I can't help but think that a third series from Hanks, Speilberg, To and McKenna about Africa would round out the whole HBO WW2 mini series set nicely. The African campaign has larely been forgotten it seems, the movie The Big Red One is the only example i can think of that focuses on the African campaign.
Surely their must be a mini series in there some where.
www.theclubrooms.co.nz
Truth be told, and no disrespect to any of the veterans, the Africa campaign just isn't as interesting as the european campaign in terms of film. I don't see it carrying a whole 10 part series.
If anything, the EASTERN FRONT is what absolutely needs to be made into a ten part series. It's just a shame that HBO Hanks and Spielberg would never commit to that project.
Honestly, I'm glad there isn't any major HBO mini-series about World War II coming out any time soon. The amount of World War II movies made from the late 1990s until now has been absolutely ridiculous and has become a cliche in Hollywood.
I hope these World War II series has run it's course.
I'm actually looking forward to any major movies (not necessarily mini-series) made about the Korean War since that generation is unfortunately dying off in droves (just like the World War II generation a decade earlier). It has become "The Forgotten War"--I hope Hollywood does something to help bring awareness to that generation and what they did.
The only movie that I can think of that was somewhat of a hit regarding Hollywood movies about the Korean War was Pork Chop HIll (1959) starring Gregory Peck. There hasn't been an iconic movie about that war before or since that's been mainstream and everyone knows it. There's been a few movies that have come out that are only known among avid military/war movie goers.
"Toto, I've [got] a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
What about Catch 22 and the M*A*S*H movie and series?
www.theclubrooms.co.nz
Most people recall the book Catch-22 and not the movie.
M*A*S*H (the movie) took place during the Korean War but was really about the Vietnam War. A lot of movies made during that era (the late 1960s through the early 1970s) were very anti-war and had made it very clear that it was a political statement against the war in Vietnam even though it took place during other wars such as M*A*S*H, The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes.
Again, there hasn't been an iconic movie about the Korean War before or since Pork Chop Hill.
"Toto, I've [got] a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
"Sniper Alley", "The Bridges of Toko-Ri", "Inchon" and to a lesser degree some of "The Manchurian Candidate".
*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´When You Save One Life, You Save the Entire World!
[deleted]
True, I would say many other interesting wars have been largely neglected, but WWII has so much material most people have never touched! I'm with the guy who said there should be a series on the Eastern Front, like that insane *beep* UP move "Come and See", but a series of it. Now that would be a great watch! (and would also scare off most viewers after an episode or two, that movie was sooooooo screwed up; though honest so I gotta give it a thumbs up)
shareIt's a good idea, but it's unlikely they'll ever do it. 90% of the Africa campaign was fought by british and anzac troops. It's a great story but they're just isn't the market to make it financially viable to produce a series out of it.
Maybe if the brits, aussies, and kiwis worked together to make one it could happen, but truth be told, I don't see it coming to fruition. Which is a shame really, coz it's definately a story worth telling.
An African campaign series would be great.
As long as they did it properly, and showed the Americans getting beaten by the Italians at kasserine pass, with Rommel.
Show the other side for once.
Not just the usual American stuff.
Eat the Neocons.
"Das Boot" shows the German U-Boats kicking ass in the atlantic and that film was a huge financial and critical success and is a classic war film. I don't see why they couldn't do justice to the "Afrika Korps/Italians Vs. The Brits/ANZAC/Americans". It would be great! But like you said show all of it including the brilliant tactical actions of Rommel, Montgomery and Patton.
*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´When You Save One Life, You Save the Entire World!
Could we not forget the South Africans? They provided one third of the allied forces (two divisions) in Operation Crusader, nearly one half of the Desert Air Force, and their armoured car units were the core of the original Long Range Desert Group (forerunner of the SAS).
And the Indians? 4th Indian Division were the only fully trained infantry in the early days of the campaign, and fought right through to the fall of Tunis.
The three Aussie divisions played an essential role in the first year of the African campaign, but the 6th and 7th headed home early in 1942, and the 9th left after El Alamein.
(Which, of course, makes a nonsense of the statement by one of the Marine vets in 'The Pacific' that the Australian Army was 'off in the desert fighting Rommel'. By the time the Marines arrived in Melbourne (January '43), the AIF divisions were in New Guinea fighting the Japanese. 7th Division was in action at Milne Bay and on the Kokoda Track as early as August '42, and 6th Division entered the campaign from October.)
Sorry, that part was a little OT! As I was saying, if you are going to make a series about the African campaign, don't forget the Springboks and the Indians.
There is a remake of Sahara starring James Belushi made in the mid nineties. It's a tv movie, but quite well done regardless. James Belushi was probably not the best casting choice, but he wasn't the worst either (he was adequate but not perfect). Other than that it's fantastic... Considering the tv movie budget I mean.
shareI should point out, I mean a remake of Bogey's 1943 Sahara, not the recent action movie Sahara (which is completely another movie)
shareIt's a great story but they're just isn't the market to make it financially viable to produce a series out of it.
I liked the opening scene to Valkyrie that has the short scene from the African theatre of war. If there was a series about the African campaign then I would watch it.
shareI was thinking the US Navy needs a turn.
Live long and prosper.
Well, they could do a series following the B24 missions that started out from Africa (Ploesti raids) and then gradually moved to being stationed in Italy (15th Air Force) flying missions into Austria, southern Germany, etc.
Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.
FCG is absolutely right. When will there be a mini-series about the U.S. Navy? The last one, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, was over 30 years ago and ended up focusing more on Europe and the Holocaust than on the Navy war in the Pacific. Most people have no idea how savage the ship-to-ship fighting in the Pacific was, particularly in the Solomon Islands in late 1942.
shareTo be fair, Robert Mitchum did a really good job of method acting the inside of a ping-pong ball....;O)
Marlon, Claudia and Dimby the cats 1989-2005, 2007 and 2010.
. Most people have no idea how savage the ship-to-ship fighting in the Pacific was, particularly in the Solomon Islands in late 1942.
You said it, nickm2! Bought that one when it first came out.
shareSeeing the free french legions kick the germans on their ass, straight out of the country would probably be my favorite thing to witness in a bob-like miniseries.
Did you guys know they beat the rest of the allies to Paris, only to be forced back by the allied commander who wouldn't want paris to be taken by blackies?
They ended up rounding up a whole lot of hispanic soldiers instead, since they couldn't muster up enough caucasians. Ha ha!