Now Watching, Films/ movies discussion Options

[SubRosa]

After spending last week watching Band of Brothers, I spent this week watching The Pacific. Of the two, I liked The Pacific better. The main reason is that it tightly focuses on 3 main characters. BoB had so many characters that I often had trouble telling one from another, especially if I did not see them for an episode or two and they turned up again. I had that problem to only a smaller extent with the ancillary characters in The Pacific, but since they are the supporting cast, it is really not a deal-breaker.

Thanks to that tighter focus, The Pacific is a much more character-driven story than BoB was, precisely because of the greater emphasis it is able to place on each individual. It really gets further into what each man was experiencing, and how those things effected him over the long term. For example we see Leckie slowly unravel at Cape Gloucester, and follow him through his battle fatigue and brief sojurn in the psychiatric ward of a base hospital. Or at Okinawa we see Sledge steadily lose his humanity, going deeper and deeper into an ugly abyss, only to regain it in the strangest and most tragic of manners.

The Pacific also shows us a much uglier war than what the boys from the 101st endured in Europe. Wounded Japanese will literally blow up corpsmen coming to help them, and it just gets worse and worse as the Marines get closer to the home islands of Japan.

Sometimes even worse than the Japanese themselves is the environment. The jungle itself is shown as the enemy it was, especially at Cape Gloucester, where it was the worst in the entire war. So bad that it was impossible for even the Japanese to march across New Britain from Rabaul to where the Marines landed at Cape Gloucester. Then there is the coral at Pelileu, impossible to dig in, so they had no latrines, no foxholes, nowhere to hide. Or the mud at Okinawa, (the attack coincided with monsoon season) which was bad enough that even amtracs would get stuck in it.

All in all a strong series, and well worth watching. The $80 I spent buying it on blu-ray was well worth it.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Nov 18 2010, 04:04 AM

[haute ecole rider]

I've not seen The Pacific yet. But I did read Flags of Our Fathers. Powerful stuff.

I know that each island the Marines took was different, with their own different challenges. The jungles were common in the southern islands, but as they moved further north, there was less and less plant cover. Iwo Jima was called Sulfur Island for a reason - it is all volcanic rock and black sand. The beaches themselves were hard to slog through because the sand kept shifting. Add to that the fact that the entire island was honeycombed with tunnels and underground rooms and you begin to get an idea of the hell that Iwo Jima was. Tarawa was hell to take, too. If I remember my history correctly, there was a miscalculation in the invasion plans and they went ashore at the lowest tide of the year (neap tide), so the amphibious vehicles couldn't even get past the coral reef. Marines were being shot while wading ashore.

And yes, the Japanese High Command had very little regard for life. That is a relatively recent development in Japanese history, as I understand it. People were basically considered cannon fodder for the High Command.

When you learn the gritty details, it makes you respect what those 19 and 20 year old American boys went through. No wonder Tom Brokaw considers them the Greatest Generation. They certainly learned the hard way what is really important in life.

The war in Europe was won by the Allied Army, the Air Force, and to some extent, the Navy. But I believe the US Marines own the Pacific War.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Nov 18 2010, 04:55 AM

[Linara]

Well after a huge Merlin binge (the newest series), the Bourne movies. Gotta love a good plot!

[Olen]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned (though I suppose it's hardly new so maybe no surprise). Anyway I finally got round to watching Taegukgi Hwinallimyo (in the Korean original) or Brotherhood:Taegukgi (UK) /Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (US). As the name sort of suggests it's a Korean film about the Korean war.

For those who haven't seen it, you should. It doesn't mess around about showing a more accurate portrayal of war than is common in films. It also doesn't show either side as being much better than the other, as far as summary executions and conscription went. The characters and characterisation are excellent as it follows a pair of brothers during the conflict as one loses most of his humanity and the other watches unable to do much.

I would add that it isn't a happy film.

This post has been edited by Olen: Nov 20 2010, 05:17 PM

[haute ecole rider]

Unless it's a romantic comedy, most Korean dramas/films usually aren't happy at all.

Olen, I looked up Tae Guk Gi on Wikipedia. It sounds like the one I just finished watching; a similar K-drama that left me impressed with its handling of the human costs of the Korean conflict. Road No. One is about two men who love the same woman (the typical Korean love triangle) who are forced to learn to cooperate each other as they first retreat south, then back north along Road No. One, which is the main road that runs/ran from Seoul to Pyongyang (now the capital of North Korea).

It is tough, gritty, realistic (I found myself looking for Dale Dye, it was that good) with moments of humanity. The supporting characters are well drawn, especially Sergeant Oh. Unlike most Korean love triangles, where the loser doesn't develop much throughout the story arc, all three participants in this complicated relationship progress through their own journeys. It was one of the best character-driven war movies I've ever seen.

I'll also have to say that Road No. One is the best K-drama I've seen so far, and I've seen some good ones over this past year. How good you ask? It's so good I couldn't think of writing a better version of it!

If I get the chance to watch Tae Guk Gi, I will definitely do so!

[treydog]

We just finished watching The Fall by Tarsem Singh. It was rather on a whim- since we have Netflix and a Roku player.

Turns out to have been a fortunate whim. The visuals are quite incredible- the movie was filmed in over 20 countries. If someone is interested, I would recommend getting the DVD version to enable captioning- plus some good extras. Although it is in English, the young actress is difficult to understand at times. But that should not put you off.

I don't want to say much about the plot, beyond the fact that it revolves around stories and how our own experiences inform our reactions to them. If you are a fan of cinematography, this should definitely be on your list.

[SubRosa]

I just finished watching Road Games, a little Australian gem from the early 80s. It is an homage to Rear Window, only with the main character as a truck driver (there is even a direct nod to Hitchcock by way of a magazine that the truck driver has with him on the cover). It is heavy on suspense, and keeps you very firmly rooted in the pov of the truck driver, seeing what he sees, imagining what he imagines. Nothing fantastic, but fun nonetheless.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Nov 30 2010, 05:08 AM

[Linara]

I just finished 'In Good Company' (again). Pretty much the only movie I like where the romance doesn't continue, but I think that's because its obvious that the main character had grown up. With winter (and cold season) approaching, I'll probably be dredging up 'While you were sleeping' and 'You've Got Mail' for another watch. Gotta love the chick flicks...and of course Pride and Prejudice is just begging to be put in the Xbox

[SubRosa]

If by P&P I hope you mean the 1995 magnum opus starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth!

[Linara]

Was there ever any other

[Destri Melarg]

I watched Centurion the other night. It is a film directed by Neil Marshall that stars Michael Fassbender as Quintas Dias, the soul survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman fort in 2nd Century Britain. Seeking revenge, Dias manages to hook up with the Ninth Legion, led by General Virilus (Dominic West) who are on their way to avenge Dias' fallen comrades. The film also features the stunning Olga Kurylenko as the Pict warrior, Etain.

I was ended up being pleasantly surprised by this film. The narrative is evenly paced with some interesting twists in the plot. The performances are exactly what we have come to expect from pros like Fassbender and Dominic West. I wasn't that big a fan of Marshall's film, Dog Soldiers, but I liked this one. Granted, there are a few developments in the film that strain credulity, but overall this is one that I would recommend.

[mALX]

Got to see one of the old Dr. Phibes movies tonight - Vincent Price at his best - hilarious !!!

[treydog]

Just watched the season finale for Leverage. Otherwise, continuing with Homicide (near the end of Season 4, now); Monk; Eureka; and a gem we just found, William and Mary. What can I say? Netflix has taken over our schedule. But, since Mrs. Treydog will likely have knee replacement surgery sometime next year- that is probably a good thing.

[Thomas Kaira]

I watched Centurion the other night. It is a film directed by Neil Marshall that stars Michael Fassbender as Quintas Dias, the soul survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman fort in 2nd Century Britain. Seeking revenge, Dias manages to hook up with the Ninth Legion, led by General Virilus (Dominic West) who are on their way to avenge Dias' fallen comrades. The film also features the stunning Olga Kurylenko as the Pict warrior, Etain.

I was ended up being pleasantly surprised by this film. The narrative is evenly paced with some interesting twists in the plot. The performances are exactly what we have come to expect from pros like Fassbender and Dominic West. I wasn't that big a fan of Marshall's film, Dog Soldiers, but I liked this one. Granted, there are a few developments in the film that strain credulity, but overall this is one that I would recommend.

I recently watched that, too, and heartily enjoyed it. It had some nice battle scenes (viewers caution, there is a LOT of blood in this film) and it was a great adventure through what is today Scotland, and it never hurts to have a looker of a female villan, either.

But as you said, there were problems. For one thing, Etain's tracking abilities are never explained and this makes her seem clairvoyant, which does a number on her character. And speaking of character, there really wasn't much in here, this was mostly a "stuff without substance" summer action blockbuster, only with swords and spears instead of guns and cars. It even met the requisite bad-censored-ery by having one of the Roman soldiers kill a Pict warrior by skewering him on a spear... that he was still run through on (See? Pretty graphic). That there made my go as well as .

Oh, and the ending was bleh, IMHO, a bit cliche.

But overall, I enjoyed it, and Fassbender did a really good job holding this movie up despite its faults.

[mALX]

Just watched the season finale for Leverage. Otherwise, continuing with Homicide (near the end of Season 4, now); Monk; Eureka; and a gem we just found, William and Mary. What can I say? Netflix has taken over our schedule. But, since Mrs. Treydog will likely have knee replacement surgery sometime next year- that is probably a good thing.

Bless her heart! I'm sorry to hear that, Treydog!

[The Vyper]

I've been watching the Highlander series for the last couple of weeks. I'm almost finished with season 5, which is my favorite one. And the blooper reel included in this set is one of the best blooper reels I've ever seen.

[mALX]

I've been watching the Highlander series for the last couple of weeks. I'm almost finished with season 5, which is my favorite one. And the blooper reel included in this set is one of the best blooper reels I've ever seen.

I love when they show the Bloopers! I think all movies should do that, there are some I would pay extra to have them included!

[SubRosa]

I've been watching the Highlander series for the last couple of weeks. I'm almost finished with season 5, which is my favorite one. And the blooper reel included in this set is one of the best blooper reels I've ever seen.

I have been thinking of going back to watch that again. The fist season is painful, but has a few good episodes. Once the second season starts, and we meet Joe, the show really begins to come into its own. It is amazing how much better it is than the original movie. Season Five had some of the best, with the Horsemen arc, and loved the one with Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.

I think my favorite of that season was Little Tin God however. I love that part where Joe, Duncan, and Ritchie are sitting together over some beers and Joe says that the rule about fighting on holy ground had been broken, once. At Pompeii, 79 AD. It was such a throwaway couple of lines, but added so much to the Highlander lore.

[The Vyper]

I have been thinking of going back to watch that again. The fist season is painful, but has a few good episodes. Once the second season starts, and we meet Joe, the show really begins to come into its own. It is amazing how much better it is than the original movie. Season Five had some of the best, with the Horsemen arc, and loved the one with Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.

I really enjoyed the Horsemen two-parter. There were a few surprises about Methos in those. The double Quickening at the end was great. I also thought the idea of a Quickening being the inspiration behind Frankenstein was pretty neat. I think one of the things that made the series better than the original film is that Adrian Paul actually knows how to use a sword, whereas Christopher Lambert didn't at the time of the film. Connor MacLeod's sword fights were terrible. How did he survive for 450+ years?

I think my favorite of that season was Little Tin God however. I love that part where Joe, Duncan, and Ritchie are sitting together over some beers and Joe says that the rule about fighting on holy ground had been broken, once. At Pompeii, 79 AD. It was such a throwaway couple of lines, but added so much to the Highlander lore.

Little Tin God is one of my top ten favorite episodes. The bit about Pompeii was my favorite part as well. I was disappointed when nothing spectacular happened after the multiple beheading on holy ground in Highlander: Endgame.

[hazmick]

As I type this I am watching '300' and then I shall watch 'Gladiator' and then maybe...just maybe, I might watch 'Troy'.