Posts made by Guerrilla Guy

We need to preserve the history we can with those vets that remain.

GG

You found one! I feel honored Wittmann, thank you! I do enjoy your research. I have a friend who farms in the Shenendoah Valley, when I go to visit him, I’ll have to visit the site.

GG

I read this article this morning, and immediately my mind thought of the "what ifs. Would make a great alternative history novel.  :-)

You have to wonder why they didn’t take the arming devices completely out of the bomb. Perhaps my ignorance of how atomic weaponry is manufactured comes into play, but that would seem to be the most logical action when transporting ordinances across your own country, you would think taking the most precautions to prevent any such mishaps.

GG

IL, although I agree with you (I’d rather go to Hawaii for example), I’m guessing they still want to go to the coast of Oregon. It’s based on personal opinion.

GG

Hey guys, let’s try to keep to the topic now, and not try and flame/bait. Thanks.

Another place you might look at is Lassen/Shasta National Parks. Beautiful parts of Northern CA (my grandparents live in Redding so I’ve visited those places several times). Beautiful redwoods and beautiful lakes.

GG

My family is all from the West Coast, driven through Oregon many times visiting Grandparents (CA and WA). My dad was raised on the Eastern Side of Washington. I lived those few years in the Seattle area (Kitsap Peninsula). The coast is foggy (wasn’t mentioning rain), and my point about it being depressing revolved around late fall (wasn’t sure how close he was cutting his honeymoon plans).

I would choose a different place, but that’s me. ;)  The Pacific (coast side) Northwest has it’s redemption and it’s beautiful in its own way. So, absolutely correct you are my good Wittman, I acquiesce that point.

If you get the chance LHoffman, check out Olympia National Park. It’s a beautiful place. Plus, I do believe the park extends out onto the Washington coast. That’s where I would go.

GG

IL speaks truth… has the lucky lady in question ever made a suggestion that she would like to go to a cold, damp, depressingly dark place (I’m assuming soon means late fall). I’d think you’ll both really enjoy something a little warmer, but, could be wrong. Oh, and congrats! ;)

GG

Well put Herr Kaleunt. :) My defense: This project is in no way is a means of “informing” the public, although it certainly can do that. Most of what has been listed from previous posters describe shows that accomplish that goal. Mine would perhaps not even be collecting any profit (still working on funding options). The reason being, each film is intended to serve as a portrait for the recipient. In the same way that a picture serves as a means of forever commemorating whoever is the likeness, I would be doing the same thing, except in an artistic medium that a modern world is more accustomed to viewing.

I do see that productions have been done on MOH-material. Just mostly documentaries though, or a dramatic retelling encapsulated within films. Totally different direction here.

I’ll also say, I just had a meeting with the film crew I’m working with, and we are set to shoot a trailer in October, and hopefully release a kickstarter campaign by the end of that month.

GG

This topic has been moved to Software.

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=31804.0

This topic has been moved to Software.

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=31860.0

“A Bridge too Far” by Cornelius Ryan

@Gargantua:

Will we see any epic Iron Cross recipients/re-enactments?

;)

I should do some of those! Some Eastern Front missions where a single man running a Pak75 takes out a couple platoons of 34s!

GG

We are finalizing the first citation we will cover… I’ll post up the kickstarter campaign when we get it started! Should be by next week.

GG

The Benito Mussolini one made me crack up! Could be quite the conversation starter at parties. ;)

GG

@CWO:

For me, it would depend on how it’s handled.  I recently saw the film Back Door to Hell, which tells the story of Audie Murphy (a highly decorated WWII veteran and MOH recipient), and I was very disappointed.  The film was emotionally flat and lacked dramatic tension.  Murphy (who actually plays himself in the film) and his fellow GIs come off as rather bland individuals who never seem to be in too much danger, and who operate in a landscape that is pretty much empty of enemy soldiers, save for the occasional presence of a couple of odd-looking field guns which are painted with a big Balkenkreuz so that the audience will know they’re German guns.  There’s even a lack of internal conflict among the men of Murphy’s unit; about the worst they do among themselves is engage in mild mutual kidding.  The film gives the impression that it isn’t too sure of what it’s trying to accomplish, so it never really seems to go anywhere. If I’m not mistaken, Back Door to Hell also suffered from having an inadequate budget, so that didn’t help.  It’s a shame because Murphy’s exploits deserved a much better treatment.  His greatest feat of arms is quite similar to the one of the highly-decorated WWI veteran Alvin York (another MOH recipent), yet its depiction in Back Door to Hell is much less engaging that the corresponding scene in the Gary Cooper film Sergeant York, which really gets your blood pumping.

Do you mean “To Hell and Back”? From watching the trailer, I can see what you mean, although that seems prototypical of most 50’s war films: Heroes are more like “cowboys” than soldiers within a chain-of-command system, German equipment is poorly depicted, acting all around is melodramatic. Definitely! I would be trying to avoid just “painting” over other equipment. Some of the vehicles might be plywood recreations, but we would be shooting for accuracy to how they looked. I think most reenacting groups that have vehicles are more stringent than that.

Of course I would try and get as much backstory as possible. I want to be accurate to the point of knowing who was in the unit at the time of the citations, the battlefield situation, any close comrades of the recipient, the reasons behind the action, etc. That last part obviously being the most engaging. Why they did it, that’s what I’m really trying to show.

I would agree, York’s portrayal are perhaps the most engaging of all Medal of Honor Citations I’ve seen to date. Perhaps the most “blood-pumping” has got to be Shugart/Gordon from BHD, but I have no idea whether that’s accurate.

@frimmel:

I would not be disinterested in such a series. Are we talking straight up dramatizations or something more on the lines of “Dogfights” or “Battlefield 360?”

Oh no, not Battlefield 360!  :-D We have live explosions available, and the ammo actions and gunflashes are from the weapons. Some 3D after effects would be added to spruce them up, but nothing like what 360 shows… we have better animators. These are dramatizations, although we are trying to limit the action to just around the actual citations. Perhaps there will be some background story added, but only if necessary. Mostly, this is about what motivated the men to go above and beyond the call of duty, and showing that drama accurately.

GG

I’m assuming this is triplea… can’t you reset to the original battle positions and reroll?

GG

@Gargantua:

I’d be interested.  Would make a great T.V. show like the Pacific or BoB.  One reciepient or something per episode.

Would be sad though… a lot of posthumous awards.

I think you have a point, but also, we would not be able to film every citation, specifically actions on ships and planes, which typically ended in posthumous awards for recipients. Also, I would try and balance the other ones I would film; I can’t attempt them all, but there would be a majority of citations that survived the individual engagement.

I think it would be great to cut them into a TV program, I’m not sure if I can do that considering the variety of citations. I am almost thinking of releasing them online (funded by ads and/or click-to-buy), and give initial investors pre-release/limited content perks.

@aequitas:

No interest at all.
Would rather be interested in movies told by other parties of WWII. Italians,France or Russians, or… name 'em…

I understand. :) To be fair, I don’t think I have much access to Italian, French, or Russian actors, but hopefully, this is a start to get to working with those groups! I’d love to do an indie film that focuses on those nationalities during the war.

GG

What kind of interest would you have in seeing well done (budgeted, experienced crew, live explosions, B-film actors, reenactors, vehicles) recreated portraits of the Medal of Honor Citations from WWII?

GG

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/chinese-hackers-breach-key-u-weapons-designs-133849940.html

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day, Jen?

GG