You guys going to watch this? Looks pretty cool. I have my VCR all set on tape record. I've heard reviewers say that its better than Saving Private Ryan and more accurate. It starts Sunday.

etc

Absolutely... it's one of the reasons why I decided to get digital cable, which I've been super pleased with so far. I'm trying to stay away from reviews though. Too many spoilers out there and no, I haven't read the book.

My VCR will be going while I watch it first run.

--Dave

I've seriously considered getting HBO for this, but as I never have time for TV, it would be a waste. Guess I'm gonna have to ignore this thread until it comes out on DVD.

Well, I'm not one to give away spoilers, so feel free to look in after tonight to see if it's worthwhile. I think the historical accuracy is there given that they've screened the series to some vets and they all agreed it's right on.

The bigger question is how compelling will it be through ten episodes? Anyway... expect some comments after tonight at 11PM. :)

--Dave

"The bigger question is how compelling will it be through ten episodes? Anyway... expect some comments after tonight at 11PM."

Comments, hell. Send me the dang tape! ;)

Seriously though, it's not so much ignoring to avoid spoilers (although that's part of it), it's ignoring so as not to get whipped into a frenzy if it's a decent show. Kinda like reading usenet right after a great game gets released, but only in Europe.

"I've seriously considered getting HBO for this, but as I never have time for TV, it would be a waste. Guess I'm gonna have to ignore this thread until it comes out on DVD."

HBO has become the only fictional TV I watch. The Sopranos and Six Feet Under I watch regularly, and their new Larry David show and one about the married guy both intrigue me as well. Throw in things like Band of Brothers, and I can't resist. As far as everything else, I now keep a small TV/VCR next to the computer, and "watch" at the same time I'm surfing the web. Speedvision, where have you been all of my life?

---

Quote:

Speedvision, where have you been all of my life?

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Oh just finished watching it, the first 2 episodes that is. Damn pretty good war scenes. As good or even better than SPR i think. Though the war scenes are indebted to SPR... they have the stilted, diluted and grainy feel as SPR... they're using the same technique as in SPR it seems.

Pretty good yarn... like the old Combat TV show but with a MUCH bigger budget.

SPOILER


One good scene was the guy was about to throw a grenade and he ends up being shot and drops the grenade in his bunker... pretty FUBAR but gives the sense that ANYTHING can happen in war.

etc

Yeah, it was riveting once it got to the paradrop. I like that they didn't drop the human drama at that point. War movies can so easily feel like Star Wars if not handled correctly. They did a good job of focusing on the men and not the hardware.

I don't want to give anything away for those watching later so I'll leave it at that. It was very entertaining. I'm ready for next Sunday already.

--Dave

Arrrrgh! I want to see band of brothers but I can't justify 40+ dollars a month for one flippin' TV show.

Crap.

Jeff

Don't worry...it'll make its way to VHS/DVD in about six months. Anything HBO produces usually gets there eventually as it helps them pay for the production.

--Dave

We're getting Band Of Brothers free-to-air here in Australia.

For some reason Optus Cable and Foxtel Cable opted out of purchasing it.

I saw it tonight. It lived up to my fairly high expectations. Two comments:

1. Who bought Ross from Friends as the super anal company commander? It took me a while, but after a while I totally bought it. He can actually act I guess.

2. As a newly promoted lieutenant in Flashpoint, I salute Winters as a fine commander. I only hope I can follow in his footsteps. Of course, he broke the cardinal rule of not firing while moving, but I guess he was under pressure. I recently brewed up two Shilkas protected by Russian black berets (tough and accurate), so I feel like da bomb right now. I think I'll go run three miles up and three miles down now.

Schwimmer was pretty good, though compared to Full Metal Jackets drill intructor, hes kind of a pansy. Actually i think hes a good actor, though this is the anti typecast role ... he usually plays the Friends type guy. He really didnt have a lot to work with, they made him out as the bumbling authoritative sadistic idiot. And based on the movie, I would guess Sobel (his character) meant some good in that he wanted to have the best company in the army, though he was selfish and mean at the same time... i wonder if the Sobel character appears in the war. would be kinda cool to see him prove his mettle in battle. only if it really happened though....

Ah OFP... i fired up some OFP after the movie! another cardinal rule of OFP (and maybe combat as well) keep in cover at all times! and if you have no cover get prone pronto! and yeah its cool that you can run three mile up and down Kolgujev (or Everon or Malden)! cant do that in any other game! well maybe DFLW you can, but can you get in a Cobra to walk the rest of the miles down?!? and recently i've been playing the finer points of OFP as a wiley Russian Black Ops Spetsnaz!

btw, i have a mission thats made where you have to take out shilka's on southern Everon! if you like black ops missions you might like this one imade!

http://www.operationflashpoint.dk/?page=missions

its red dusk 1.1! and i got a star from them! damn am i special!

etc

"Schwimmer was pretty good"

Yeah, I don't know much about him but he did okay as that particular character. I thought Dale Dye's character (Damn, Dale Dye, is that guy is every war movie ever made?) did the right thing by assigning him where he was most effective.

Third episode was the attack and defense of Carentan. This mini series is so far the best i've seen. I would love to see it in a theatre... though i think its 10 hours long? (10 episodes). Next week is Operation Market Garden.

Also the third episode focused a bit on fear in battle... it doesnt choose sides and actaully is handled better than with Opham character in SPR, which shows him as a coward with no spine imo.

This is definitely indebted alot to SPR with its technique... but its way better storywise without the typical Hollywood morals etc. And you get to know the characters better in the mini series format.

etc

Sad to say that I simply forgot it was on last night. I'm going to try to tape this week's episode in one of the million reshowings on one of the HBOs this week.

--Dave

Next week is Operation Market Garden? That seems pretty quick. I wonder if it lasts a few episodes. I'm guessing the Battle of the Bulge must be an episode or two long, and then there is a Bridge at Remagen episode (or one of the Rhine crossings), and then probably an epilogue episode. That leaves, um... 2 episodes (if Market Garden is 1 episode long). I wonder what they are? I'm sure the Combat Mission guys would have a few ideas. I missed this weeks, but next week I go to Maine for a month (business) and I'll have cable at the Marriott! Yahoo!

ps. Right now I'm on the 45th floor of Boston's Hancock building watching planes take off from Logan. It makes my stomach flutter.

The latest TV Guide details each of the remaining episodes with a brief synopsis of the plot, a historical backdrop, and then some reactions from their critic.

I'm going to have to drop like a hundred bucks on the DVD too. I suppose it's just as well cause that way I'll be able to watch the mini-series over and over and over...

Brad Grenz

It should be worth it. The first three episodes imo are better than Saving Private Ryan and we still have seven to go.

etc

Finally caught this week's episode. That was hella tough to watch given recent world events. This was a much rougher look at war than the opening episodes were.

My wife watched with me and she's a bit messed up. You see...we have three boys.

--Dave

Yeah the third episodes battle scenes (Carentan) were intense. It was damn scary when they showed that soldiers whose fingers were blown off. or the soldier who bayonetted his fellow soldier thinking it was a german... pretty twisted. but it was cool when the shermans come in to save the day in the end! (it isnt done cheesy...its factual!)

And the artillery barrage on Carentan.. which wasnt even a major one, shows one of the major tactics of WW2... artillery. Artillery seems to be forgotten in WW2 movies, but in this series it shows its deadly effects.

etc

Fourth episode was okay, not as good as the first three. Still good though. Focused on replacement soldiers. I think it was a different Director for this episode than the other three...

etc

There's a different director for each episode, isn't there?

-Andrew

Accoriding to IMDB yeah it is... the fourth episode is directed by a TV series director...

Yeah, its noticeable in the fourth episode... cant explain.. but episodes 2 and 3 are the best so far... four is kind of weak.. not bad, just not up to par with the other three. the battle scenes are still good.