Mail Call: S.N.A.F.U. (The History Channel) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD should have been twice as long. One can never have enough R. Lee...

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It happens in the military, and it happens on MAIL CALL--the hit television series from THE HISTORY CHANNEL. Not everything we plan for on MAIL CALL happens the way it should. And when things go wrong, the Gunny sounds of loud and clear--and it ain’t pretty!This DVD is loaded with an hour of uncensored foul-ups, blunders and mishaps from the MAIL CALL set.Trust us, you are NEVER gonna see this stuff on television! If you’re a hardcore MAIL CALL fan ready for full-caliber Gunny, then lock and load the "X-tra Salty" version. Or, if you’d rather watch something that the whole family can enjoy, choose the "family friendly" version to experience Gunny with the rough language bleeped out. Either way, it’s a MAIL CALL experience you’ll never forget!

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Carrier (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Owing to a childhood fascination, I've watched pretty much every documentary on carriers produced in the last ten years. A few of them have been Nat Geo productions, and the latest rounds play all the time on the Discovery Channel and the Military Channel. This series beats them all, hands down.
The problem with most documentaries on this subject--or virtually any 'mainstream' docu on military topics, is that the filmmakers get distracted by the whistles, bells, and blinking lights of all the technology. As a result, the documentary lens becomes clouded by all the 'gee-whiz' of the technology and machines. Granted, this sort of perspective has its place. What gets lost, or uncovered, however, is something far more compelling, and that's the human element. A carrier is, as the old saying goes, a city at sea, and it's the lives of the crew that make for real storytelling, not more of the same file footage of missile launches or facts about the latest blocks of the CIWS and the takeoff thrust of an F/A-18 at full military power.
This series focuses on the stories of the crew, and many of them are quite moving. It's hard not to get a lump in the throat when watching how hard these (predominantly) 18- and 19- year olds have to work in order to send aircraft over the bow, or how they're trying to meet the demands of family life from thousands of miles away at sea. Their personal struggles and hopes are the meat of this series.
Production values on this series are quite high. I met the producers at a sneak preview and found that they had shot over 3,000 hours of HD video over the course of a six-month deployment. Working over that time, and with a 17-member production and shooting team, they found the real stories in the nooks and crannies of the ship. The editing, which was done by a team, is also quite good, as is the music design. The net result is a series that has the look and feel of a modern reality series, without any of the sensationalism. In short, it's filmmaking by adults. The assistance of the Navy was also nothing short of remarkable--here on the series some of the characters speak openly about how hard their jobs are, or how they work with gay crewmembers, or how they don't understand the war they're supporting. This internal confliction and confusion, from the words of servicemen and women, makes for real storytelling and makes this series worth recommending above any other on the same topic.

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CARRIER is a character driven, edge-of-your-seat, nonfiction drama as well as a total immersion in the high stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. CARRIER follows a core group of film participants aboard the USS Nimitz, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.

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The History Channel Presents Shootout - Seasons 1 and 2 (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a great series!! However, buyer beware. My copy is missing Episode 3 on disk three(episode - WW2: Storming france). Although it is listed on the CD package, it is not on the CD itself, or the menu. I've encountered this type of thing before (not necessarily on "History Channel" items). We should expect the same problem will occur on other sets in the same run. Be sure to check your CDs immediately after purchase (I do as a general rule). I intend to return mine and wait a while for this problem to be worked out of the system. Highly recommended series apart from this "technical glitch". UPDATE JUNE 15, 2007. I PURCHASED A SECOND COPY OF THIS SET AND THE SAMR ISSUE WAS MISSING. DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG HERE!!!

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With stunning clarity, veterans of the world’s most memorable conflicts tell never-before-heard stories of rescues, sniper attacks, ambushes, and hand-to-hand combat. Through such state-of-the-art technology as aerial terrain mapping and 3-D animation sequences, legendary battles are recreated shot by shot in vivid, crisp detail. Coupled with eyewitness reports from military experts and soldiers from World War II to Iraq, these blow-by-blow re-creations of history’s bloodiest confrontations take viewers to the front lines of historic military operations from the perspectives of both sides of the fight, making SHOOTOUT! the most accurate gun battle series ever created.

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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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Making Marines (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)My 18 year old daughter saw this documentary on TV, and immediately wanted to become a Marine. She has extensive experience as a musician--and successfully auditioned for the Marine band--but even the bandies in the Marines must complete boot camp and combat training.
This series helped to prepare her for boot camp, but after she actually completed boot camp, she realized that some of the segments in the series appear 'dated.' That's the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
But, this documentary was filmed prior to and during the events surrounding September 11th. The Marine recruits in this series enlisted during a 'non-wartime' America, and graduated boot camp with the prospect of war looming. All of our lives, and of course, military life is VERY different NOW, so naturally, much of the series will feel 'dated.'
But, that aside, I decided to buy this series for my daughter so she can now show friends and family 'what it was like' to experience Marine boot camp. She simply expounds 'around' the parts that are a little different now with Marine boot camp, but otherwise it's a fairly accurate account of recruit life at Parris Island.

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Each and every Marine Corps recruit has to survive 12 weeks of Boot Camp. It is perhaps the toughest 12 weeks anyone can imagine - especially for those whose average age is 19. To become one of the few and the proud, these recruits must first learn just to survive. More than just a showcase of grueling training, these three hours will shed light on the lives and backgrounds of those who make the decision to become United States Marines. Tragically, the events of September 11th take place in the middle of the sixth week of training. But for most recruits, the acts of terrorism only strengthen their resolve to become modern soldiers. Episode 1. Parris Island- Phase One: Follow young recruits as they prepare for Boot Camp at Parris Island. From all over the eastern U.S., they roll off the bus in the middle of the night and begin their transformation into U.S. Marines. Episode 2. Parris Island- Phase Two: The recruits at Parris Island learn to cope with the punishing regimen of physical training and mental conditioning. In the confidence course, they are pushed beyond their limits. Nerves become frayed, and attrition takes its toll. Episode 3. Parris Island- Phase Three: Training becomes more demanding as the recruits enter the 54-hour Crucible. Upon completion of this final test, they march to the mess hall for the Warrior's breakfast.

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Mail Call - The Best of Season 1 (History Channel) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are a fan of R Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket and are interested in military hardware past and present this is a great buy. The DVD extras leave a little to be desired, but Ermey's sense of humor combined with his giddiness for the military equipment make this DVD alot of fun. An example of the witty sense of humor is the take off of MTV's cribs showing Ermey's command tent from the series. An ex Marine drill instructor combined with MTV style left me rolling on the couch. I recommend for anyone who wants to start learning about military equipment to people who have knowledge already. Semper Fi

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MAIL CALL BEST OF SEASON 1 - DVD Movie

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