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The two major cable channels that show "classics", American Movie Classics (AMC) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) are showing military-themed movies this weekend. Apart from that general topic, the film selections couldn't be more different.
I don't have a list of all the films the two channels have already shown this weekend, but the guide on the digital cable can tell me what's coming up for the rest of today and tomorrow.
Looking at the list of movies below, I get a distinct impression about the attitudes of the two stations as to what constitutes an appropriate film for a Memorial Day marathon.
Coming up on AMC:
Missing in Action 2: The Beginning — awful.
Braddock: Missing in Action III — if the second was awful, how good could the third one be?
G.I. Jane (two showings total) — this is not now, nor will it ever be, a "classic."
MASH (four, count 'em, four showings total, including twice in a row tonight) — the most vastly overrated "war" movie ever made. As a pure comedy, it's so-so.
Battle at Bloody Beach — never heard of it, but it stars Audie Murphy. Maybe I'll DVR it.
Strategic Air Command — OK, this is a classic.
The Green Berets — this, too.
Hamburger Hill (two showings total) — a film memorable only for the quote "Please pass the %$#@&! potatoes."
Apocalypse Now (Redux) (two showings total) — I haven't seen the director's cut. No opinion.
Upcoming on TCM:
Dive Bomber
Hell is for Heroes
They Were Expendable
Blood on the Sun
Run Silent, Run Deep
Tell it to the Marines
Destination Tokyo
Take the High Ground!
A Guy Named Joe
So Proudly We Hail!
The Story of G.I. Joe
Battleground
Kelly's Heroes
Is Paris Burning?
Patton
A Bridge Too Far
God Is My Co-Pilot
Behind The Rising Sun
I own half of this second group of movies on DVD or VHS. Though some are better and some worse, all are genuine classics.
Which roster of movies would you rather own?
Posted by Russ at 02:48 PM, May 29, 2005 in Movies & Soldiers/Vets
Imperial Department of Hegemony By Force
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Comments
The wife and I watched 30 Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) written by Ted Lawson while recovering from a leg amputation, due to injuries during the actual raid. Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Dolittle and Van Johnson as Lawson. Good wartime production with some great B-25 footage.
Posted by: Billy Budd at May 30, 2005 01:48 PM
Can one be considered an anti-Semite if he quotes Jews?
* The Second World War is being fought for the defense of the fundamentals of Judaism -- The Chicago Jewish Sentinel.
* The Jews are the spiritual fathers of Democracy -- Dr. Oscar Levy.
* I see no inconsistency between the Philosophy of Communism and Principles of Democracy -- Herbert Benjamin.
* We as Jews are certain that Judaism and Democracy are inseparable -- Rabbi Israel Goldman.
* Some call it Marxism; I call it Judaism -- Rabbi Stephen Wise.
* The League of Nations is a Jewish conception -- Israel Zangwill.
* The League of Nations is a Jewish idea -- Nahum Sololow.
* The United Nations Ideal is a Jewish Ideal -- David Ben-Gurion.
* The United Nations is Zionism -- Harry Klein.
* Zionism is Jewish nationalism -- Rabbi Stephen Wise.
(NATO is a communist invention.)
* We Jews have spoiled the blood of all the races of Europe. Taken as a whole, everything today is Jewdified -- Dr. Kurt Munzer.
* The public schools must be kept clear of Christmas carols and other Christmas influence. We want all this Christmas propaganda stopped -- Jewish National Day.
We are supposed to be living in a REPUBLIC!
Posted by: Claude at June 2, 2005 06:43 PM
Sure. One can also be considered an asshole.
Indeed, as evidenced by the fact that cretins such as you are allowed to continue stealing oxygen from the rest of us.
Posted by: Russ at September 27, 2005 05:58 PM