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10 most inaccurate movies
retiredbee2
Member Since: May 04, 2008
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Posted: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 02:37 PM UTC
I would have to say ..."Who cares?" All action movies , especially war movies have rediculous scenes or wrong equipment. It is just a movie and the appeal is to entertain and not enligten people with education. Imagine any Rambo movie for truth and accuracy, yet those stupid films were very popular. I think a realy good topic would be more fun , like maybe finding funny bloopers just for fun and not being offended by Hollywood trying to slip one by on the more fact knowledgeable people. Just my two cents worth........enjoy the movie. (Edit) For example , remember the wooden Japaneese tanks that they used in The Fighting Seabees ? Pretty funny ,but the movie was John Wayne....How can that be bad ?
md72
#439
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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 04:49 AM UTC
It's a movie. A U$10-20 excursion into the willing suspension of disbelief. Perhaps bigger budget flix with better CGI budgets will get the exact right mark of every piece of equipment in the scene. Then all we have to worry about is bottomless clips in automatic weapons. 
retiredbee2
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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 05:56 AM UTC
HEY...I have seen those bottomless clips. They come from the same manufacturer of those guns that cowboys shoot at the Indians with. You know....the ones that they take one shot without aiming and two indians fall off dead from fast moveing horses... ..
......Al
......Almd72
#439
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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 06:11 AM UTC
Yea, how many rounds does a 6 shooter hold anyway 
retiredbee2
Member Since: May 04, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 06:18 AM UTC
From what I have seen maybe a couple of hundred . .....
md72
#439
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Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 06:29 AM UTC
Custer coulda used a few of them at Little Big Horn......
CaptSonghouse
Member Since: August 08, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 08:55 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I'm totally suprised no-one has mentioned "Patton"! I love that movie, but, I cringe every time I see American Armor in Panzer yellow and green.
Hil
Airy
Us!
Cuhail
Yep, and the sad thing was, "Kelley's Heroes" was filmed not very long afterwards and that film had Shermans and very passable T-34 'Tigers'.
--Karl
retiredbee2
Member Since: May 04, 2008
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Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010 - 03:43 PM UTC
Yep, Jim explained to me the thing about the T-34s and the wheels being the main giveaway.Funny thing that I noticed today when reviewing Kellys, is that in the scene where all those tanks are rolling by on the road. Eastwood and Sevalis are conversing, Eastwood in a jeep. Approaching are a column of German prisoners , nobody else around. Right in the middle of the dialogue instead of Germans walking by , a few civilians walked by and one of them in a striped shirt looked suspiciously like one of the film crew that was standing out of place.They must have cut the scene and resumed not realizing that the background was different.....would not say that Kellys was a worst movie, just thought that scene was a boo boo............AL
Grip84
Member Since: April 09, 2008
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Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010 - 04:10 PM UTC
This topic really is the most complete waste of time. It isn't worth a postin...uhh..dang! I hate when that happens.
Nevermind.
Did anybody mention the goofy "Iron Beagle" series? Doink!
Nevermind.
Did anybody mention the goofy "Iron Beagle" series? Doink!
retiredbee2
Member Since: May 04, 2008
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Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010 - 04:57 PM UTC
Hey Scott......any post is a waste of time, but it is still fun, at least usually... as long as were not all fighting about something...... ......Al
......Al
plastickjunkie
Member Since: December 31, 2009
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Posted: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 03:01 PM UTC
I have seen the Blue Max a bizillion times and just the other day I noticed the Germans were armed with Enfields! There also a lengthy list of goofs from that movie on some site. Hollywoody strikes again!
Bratushka
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Posted: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 09:39 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I have seen the Blue Max a bizillion times and just the other day I noticed the Germans were armed with Enfields! There also a lengthy list of goofs from that movie on some site. Hollywoody strikes again!
Interesting! I think small arms with obvious exceptions are an even more esoteric realm that fewer know of than even aircraft and armor detail. I imagine in all conflicts there was a degree of collecting what was available from the enemy in small arms and using it. We know that it happened a lot with transport vehicles, artillery, and armor.
Bratushka
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Posted: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 09:53 PM UTC
I was going to add this to the previous response but thought it would be worthy of a separate post.
I am a fan of Japanese anime, especially those of the military genre. It's the only real insight I get into how some modern Japanese think about the Second World War and Japan's role in it and the outcome. I recently watched a 3 story set called "The Cockpit". The stories are all fictionalized, so for those familiar with them no history lesson please!
In one story a pair of motorcycle riding Japanese soldiers were trying to get to an airfield on an island over-run with Marines. In one scene a Zero flies over them which initially makes them happy. But, quickly enough it turns and attacks them and they barely escape. The dialog between the soldiers after the incident is about the Americans using this as a trick where they fly around in captured Japanese aircraft with the insignia intact to either lure Japanese soldiers out into the open to attack them or to fly recon missions over contested areas without the risk of getting shot down. Did this really happen?
I know there are [supposedly] rules against this, but I know it happened in Europe with German troops posing as Americans although I can't quite get any definitive information on the reverse. We know that disguising vehicles was done even to the point of Dragon's Ersatz M-10 kit being released. I have also heard of Russians dressing as Germans although I would be hard pressed to cite a source, having read this a long time ago.
Another interesting Japanese anime series I viewed was about a modern Japanese Aegis class cruiser going out on NATO type maneuvers when an electrical atmospheric anomaly sends them back to the area of Midway in the days before the battle. They come across a downed seaplane and rescue the unconcious passenger who turns out to be a Japanese Naval Intelligence Officer. After he recovers he is given a tour of the ship which suitably impresses him, and he is allowed complete access to the ship's library where he learns of the history of the war and what happens to Japan after. A crew member on the ship is an amateur military historian so he is constantly in awe recognizing the times and places and knowing what is to come. For an animated series it was very thought provoking, especially the debate over, as fellow Japanese, should they become involved in the Battle and risk changing history. I watched the first series and anxiously await the second installment. That series was called "Zipang".
Even though my love of anime and some other forms of animation often produce the same eye rolling accompanied silent groans that my passion for model building receives from the uninitiated, I don't mind. I have watched anime that standard films with flesh and blood actors couldn't match for either intellignece, excitement, plot, interesting characters, you name it! Some anime is definitely kiddie fare, but some is as dark, as beautiful, as violent, as sad and as high-brow as anything you could ever watch. I'd dare anybody to watch "Plague Dogs" and have a good day afterwards.
I am a fan of Japanese anime, especially those of the military genre. It's the only real insight I get into how some modern Japanese think about the Second World War and Japan's role in it and the outcome. I recently watched a 3 story set called "The Cockpit". The stories are all fictionalized, so for those familiar with them no history lesson please!
In one story a pair of motorcycle riding Japanese soldiers were trying to get to an airfield on an island over-run with Marines. In one scene a Zero flies over them which initially makes them happy. But, quickly enough it turns and attacks them and they barely escape. The dialog between the soldiers after the incident is about the Americans using this as a trick where they fly around in captured Japanese aircraft with the insignia intact to either lure Japanese soldiers out into the open to attack them or to fly recon missions over contested areas without the risk of getting shot down. Did this really happen?
I know there are [supposedly] rules against this, but I know it happened in Europe with German troops posing as Americans although I can't quite get any definitive information on the reverse. We know that disguising vehicles was done even to the point of Dragon's Ersatz M-10 kit being released. I have also heard of Russians dressing as Germans although I would be hard pressed to cite a source, having read this a long time ago.
Another interesting Japanese anime series I viewed was about a modern Japanese Aegis class cruiser going out on NATO type maneuvers when an electrical atmospheric anomaly sends them back to the area of Midway in the days before the battle. They come across a downed seaplane and rescue the unconcious passenger who turns out to be a Japanese Naval Intelligence Officer. After he recovers he is given a tour of the ship which suitably impresses him, and he is allowed complete access to the ship's library where he learns of the history of the war and what happens to Japan after. A crew member on the ship is an amateur military historian so he is constantly in awe recognizing the times and places and knowing what is to come. For an animated series it was very thought provoking, especially the debate over, as fellow Japanese, should they become involved in the Battle and risk changing history. I watched the first series and anxiously await the second installment. That series was called "Zipang".
Even though my love of anime and some other forms of animation often produce the same eye rolling accompanied silent groans that my passion for model building receives from the uninitiated, I don't mind. I have watched anime that standard films with flesh and blood actors couldn't match for either intellignece, excitement, plot, interesting characters, you name it! Some anime is definitely kiddie fare, but some is as dark, as beautiful, as violent, as sad and as high-brow as anything you could ever watch. I'd dare anybody to watch "Plague Dogs" and have a good day afterwards.
AJLaFleche
Member Since: May 05, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 02:57 AM UTC
Quoted Text
In one story a pair of motorcycle riding Japanese soldiers were trying to get to an airfield on an island over-run with Marines. In one scene a Zero flies over them which initially makes them happy. But, quickly enough it turns and attacks them and they barely escape. The dialog between the soldiers after the incident is about the Americans using this as a trick where they fly around in captured Japanese aircraft with the insignia intact to either lure Japanese soldiers out into the open to attack them or to fly recon missions over contested areas without the risk of getting shot down. Did this really happen?
Possible, I suppose, if you made really sure there were no Allied planes in the area and any Allied AA crews knew not to fire on the ersatz aircraft.
Quoted Text
I know there are [supposedly] rules against this, but I know it happened in Europe with German troops posing as Americans although I can't quite get any definitive information on the reverse. We know that disguising vehicles was done even to the point of Dragon's Ersatz M-10 kit being released. I have also heard of Russians dressing as Germans although I would be hard pressed to cite a source, having read this a long time ago.
Germans also used captured Allied fighters to stalk and shoot down stragglers from bombing runs which resulted in the YB-40 program of up-gunned B-17 equipped with twin .50 mounts at the waist and a second dorsal turret flying behind a returning mission to lure these attackers in.
Quoted Text
Another interesting Japanese anime series I viewed was about a modern Japanese Aegis class cruiser going out on NATO type maneuvers when an electrical atmospheric anomaly sends them back to the area of Midway in the days before the battle. They come across a downed seaplane and rescue the unconcious passenger who turns out to be a Japanese Naval Intelligence Officer. After he recovers he is given a tour of the ship which suitably impresses him, and he is allowed complete access to the ship's library where he learns of the history of the war and what happens to Japan after. A crew member on the ship is an amateur military historian so he is constantly in awe recognizing the times and places and knowing what is to come. For an animated series it was very thought provoking, especially the debate over, as fellow Japanese, should they become involved in the Battle and risk changing history. I watched the first series and anxiously await the second installment. That series was called "Zipang".
Sounds suprisingly like TheFinal Countdown
plastickjunkie
Member Since: December 31, 2009
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Posted: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 03:50 AM UTC
Interesting! I think small arms with obvious exceptions are an even more esoteric realm that fewer know of than even aircraft and armor detail. I imagine in all conflicts there was a degree of collecting what was available from the enemy in small arms and using it. We know that it happened a lot with transport vehicles, artillery, and armor.
[/quote]
No doubt that opposing sides have used captured arms and equipment. I have seen a few pictures of German soldiers armed with US Carbines and even a couple with Thompsons. I have also seen pictures of GI's with MP40's.
However, if you carefully examine German infantry scenes from The Blue Max, you will notice the German soldiers are ALL armed with Enfields. I suspect the reason was that the movie was filmed I believe in Ireland and the surplus SMLE's were plentiful. Hollywood thinks they can sneak things in their scenes and no one will notice.
[/quote]
No doubt that opposing sides have used captured arms and equipment. I have seen a few pictures of German soldiers armed with US Carbines and even a couple with Thompsons. I have also seen pictures of GI's with MP40's.
However, if you carefully examine German infantry scenes from The Blue Max, you will notice the German soldiers are ALL armed with Enfields. I suspect the reason was that the movie was filmed I believe in Ireland and the surplus SMLE's were plentiful. Hollywood thinks they can sneak things in their scenes and no one will notice.
Bratushka
Member Since: May 09, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 08:53 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Interesting! I think small arms with obvious exceptions are an even more esoteric realm that fewer know of than even aircraft and armor detail. I imagine in all conflicts there was a degree of collecting what was available from the enemy in small arms and using it. We know that it happened a lot with transport vehicles, artillery, and armor.
No doubt that opposing sides have used captured arms and equipment. I have seen a few pictures of German soldiers armed with US Carbines and even a couple with Thompsons. I have also seen pictures of GI's with MP40's.
However, if you carefully examine German infantry scenes from The Blue Max, you will notice the German soldiers are ALL armed with Enfields. I suspect the reason was that the movie was filmed I believe in Ireland and the surplus SMLE's were plentiful. Hollywood thinks they can sneak things in their scenes and no one will notice.
[/quote]The Blue Max was made when? About 1965 or 1966 I think? I know I was about 11 or 12 when I saw it at a drive-in with my folks. My mom spoke fluent German and always got a kick out of Hollywood created German dialog. In one movie a soldier was commanded to sit down. According to my Mom he was actually commanded to poop. In another film a request to "Don't shoot!" was actually a plea to not poop! So it goes!
Personally, even though I think I know more about WWI aircraft than the average movie goer I know very little about small arms so that still would have gotten by me today. It is neat to be able to pick up on things like that in movies. I worked with electronics and computers for many years so I catch a lot of the techno-babble and gizmology in movies that's wrong or just pure nonsense. At times it does make me cringe, but it's never ruined a movie for me. I try to take those things with a grain of salt even though a Sherman being passed off as a Tiger can tax the willing suspension of disbelief.
I wish that there would be a sort of renaissance of World War I and II movies that were classics in their days like so many other films get treated to. (Hard to imagine a better All Quiet on the Western Front than the original. The remake was terrible) With modern CGI and other special effects able to create correct vehicles in the required numbers we could really see some great war films re-released.
Al- That is truly new info to me about the special B-17s and the YB-40 program. Thanks for sharing that! I haven't seen the movie you mentioned but I am heading to Netflix to see if i can find it. I am interested in how films produced by former Axis members portray WWII. I have seen the German films Das Boot and the outstanding Downfall. I am pretty sure there are a few Italian WWII films and I think I have seen a few. Most seem to be stories that center around the war more than military tales. I don't know of any Japanese movies about the war.
If anybody has any to recommend i would like to know of them so I could try to find them.
robtmelvin
Member Since: October 05, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 03:50 AM UTC
This is actually a tough one - there are so many. I agree with the poster above who noted that we are talking about Hollywood entertainment, not documentaries. What I object to are the more recent "politically correct" movies, or the ones that take a fantastic story filled with drama and action, and bugger it up with totally unnecessary love stories and other side plots that add nothing. To me one of the worst offenders was "Pearl Harbor". Though not a war movie, "Titanic" is also a prime offender. My tastes run more to the "Saving Private Ryan" type of movie, which while it had its faults was a hell of a story, well told and reasonably accurate as far as the small arms carried by both sides. Nobody falling in love with a beautiful French girl and agonizing about going on with the mission. IMHO
Bob
Bob
Wolfsangel
Member Since: January 15, 2010
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Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010 - 06:02 AM UTC
Hey All, Haven't delved into anything but the last page on this thread but I agree with Bob 100%. Jerry Bruckheimer should have his testacles cut off with a butter knife and handed to him for fobbing off that POS Pearl Harbor (geez Charlie, why don't you tell us how you really feel?). My 13 year old came home with a permission slip from his History teacher so they could watch that movie for class. Of course, I was probably the only jerkweed that had to write a paragraph on the ludicrous content and recommended Tora, Tora, Tora! as a decent alternative.
As I would rate them for pure Hollywood Trash:
1. Pearl Harbor
2. Platoon Leader
3. Sniper (thats what I did in real life and I never put a round in someone elses scope. Puleese!)
4. Anything with Chuck Norris
5. Windtalkers (or Sh*#talkers)
6. Navy Seals (who leaves anyone behind?)
7. Delta Farce (not even funny)
8. Midway (basics are good but HE 111's ?!)
9. The Patriot (History? Who needs History?)
10. The Green Berets (there, I said it. Me, with my autographed pictures of John Wayne and collection of all his DVDs. Bad propaganda coupled with cheesy acting... a shame).
As for knit-picking most War movies, it is entertainment. If you want something closer to the real thing, watch documentaries. They at least include real footage although not always pertaining to the topic they cover. Those are fun to tear apart. Kelly's Heros - a classic. The Battle of the Bulge is just wrong all over but it's still a cool movie (Robert Shaw is one of my favorite actors anyway). Another classic, in my opinion, is Battleground.
Thanks,
Charlie
As I would rate them for pure Hollywood Trash:
1. Pearl Harbor
2. Platoon Leader
3. Sniper (thats what I did in real life and I never put a round in someone elses scope. Puleese!)
4. Anything with Chuck Norris
5. Windtalkers (or Sh*#talkers)
6. Navy Seals (who leaves anyone behind?)
7. Delta Farce (not even funny)
8. Midway (basics are good but HE 111's ?!)
9. The Patriot (History? Who needs History?)
10. The Green Berets (there, I said it. Me, with my autographed pictures of John Wayne and collection of all his DVDs. Bad propaganda coupled with cheesy acting... a shame).
As for knit-picking most War movies, it is entertainment. If you want something closer to the real thing, watch documentaries. They at least include real footage although not always pertaining to the topic they cover. Those are fun to tear apart. Kelly's Heros - a classic. The Battle of the Bulge is just wrong all over but it's still a cool movie (Robert Shaw is one of my favorite actors anyway). Another classic, in my opinion, is Battleground.
Thanks,
Charlie
grimmo
Member Since: January 17, 2006
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Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010 - 12:02 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextQuoted Text
...too many...lining up to get shot down like tin targets in a carnival shooting gallery (the Bad Guys can’t have been that stupid...
Yes they were, just like at Passchendaele.
ahh, but at Passchendaele it was not the Bad Guys doing the lining up...
Yep, we were like lambs to the slaughter. Led by the British though.
retiredbee2
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Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010 - 03:16 PM UTC
If anyone anywhere wants to see the real thing,then join the military and go to an actual war. All of the equipment will be genuine, guaranteed. The events will also be real and in real time. Otherwise do not expect perfection in ANY war movie, because it will never ever happen............. 
............Al
............AlBratushka
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Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010 - 10:32 PM UTC
I was fortunate enough to recently acquire a 4 volume set published by the US Air Force titled The US Air Service in World War I. It was a pretty massive project undertaken shortly after the war ended and as the title suggests, tells of the US experience of WWI. Part of it is very technical dealing with the logistics of the war from maintenance and aircraft costs to a large section of reports written both after action and in summary of the experiences of fliers during the war. I find it especially fascinating when reading the way pilot's perceptions of the enemy in both tactics and what the authors believed the mindset of the enemy can so easily be rewritten and become facts.
The whole subject of historical accuracy often seems more faith based than any religion at times. Just looking back at what experts have written about german aromor in relation to paint is a perfect example. Right today, wrong tomorrow. It seems the only historical certainty lies in the equipment issued and used. I suppose there are cases where battle plans have been recovered and when supported by other things can give an indication of what happened. It seems new files and sources of information continuously turn up. But then when many historical facts are found to be wrong or parts were missing the cry of historical revisionism is raised. So many times accuracy seems to be more the opinion of someone who assembles bits and pieces to create a sum much greater than the parts used to substantiate it. And fans of that particular telling don't want anything challenging their understanding. I have heard it said history is written by the victors. I suppose that's true in many cases. The thing is I see people who get so lost in small details that they lose sight of what's being told. Other times it seems that accuracy follows the warning a statistics teacher gave to a class I took once. The warning was that it was very easy to so fall in love with a statistical model that it could become quite easy to discount, ignore, omit, or tamper with anything that could affect the outcome in a way contrary to what the model APPEARED to represent. A song lyric said something like "...a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest..."
My point is I don't hang a lot on historical accuracy from any single source, especially if the source, be it a movie or a book, isn't making any claim ahead of time to be accurate. Sure, there are times I see or read things that make me shake my head, but that's life. I take enjoyment where I can find it. If something isn't right or spot-on, so what? For a little while I can be distracted from the truths that can cloud my life. Or I can even be happy for a short while because I am being entertained. Nobody has a total lock on the truth, especially over events they weren't first-hand privy to and involved with in some way to have full knowledge of.
Maybe people obsess over this kind of thing because everybody likes to be certain about something and that's not such an easy thing in today's world.
The whole subject of historical accuracy often seems more faith based than any religion at times. Just looking back at what experts have written about german aromor in relation to paint is a perfect example. Right today, wrong tomorrow. It seems the only historical certainty lies in the equipment issued and used. I suppose there are cases where battle plans have been recovered and when supported by other things can give an indication of what happened. It seems new files and sources of information continuously turn up. But then when many historical facts are found to be wrong or parts were missing the cry of historical revisionism is raised. So many times accuracy seems to be more the opinion of someone who assembles bits and pieces to create a sum much greater than the parts used to substantiate it. And fans of that particular telling don't want anything challenging their understanding. I have heard it said history is written by the victors. I suppose that's true in many cases. The thing is I see people who get so lost in small details that they lose sight of what's being told. Other times it seems that accuracy follows the warning a statistics teacher gave to a class I took once. The warning was that it was very easy to so fall in love with a statistical model that it could become quite easy to discount, ignore, omit, or tamper with anything that could affect the outcome in a way contrary to what the model APPEARED to represent. A song lyric said something like "...a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest..."
My point is I don't hang a lot on historical accuracy from any single source, especially if the source, be it a movie or a book, isn't making any claim ahead of time to be accurate. Sure, there are times I see or read things that make me shake my head, but that's life. I take enjoyment where I can find it. If something isn't right or spot-on, so what? For a little while I can be distracted from the truths that can cloud my life. Or I can even be happy for a short while because I am being entertained. Nobody has a total lock on the truth, especially over events they weren't first-hand privy to and involved with in some way to have full knowledge of.
Maybe people obsess over this kind of thing because everybody likes to be certain about something and that's not such an easy thing in today's world.
Hohenstaufen
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Posted: Monday, November 08, 2010 - 11:48 PM UTC
Some time back someone asked which war film we would like to see remade. Having just read Danny Parker's book about the Battle of the Bulge, I'd have to vote for a new film on this subject. There is an interesting appendix where the author reviews Hollywood's treatment of this campaign. Apart from the dire "Battle of the Bulge", about which he quotes von Manteuffel as saying it was an insult to all who took part, on both sides, the battle doesn't seem to hve received much recognition from the film makers. With the new interest which seems to have emerged about the Pacific and films like SPR dealing with Normandy, isn't it about time the largest US (with a small contribution from the British) campaign in WW2 received some recognition?
Bratushka
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Posted: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 - 12:27 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Some time back someone asked which war film we would like to see remade. Having just read Danny Parker's book about the Battle of the Bulge, I'd have to vote for a new film on this subject. There is an interesting appendix where the author reviews Hollywood's treatment of this campaign. Apart from the dire "Battle of the Bulge", about which he quotes von Manteuffel as saying it was an insult to all who took part, on both sides, the battle doesn't seem to hve received much recognition from the film makers. With the new interest which seems to have emerged about the Pacific and films like SPR dealing with Normandy, isn't it about time the largest US (with a small contribution from the British) campaign in WW2 received some recognition?
With CGI and other special effects that can be done today there isn't any reason why a remake of Battle of the Bulge or any number of war movies couldn't be redone with the right stuff in them. With all the lame comedies, comic book based movies, and teen splatter films out these days seldom lasting for a few weeks before going to DVD, I, for one, am ready for a war film Renaissance.
LuckyBlunder
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Posted: Saturday, November 27, 2010 - 06:59 PM UTC
This is an interesting thread. A lot of it centers on the use (or misuse) of various weapons.
I was wondering... if someone were to remake, say The Battle of the Bulge, would it even be possible to obtain the proper weapons in enought quantity to do it?
I once read that in order to make "Bridge Too Far" it was necessary to hire DC-3's from airlines all over the world, paint them OD and hire pilots to fly all of them. It was expensive - the movie supposedly cost more than the battle did - except in casualties, of course.
I was wondering... if someone were to remake, say The Battle of the Bulge, would it even be possible to obtain the proper weapons in enought quantity to do it?
I once read that in order to make "Bridge Too Far" it was necessary to hire DC-3's from airlines all over the world, paint them OD and hire pilots to fly all of them. It was expensive - the movie supposedly cost more than the battle did - except in casualties, of course.
Bratushka
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Posted: Saturday, November 27, 2010 - 11:01 PM UTC
Quoted Text
This is an interesting thread. A lot of it centers on the use (or misuse) of various weapons.
I was wondering... if someone were to remake, say The Battle of the Bulge, would it even be possible to obtain the proper weapons in enought quantity to do it?
I once read that in order to make "Bridge Too Far" it was necessary to hire DC-3's from airlines all over the world, paint them OD and hire pilots to fly all of them. It was expensive - the movie supposedly cost more than the battle did - except in casualties, of course.
Tigers and their variants are very few around the world. I know it was panned in a lot of places but the movie Flyboys showed what could be done with CGI. Special effects that have appeared in other recent movies such as Avatar show the power of modern day computer generated images. I believe it would be quite possible to recreate a movie like Battle of the Bulge and insert fairly decent images of the correct vehicles and make them utterly convincing. The question is more what would public interest be in seeing WWII movies?
As a PC gamer I loved the WWII based games that were fairly common years ago, but the remaining franchises are all hi-tech combat now. I remember reading articles on the Brothers in Arms games and how they went to France and recreated the buildings and terrain with a high degree of realism. Even the placements of German MG nests were historically correct. The audio for the various weapons were recorded from the real ones. The game developers actually fired the weapons so the ballistic characteristics of the weapons was accurate in the game. Medal of Honor's Pacific Assault opens with the landing on Tarawa. I have a 1000 watt 7.1 surround sound audio system on my PC and it is unbelievable to experience the landing when I can literally hear the bullets whizzing by my head and feel stuff come loose in my lungs from the explosions around me. The hear the directionality of enemy fire and the shouting and screams and chaos all around is mind bending. The odds of making it to the beach alive were realistic as well and it took me over a dozen attempts before i made it to the beach. The various WWII flight simulators of the ETO and PTO incorporated remarkable detail in cockpits, instruments, operation, and the planes "handled" like the real thing. None of it was enough to keep interest in WII combat games and simulators popular and few, if any, are currently released. Gamers have wanted a decent armor game forever and one was never released. It -WWII- just doesn't seem to be more than a niche interest. Don't even get me started on WWI!
I think that just as WWI has slipped from the consciousness of many, especially in the US, WWII is a fading era and the age groups everything is marketed to has little, if any, interest in it. The few WWII films released over the past few years haven't drawn huge audiences. With maybe 3 or 4 exceptions Vietnam era films haven't been overly popular. Even films about the war in the Middle East don't seem to gain much traction with the public at large. Most people just don't seem to care about history. There sure isn't much indication humanity has learned much from it.
I would love to see many of the WWI movies redone in fixed versions. I would even be happy with totally fictionalized WWII films like Kelly's Heroes. As a kid Combat! (Checkmate King 2, this is White Rook, Over.) was my favorite TV show as was Rat Patrol. I played with green plastic army men and I had a plastic army helmet with camo netting and a plastic Thompson MG and was always on maneuvers. It's a different world today I'm afraid and the concept of war movies as entertainment, accurate or not, seems to offend the PC crowd which is why I think military themed movies have to be wrapped in such over the top schlokiness to justify them.
We can always hope though....
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