New Hanks/Spielberg HBO mini: Bomber Boys

[zack1234]

Decrepit spice

[-tronski-]

Sounds good but it all depends on how much CGI will be in it and how it's handled. I for one think the recent crop of aviation films are spoiled by over elaborate CGI scenes which simply look fake. Brilliant eye candy though it maybe. Too many extreme angles and impossible viewpoints.

Of course real B17s are few and far between and there has to be CGI. But there's CGI which takes away from the story and there's seamless CGI which draws you in. Less is more sometimes.
 
Spielberg to be fair has a good track record in telling a story. Fingers crossed.

I imagine our British friends might be getting a bit excited. There has to be some filming in East Anglia and of course there's a B17 and a few Mustangs available. Could be an interesting summer.

Based on their track record you should be pretty confident that Hanks & Spielberg will go that extra mile for accuracy, and storytelling. Both BoB and the Pacific had CGI sequences that were excellent - the assault on Peleliu was absolutely outstanding in both respects. If Spielberg gave his good mate George a job on it on the otherhand - there would be cause for concern for sure already!

 Tronsky

[Fish42]

It would be really nice if these great directors could make mini series from another side. I know the Americans played a big part in the war, but there were many players big and small.

How about a story following the naval battles in the med from the Italian or British side?

Or the early desert battles between the Brits and the Italians/Germans. The Matilda's where the king on the battle field until 88 AA was used against it. The siege of Tobruk that lasted over 200 days?

Or the desperate defense in Asia as Japan lunched their first attacks. show the Hudson flying from their fields at the last min while under MG fire after having been in action for the last 24 hours bombing and strafing ships/ landing craft and troops to slow their advance on the airfield. Then having to be used as fighters along with Warraway trainers as the Brewster Buffalo's were quickly knocked out of the air by the far Superior Zeros/ Oscars and even the older Ki-27.

There are many stories in WW2. Its a little annoying when the best movie makers restrict themselves to one view.

[Badger85]

Just one more mini-series to wrap up WW2

I'd love to see a mini-series about U.S. submariners in the Pacific during WWII. Just like there hasn't been a great movie about bomber pilots since Memphis Belle, there also hasn't been an outstanding flick about submariners since Das Boot. But I'm pretty excited about Bomber Boys!

[VonMessa]

It would be really nice if these great directors could make mini series from another side. I know the Americans played a big part in the war, but there were many players big and small.

How about a story following the naval battles in the med from the Italian or British side?

Or the early desert battles between the Brits and the Italians/Germans. The Matilda's where the king on the battle field until 88 AA was used against it. The siege of Tobruk that lasted over 200 days?

Or the desperate defense in Asia as Japan lunched their first attacks. show the Hudson flying from their fields at the last min while under MG fire after having been in action for the last 24 hours bombing and strafing ships/ landing craft and troops to slow their advance on the airfield. Then having to be used as fighters along with Warraway trainers as the Brewster Buffalo's were quickly knocked out of the air by the far Superior Zeros/ Oscars and even the older Ki-27.

There are many stories in WW2. Its a little annoying when the best movie makers restrict themselves to one view.

Bollocks.

Don't watch it.

They can make their films their way, you make your's your way.

[Delirium]

There are many stories in WW2. Its a little annoying when the best movie makers restrict themselves to one view.

The American movie makers are arguably the biggest in the world and they are aiming the films to a certain audience; Americans. It is very risky to create a film for a foreign audience and this job belongs to the other film makers of the world.

'Flag of Our Fathers' vs 'Letters from Iwo Jima' was a great example. 'Flags' grossed more than $65 million while 'Letters' only grossed $13.7 million domestically, if it wasn't for the unexpected (but appreciated) foreign sales it would of been a bomb (the stats may be wrong, source is questionable). Strangely enough, 'Letters' actually made more money than 'Flags' and in my opinion was much more interesting as well.

I'm strange, but I in no way am indicative of the typical movie watcher within the United States. I'd even guess aside from this community that is Aces High, no one is willing to sit through 'Das Boot' and all the subtitles for the more surreal experience.

[zack1234]

Das Boot is awesome in German and subtitles with headphones on and lights off

[cpxxx]

While I understand British complaints that American movies tend to sideline the British part in the war. The reality is that even during the war itself, Churchill and the British realised quite quickly that they were very much the junior partner alongside Stalin and Roosevelt. Fair or not that's the way it is.

British war movies had their heyday in the fifties and many excellent films were made most of which completely ignored the American contribution. So it works both ways. The reality is that there little stomach for the British verions of events even in Britain. Memphis Belle was originally supposed to be about a British bomber crews. But it was changed to American for perfectly logical commercial reasons. Another reality is that even outside of America, American movies are more popular.

As it happens, a movie about Bomber Command would likely be controversial.  Even during the war there was considerable disquiet about the campaign. No less a person than Guy Gibson VC enraged 'Bomber' Harris when he made certain comments on a visit to America. It would never be really commercial even in Britain even if the budget was found. That's a pity really.

I wonder what happened to Peter Jackson's version of the Dambusters?

[zack1234]

The British were sidelined as the war progress into 1944, the amount of American and Allied forces was roughly equal.

The Political aspect that evolved was the main reason for the US taking more of a control of events, they knew once the initial success of the of retaking Europe that British influence was not as essential.

The complaints about the Bomber campaign during the war were only limited to those members of society that still exist today, the Liberal chattering privileged elites. (It was not considerable, those who agreed with campaign were never asked for their opinions) as is today.

How many people in the US complained about the bombing of Japan, None, and they never even had their Cities attacked.

How many people would watch a film that portrayed the British contribution to the total destruction of the Narzzies very few, unless it had vampires in it 



   

[Delirium]

How many people would watch a film that portrayed the British contribution to the total destruction of the Narzzies very few, unless it had vampires in it 

Hey! You just WISH you had a Prime Minister (President) that hunted and killed vampires! Lets see... Winston Churchill-Werewolf slayer'!



(one of the most ridiculous movies ever!)

[Plawranc]

I would like to see a mini series about a small group of Hitler Youth boys getting called up in 1940, going through training and fighting on the Eastern Front. Band of Brothers from the other side.

The Nazi's are despicable evil monsters. But their soldiers were young, dumb and crazy, sitting in holes full of mud and snow, getting bombed and shot at like everyone else. I would just like everyone to see how horrible it is that to this day the German people are forever associated with the Nazi's, and point out the fact that the only real difference between a German soldier in the Wehrmacht and a US Soldier is the uniform he wears and the language he speaks. Each one was conditioned by his country to believe his war was just, and as a result, was stuck in a hole miles from home getting bombed, with crap food, and just each other for company.

It would be far more interesting than watching the same, USA saves the day story every single time I turn on the television.

[Drano]

Das Boot is awesome in German and subtitles with headphones on and lights off

Agreed. I've had the superbit DVD since they released it. I don't think 
I've made it much more than twenty minutes into the film
watching it in English. It loses--a lot imo.

[Widewing]

  They need to do Tin Can Sailors, or something earlier about the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

I agree. The Battle off Samar was the single greatest US naval victory in any war. The First battle of Guadalcanal was probably the worst defeat.

I know Jim Hornfischer (he's a Facebook friend), the author of Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors which chronicles this fight, and Neptune's Inferno, which is a similar treatment of the engagements off of Guadalcanal. To my knowledge, no one has approached Jim to negotiate movie rights, but I'll ask him.

[Fish42]

Bollocks.

Don't watch it.

They can make their films their way, you make your's your way.

Who said I did not want to watch it? All I asked is that the people who have shown themselves to be good at making WWII movies/mini series work on some stories from other sides and/or points of view.

I watch BoB and most of the Pacific and I liked them, is there something wrong wanting a different take?

[zack1234]

What was TV series about civil war ironclads?

It was very good for a tv series