What's this about?

Lately, it seems like many of the movies/shows are just a rehash or reboot of things that have already been done. And so I started to dive into the past. It's been fun, but I find myself losing track of which ones I’ve seen and whether or not I enjoyed them. Sometimes the titles themselves just don't tell me enough to remember.

I wouldn’t have voluntarily watched a lot of these movies when I was younger. It’s strange how interests change. That goes for what I read, too. I have another blog that explores books. I’m mostly reading older fiction and memoirs, and some of the books have led me to movies/shows and vice versa. In those cases, I may post the book review over here as well.

There will be spoilers, which is different than my book reviews. That’s mostly because I want to have enough information to help me remember what I’ve seen. I’m getting older. The brain doesn’t cooperate like it used to. What can I say? The gray hairs are catching up with me!

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Band of Brothers - HBO series - 2001

This series needs no introduction. I'm obviously a little late to the party, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. And if it was justified.

Briefly, this 10-part series follows the men of Easy Company as they try to live through some of the bloodiest battles in Europe during WWII. The characters are based on real people, so none of them have plot armor. There apparently was a major mistake made regarding Albert Blithe, but overall, with the men giving testimonies of what they went through, I believe it's about as accurate as it's going to get.

I want to make a special mention of episode 6 "Bastogne." I was nervous going into the episode, knowing what happened and fearing what would happen in the next hour. What I watched was not at all what I expected. Instead of focusing completely on the horror of the battle, it followed a medic, Eugene Roe, as he tried to help as many of his brothers as he could. And the episode made use of something brilliantly. Silence. I'm glad this wasn't something I was watching in the theater because I gasped audibly numerous times (also in other episodes). People  would've hated me.

Having the real men speak before each episode is a stroke of genius. It makes what follows more somber and real. Watching characters get hurt or die was painful. Even when there were one or two episodes left, I was still nervous some of my favorites wouldn't make it.

I was so invested in this group of men, I even watched the documentary on a separate disc. And I'll readily admit, I do not usually watch those. And if they are on a separate disc, forget it. But I was determined to watch it. I mean, it was clear some of them made it (they were interviewed), but the tension throughout the series was real. There were also a lot of guys to keep track of, and since I'm not great at remembering names, I was on edge constantly.

The hype was justified. Great Series!



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