Showing posts with label american history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label american history. Show all posts

4/15/2012

The History Channel Presents D-Days in the Pacific (2006) Review

The History Channel Presents D-Days in the Pacific (2006)
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Although this is not a in-depth study of the Pacific war, it goes into areas usually not covered by other videos of this genre, such as Victory at Sea, et al.
The program begins with the first American island invasion at Guadalcanal and covers the major invasions in chronological order as we battled our way to the Japanese homeland. What is interesting is that as it begins to cover a battle it displays a small info of text giving the date and the distance from Tokyo where the invasion is takng place. It's a nice reference to the viewer.
What differs this from most of the other similar programs is that it also mentions the blunders made by the American forces in this campaign, such as the Higgins boat landing craft being grounded on reefs 1,000 yards from the beaches of Tarawa Atoll that caused the unnecessary deaths and casualties of hundreds of Marines - a problem they could have avoided if they hadn't been so reluctant in using the tracked and armored LVT's which could have crawled over these barriers. It shows the growth in the knowledge and proficiency of the American forces as they went from being novices to seasoned veterans in these island invasions.
It also gives due credit to the role of the U. S. Army in the Pacific theater, an often overlooked and undermentioned chapter involving the brave soldiers of this proud branch of our U.S. military.
The quality of the sound and video is very good and a large percenatge is in color, I'm not sure if it is original color film or colorized afterward but it adds a nice dimension to the program. There are also alot of snips I have not seen before, and being a WWII buff have a nice collection of programs.
The narration is done well and the additional commentators are very knowledgeable and informative. It is very entertaing and even though each program runs only about 45 minutes I find myself taking over an hour to watch each one.
A nice addition to the library of any student of WWII or those who just want to learn something of the Pacific theater.


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Though most people associate D-Day with the massive invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, few are aware that "D-Day" is actually military code for any amphibious operation--and few theaters during World War II saw as many battles as the waters of the Pacific, where more than 100 D-Days were waged. The ultimate guide to the epic campaign orchestrated by American forces, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® PRESENTS: D-DAYS IN THE PACIFIC includes the following documentary features: Death at the Tideline examines dozens of the more than one-hundred D-Days waged in the Pacific. Closing the Jaws focuses on America's rapidly improving tactics, while The Final Graveyard brings the war to a close as Japan's defenses are finally pierced. A sweeping overview based on eyewitness accounts, THE HISTORY CHANNEL® PRESENTS: D-DAYS IN THE PACIFIC rounds out the whole of the Pacific struggle with two A&E BIOGRAPHY® programs featuring Admiral Chester Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur, and a documentary about one of the deadliest battles of World War II, The Bloody Hills of Peleliu. DVD Features: Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

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2/03/2012

Lady Killer (1933) Review

Lady Killer (1933)
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James Cagney stars as a conman that winds up a Hollywood star trying to escape his shady past. The story begins with Cagney first getting conned by a group of con artists, then joining them and moving them on to much bigger games. When they turn on him, Cagney ends up in Los Angeles, where he works his way up the "extra" ladder to becoming a top star. Of course, his criminal "friends" want the bigger game that he can now bring them, possibly bringing an end to the life he has made for himself. This is the perfect kind of role for the young Cagney. It allows him to display the cocky attitude, intelligence, aggressiveness, and humour that made him the immortal screen character he became. The two elements of the story mix well. The con game aspect is fun to watch as people cross and double cross each other. But it's also fun watching the fish-out-of-water Cagney adjusting to life in movies, giving us a glimpse of life behind the camera in 1930's Hollywood. Margaret Lindsay is competent as usual as Cagney's actress-girlfriend, while Mae Clarke is fun as one of his partners in the con games. Once again, Clarke gets pushed around (and pulled by the hair!) in a Cagney film, providing some of the film's highlights. Like most of the Warner Brothers films directed by Roy Del Ruth in the 1930's, Lady Killer moves along quickly, with plenty of in-your-face action and laughs, giving you a prime look at vintage Cagney.

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When a movie theater usher is fired, he takes up with criminals and finds himself quite adept at various illegal activities. Eventually though, the police catch up with him, and he runs to hide out in Los Angeles. There he stumbles into the movie business and soon rises to stardom. He has gone straight, but his newfound success arouses the interest of his old criminal associates, who are not above blackmail...

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11/25/2011

Moby Dick (2006) Review

Moby Dick (2006)
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This is not a movie version of Herman Melville's MOBY DICK; it is a single actor on a stage, in front of an audience, playing all roles. You might think this wouldn't be enjoyable, but for a mature viewer seeking to squeeze the essence out of the book, this is quite worth while. The actor is brilliant, shifting characters in a blink. One deeply experiences the personalities of the main characters, especially Ahab; you can feel the mad rage pouring forth from Ahab.

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The best most authentic version of Herman Melville's classic best seller ever produced. Very highly rated on IMDB. Old Vic trained actor Jack Aranson gives life to Melville'spoetic dialogue. Its a high lofty prose with many layers of meaning similar to the Bible. This never before available DVD was released in May 2006 through Amazon. It was produced by veteran Producer John Robert and Directed by Paul Stanley DGA who spent over 20 years as a director on 100 high profile TV series including Hallmark Hall of Fame. Herman Melville is considered America's Shakespeare.Jack Aranson shows what great acting can be.Own an Art Film for you and your family."As Ahab,Mr Aranson takes on stature. He reaches up to confront the stars. His chest expands. His voice is a trumpet, roaring over the sound of the sea. His eyes glitter with frenzy. It is a brilliant performance."Elloit Norton, Boston Herald American"To devise a version of MOBY DICK as a ...theatre piece comes under the heading of 'They said it coundn't be done.' Jack Aranson has done it superbly."TIME magazineA family classic!!!!This performance as a DVD/ or as a sound only CD are available through Amazon -or this website..........This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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10/26/2011

The Last of the Mohicans (BBC Masterpiece Theatre TV Mini-Series) (1972) Review

The Last of the Mohicans (BBC Masterpiece Theatre TV Mini-Series) (1972)
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This version of "Last of the Mohicans" originally aired via the BBC and PBS television through the excellent "Masterpiece Theater" series in 1971, and was encored in 1972. An 8-part series (each episode lasting approximately 50 minutes), this version is the closest to the original book; much closer than the widely popular Daniel-Day Lewis version theatrically released in 1992. This version has been long-sought after by collectors and lovers of "Last of the Mohicans" for years, as the rights to the series passed from the BBC several years ago. When I wrote the BBC directly several years ago, I was told that the series still did exist, but only in archival form and available to film directors and/or students that wished to preview the material in the UK. Those that wished to watch the series had to hope for a videotape set to surface from a collector or archival library edition.
Although the original Masterpiece Theater introductions by A. Cook are not included, it is highly recommended and well worth your money. Long thought scarce or lost as a production, this series contains all the elements of the original book, and does NOT change the ending, as per the 1992 theatrical version. As per the usual BBC way of producing series, the exterior shots were originally shot on film and the interiors on video. One can tell the difference between "outdoor" sets that were shot on sound stages vs. the truly outdoor shots, such as the massacre outside the fort, as well as the climatic battle between the Hurons and the Delawares. Expertly acted in every way by all cast members.

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The definitive adaptation of the James Fenimore Cooper novel, this eight-part BBC production stars John Abineri, in an Emmy-nominated performance as the Mohican Indian Chingachgook, and Kenneth Ives as the intrepid frontier scout Hawkeye. In 1757, during the French and Indian War, half-sisters Cora and Alice Munro set out to join their father, the British Commander of Fort William Henry. After they are betrayed by the villainous Huron Magua, the sisters are rescued by Hawkeye, whose efforts to lead them to safety are aided by Chingachgook and his son Uncas.

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9/25/2011

National Geographic - Lewis & Clark - Great Journey West (2002) Review

National Geographic - Lewis and Clark - Great Journey West (2002)
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This is a fascinating re-enactment of Lewis and Clark's original journey, told with Jeff Bridges doing the voice-over but with real actors and the original locations. It is authentic down to the last detail, including such remarkable scenes as the expedition shooting rapids in canoes made from burn-out trees, and pulling their boats by rope over the mountains of Montana.
If you possibly can, though, catch this one in its IMAX version. The movie's story is entertaining enough but imagine it on a screen several stories high - literally larger than lifesize - with a powerful sound system to match. Imagine how much cooler shooting those rapids is in the IMAX form! If you can't find an IMAX, make sure you've got a big screen and turn the sound up. This is history as exciting as it was when it happened the first time.

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8/16/2011

Tall Tales & Legends: The Complete Series (1985) Review

Tall Tales and Legends: The Complete Series (1985)
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For fans of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theater, Tall Tales and Legends represents another fantastic collection of star-studded stories. In this, her second anthology collection, Ms. Duvall focused on American Folklore stories rather than the more internationally known fairy tales of the more well known collection "Faerie Tale Theatre". Stories like Johnny Appleseed, Casey at the Bat, Darlin' Clementine all come alive in Tall Tales, and while the sets may be a little more sparce than in Faerie Tale Theatre, the stories and productions are once again fantastic, and the casts are once again superb. In our family, Martin Short as Johnny Appleseed is the clear cut winner among the younger sect (ages 7 and 9).
The original release of this was quite expensive and included 9 individual dvd's in individual cases. This new version is a welcomed re-build of the series onto 3 discs, compiling the stories into a smaller overall package with a very attractive price point and a smaller foot-print on the proverbial kid's shelf. Kudos to E1 for the re-formatting.

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