Band of Brothers

YGIFS · June 8, 2023

Meh, Hollywood gets ages wrong constantly in war pictures. Brad Pitt as a 50 year old Staff Sgt? Bullshit. They always want to portray every bit of warfare as these grizzled old vets worn down by life in battle. When in reality, the world was saved by pimple-faced boys who answered a call. The only one that really got it right was Band of Brothers. They show them as smooth-skinned children at Taccoa. Then they age a bit in England. And by the end of the war, they bear their experience on their faces while the replacements show up young and naive looking. It was perfectly done. It reminds me of the lecture Danny DeVito gives the kid about regret on your face in "The Big Kahuna."

Parliament · June 8, 2023

And he did a good job in the role.

June 8, 2023

R Lee Ermey was severely miscast in his military roles.

Thought FMJ got it right with the ages even with a semi-competent Drill Instructor.

Saint Tacky · June 11, 2023

Things I didn't know until recently. Donald Malarkey was the impetus for "Saving Private Ryan," and introduced the story to author Stephen Ambrose at an Easy Company reunion in the 80s. Malarkey told Ambrose the story of the Niland brothers from Tonawanda, New York. One of the four Niland brothers was close friends with Malarkey's best friend in Easy Company, Warren H. "Skip" Muck. They were from the same hometown. Muck had shared the story with Malarkey and he recounted it to Ambrose much later. Private Ryan is based on Fritz Niland, Skip Muck's buddy.

BornOrange · June 11, 2023

On 6/4/2023 at 3:39 PM, tx 3 putt said:

It is almost a blasphemy to mention that terribly inaccurate movie in this thread.

WhatTheBuck · June 12, 2023

22 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

Things I didn't know until recently. Donald Malarkey was the impetus for "Saving Private Ryan," and introduced the story to author Stephen Ambrose at an Easy Company reunion in the 80s. Malarkey told Ambrose the story of the Niland brothers from Tonawanda, New York. One of the four Niland brothers was close friends with Malarkey's best friend in Easy Company, Warren H. "Skip" Muck. They were from the same hometown. Muck had shared the story with Malarkey and he recounted it to Ambrose much later. Private Ryan is based on Fritz Niland, Skip Muck's buddy.

The biggest problem with Saving Private Ryan was that Band of Brothers showed us that the troops could be dropped willy nilly, out of position all over Normandy, and the Army could still locate them to deliver their mail.

June 12, 2023

12 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

The biggest problem with Saving Private Ryan was that Band of Brothers showed us that the troops could be dropped willy nilly, out of position all over Normandy, and the Army could still locate them to deliver their mail.

You make it sound as if there was mail call on June 7th...

EastTexan · June 12, 2023

On 5/29/2018 at 10:54 AM, BearSchlong said:

My favorite show ever. Binge watched the whole thing yesterday after getting home from spending the morning on the gulf in my boat with my Vietnam vet father. Hell, I got teary eyed seeing a coast guard cutter coming down the channel, Memorial Day does that to me. Seeing the guys at the end of the last episode I couldn't hold back the tears.

This morning my son starts Airborne school at Ft. Benning, so this hits incredibly close to my heart.

did not notice date until after rep. hope your son is well and thank him for me.

Mrs east Texan and I watched last three episodes this weekend. Problably watched series every year since its release.

YGIFS · June 12, 2023

Wasn't that the USPS motto for decades?

Neither rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, and not even an aerial assault of a fascist occupied continent will keep us from our appointed rounds? I swear I read that somewhere. But yeah, 'Saving Private Ryan' had too many cinematic cliches for my taste, though visually it's the finest feature length WWII movie ever made.

But Band of Brothers was true to the story and they put great production value into it and it showed. What a cast, what a story, what a ride.

Edited June 12, 2023 by YGIFS

PRONG HORN · June 13, 2023

On 6/7/2023 at 9:54 PM, YGIFS said:

Meh, Hollywood gets ages wrong constantly in war pictures. Brad Pitt as a 50 year old Staff Sgt? Bullshit. They always want to portray every bit of warfare as these grizzled old vets worn down by life in battle. When in reality, the world was saved by pimple-faced boys who answered a call.

There were lots of older guys mixed in with the young on the battlefield including the front lines.

All pics from Guadalcanal including a POW the marines took. Surrenders were usually killed on Guadal.