What have you been watching?

Now currently watching History Channel's WWII in HD. Which is a nice break from shows like Ice Road Truckers, Axemen, and Swamp People.

 

"The Hurtlocker" - movie about bomb disabling guys in Iraq. Even if it is nor very acurete (eg. the sniper scene and other details) I found it is a good thriller/action movie...

 

Is that a good wow or bad wow

 

Hitler's G.I. Death Camp, the story of the secretive Berga concentration camp and the Americans who were prisoners there.

 

AHC (which I disparagingly call the American Crime Worship Channel) still runs a lot of its old Military Channel programs. I OD'd last night. Yikers!.

1. A terrifically good, informative show about the American attack on the (Cherbourg) Cotentin Penninsula post D-Day.

After Midnight: These were just bloody brilliant. (First class verteran interviews throughout.)

2. Narrow Escapes of WW2: Lucky Laycock's Escape From Crete
This is the dramatic story of how Crete was captured by the Germans and how Robert Laycock led a desperate rear guard action against crack German mountain troops. (British Commando focus.)

Everybody here knows my passion is Greece 1941. This satisfied a huge void in my knowledge bank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ1UPKL9Ef8

3. Narrow Escapes of WW2: Manstein Holds the Line
Fleeing from the Russian troops, Erich von Manstein devised one of the most brilliant escapes in military history - one that is still studied in military schools.

This was the most informative show I have watched in a long long time. Watch for it to pop up on Youtube.

4. Forgotten due to lack of sleep.
- Will edit in later.

 

That's a good night

 

I'll be damned. Forgot to look on DailyMotion. This was like going back to school. I had no idea there was so much ebb and flow to this battle.

Narrow Escapes of WW2: Manstein Holds the Line

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x138k8v_6-narrow-escapes-of-world-war-ii-manstein-holds-the-line_shortfilms

 

Last night I watched "Shades of Gray", a training film made by the US War Department on how to treat soldiers with combat "exhaustion." It was eye-opening to see how clueless they were about what we now call PTSD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKK5f4E7AFg&feature=share

 

An episode of Foyle's War.

 

I'm re-watching Saving Private Ryan right now.
Still one of my favorite movies of all times. The beach scene is so intense and sucks me in every time.
I love their group dynamics, the way Reiben and Sgt Horvath fight all the time, how Mellish and Caparzo interact, how Wade is like a protective mom who takes care of everyone and how poor Upham is tossed in the middle of their dysfunctional family.

I love Reiben and his big mouth, Jackson with his prayers and sharp aim, and Sgt Horvath's fatherly behavior.
For me one of the most real and enjoyable movies ever made.

 

Friday night, I binge-watched the German WW2 film, Generation War (Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter). There are three episodes - about 90 minutes each. It's very well done, though I do know it generated some controversy when it first aired in Germany and later in Great Britain.

For anyone who is interested, I wrote a review of it: http://bestofww2.blogspot.com/2015/08/generation-war-unsere-mutter-unsere.html

 

Just saw a good bit of "In Love and War" with the always great France (Elaan of Troyius) Nuyen

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051770/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_41

 

Passage to Marseilles with Humphrey Bogart and a lot of the cast from Casablanca.

 

Sigh. No sleep tonight...

Not often something comes up on the Boob Tube that I have never seen before.
Especially in a usually poor series, dominated by CGI effects and Re-enactors.

Greatest Tank Battle Series.
Battle of Memel - January to August 1944 Lithuania: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Memel

Spectacular. Minute by every minute it threw things at me I did not know and had never heard about before.

How German Tankers dealt with sun in their eyes during battle.
How, during their first encounter with them, the German's almost instantaneously caught on to, and communicated the inherent weakness of the Soviet JS-2 Heavy Tank Tank.

Etc etc. This is a do not miss episode folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2D-q5CZLw

 

Got a couple of DVD`s of North Africa air battles, I wish to find out as much as possible about the air battles by H-J Marseille as possible.

 

Did anyone catch the new Amazon series The Man in the High Castle. It's a What If...scenario on if the Axis won the war. The US is divided into the Greater Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States based in the 1960's. Interesting enough to have watched a few episodes. Not bored yet. Stars Rufus Sewell, who I like as an actor, as an officer in the SD combating the resistance.

 

Have been binge watching The X Files (half way through season 3) to be ready for the new 6 episode redeux in January.

 

The Simpson's Marathon on FXX. Great stuff!

 

Fargo. Season 1. Reminds me of the Soprano's in the way the script unfolds. BillyBob is pretty good as the bad guy. The episode where Kate Walsh bangs Bilbo Baggins was mind blowing...lol - Kate goes into his office after and screams in front of everyone "I even let you come inside me!"...damn, Kate Walsh is smoking hot.
Also the deaf guy and his partner were great characters.