Naval History Forums

Also, though I am as patriotic as the next guy, I have to agree that the American film industry is almost hopelessly mired in the mentality that it is essential to produce the cheesiest possible movies--and movies that treat the audience like complete, utter morons with no historical knowledge whatsoever, with the emotional knee-jerk reactions of five year olds.

I will never forget the science fiction movie Stargate. Started off great! Excellent special effects, cool plot line, suspense all the way. Everything went downhill fast when they started hanging out with the downtrodden slave humans through the gate, though. By the time the humans took on the 10,000 year advanced civilization's technological superweapons with flimsy spears, etc, I was ready to puke. When the little 14 year old slave boy Hadji was running away from a bad guy and they went into slow motion with the dramatic music, I knew he was going to bite it and started cheering, right there in the movie theater. Much to the annoyance of all the cretins watching it.

OK, sorry. You guys got me going--back on topic.

Yes, I'm sure the Russian films didn't mention the USA LendLease trucks without which their adaptation of blitzkrieg would never have worked. Especially since The State was producing all the movies up until a few years ago. Yes, I'm sure the English might lean a little towards their glorious struggle against the Huns, etc. But only in the USA will you find such a unique brand of nauseating, maudlin, trite garbage that gets people forking over billions of dollars for unadulterated schlock, everytime. I think it is the television culture, it literally rots the brain.

I with the great pleasure would look remakes of films "Sink the Bismarck!", Lewis Gilbert, 1960) and "The Battle of the River Plate (Pursuit of the Graf Spee)", (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1956)

Oh and if they needed any comic relief in the Jutland movie, they could always show that fat little idiot signals officer Beatty insisted on retaining (after three separate disastrous mistakes), Ralph Seymour, screwing up the flag signals yet again.

Some romantic appeal could actually be thrown in there if they dealt with Beatty's wife Ethel, the rich American heiress who had many affairs on him. He had one himself, but she definitely outrode him in that field, if not in polo.

Oh also a movie about Belisarius would be great fun! The women would love it, too, what with his wife supposedly cheating on him constantly, even with his adopted son I think it was. Plenty of battles in a wide variety of settings, against a wide variety of colorful opponents. The Siege of Rome with all the dramatic events there. The cataphract cavalry would look good and could lend themselves well to a lot of cool battle sequences.

but she definitely outrode him in that field

That made me choke on my coffee

I have yesterday seen yet another rerun of the film ''Cromwell'' - it has so many blatent inaccuracies, particulary the portrayal of the Battle of Naseby, surely a remake has to be made?

I heard somewhere that Loan Gruffard wants to make a Hornblower movie!
The TV series got chopped because of the high production costs - but I suppose a one off movie with a hollywood budget would certainly be sellable to the general public

Here's a thought - put Hornblower in the place of Vice-Admiral Holland on Hood - I wonder what would have happened.....

Hornblower would have tried to put his ship alongside Bismarck, and Holland didn't get anywhere near that close.

Cuttlasses and flintlock pistols at the ready!!!

Hopefully not in 1941, I would assume that this Hornblower would be conversant with sea warfare at that date.