Some Get It, Some Don't
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Those that get it: The team behind Act of Valor. In addition to Jimbo's post below, you can find Matt's original post here, and Froggy's follow-on post here. I got to see an extended trailer and such at Blog World LA, and all I can say is wow. WOW even. The person sitting next to me would have been justified in thinking me a loon, as my response was laughter -- delighted laughter. I honestly could not believe how right and how good it was.
Most movies involving the military prove that Sturgeon's Law (though I think it should be 99 percent and not 90) applies to military movies as well as to science fiction (worst being any movie on SyFy that involves the military, though one can argue they are marginally better than most theatrical releases in terms of realism). Until now, the single best military movie (for all that it is not about the military per se, but about family) was Brothers at War.
Act of Valor gets it, does it right, and even used live ammo in some of the scenes. Real tactics, real operations, real ammo, real operators -- it just doesn't get much better. To say that I can't wait for this one is an understatement. It is intense, it is real, and it is not gore, sex, and whiney pogues. To the movie makers and the operators who kept it real, my sincere and profound thanks. You want to see this.
THOSE THAT DON"T: Hawaii Five-O Want to know why? Go read here, here, and here. You can read the drippingly insincere "apology" from the executive producer here. Mr. Lenkov, you can take your permit, fold it into many points, and insert it. You may have had it, but it does not make you in the right or right, because as was famously said recently, you can have the right to ask your cable company to accept interpretive dance as payment; but, it doesn't make it a good idea. You and your team showed great disrespect to the living and dead who paid the price for you to have your freedoms. Your non-heartfelt (to be polite) words don't mean jack. Man up, do right, and find a way to make it right -- which is a polite version of what I want to say to you. Oh, and when it comes to who I believe on what happened, I will take the word of the veterans who were there over a production pogue. Meantime, you can count me as agreeing with Greatest Generations Foundation CEO Timothy Davis in thinking your words aren't "heartfelt." If I get contact info for the show, will post it, but for now if you Twitter, share your thoughts along with #HawaiiFive0CBS and they should get the message. Or on Facebook. Or, you can just fill out a form here or light up the CBS switchboard at 1-212-975-4321. Yeah, as someone who has an uncle who is just a name on the wall there at the Punchbowl, I'm not happy about this and I even sorta liked the show. Unless they really step up, done with it.
Meantime, I'm going to go see if I can get more videos to post on Act of Valor, as I support those who do it right.
NOTE: Pulling this up from below: And the other reason I am not happy. If Lenkov or CBS has even a picogram of honor and integrity, they will work with the Greatest Generation Foundation and get all of them back for another visit. But, that would mean admitting wrong and putting out money, which means they won't do it -- mostly because of the latter I expect.
LW
UPDATE: Also covering the Hawaii Five-O story: