What is the last WW2 Film or Series you saw?

The things you find when you're looking for something else. Pulled from just one of many storage boxes gone through this morning. Years elapsed since it was last in the dvd player so thought I'd make the time for a repeat viewing.

Just over an hour since, and not a dry eye in the house.

It's from 1991 (was on tape before dvd came along) yet the names (and certainly a couple of faces) will be familiar to so many of you good folks who contribute to WW2 Talk. Please seek it out folks, you will not be disappointed.

The greatest generation? Absolutely.

"PELELIU 1944, HORROR IN THE PACIFIC" (Americanherofilm production)

Always remember, never forget,

Jim.

 

I went through the Band of Brothers 10 part series again. Nothing new noticed, but lots of prior reading familiarized me with the historical inaccuracies and behind the scenes stories associate with each episode.

 

Exactly what my dad used to do.

 

My first introduction to Peleliu was HBO’s “The Pacific“, which led me to read one of the best books I have ever read, Eugene Sledge’s “With The Old Breed”. I could listen to “Sledgehammer” all day long and some more.



As it happens, I have just this week watched the horrors of the Peleliu battle in the superb “Pacific War In Colour” on the Smithsonian channel.

I will look out for that dvd, Jim, thank you.

 

The family and I watched Darkest Hour the other night. Very good we all thought.

 

The man who never was followed by operation mincemeat documentary by the author

 

With the Old Breed, written by Eugene Sledge, is a must read classic.

 

Last night I watched the recent release of Midway. It certainly isn't one for the purist (aircraft skimming the sea surface while carrying a full bomb load, or a dive bomber dropping its bomb about 6 foot from the deck of a ship, Japanese torpedo bombers dropping torpedoes like bombs, a kamikaze attack about 2 years before the first one etc) and the acting is a bit cliched while everyone seems to be 'the best we have'. The CGI is good in some places and average in others while the story line is more like a coverage of the various actions prior to and including Midway - it covers Pearl Harbor, a raid on the Marshall Islands, Battle of the Coral Sea, The Doolittle Raid and then Midway. Overall about a 2.5 out of 5.

 

That's a shame, haven't seen it yet but watching the trailers it did made me want to watch it (purpose of a trailer i guess) but i find that any war film made nowadays just isn't good enough since Saving Private Ryan maybe my standards are too high but historical accuracy in the films needs to be at the very top of the list which SPR was, remember hearing stories of veterans walking out because the d-day landing scene was so accurate it brought back some of those terrible experiences.

I finished watching Generation War the other night which was a very good mini series from the German POV

 

On Sky Documentaries is the fantastic The Cold Blue which covers the 8th Air Force in 1943. The footage is all in period colour film, newly restored when the original film reels were found in the archives. The original version was the well known Memphis Belle documentary but this one also has extra footage included. Well worth a watch as the film is crystal clear in places.

 

I watched King Rat with George Segal the other day. Very good film with an unusual subject matter.

 

I'll give that one a go i think. Memphis Belle was one of my favorite war films growing up. Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg are releasing a new series on the same called The Mighty 8th - hopefully be as good as Band of Brothers.

 

Aye, it is going to be screened on the Apple TV streaming channel.

 

I enjoyed Darkest Hour too. Gary Oldham did an awesome job of portraying Churchill in my view.

 

Definitely, I liked the way the film concentrated only on the build up to the war and was not tempted to go on and show the actual fighting and his own Greatest Hour.

 

Great episode. Non stop action with MG 42, Kublewagon, German M3 half track and a couple thousand rounds of 30-06 fired.

 

Jo Jo Rabbit - currently on amazon for £2. I really enjoyed this, I know it’s divided opinions on here. Different to what I expected as it’s nowhere near as camp and slapstick as the trailer makes out, there’s a lot more depth. Acting was superb.

 

London Live showed Underworld at War today produced by Meridian TV (ITV) watched Episode 7 looking at the shooting at a Kingsclere Pub, a rape by two Americans in Kent and blackmarket antics, packed with information and first hand testimony. Learnt that you needed a coupon for everything except hats! Produced 2003 Tx'ed 2004 good production value which lacks in many documentaries today for 30 minutes entertaining and informative. IWM hold the interviews

Whole series is on London Live 2nd, 3rd & 6th July.

Or you can watch it on amazon.com

"Mayhem and Memories Peter Williams recounts the extraordinary tale of a Chicago-style turf-war gunfight on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border during the Second World War and Ennis Smith reveals how she broke the rules to marry her soldier boyfriend Clarence"