Hollywood presents WWII. Films that grind your gears.

[tyrodtom]

Fully agree, there, Terry!

I truly enjoyed the movie "Battle of the Bulge" when I was younger, but it really irritated me that the Germans were using M60 tanks...I even recognized those when I was a kid ("wow..those German tanks look like the ones we're using in Vietnam!)

I never did see a M-60 in Vietnam when I was there, either time. I did see a lot of M-48s though.
A M-60 is just a upgraded M-48, more or less.

Those tanks in Battle of the Bulge were probably M-48s anyway. M-48s were the throwaway tank in the late 60's early 70's, they were using them as targets on the arty. range at Wildflecken, Germany when I got out in 73.

 

[fastmongrel]

Werent they M47s in the film

 

[GrauGeist]

lol...that was an error on my behalf...multi-tasking made me screw up my post

I meant they looked like M60s which I was familiar with as a kid, though at the time their deployment weren't details I was aware of, just that the Vietnam war was going on, and I was a kid, so naturally the two had to be connected (kid logic).

But certainly years later, when details counted, the M-47's use in movies like Battle of the Bulge and Patton (and so on) became discovered.

Like mentioned previously, to a kid, action is far more important than details! Sometimes growing up takes all the fun out of things...

 

[tyrodtom]

I think I've got my M's confused.

The M-47 was the throwaway tank of the 60s and 70s, not the M-48.
And those were M-47s we were putting on the firing ranges as targets.

 

[Njaco]

So, it seems to me that we have 3 types of war films (WWII-wise)

1. Historical docu-type = "Tora, Tora, Tora", "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo", etc
2. Entertainment set in WWII setting = "Kelly's Heroes", "A Walk In the Sun", etc
3. Absolute Shiite! = "Pearl Harbor", "Battle of the Last Panzer", "Pearl Harbor", etc

 

[fastmongrel]

We all have different favourites and dislikes but everyone is in agreement Pearl Harbour stinks worse than 5 week old roadkill. I would rather staple my eyes shut than watch it again even my partner thought it was drivel.

 

[Airframes]

There was one, just one, very good bit in that movie. Where 'The End' appeared on screen ........

 

[GrauGeist]

There was one, just one, very good bit in that movie. Where 'The End' appeared on screen ........

I have to disagree, Terry...the title/end credit music made my ears bleed...

Only when the screen goes blank does the best part of the movie appear

 

[Njaco]

There was one, just one, very good bit in that movie. Where 'The End' appeared on screen ........

I gotta disagree. Kate Beckingsale was a very good bit.....and thats all!

.

 

[vikingBerserker]

If she asked me nicely I would watch it with her.

 

[GrauGeist]

I gotta disagree. Kate Beckingsale was a very good bit.....and thats all!

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Yeah, but that's like finding a grape skittle in the middle of a cat-litter box.

 

[redcoat]

I gotta disagree. Kate Beckingsale was a very good bit.....and thats all!

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Technically even she's wrong...she's English

 

[Njaco]

does it matter?

 

[redcoat]

does it matter?

Of course not, but I'll put the boot into that awful movie every chance I get

 

[Airframes]

If she asked me nicely I would watch it with her.

hang on a minute David, I'll ask her.


She said No !

 

[Lucky13]

I gotta disagree. Kate Beckingsale was a very good bit.....and thats all!

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If she asked me nicely I would watch it with her.

I wouldn't, maybe I should say 'we' wouldn't, watch the movie that is.....well, maybe, just maybe the beginning and the credits at the end, possibly....

 

[silence]

If you wanna really "see" Kate, check her out in "Uncovered"

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

Worst film for me? I'm going with "The Sound of Music." Just before the greatest war in history started, a British diplomatic family decided that the best way to prepare was to break out every minutes into song.

 

[GrauGeist]

Worst film for me? I'm going with "The Sound of Music." Just before the greatest war in history started, a British diplomatic family decided that the best way to prepare was to break out every minutes into song.

The Sound of Music may have been annoying for the musical interludes, but it was based on a true story. And when I say based on a true story, let's just say that there really was a Von Trapp family with a real Baron Georg Von Trapp of the Austrian Navy. And they did live in Austria. And there was a bunch of kids. And a Nun had something to do with the kids. But that's about where the similarities end.

Another movie that "could have" been of interest, was the musical "South Pacific". My Mom loved that movie (oh yes, along with Sound of Music) and I saw it several times as a kid. Just when it looked like it was going to get interesting (it was a war movie, after all), they'd break into song and dance, killing any chance of serious enjoyment. Brutal, just brutal...

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

I heard about the Von Trapps, just wished it was told in a more...realistic sense. Heard somewhere that the actor who played the father wasn't too proud of the movie.

Anyway, definitely South Pacific, GG. I read a few memoirs/histories about the Marines during the war, and most of them stated that the people back home pretty much felt that that was what the war was like. Hoho, if they only knew.