War Documentaries that are shot almost exclusively using a Soldier’s recorded Helmet Cam Video are getting to be the standard by which all 21st Century War Documentaries are judged now.
After the groundbreaking Afghanistan War Documentary Restrepo by Sebastian Junger and the late Tim Hetheringon and their equally powerful follow-up Documentary, Korengal, which documented the lives of the 173rd Airborne Brigade as they fought Taliban insurgents in the hellish Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan, not by listening and watching some pompous Hollywood director narrate the action, but by simply recording what happened and letting the soldiers who sere fighting and dying tell the story. It was hard to imagine a better war documentary being made after Restrepo quite frankly.
But then came Director Ricky Schroeder’s excellent 2015 series The Fighting Season and his 2016 Follow-Up My Fighting Season on Audience Network. With the majority of the footage being First Person Soldier POV Helmet Cam and the remainder being Solider and Officer narration of the actual battles being shown, My Fighting Season showed combat in its purest, most un-adulterated form. Gritty, Hard-Hitting and No Bullshit from the soldier’s perspective and not the media’s.
Taking Fire is anticipated to be a runner-up to these great War Documentaries. It will combine both Soldier POV Helmet-Cam and Standard Digital Camera footage along with solider narration.
Taking Fire Premieres on Discovery Channel September 13th.
If you like historical crime flicks, definitely check this series out. It is by far one of the BEST series ever done on the complete story of Pablo Escobar. It not only tells the story/legend of Escobar himself, but it also tells the story of the DEA and other Alphabet agencies who chased him down and eventually helped help kill him. Seasons 1 and 2 are available now.
Marco Polo (Seasons 1 and 2)
I have talked about this excellent Historical series before, but since finishing Season 2, I wanted to re-iterate how good it really is. The story of Genghis and Kublai Khan is a fascinating one simply because most historians tend to ignore how important they really were in European and Asian History. Lest we not forget, the Mongols conquered the then Chinese Song Dynasty and Kublai became Emperor of all China! The series is jam packed with action and wonderful plots and sub-plots. I will say the First Season was much more enjoyable and flowed easier than the Second, but still overall it is a great series for the History lover.
Defiance
The Bielski Otriad (Partisan Group) and the 1,200 strong Jewish Community they helped create represents one of the most amazing and inspiring true stories of World War II and the Holocaust. It is also a great study in the practical applications of Guerilla/Partisan Warfare and Off-the-Grid Survival for a very large group of people. Great acting throughout with Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber anchoring their roles like a boss.
Cartel Land
If you don’t watch anymore Documentaries the rest of the year, make sure you watch this one! Cartel land will open your eyes to the WAR that is raging both on our Southern Border and in Mexico against the Drug cartels. It shows the amazing lengths people will go to to protect their families, communities and their livelihoods against the savagery of the cartels. It reminds us very strongly that self-reliance is a trait of the SURVIVOR and depending on the Government for ANYTHING except to be taxed and screwed over is STUPIDITY.
Hunted
I remember first seeing this movie at the request of a fellow friend, hunter and knife lover. In one of Tommy Lee Jones lesser known roles, it tell the story of a Tier 1 personality (Benicio Del Toro) who goes “off the Reservation” so to speak. The action and knife “fighting” (more like Knife SURVIVAL) scenes are worth the price of admission to be sure. All in all an entertaining yarn for us “tactically minded” folk.
Ever since Netflix raised their monthly rate from $8.65 to $10.00 I have been waiting to see if an increase in price was going to equal an increase in better movies, and this month I can say that is true.
A War is is a Danish War Drama (with superb English Subtitles) that depicts a Danish Army Company deployed in Helmand, Province Afghanistan. The movie is split between showing both the hardships on the battlefield and the homefront, as the story moves from the struggles of Company Commander Claus Pedersen fighting the Taliban to Commander Pedersen’s wife back in Copenhagen trying to manage 3 children and a household as a single parent.
At first, I was not sure this was going to be my type of War Movie simply because of the back and forth it shows between Commander Pedersen and his wife, but I was pleasantly surprised as this “drama” actually adds to the telling of the story as a whole, which is basically the STRESS Soldiers endure when having to both do their job on the Battlefield and be concerned about their families back home.
The crux of the storyline revolves around the hardships and challenges of fighting a Counter-Insurgency military campaign against a brutal and smart guerilla enemy. The Commander is faced with extremely hard decisions during the course of the movie, decisions he knows the Taliban is placing on him as a Guerilla Force to see if he will crack. One of these decisions is how he properly protects the friendly civilian population against the Taliban, while weeding out the small percentage that aids and abets the Taliban.
The overall quality of the movie really catches your eye right away. The cinematography is fantastic, and although I know this was not filmed in Afghanistan, they sure make it look like it! This was definitely not a low-budget movie, as the scenery, military uniforms, weapons and overall tactical movement of the troops is spot on.
For the Civilian Operator interested in learning about the history of Counter-Insurgency Warfare and Guerilla Warfare tactics, particularly those used by the Taliban, this is a good movie to do that. All the subtleties of COIN are here; the balancing of hard-hitting military operations while maintaining a good working relationship with the local populace; The struggle to protect civilians when your hands are tied militarily in what you can do based purely on being a humanitarian. The dichotomy is fascinating to see, because you quickly understand how the Guerilla Warfare tactics of the Taliban, which were used to drive the Soviet Army out (and before that the British), are still today just as effective in harassing a modern, technologically superior military force like that of NATO.
This flick teeters on being more of a War DRAMA than just a simple, run-of-the-mill war movie simply because the Overall REALISM is what really draws you into the story. What firefights and action there are totally supports the flow of the story and does not seem too gratuitous or gory for the sake of being gory.
If you are looking for a shoot em’ up, type War Movie, this one is not for you! But, if you are looking for Well-Made, Well Acted, Thoughtfully Made Military War Drama that explores ALL sides of the True COST of Fighting a War, then this one is for you!
In closing, I would also like to say this: So many times people are so quick to “Thank A Veteran” for their service, but the same time people are also just as quick to judge a Veteran for a decision that he had to make under fire, in WARTIME that may have resulted in “civilian” deaths. We ask a lot of these men, and one of the things we ask is for them to make difficult, life changing decisions with imperfect information in mere seconds. The average civilian has no ideal what this is like, they only know some “innocent civilians” in a third world country that we are trying to liberate are dead so this soldier must be punished. That is Hypocritical bullshit and it is WRONG on every level. Should soldiers be held to the legal standard as set by the Geneva convention in War? Absolutely, but when these standards are impractical and unrealistic and are only there to serve a political end I think they should be done away with.
I think this excerpt of Jack Nicholson’s speech from the movieA Few Good Men sums up my feelings:
“I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.
I would rather that you just said “thank you” and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don’t give a DAMN what you think you’re entitled to!”
Run Time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes, Danish and Pashto Language with English Subtitles.
UPCOMING WWI, WWII and KOREAN FILMS AND MINI-SERIES
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016) – Already Released!
Action – The harrowing true story of the crew of the USS Indianapolis, who were stranded in the Philippine Sea for five days after delivering the atomic weapons that would eventually end WWII. As they awaited rescue, they endured extreme thirst, hunger, and relentless shark attacks. – Nicolas Cage, Matt Lanter, Thomas Jane.
Release date: 27th of May 2016 (USA)
Rendezvous with Destiny: Roosevelt and Churchill (2016) (Mini-series)
This miniseries will discloses the secret meetings between these two politicians during the important historic periods.
Release of series 1 is planned for end of 2016.
Anthropoid (2016) [UK, Czech Republic, and France Production]
Based on the true story, the film tells the story of the brave Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, who were trained by the British and airlifted into Prague in May of 1942 to assassinate ruthless SS leader Reinhard Heydrich, a.k.a. “The Hangman.” The story has been told on film several times before:
In the four Czechoslovakian films “Muzi bez krídel” from 1946, “Atentát” from 1964, “The Key” (Klíc) from 1971, the “Lidice” from 2011, the Czechoslovakian-Soviet co-production “Sokolovo” from 1975, and “Operation Daybreak” from 1975, which is a co-production between USA, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia, and that is perhaps the most known film about the event.
In the three American films “Hitler’s Madman” from 1943 and “Hangmen Also Die!”, also from 1943, and “Hitler’s S.S.: Portrait in Evil” from 1985.
In the Czech Republic’s TV Series from 2013-2014 “Ceské století”, and the upcoming French film “HHhH” (see further down).
Release Date: 12th of August 2016 (USA).
The Bombing (2016) [Chinese Production in Mandarin]
The Bombing is a big-budget Chinese production expected to be released this year. Reportedly, its story centers on the bombing of the Chinese city of Chongquing during WWII and how one American serviceman [played by Bruce Willis in this movie] taught the Chinese to fight back.
Aside from Willis, another Hollywood big name in the works of this film is award-winning director and actor Mel Gibson.
Release Date: 30th of September 2016 (China).
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) [US and Australian Co-production]
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Release date: 4th of November 2016 (USA).
Railroad Tigers (2016)
A railroad worker (Jackie Chan) in China in 1941 leads a team of freedom fighters against the Japanese in order to get food for the poor.
Release Date: October 2016 (China)
HHhH (2016)
HHhH is a French production directed by Cédric Jimenez, staring, among others, Rosamund Pike, Jack O’Connell, Mia Wasikowska.
1942: The Third Reich is at its peak. The Czech resistance in London decides to plan the most ambitious military operation of WWII: Anthropoid. Two young recruits in their late twenties, Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, are sent to Prague to assassinate the most ruthless Nazi leader – Reich-protector Reinhard Heydrich, Head of the SS, the Gestapo, and the architect of the “Final Solution”.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2016) [Upcoming WWI Film]
One of the very best WWI films ever produced is the 1930 version of “All Quiet on the Western Front”. There was also a TV-movie 1979, pretty good too but not like the classic one.
A remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front” is now in progress and is expected to be released sometime later this year.
Ghosts in a Shell (Ghost Army?) (2017)
Ghost in the Shell is an upcoming American film based on the Japanese manga of the same name. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano and Juliette Binoche. The film will be released on the 31st of March 2017 in 3D.
A squadron of recruits from art schools, ad agencies and other creative businesses are tasked with fooling the Nazis into thinking the U.S. has larger troop numbers than it actually does.
Pegasus Bridge (2017)
Operation Deadstick, capture and hold Pegasus Bridge, was part of the D-day landings in Normandie, Operation Overlord.
The film, Pegasus Bridge, is an all British Production, independently financed. The film covers not just the events at Pegasus Bridge, only two people were killed there from the Ox and Bucks, but also the fighting in Benouville and Le Port where 7 Para fought against the Panzer Grenadiers of the 21st Panzer Division, 38 people were killed there on June 6th. A number of scenes cover this in the film. You can also expect to see all the key scenes from the bridge as well including Wagger Thornton’s PIAT attack on the Marder III (Not a Panzer IV as originally thought) and the attack on the French converted gunboat that came up from the port, The attack on the bridge by the Fokker Wolf 190 will also be in the film. The film will cover some of the training scenes but most of the screen time is dedicated to the events on June 6th at the bridge and the fighting in Benouville and Le Port. The film does not cover the fighting in Ranville or Merville (Impossible to do justice to these events in the limited window of two hours twenty minutes) It does however mention them and the second bridge, plus Glider 94.
Dunkirk (2017)
Set to premiere on 21st of July 2017, Dunkirk is based on the legendary Operation Dynamo that saved over 330,000 British, French and Belgian troops who were encircled by the German army which was sweeping through France.
Christopher Nolan will direct Dunkirk based on a screenplay he wrote and he will produce it with Emma Thomas, his wife and longtime producing partner, Variety reports. The film will be shot starting this May using a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large format for “maximum image quality and high-impact immersion.”
Darkest Hour (2017)
Winston Churchill leads a charge against Hitler’s army in the early days of World War II.
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Anthony McCarten (screenplay)
Star: Gary Oldman
The Mighty Eighth (201x) [HBO Mini-series]
No new information is available for this mini-series. Shootings have been done during 2016 somewhere in the Southern states of USA.
Harlem Hellfighters (201x) [Upcoming WWI film]
Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment) is about the African-American unit of WWI who fought bravely during the Great War but returned home to censure and segregation because of their color. The movie, reported to be under development with Will Smith’s company, is based on the graphic novel by World War Z author Mel Brooks.
Panzer 88 (201x)
The film would follow a five-man German crew of the Ilsa – the biggest tank of its day – on the Eastern Front during the latter days of WWII as a supernatural entity gives them grief.
Director: Peter Briggs
Art director: Kim Sinclair
Producers: Peter Briggs, Gary Kurtz
Genres: Action Film, Thriller, Fantasy
Operation Chromite (2016)
A Korean made true war story about General MacArthur and the X-RAY spy mission involving eight other troops. Liam Neeson plays the role as Douglas MacArthur. Operation Chromite took place 1950 in the Battle of Incheon. Planned Release is July 2016. Liam Neeson is slotted to play General MacArthur.
