New Hanks/Spielberg HBO mini: Bomber Boys

[mbailey]

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.

By far one of my favorite authors. I actually had the pleasure of asking him a question regarding Neptune's Inferno when he was giving an overview / lecture on the book at the Pritzker Military Library. He is truly an American treasure in chronicling what these guys went thru.

I saw a little blurb written about him stating that he is doing for the Navy what Stephen Ambrose did for the Army. Must say i agree whole heartedly

[danny76]

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?

By quite quickly, you must mean after 2 years of fighting alone whilst the Russians desperately tried to be good bedfellows with the Nazi's and the U.S dragged their feet and waited to see what would happen? The Russians were a bit tied up to do anything other than defend the Motherland and it wasn't until November 1942 that the tide of war in Russia turned with the relief of Stalingrad. They were solely employed in home defence whilst the "junior partner" was fighting in the air over Britain and France, in North Africa, Malta, the Middle East, the Pacific and on the high seas.

Junior partner indeed

[zack1234]

 

I got my new pc Danny i will be flying on friday and all day Saturday.

How is Mary doing by the way Danny

[danny76]

I got my new pc Danny i will be flying on friday and all day Saturday.

How is Mary doing by the way Danny

Hurrah!

She's a slaaaag

[cpxxx]

By quite quickly, you must mean after 2 years of fighting alone whilst the Russians desperately tried to be good bedfellows with the Nazi's and the U.S dragged their feet and waited to see what would happen? The Russians were a bit tied up to do anything other than defend the Motherland and it wasn't until November 1942 that the tide of war in Russia turned with the relief of Stalingrad. They were solely employed in home defence whilst the "junior partner" was fighting in the air over Britain and France, in North Africa, Malta, the Middle East, the Pacific and on the high seas.

Junior partner indeed

Sorry but yes it did take about two years while Britain did most of hard work and the dying. It is a bitter pill to swallow. But it's no real secret and you know full well that some of the comments on this thread in relation to mentioning the British contribution and the wider criticisms of movies like Saving Private Ryan should that it's still a sore point that Britain's part in the war is often underestimated even in Britain itself.

It is really long overdue for a Bomber Command movie. They got the memorial finally last year. Time for a film tribute. They can even make Harris that evil bomber as long as it celebrates the aircrew.

[VonMessa]

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?

You made a statement that it annoyed you.  Usually people have a tendency to not do things that annoy them, which is as good as saying that you don't want to watch it.

I will go out on a limb and say that whizzing on an electric fence and having a colonoscopy with a cactus are annoying.  That being said, you can rest assured that I wouldn't want to do either.

See how that works?

[Badger85]

What was TV series about civil war ironclads?

It was very good for a tv series

Are you serious? That sounds awesome! Do you (or anyone else) remember the name of that series?

[zack1234]

Sorry but yes it did take about two years while Britain did most of hard work and the dying. It is a bitter pill to swallow. But it's no real secret and you know full well that some of the comments on this thread in relation to mentioning the British contribution and the wider criticisms of movies like Saving Private Ryan should that it's still a sore point that Britain's part in the war is often underestimated even in Britain itself.

It is really long overdue for a Bomber Command movie. They got the memorial finally last year. Time for a film tribute. They can even make Harris that evil bomber as long as it celebrates the aircrew.

Harris was a hero he contributed to the destruction of a culture that sunken the depths of depravity

Britain were carpet bombed by the orders of Goring who boasted he would Destroy London.

He was to blame

He was also a fat knaker as well

 

[Fish42]

You made a statement that it annoyed you.  Usually people have a tendency to not do things that annoy them, which is as good as saying that you don't want to watch it.

I will go out on a limb and say that whizzing on an electric fence and having a colonoscopy with a cactus are annoying.  That being said, you can rest assured that I wouldn't want to do either.

See how that works?

Do you watch sports? does an aspect of it i.e. the refs, a rule or a team annoy you yet you still love the game? I am sure somethings in AH annoying to you but you keep playing? See how this works?

The negatives do not out weigh your enjoyment of the medium as a whole, therefore you keep watching/playing and wishing for some things to change.

[rogwar]

agreed 100%

That would be awesome.

[Shifty]

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.

Then the British need to make the movie, not wait on somebody else to do it for them and complain if it doesn't happen. Band of Brothers wasn't meant to be a rah rah USA series it was meant as tribute to the soldiers of the 506th. I don't recall any episode downplaying the role or being derogatory towards British forces in WWII. The closest thing I've seen to a war movie out of the UK recently was..

[Scherf]

^ "The Dreaded Red X" - a story of how a scarlet letter found meaning.

[zack1234]

I read a article that the producers of "The Longest Day" had to go to Lord Mountbatton of Burma to get more British input in the production.

They will not be any films made in Britain praising the efforts of its contribution of its Military in WWII because the film industry is not patriotic, they are willing to make a film about a "Horse" though that was in WWI

The Germans made "Das Boot" and "Downfall"

The British made a film called "Billy Elliot" about a working class boy who defies his ignorant father and goes on to be a ballet dancer  

The new "Lincoln" film looks good, is a sequel to the vampire one?

[Guppy35]

By far one of my favorite authors. I actually had the pleasure of asking him a question regarding Neptune's Inferno when he was giving an overview / lecture on the book at the Pritzker Military Library. He is truly an American treasure in chronicling what these guys went thru.

I saw a little blurb written about him stating that he is doing for the Navy what Stephen Ambrose did for the Army. Must say i agree whole heartedly

I love his work as well.  Thinking about it interns of movies I'd consider Ship of Ghosts to be the easiest to make a movie about.  One ship and crew that deals with prewar to the end.  There are definitely people to get invested in via their stories.

[danny76]

Then the British need to make the movie, not wait on somebody else to do it for them and complain if it doesn't happen. Band of Brothers wasn't meant to be a rah rah USA series it was meant as tribute to the soldiers of the 506th. I don't recall any episode downplaying the role or being derogatory towards British forces in WWII. The closest thing I've seen to a war movie out of the UK recently was..

(Image removed from quote.)

Other than the dippy tank commander who said, in a typical Oxbridge plummy accent " I say, if one can't see the blighter, then how the bally heck would one shoot him?"