Baghdad ER - An HBO Documentary Film (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a physician in the Army and have worked in this facility during OIF. This film is graphic but nowhere near as graphic as it could be. It is quite uplifting and moving. It is also very tastefully done and not in the least exploitative considering the subject matter. It made me very proud of the job we do. It should be seen by everyone.

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Produced and directed by 11-time Emmy? Award-winner Jon Alpert, this 64-minute verite documentary takes an unforgettable look inside the 86th Combat Support Hospital (CSH), the U.S. Army?s premier medical facility in Iraq and former site of one of Saddam Hussein?s elite medical facilities. Shot over two months in the summer of 2005, the film puts a human face on the war?s cold casualty statistics, as doctors and nurses fight to save the lives of wounded soldiers who are Medevaced (helicoptered) in a numbingly routine basis.

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Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)As the wife of a veteran who has served our country for more than 20 years I have seen and lived with the consequences of this war. My husband is about to leave his family again for another 18 month deployment. Whether you support the war or not you should support the soldiers that help to provide you with your every day freedom. This war is real and it has affected many people in many defferent ways. This movies helps to show that-it brought tears to my eyes. But it also made me proud to be an American and proud to be a part of a United States military family. Tastefully done but real. It makes you think twice about not sweating the small stuff......

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Three-time Emmy winning actor James Gandolfini serves as Executive Producer of Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq, a documentary which looks at the physical and emotional cost of war through soldiers' memories of their "alive day," the day they narrowly escaped death in Iraq. In a war that has left more than 25,000 wounded, Alive Day Memories looks at this new generation of veterans. For the first time in history, 90% of the wounded survive their injuries, but a greater percentage of these men and women are returning with amputations, traumatic brain injuries and severe post-traumatic stress. In Alive Day Memories, Gandolfini interviews ten soldiers who reveal their feelings on their future, their severe disabilities and their devotion to America.

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Off to War - From Rural Arkansas to Iraq (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This series is very well done, fair, sympathetic, appropriately journalistic, and it shows what happens when an army unit of average quality--some great soldiers, some less so--is sent to Iraq with sub-standard equipement, a poorly defined mission, mediocre officers, and a lack of training in basic counterinsurgency principles. They do their best; they act honorably and bravely; but you get a sense they're just moving around in cirlces and not accomplishing very much to make a real victory come about. It's also very telling how much the soldiers change. They become harsh, jaded, less patient with Iraqis, and less enthralled with the various patriotic cliches they and their families uttered before their departure. From what we can tell, most do not reenlist and view war and the army very differently from the way they did before they left.
The movie does a very good job of showing the interaction of war and the homefront. Frankly, the homefront appears to really demotivate some of the soldiers, some of whose wives fall apart in their absence. In other cases, these country women and families show real strength in the absence of their husbands and loved ones.
This is the real thing. The real Army and the real Iraq. It's not a bunch of spit and polish parades, but real troops, none of whom embarrass the military, but it's not exactly the 5th Special Forces Group either. They're average. And they're from the kind of economically depressed and average communities that so often send their best into the military.

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OFF TO WAR - DVD Movie

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Combat Diary - The Marines of Lima Company (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far the best war documentary that covers the current conflicts. I am a Soldier with 2 tours in Iraq and I think this story is amazing. The actual Documentary itself was very well made and the whole thing is a tear fest. It is insane what these guys went through and I think every American should watch this film, these Marines of Lima CO are an inspiration for me. I am a Combat medic (the equivalent of a Corpsman) in the Army and for those of you that want to see the average experiences of the infantry in Iraq, this isn't average, this is the worst case scenerio.
Another film that is worth watching and I think shows the average experience of life in Iraq is Occupation: Dreamland, which follows the 82nd. Another one is Gunner Palace and it does reflect how a lot of support personnel are living in Iraq, yet the troops in it are an embarrassment to the Army. An amazing documentary that covers WW2 is The War by Ken Burns, nothing compares to it.

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ONE TRAGIC MISSION. SEEN THROUGH THEIR CAMERAS. DESCRIBED IN THEIR WORDS. A war exposé unlike any other, COMBAT DIARY: THE MARINES OF LIMA COMPANY provides an unprecedented and harrowing firsthand account of life and death on the front lines of battle. Shot on home video cameras by the very soldiers who were part of the hardest hit combat unit of the Iraq War, this remarkable program weaves heart-pounding digital camera footage with revealing interviews following the action. From the initial enthusiasm of the newly deployed troops to the dramatic outcomes of their combat missions, the Marines of Lima Company bring the war home from the very heart of battle. Distinguished by powerful, unflinching imagery and the frank, heartfelt, and poignant words of the soldiers speaking directly to the viewer, COMBAT DIARY: THE MARINES OF LIMA COMPANY offers an honest and heartbreaking glimpse at the terrifying reality of war. DVD Features: Extended Footage with Commentary; Slide Show; Director’s Biography and Filmography

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Generation Kill (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)As an Iraq veteran I was skeptical about watching this at first, thinking that it would be a "Hollywoodized" version of the war. Then a buddy of mine told me it was by far one of the greatest shows he's ever seen, so I gave it a go. Halfway through the first episode I was awestruck. Like the title of my review states, this show is brutal, relentless, and above all AUTHENTIC. Though I was with the Army, our job was very similar to these Marines in that we rode around in Humvees searching for the bad guys.
Anyone who has served in Iraq in a combat role will relate to these Marines all-too-easily. Well talk the same, have the same frustrations with the chain-of-command and understanding our mission some days (though thankfully my unit did not have anyone like "Captain America"), and deal with the same issues regarding supplies, lack of sleep, and fighting an enemy who the day previously may have been begging you for food.
Some viewers may be turned off by the extreme vulgarity and profanity, but fact is that is the way most "grunts" talk. And I think every Platoon or Squad in theater has its own "CPL Pearson." Fact of the matter is, none of us are saints and war does bring out mankind at both its best and its worst. "Generation Kill" shows both sides to the Marines in the rawest sense. One thing I like is that it does not attempt to take a political stance one way or the other on the war. Some may view the series as anti-war, given the way some of the Marines question their mission and why they are there. But again that is another reality of this war.
I never thought I would ever want to watch a movie or series about Iraq, however this is by far one of the best series I have ever seen, period! For anyone who is a veteran, knows a veteran, or just wants to know what the war over in Iraq is really like, "Generation Kill" is a must see!
SFC James Mace, U.S. Army
OIF III, 2004-2005

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Based on the national best-selling book by Evan Wright, Generation Kill is an authentic and vividly detailed 7 part HBO mini-series event that presents a uniquely epic and intimate portrait of the first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines of the First Recon Battalion – a new breed of American soldiers.
The mini-series tells the story of these young Marines physical and emotional journey into the heart of Baghdad in those initial weeks, and how the war reveals to be much more complicated, problematic and tragic than anyone had contemplated. Many of the complications and problems that arise are due to the unwieldy military bureaucracy which the Marines confront in the midst of the war, the challenges of over-zealous and incompetent commanding officers, ever-changing rules of engagement, a non-existent strategy, severe deficiencies in necessary armor and supplies, and an enemy they don’t understand.
Generation Kill is a humorous and frightening first hand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the brutality, camaraderie and bureaucracy of a new American war. It is a profoundly insightful and realistic look at the risk, costs and ultimately, the failures of the war.
Written and produced by Emmy-award winner David Simon (the Wire), and also produced by the award-winning George Faber (Elizabeth I).

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Over There - The Battle Begins (Pilot Episode) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well i am in the army and just returned from over there where i spent 16 months fighting on the streets of iraq. This movie is extremly accurate. It shows the way things really were, and it shows what we really went through over there. So take it from me an operation iraqi freedom veteran who was there and have some storys of my own, watch this show and support YOUR troops.
SPC. HEBERT
U.S. ARMY

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From producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law," "Hill Street Blues") comes the first scripted television series set in a current, ongoing war involving the United States. Gritty, intense, evocative and emotional, "Over There" takes you to the front lines of battle and explores the effects of war on a U.S. Army unit sent to Iraq on their first tour of duty, as well as the equally powerful effects felt at home by their families and loved ones.A must-see show for all Americans, "Over There" is not about politics or policies. It's a true-to-life depiction of our courageous soldiers-the everyday heroes who fight for freedom under extraordinary conditions.Includes an exclusive behind the scenes featurette!

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Over There (13 Episodes) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was very excited for the premier of Over There. I love how FX really takes risks with their programs and Rescue Me, The Shield, and Nip/Tuck are three of television's finest shows. I knew Over There was going to raise a few eyebrows and it dealt with a very sensitive topic but the show was very respectful of the troops in Iraq.
Over There was the first show to depict the U.S. in a current war. That was enough to get the conservatives on their case but if you watch the show you will get a feeling of how hard it is to be "over there". The cast were very believable characters and the writing was very good. Obviously the show couldn't really be in Iraq but the set looked a lot like Iraq. Over There dealt with humanizing topics and it was a treat to watch.
Here's why I don't think Over There was right for television. Its ratings were not that bad for a rookie cable show but FX was under a lot of fire so they crossed it off their list of problems. Despite critical praise I don't think enough people were ready to handle the war fictionalized but it's a shame. I'm glad that we can relive the thirteen adventures through this DVD and it is a steal for the price Amazon lists. If you missed it when it first aired, then this is a great way to see the entire series.


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In this ground-breaking new series from Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues) "Over There" takes you to the front lines of battle and explores the effects of war on a U.S. Army unit sent to Iraq on their first tour of duty, as well as the equally powerful effects felt at home by their families and loved ones.

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