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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Shooter (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)After a mission gone awry, Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) now leads a solitary existence in the mountains of Wyoming. When he is called back to assist a covert military group (headed by Danny Glover) in determining how to pull off an assasination attempt, he soon discovers that he's been set up in an elaborate ruse to take the fall. Hell hath no fury like a Marine scorned, and Swagger becomes a PO'ed two-man army (once he hooks up with disgraced FBI agent Michael Pena), determined to bring the real culprits to justice. Directd by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), this high octane conspiracy thriller just doesn't let up and will keep the viewer guessing. Though it's pretty violent - it's well worth watching!
My only drawback was having to hear Glover's dialogue - was it me or did he have some really ill-fitting dentures that provided him with the most annoying lisp. I was just waiting for them to fall out. Overall though, Glover has not given a more chilling performance since "Witness," and Wahlberg who can also be pretty menacing, proves to be a great action hero.
The DVD extras include a great behind the scenes segment featuring the technical advisor, himself a former military sniper, who provides insight into that occupation as well as the weapons used in the movie.

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Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a former Marine Corps sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country.

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Two Weeks in Hell (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)If your interested in joining any Special Operations Force, the get this video. See what it really takes to be the best of the best.

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The U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets are America's unconventional warfare specialists. Whereas the military's focus usually is on brute-force tactics, the Green Berets rely on creative, innovative and stealthy tactics to destabilize an enemy from within. They are experts in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and subversion. They live as the locals do, and they live by their wits.
This unique access special takes you deep inside the world of America's Green Berets. In a profession of order and regiment, this is the place for the unconventional and strong-willed. Finding these characters is a virtually impossible process. To find the unconventional thinker, you need an unconventional system to do it. Welcome to SFAS.

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Band of Brothers (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)That modesty and that sentiment seems to be shared by all the survivors of Easy Company, 506th PRI, and many of them can't hold back the tears as they mumble it. One of the great benefits of this marvelous series was the closeup interviews of the real men portrayed, those wonderful old seamed faces, breaking at last with emotion as they recall their experiences and the love of their comrades and the pain of loss of other friends. It moves me greatly, and I'm glad the Extras in this set has an extended documentary re-tracing the time-frame of the film with these real veterans recalling the action we've seen re-created.
Brought with loving care and fanatic attention to detail by producers Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks and their carefully chosen band of producers, directors and actors, this is an unsentimental, near-documentary telling of the story of Easy Co. from training to D-Day, Hedge Row fighting, Operation Market Garden, Bastogne, into Germany, liberation of Death Camps, and the capture of Berchesgarden & Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
Throughout it all, the aim has been to tell it straight and get it right. They have done so in remarkable style. The truth HAS enough drama, and the various episodes reveal it. We get to know these men and care about them. We marvel at their endurance and the way they go about getting the job done, professionally, and with matter-of-fact, everyday courage. It is a true tribute to the Citizen Soldiers who won the war.
With 10 episodes and lots of extra goodies, presented within an exceptional package, there is just too much to review here. Some memorable moments: the harrowing jump into the explosive, tracer-lit night skies of Normandy; the assault on the 88's; Winter's killing the young German; the episode dedictated to the Medic; the monstrous artillery barrage on the men in the snowy forest of Bastogne; the shock of the farmer's wife on seeing the closeup hand-to-hand killing of the German by "Bull"; and finally, the incredibly moving scenes of the liberation of the Concentration Camp, and the final days of Easy at the War's end.
These last episodes are all the more powerful because we have followed Easy Co. and these men and have seen the death so random and arbitrary around and among them that a slow emotional tension has been built that we now realize with the intensity of anger/pity/horror at the Camps and the bittersweet joy and subsequent farewell of VE day.
I could cite great moments by each individual actor, and nicely played and effectively understated but powerfully emotional scenes but suffice it to say this is an ensemble piece with superb performances throughout. The quiet power of the different episodes underscores how wonderfully written the entire piece is, and with corresponding excellent direction and production values.
A one-of-a-kind production, having the time to tell the tale with detail and care, and with all involved doing honor to the men who lived it. And finally, there are those men, bringing it all back to the reality of real lives lived. Exceptional stuff.

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Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elete rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

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Taking Chance (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I viewed this film at a pre-screening, and I left the theater deeply moved. It's a simple story made into a heartfelt film -- Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl (perfectly played by Kevin Bacon) accompanies the remains of Private First Class Chance Phelps from the mortuary at Dover AFB in Delaware to his home in Wyoming.
The Marine's death in Iraq occurs in the tense first minute of the film, with viewers only hearing the radio chatter and the explosion on a black screen. The screen comes to light with PFC Phelps' remains being sent to the U.S. The care of the remains and the personal effects makes visible and gives dignity to the anonymous work at Dover AFB.
The story takes the viewer into some seldom-seen corners of America -- from airport cargo facilities to the mountain highways of Wyoming -- and shows everywhere the reverence for the fallen. When the escort gives Phelps' watch, dog tags, and wooden cross to his parents, eight days after his death, even men will feel the tears coming. Finally, as LtCol Strobl (who had not yet been to Operation Iraqi Freedom when he accompanied Phelps' remains home) thinks over the experience, there's a meditation on where duty lies for a Marine Corps officer.
Director Ross Katz, Kevin Bacon, and HBO have given us a profound film that grants us a rare look not at America's prosperity, or freedoms, or politics -- but rather America's soul.
-30-

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Based on the true experiences of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who wrote eloquently of them in a widely circulated 2004 article, Taking Chance is a profoundly emotional look at the military rituals taken to honor its war dead, as represented by a fallen Marine killed in Iraq, Lance Corporal Chance Phelps. Working as a strategic analyst at Marine Corps Base Quantico in VA, Lt. Col. Strobl (Kevin Bacon) learns that Phelps had once lived in his hometown, and volunteers to escort the body to its final resting place in Wyoming. As Strobl journeys across America, he discovers the great diligence and dignity in how the military, and all those involved with preparing and transporting the body, handle their duties. Equally important, he encounters hundreds of people affected by Chances death, a vast majority of whom never knew him. This collective grieving eventually causes Lt. Col. Strobl, a veteran of Desert Storm now assigned to office duty, to probe his own guilt about not re-deploying to Iraq for the current conflict. Arriving in Wyoming, Lt. Col. Strobl completes his catharsis when he encounters Chances gracious family and friends, and discovers an extraordinary outpouring of community support.

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Navy Seals: Buds Class 234 (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 3-disc DVD set is an incredible documentation about military training in an elite force. It gives an insider's look into BUD/S class 234: of the students and of their no-nonsense, hard-core instructors.
BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training is the six months of basics, which includes PT phase, diving/water navigation, and weapons. Viewers get a glimps of what it takes to become a Navy SEAL. The cold, the endurance, the self-sacrifice, the will to win and succeed, and the dedication to the team.
My brother-in-law's father was a Navy SEAL, and after watching this documentary, I've gained greater appreciation and understanding of his experience. However, the DVD just shows a snippet of SEAL training. BUD/S is just the beginning!
For any potential SEAL-to-be, this DVD is a must! Also, for the extreme workout (or physical preparation) try: The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness, Third Edition (Includes Free DVD): Updated for Today's Warrior Elite.
Other recommended Navy SEAL DVDs:
Navy SEALs Training - The Silent Option
Special Operations Force: The Secret Soldier

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The U.S. Navy SEALs are members of one of the world's most elite, most successful military commando forces. They are a highly trained unit of tenacious, intelligent and fearless soldiers. What does it take to become the best of the best? Find out as you follow Class 234 in a rigorous six-month training course that will push the men to extreme physical and emotional limits. The punishment never ends from the first day to the course's end when only 17 of 83 men will succeed as they face the most demanding training of their lives. Disc 1 Welcome to BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) - From "The Grinder" to "Surf Torture," the training begins with a punishing series of physical and mental tests that will push students to their limits. And this is just the first day. It Pays to Be a Winner - With a one-mile bay swim in frigid water, the best students rise to the top...and half the class drops out by the end of the first week. Disc 2 Two Weeks and a Long Day - Week One is over, and the remaining students of Class 234 are battered, bruised and exhausted. See how poor teamwork results in one candidate's injury and how two team leaders cost their crews serious punishment.Hell Week - This is the eliminator. For 24 hours a day, six days straight, candidates are put through a brutal set of tests designed to bring each of them to his breaking point and challenge him to push beyond it.Disc 3 The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday - Students must combat fear and panic underwater as they learn advanced scuba andbreathing techniques. Those who make it must undergo a simulated combat dive that demands extreme levels of precision . The Home Stretch - This is the training's most dangerous phase. Using real explosives and live ammunition, candidates learn demolition tactics, land navigation and combat maneuvers. The final hurdle is a nighttime, live-fire mission on a simulated enemy base.

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The Unit - The Complete First Season (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ah... finally CBS produced aired and had faith in a show that WASN'T FORMULAIC... mystery-solved, every week. Here's a court case and an immediate resolution. When does that ever happen?
The nation was starving for something outside the box and outside the typical routine T.V. shows that overwhelm our video box every night, and not to my surprise... THE UNIT actually locked in a solid rating. Was the state of the world we're in the reason for the people who tuned in? Was it the fact that Dennis Haysbert who was a lot of people's favorite character from the smash FOX hit, 24? Was it the no holds barred, no mercy, no sugar-coated story-telling method?
I think it's a combination of a lot of things. My favorite reason for tuning in was that it was REAL. It wasn't like all the other CBS shows that unrealistically solve a murder in 40 minutes or resolve a court hearing in 40 minutes.
The UNIT shows the not-so-pretty side of counter-terrorism secret units. A shadow company of elite soldiers who aren't even allowed to tell their wives what they do. But, unlike many CBS shows, you actually get to know the characters in the show. You get to see the HARD mission minded Jonas Blane (Haysbert) and the family man when he returns home. You get to see what the wives have to deal with while their men are away.
The most important thing the UNIT gives its viewer is the understanding that GETTING THE JOB DONE, isn't always pretty. Isn't always moral. Isn't always negotiable. The UNIT also shows what it is to be military, what it is to be American, and what it is to do a thankless job.
This show is gritty, dark, dangerous, secretive and it comes to a dramatic and shocking finale that will leave you salivating for the 2nd season episodes to begin their run.
I'd give the DVD season set 5 stars, but the season was a mid-season replacement. Most likely a show that CBS didn't have any faith in until people starting actually watching.
Well, seeing as though it was a mid-season test show... it only had 13 episodes. So, in my opinion, this show is just getting started. The second season should have the full 24 episode run and then we'll really see what this incredible show is truly capable of.

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FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SHAWN RYAN ("The Shield," "Angel") and PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT DAVID MAMET.They are The Unit, a covert Special Forces team operating outside the usual military chain of command. Whether stateside or aboard, these heroes are on the frontlines protecting U.S. citizens and foreigners alike, slipping in under the radar and risking their lives to save the day then leaving just as quietly without any well-deserved credit or thanks. Starring Dennis Haysbert and Scott Foley, this riveting, action-packed drama is as realistic and pulse-pounding as it gets.

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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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Chris Ryan's Elite Police (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you work in law enforcement like I do you will find this show extremely interesting. It shows how policemen train and operate to fight the criminal. I am amazed at the skill of this legendary SAS hero (British Special Forces) and continue to watch in amazement. It also shows all the different automatic weapons that ELITE POLICE are using around the world. Each episode is divided in two: a first part in which Ryan closely observes the training of the unit he's a guest of and a second part in which he follows an actual operation in the field. There's plenty of reportages about world's criminals and crime-fighters out there, but none of them follows elite police officers both in training and in operation. If you are into guns and are in the military or law enforcement you will simply love this!

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Enter the explosive world of Special Forces legend and bestselling author Chris Ryan, the only man to escape from the Special Forces Bravo Two Zero mission during the first Gulf War. In this high-octane series, Chris travels the world's crime and terror hotspots to train and operate alongside a new breed of law enforcer - the Elite Police!
WITNESS FIRSTHAND: High-tech weaponry taking on the terrorist threat in Kazakhstan! Close-combat shootouts in the slums of Brazil! Violent clashes with Mexican drug cartels! Airborne Colombian hit squads taking out cocaine labs! And much, much more!SPECIAL FEATURES include 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage and exclusive Chris Ryan interview.

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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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