I had never seen the mini-series on HBO but my parents watched every episode. For last christmas I bought the DVD Collection for my father, and two days ago I finally sat down to watch it.

It's amazing! It's hard to fathom the type of things those men went through, throughout the war. Those men who survived from the 101st Airbourne Division after the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, that's just...I dont even have words.

And those same soldiers coming across one of the many Death Camps. I saw that part in the movie, when one of the Death Camp prisoners goes up to a soldier and throws his arms around him in relief and just kisses him and hugs him and begins weeping, and I started to cry. Just knowing how horribly those people were tortured, the relief they must have felt when they were liberated. And to know family had died and all the suffering that had been caused. That pure stir of emtoions.

I dont know, just things like that I like to watch because it really reminds you that you shouldnt take life for granted, or any of the many luxuries that go along with it. And to think that sometimes in the worst of moments there is STILL compassion, it's just moving is all.

Anyways for those who havent seen it, you should definitely watch it. And for those who have, maybe you all dont share the same sentiments as me, but I personally found the mini-series very moving

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

I saw most of it on the History Channel. Best mini series ever made.

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A little less conversation, a little more action
"This world is made of love and peace!"
"Let's live today, let's live tomorrow, and let's live the day after that, even if it means living in eternal pain."
- Vash the Stampede

After you watch it once, watch it a second time. Things tend to flow better since you know who the men are and what happened when.

The one thing I don't like is the subpar editting. It seems to be missing important chunks of information here and there.

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The easiest way to kill a soldier is to make his commanding officer a politician.

[This message has been edited by Kieran Horn (edited August 27, 2004).]

I agree. I've watched the series like, eight times. It's absolutely the best thing ever to be filmed.

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Moo.

Yeah I saw it 2 days ago, then I watched it through yesterday and I've been watching it today as well. I have it on the Bastogne attack.

The movie is just amazing. And the music they have for the opening sequences of the series is beautiful. I cant help but watch. I want to go back to Germany so bad. When I lived there my family and I traveled a lot and we went down into the salt mines over in Salzburg, Austria. It's interesting to here these places mentioned on the movie. I kind of feel like a little kid again when I see shots of Europe.

Also my parents told me we had gone on a parade route as a child through the path they took during Normandy, or something like that. Some type of tribute they have. I dont remember this. I'd love to be able to experiance that and pay tribute. There are so many things I would like to see over there, that I did as a child and dont remember, and pictures just dont do justice to actually experiancing something first hand.

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

I can't watch the intro. It makes me tear up.

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The easiest way to kill a soldier is to make his commanding officer a politician.

Play CoD now!

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---Thomas jefferson, Declaration of Independance.

Also one of my favorite episodes (although I love them all) has to be the one entitled "Why We Fight" concerning the concentration camps.

The director of that episode mentioned how he had family that he lost in the camps and family that had escaped Nazi Germany. He went on to mention how he saw this as a tribute for them and was happy to be able to direct that episode.

I dont know if anyone noticed but the episode begins with this man playing violin with this band in a towns streets while people around them try to clean up the damage caused.

Then the episode goes on and they find the camps etc, and at the end of the episode it focuses back in on the man playing violin. He finishes and places the violin back into it's case, and there is a pause of silence as the camera stays focused on the case, and by the case is a white rock.

Ok to me that was an incredible use of pathos, and felt very symbolic. Maybe I'm looking too far into things, but I felt as if the violin represented the Jewish people. When the violin is set gently into the case, after having played such a sad yet beautiful song, the case almost resembles a casket of sorts. Then the moment of silence as if out of respect, and the rock right next to it, reminded me of Schlinder's List, when at the end in a tribute to the man, many Jewish people went to his graved and placed stones upon it.

I dont know, I figured as much as the violin being played as a tribute to them, but when I saw the episode for a second time, I thought about all of that. I could be wrong, and looking too far into things, but if that was the case, that was very beautifully directed. In either case, it's an extremely moving episode of a great mini-series

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

YLE (The finnish equivalent of BBC) have shown the series twice now, and between the two viewings I've managed to catch all the episodes.

Yes, it's a good miniseries, but I was kind of disgusted at the fascination and glossing over executing surrendered/unarmed combatants and looting. A bit overly forcedly melodramatic at times too, for my taste, (the weepy opening, for instance).

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Worth a million in prizes, baby.

I plan to get the box set for Xmas.

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Fire Pretty - Graz's Armoury - (That's my blog...)Choice language warning!

The Soviet Bunker - (That's my forum...)

"Thou shalt not steal. (Because the government doesn't like competition!)"

How to keep an idiot busy: See below
How to keep an idiot busy: See above

I love it. Best movie/show/anything ever made.

Well in the case of people being shot who were unarmed is a reality. I'm sure it happened on both sides and was an ugly part of the war. The looting was also something that obviously took place, not saying everyone did it, but I've watched things on the History Channel concerning this and they had reported about that as well.

As far as the melodramatic opening, I think it's more poignant than melodramatic. It was better then having an opening with happy music or action adventure music. The war for those men was an unpleasant experiance. I mean they had their good times (as shown) but losing friends, killing, and watching people be killed, had to have been a hard thing to go through. The intro I feel is done more out of respect. And is more a tribute to their bravery to have done such a thing that has caused them to be changed so dramatically as people.

All of us agree it's hard to lose people who are close to us, imagine doing it for your country. And lets say someone were to make a mini-series about your having lost a loved one, you wouldnt want the intro to be all happy go lucky.

I dont know, I enjoyed the intro personally. I thought it was respectful to the men who still live and who have fallen. But that's just me, every has a right to their opinons.

And it was more about the bond they made within such an awful experiance. The love they got from each other that helped them through. I think that was the premise on which the show was based.

They showed that within the relationships of the men, and again later, when the German officer addressed his men and told them how proud he was to have fought beside them. War is a horrible thing, but within it, they had each other. They formed bonds, they became brothers. It's a moving story, so I felt the intro and the music in the intro fit appropriately.

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

[This message has been edited by twisteduprising (edited August 27, 2004).]

Lieutenant Spiers is the "most badass son of a [female dog]" to live in the 20th Century.

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Empty.

haha right! lol that was pretty badass when he ran across to hook up with I-Company and then ran straight back.

Just flat out in front of the germans,it didnt even seem to phase him. That's what you call courage.

I would have felt somewhat safe knowing I had Winters, Lipton and Spiers as leaders. That LT. Dyke on the other hand, god forbid anyone have to get stuck with a so-called "leader" like that, during a war. He wasn't even a leader.

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

[This message has been edited by twisteduprising (edited August 27, 2004).]

Courage? No. Bloody mindedness? Yes
Awesome guy.

I thought one of the most fantastic parts was the speech the german general gave his men. It just brought home that the germans wern't all non-humans... there were a few that were just like the allies, fighting because their country had asked them to.
I think thats important because in a lot of films, you don't see the other side.

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Founder of the Massassi Brute Squad (MBS)

B'tduz: A popular dwarfish game which consists of standing a few feet apart and throwing large rocks at one another's head.

"Yes, it's a bloody flying alligator setting fire to my city!" - His Grace His Excellency the Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes.

Morituri Nolumus Mori

Are you sure you watched the same series? I almost find that offensive. Of COURSE it's a weepy opening, it's about WORLD WAR II. And what do you mean glossing over the shooting of unarmed people? I can't recall any instances of "glossing over" anything like that...could you specify? I'll recognize whatever you mention, I've seen it 3 times at least, and have the DVDs.

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WOOSH|-----@%

In the second or third episode, Spiers kills about 15 unarmed Germans sitting on the side of the road, single handedly, after passing out cigarettes to them. Toward the end, Nixon goes parading through homes looking for a certain brand of alcohol. There's no "glossing over".

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Empty.

Finest 10 hours ever made for television. I have the DVDs.

Have Lt. Dyke in charge of your platoon....and Cpt. Sobel in charge of your company!

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The easiest way to kill a soldier is to make his commanding officer a politician.

I love the series. I've seen it seven or eight times since it aired on HBO. I have to say that BoB is probably the most accurate representation of WWII out there, at least when it comes to a single US company. There are a some things that got changed, but nothing too much to fuss at. I also recomend you read the Band of Brothers book by Ambrose. It's an amazing book and an easy read.

I Band of Brothers board at IMdB is pretty good too. A lot of knowledgeable people over there. Worth checking out if you're a fan

They're (Speilberg and Hanks) are gearing up for a 10 part Pacific mini series now. I'm really excited about it.

Edited to avoid looking dumber than I really am[/edit]

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

[This message has been edited by Avenger (edited August 27, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by Avenger (edited August 27, 2004).]

I seen it on the history channel and I really liked it. You really start feeling for Easy Company with each past episode.

Avenger, read Sine's post again.

I can read. Leave me alone

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

The only thing I didn't like was David Schwimmer.

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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side

I thought he fit the role well. You weren't supposed to like him.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

No, he seemed out of place. I think it may be because of an inability to play any other charcter than the one on Friends.

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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side

BoB turned me on the WWII. I've now read the Slaughter House 5, Mause I & II, and I have BoB in all 3 of my personal DVD players, and there's another disk out in the living room, and yet another up in my parents DVD player upstairs. That's 5 of the 8 disks in current use. I'm sure if we had more DVD players, each disk would be in a deperate DVD player. The episodes just don't get old. You know what happens, but it's just so real, and so compelling. It's more like reading a favorite book again, rather than watching Aladin save Princess Jasmine for the 50th time. I'm not one to buy movies, nor one to watch a movie more than twice. I couldn't even count how many times I've watched BoB. Trully, amazing.

JediKirby

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jEDIkIRBY - Putting the Romance back into Necromancer.
Proud Leader of the Minnessassian Council

Live on, Adam.

It's a slight understatement to say there needs to be more mini-series like that.

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Cantina Cloud | BCF | The Massassian 1, 2 & 3 | Gonk WoW Petition <- SIGN!
Corrupting the kiddies since '97

Amen. Thankfully he's only in about 1.5 episodes.

Band of Brothers rules. Enough said.

For any Aussies foolish enough not to own it yet, it's only $35 at JB Hifi this week. Get yer *** there now.

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The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.

Too true. And really, it wasn't just because it was about WWII, but the sheer attention to detail. I honestly forget, that every time I watch it, that it's not actually taking place in WWII, but on a studio set. There's a thing called the '4th Wall' that is often kept intact for the movie-goers to feel like they're watching his unfold as a character in the plot (A camera trick used for a long while). While this technique may trick the brain into feeling more welcome, it also creates a sense of a movie, where you're viewing from usually one angle, or a perspective of someone or something. Band of Brothers tends to ignore the 4th wall, and create a completelly submersive atmousphere.

As well, each episode has it's own artistic touch from each writer.

[This may just be me, but] if you like BoB, pick up the Animatrix. Even if you're anti anime, it's a wonderful compelation of short stoeries, each with it's own artistic blend. While, it's Matrix, it's much more, in that the matrix feel is there while the real world is given a completelly different perspective on. Artistic camera use is one of my favorite parts of this DVD.

I could talk for pages about video and film like this.

JediKirby

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jEDIkIRBY - Putting the Romance back into Necromancer.
Proud Leader of the Minnessassian Council

Live on, Adam.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

It was kind of dumb how much it showed the allies shoting prisioners though. Niether side did it very much. That's why it was a hugh deal when piper shot all those prisoners at the battle of the bulge.

My favorite episode was the third one, with Blithe. He was so well acted, and the tank assault they show later is absolutely amazing.

[EDIT: Also, note the username ]
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You could no more evade my wrath than you could your own shadow.

[This message has been edited by LT_Winters (edited August 27, 2004).]

I agree about the movie having left out the 4th Wall. This movie (just as with good reads) pulls you into the drama. You feel as if you are experiancing things with the men. It pulls you into their experiance and lets you feel in some small part what they must have felt in the bonds they created.

I did see how not everything was exactly as in real life. For instance Dick Winters in real life had said that a Germany Officer offered his pistol as a formal surrender to him. He then later stated that afterwards amoungst closer inspection he saw that the pistol had never been fired, that there was no blood on it. He said that's how all wars should end, without blood. Then he said that to this day the gun has never been fired and he assures it never will be fired. The difference in the movie is taht the German officer surrenders his weapon saying he did not want to place it on the desk of a clerk (since that would be below him) and Dick Winters does not take it and tells him to hold onto it. I can see why they may have changed that part since in different real life cases I had heard of SS Soldiers going to surrender and acting in the same fashion, but I would have preferred if they would have kept to the real story there.

Not all the German Soldiers were bad. And like many of you stated, i'm glad that they emphasized that. I was definitely looking into going and buying the books by Ambrose. I haven't been able to stop watching the episodes since the other day. When I like a movie or book, I can watch it a million times. I think that's when you know it's really good. And with these men's story, it's just so compelling and moving.

I was unaware that Hank and Spielberg were going to make another mini series. I will have to read into that. Thanks for the link. And i'll be checking that out as well

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

Haha yeah, a little bit of bravery and insanity mixed together lol

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

I liked David Scchimmer in BoB. He played the incompetent prick well.

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The easiest way to kill a soldier is to make his commanding officer a politician.

haha heaven forbid! lol if that happened i'd turn into Cartman "Screw you guys, I'm going home!" lol that'd suck to have those two leading things

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

I'd probably shoot them both and everyone in the company would praise me

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

lol I think so too. Looked like the men in that movie wanted to hurt him everytime they saw him. I loved at the end how Winters made him stop and salute when he was going to just walk on by. That was great, talk about a great payback, since now he had to do as Winters ordered and not vice versa

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Lets finish it then, let us be rid of it...I can't carry it for you Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you...Come on!

"Life Is What Happens While You're Busy Making Other Plans..."

"This new diet's liquid and dulling to the senses and it's crude, but it will do..." Dashboard Confessional

Live and Let Live

I absolutely love that line. The look on Sobel's face was priceless

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.