaha Beach during WWII.

My Dad was there, in the 29th Division, 116th infantry, K company, and he was 1 of only 3 survivors of K Company at the end of the war.

He survived the initial beach invasion without serious injury, but was later wounded 3 times in battle. He received the Distinguished Unit Badge, Bronze Star and Cluster, Purple Heart and 2 Clusters.

Also, like the Ryan's my dad had 3 other brothers serving the same time. One brother lost a leg to a land mine in France, and another was at Pearl Harbor and later in the Pacific under kamikazi attacks.

Memorial Day has always been a special holiday for my family.

If you haven't seen either of these movies, I would highly recommend them for Memorial Day weekend. 

[South Austin 52463]

If you want to binge-watch a series, I highly recommend The Pacific. 

This probably belongs in the unpopular opinions thread, but I thought it was better than Band of Brothers (and I think BoB is excellent).  Better cinemaphotography, better casting with better actors, and better character development (The Pacific largely focuses on the story of three Marines, whereas BoB touches on a lot more guys from Easy Company). 

Bias confession:  My dad is a Marine and veteran of two wars, Chesty Puller's name was all over Quantico and Camp Lejeune where I grew up, and my junior year in high school I got to interview a former Marine who fought in Guadalcanal as part of a U.S. History project.  So there's something personal about The Pacific that tugs at my heartstrings.   

[Knoxtnhorn 5974]

Working my way through BoB for the 3rd time.  This time with my 13 year-old.  We got through 3 episodes, then got side-tracked w/ distance learning.  (I didn't want him on a computer all day, then watching tv.)  

I also liked The Pacific.  My grandfather fought in the PTO, so this one is more personal to me.

Thank you veterans.

[Brandywine 1316]

There is only one movie I watch, Saving Private Ryan. Gets me every time.

[South Austin 52463]

3 minutes ago, Brandywine said:

There is only one movie I watch, Saving Private Ryan. Gets me every time.

I love that movie, but my dad doesn't.  His reason:  "I saw that kind of stuff in real life.  I don't want to see actors playing it out on the big screen."

[Js1 85312]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

If you want to binge-watch a series, I highly recommend The Pacific. 

This probably belongs in the unpopular opinions thread, but I thought it was better than Band of Brothers (and I think BoB is excellent).  Better cinemaphotography, better casting with better actors, and better character development (The Pacific largely focuses on the story of three Marines, whereas BoB touches on a lot more guys from Easy Company). 

Bias confession:  My dad is a Marine and veteran of two wars, Chesty Puller's name was all over Quantico and Camp Lejeune where I grew up, and my junior year in high school I got to interview a former Marine who fought in Guadalcanal as part of a U.S. History project.  So there's something personal about The Pacific that tugs at my heartstrings.   

I also liked The Pacific more than BoB

[Rabidhorn 121]

BOB. Tons better than The Pacific.

Battleground-My father helped drop supplies to the 101st Airborne after the weather cleared.

John Wayne

[Horn_Spanker 524]

WTF?  Memorial Day without Kelly's Heroes?

[Alex Karev 1030]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I love that movie, but my dad doesn't.  His reason:  "I saw that kind of stuff in real life.  I don't want to see actors playing it out on the big screen."

Yep, My Dad also. He never watched a war movie, and he never talked about it. He didn't need too, he lived through that hell. Sadly we lost him almost 40 years ago. 

[South Austin 52463]

11 minutes ago, Alex Karev said:

Yep, My Dad also. He never watched a war movie, and he never talked about it. He didn't need too, he lived through that hell. Sadly we lost him almost 40 years ago. 

Respect to your old man.

[Guest Lobo]

My father who served from 1961-1965 (beginning of Vietnam 'Conflict') was huge into war books and war movies, trading books and movies was one of the few things we had in common in adulthood.  Grandpa served in the Pacific until 1946 and was not at all interested in war books and movies.  I assume, though he never said and I never asked, because he saw some seriously gruesome shit on those island hopping campaigns he was around. 

But growing up Memorial Day was always a big deal in our household, lots of people over, parades, buddies they had served overseas with came over with their families, guys that hadn't seen in years or even decades.  It was a festive, but heavy occasion because they all knew guys that never made it home.  and now being cooped up inside with the loud family during Memorial Day-Covid edition, I also know why my father and grandfather drank so much during Memorial Day weekend.  I put the flag out this morning with my daughter, and she asked why, and I said well the Sunday before Memorial Day and then Memorial Day were very important to your Dad when he was growing up and this helps me remember all the men in my family that served in the military so that I wouldn't have to.  And we do this for the mommies and daddies that did the same thing for their kids, but  who never got to come back home to them.  It was the nicest and most honest explanation I could muster without crying.  

Anyway, what were we talking about?  I need to go back and rewatch "The Pacific."  Only saw it the once as it unfolded each week on HBO.  How come you never see it all over the place in syndication like you did with Band of Brothers?  

[South Austin 52463]

Thanks for sharing that, Lobo.  Really great stuff.

Regarding The Pacific, it's included with Amazon Prime if you subscribe.  I binged watched it during the beginning of COVID quarantine right after Band of Brothers.  I cried like a 6-year-old boy during the last three episodes.

[CurlyDumps 4471]

6 hours ago, South Austin said:

Thanks for sharing that, Lobo.  Really great stuff.

Regarding The Pacific, it's included with Amazon Prime if you subscribe.  I binged watched it during the beginning of COVID quarantine right after Band of Brothers.  I cried like a 6-year-old boy during the last three episodes.

That main theme, man. Gives me chills every time. So good.

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by CurlyDumps

[South Austin 52463]

5 minutes ago, CurlyDumps said:

That main theme, man. Gives me chills every time. So good.

Shit yeah.  Same here.  I love that score.

[Not a cat 5652]

Finished my 3rd or 4th spin through BOB today.  Started on my second viewing of Pacific now.  I just remember Pacific being really hard to watch when I saw it a decade ago.  BOB had some light hearted moments to relieve the tension, but I recall always thinking someone's gonna get sniped in the Pacific. 

I'd much rather have been in the European theater, and I hate the cold.  

[RPM 26318]

BoB and The Pacific are apples and oranges. BoB follows 1 group of soldiers, The Pacific follows 3. I like both, but my sentimental vote goes to The Pacific.

Dad ran a LCVP (Higgins Boat) at Iwo Jima.

[South Austin 52463]

1 hour ago, RPM said:

BoB and The Pacific are apples and oranges. BoB follows 1 group of soldiers, The Pacific follows 3. I like both, but my sentimental vote goes to The Pacific.

Dad ran a LCVP (Higgins Boat) at Iwo Jima.

Your dad is a badass.

[RPM 26318]

57 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Your dad is a badass.

I'm certain Mike Judge based Cotton Hill on my dad.

[KatHorn 20]

Band of Brothers or the Pacific - - You can’t go wrong.  After having enjoyed BOB so much I remember chomping at the bits for the Pacific to drop on DVD ( didn’t have HBO).  I had always heard HBO/hanks/Spielberg were going to do a similar miniseries documenting the 8th Air Force’s exploits in Europe in WWII but its never come to pass.

One thing I always smile about on the Pacific is one of the final episodes when Eugene, SNAFU, and Cpl RV Burgin take the train home east.  Burgin gets off in Jewett, Texas.  If any of you have been through Jewett, you understand how truly a small world it really is.  
 

Happy Memorial Day to all you veterans and to the families of these great men and women.  

Edited May 25, 2020 by KatHorn

[RPM 26318]

5 minutes ago, KatHorn said:

I had always heard HBO/hanks/Spielberg were going to do a similar miniseries documenting the 8th Air Force’s exploits in Europe in WWII but its never come to pass.

Masters of the Air is coming to Apple+

[Alex Karev 1030]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/otQoMc7jZ1e7Yxdn6

[Wade 464]

Dad was a P-47 pilot.  Like most WWII veterans he didn't tell us much about his experience.  Long after he passed, we came to find out he was part of one of the most famous, intense dogfights of WWII.  The television show Dogfights did an episode on it.  What amazes me to this day is that when the 8 P-47 pilots saw the 50-60 German fighters, they immediately got rid of their bombs and fucking engaged!  The balls of that generation.

 

 

 

[RPM 26318]

Just watched Wings (1927). Fully restored silent film by William Wellman about WW1 fighter pilots. Some amazing aerial photography and not a bad story.

[The University 851]

wings is awesome and it's one of my favorite great war movies. even if you normally avoid silent films, wings may still surprised you.

[RPM 26318]

WW1 flying movies are a weakness for me. They were the last knights on a battlefield.

Just saw The Best Years of Our Lives is coming on TCM at 7pm tonight. If you haven't seen this, you need to.

An often overlooked classic is Decision Before Dawn which is on today at 6:45a and tomorrow morning at 5a on FXM. It's about German POWs sent back across the lines as spies. Really, really good. Was nominated for Best Picture and Best Editing Oscars in 1952.

Edited May 25, 2020 by RPM

[Beantown Express 2.0 6559]

It may not be the best WW2 movie but I guess since I watched it a million times as a kid I always like watching The Big Red One so I will have to watch that this afternoon when it is on the Sundance Channel.  

[Alex Karev 1030]

Saving Private Ryan did a remarkable job in the reactment of the D-Day Landings. My dad was in the 29th Division "Blue & Grey" first wave that assuslted Omaha Beach. 

The LCVP "Higgins Boat" he was in was hit by mortar and sunk 200 yds from shore. Most of K company were killed or drown quickly and the ones that made it to shore had to dodge machine gun fire and find weapons from the dead soldiers.

This landing was also know as the Longest Day.

[TwiceHorn 31451]

8 hours ago, RPM said:

WW1 flying movies are a weakness for me. They were the last knights on a battlefield.

Just saw The Best Years of Our Lives is coming on TCM at 7pm tonight. If you haven't seen this, you need to.

An often overlooked classic is Decision Before Dawn which is on today at 6:45a and tomorrow morning at 5a on FXM. It's about German POWs sent back across the lines as spies. Really, really good. Was nominated for Best Picture and Best Editing Oscars in 1952.

One of the more interesting aspects of WWI aviation was that the European model of officer as aristocrat/noble was fully entrenched on both sides.

And, due to this and the "rear guard" nature of flying squadrons, their non-flying lifestyle tended to correspond to their officers' wealth and that persisted until the Battle of Britain, when the losses became too great to discriminate much.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19100]

I am watching all the iterations of The Trip.  

[rage-a-holic 4382]

I watched a squadron of F-14's almost prevent the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It really needs a remake.

[Guest Lobo]

More like, when the hell are we?  

I started watching "midway" earlier with the last wave of rain.  And I forgot how bad of an actor Heston can be at times, whenever there's a scene involving his son's fiance.  

And of course, I turned on the Pacific with my daughter during one of the most fucked up scenes as my wife walked in the room. 

So I've shut it all down, got out my grandfather's Navy pictures when he was a PO2 at Okinawa.  I'll use these as teaching moments.   

I keep searching for great movies about the Chinese and Italian Navies in WWII, but damn if there just isn't any source material.  

[EuroHorn 3261]

[RPM 26318]

1 hour ago, EuroHorn said:

That movie is so bad President Eisenhower came out of retirement to hold a press conference saying the movie was shit.

[dcar00 14181]

this is a great set for those that like WW2 movies and cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/D-Day-Remembered-Blu-ray/dp/B00J11U52C?tag=bluray-027-20&linkCode=xm2&m=

Disc 1: The Longest Day Blu-ray
Disc 2: The Great Escape Blu-ray
Disc 3: Battle of Britain Blu-ray
Disc 4: Patton Blu-ray
Disc 5: Tora! Tora! Tora! Blu-ray
Disc 6: A Bridge Too Far Blu-ray

[Steamboat1874 4056]

12 hours ago, RPM said:

That movie is so bad President Eisenhower came out of retirement to hold a press conference saying the movie was shit.

I watched it anyway after watching The Great Escape and The Dirty Dozen.

The one thing that was comical was that almost every scene where a soldier gets shot or is killed by by an explosion they almost always throw both of their arms up over their heads before falling to the ground.

It does have a great cast however.  

[RPM 26318]

2 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said:

It does have a great cast however.  

The cast was excellent. The writing, not so much. There are so many historical inaccuracies it's mind bottling.

[Alex Karev 1030]

From my research the Great Escape was mostly an accurate account.

Not sure about the Dirty Dozen. It was a good movie for sure, but I have know idea if anything similar ever happened.

 

[dogbreath 434]

Good article about the true story of Great Escape.  https://www.history.co.uk/article/the-true-story-of-the-great-escape

The Man Who Never Was - Terrific movie and true story of the feint British pulled before invading Sicily.

[Alex Karev 1030]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/t6p4TMkv1WGfye9z6

Different POW camp than this one