Band of Brothers in the air, over Germany in Bombers:
https://www.empireonline.com/tv/news/masters-of-the-air-austin-butler-stars-in-steven-spielberg-produced-war-series-coming-to-apple/
Sounds cool! :tie1: :tie1:
Happy to see this. My grandfather flew a B-17 in the great World War Two.
I'm in! :ThumbsUp:
there's a good chance Windy flew yo momma in WW2.
and Bob definitely hit in during the Boer War.
*ahem*
'Bawb'
Maybe YOUR Momma flew Air Windy in WWII but MY Momma was home baking, 'V For Victory' cookies and sky-watching for Nazi bombers, at the same time. :RomulanScout:
Finally after many years a Masters of the Air Trailer is out. Fingers crossed, looks ok, but not terribly impressed by the trailer in comparison to something like Memphis Belle.
Just looking at the trailer the story for masters of the air looks like a hodge podge of random happenings, hope the show runners are masters of stitching a good story together from a tonne of disparate happenings. Please don't go the way of Das Boot 2 and focus on everything but the subject matter most of the time.
P.s. I like that the red tails are shown. They were being requested by bomber groups I believe. Own one of the Tuskeegee airmen movies called red tails on blu ray... although the movie is an action piece with the worst aircraft physics known to man. It's still fun to watch.
That looks pretty incredible. I would kill for something like that set during the First World War...
Quote from: Destraex on November 13, 2023, 04:27:15 AMFinally after many years a Masters of the Air Trailer is out. Fingers crossed, looks ok, but not terribly impressed by the trailer in comparison to something like Memphis Belle.
Just looking at the trailer the story for masters of the air looks like a hodge podge of random happenings, hope the show runners are masters of stitching a good story together from a tonne of disparate happenings. Please don't go the way of Das Boot 2 and focus on everything but the subject matter most of the time.
P.s. I like that the red tails are shown. They were being requested by bomber groups I believe. Own one of the Tuskeegee airmen movies called red tails on blu ray... although the movie is an action piece with the worst aircraft physics known to man. It's still fun to watch.
The book was a hodge-podge of stories something like a Cornelius Ryan book; The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far. I would be OK with that format. Or something in-between...like "The Pacific"
I need a contiguous story that each episode is still self contained within. I like the traditional TV series format like that. I HATE short stories that do not allow character and story development from epsiode to episode. Band of Brothers was good like that. Pacific not so much... pacific suffered from disjointed character development that slid everywhere and dealt with a lot of the more boring parts of the campaign. Like convalescence and shore leave.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on October 05, 2023, 08:56:27 PMHappy to see this. My grandfather flew a B-17 in the great World War Two.
I had a few teachers that flew for the RCAF. Only one saw combat, but it was pretty kooshy, daytime stuff in mid-late 1944. I can't recall whether it was Lancasters or Halifaxs.
Great Uncle was a rear echelon refurbisher wonk. Rifles, trenching tools, etc..
A good video on the pacific and why masters of the air took so long to be greenlit
I'm a bit confused about the story arcs myself. I read the book Masters of the Air, which I understand the TV series is based on. That book focused on the US Army's 8th Air Force based out of the UK yet there are several scenes in the trailers that are showing the Tuskegee airmen and the 332nd Fighter Group which were part of the US 15th Air Force based in N. Africa, then Sicily, and then Italy.
There's also a few mention of the 100th, which I'm assuming is referring to the 100th Bomber Group (Bloody 100th) of the 8th Air Force so it looks like it'll be at least 2 story arcs based in different theatres. It seems like there'll be a 3rd story arc about a POW as well so I'm expecting it to be more like The Pacific and less like Band of Brothers.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 07, 2023, 07:32:17 PMI'm a bit confused about the story arcs myself. I read the book Masters of the Air, which I understand the TV series is based on. That book focused on the US Army's 8th Air Force based out of the UK yet there are several scenes in the trailers that are showing the Tuskegee airmen and the 332nd Fighter Group which were part of the US 15th Air Force based in N. Africa, then Sicily, and then Italy.
There's also a few mention of the 100th, which I'm assuming is referring to the 100th Bomber Group (Bloody 100th) of the 8th Air Force so it looks like it'll be at least 2 story arcs based in different theatres. It seems like there'll be a 3rd story arc about a POW as well so I'm expecting it to be more like The Pacific and less like Band of Brothers.
I read the book as well, and I loved it.
I am OK that the show will apparently go outside the boundaries of the book it is based on. Wouldn't be the first time Hollywood has done that. In the end, what matters is good story telling and as much historical accuracy as possible.
I agree with you...based on the trailers it looks like we are going to get many story arcs. That works for me.
I agree silent. After seeing what Ridley did with Napoleon, I am a little worried this will be a rushed job that focuses on everything but the b17s. I stopped watching Das Boot 2 because the first episode seemed to spend at least 50% of the time away from subs. Now masters of the air looks like it will focus on everything but bomber action.
The cgi physics also looks pretty underwhelming.
Kinda makes me pine for blu ray versions which "cut the crap" so to speak so you don't have to sit through the "for everybody but fans scenes". I just want a longer memphis belle.
:Dreamer: I loved Memphis Belle. One of my all-time favorites and I haven't seen it in such a long time.
Twelve O'Clock High (1949) Gregory Peck. One of my fav, and one the few times "Hollywood" gets it right.
Quote from: Vox on December 09, 2023, 06:40:11 AMTwelve O'Clock High (1949) Gregory Peck. One of my fav, and one the few times "Hollywood" gets it right.
Anyone know what the audience reaction was when it was released?
First episode airs Jan 26th. I am stoked!!!
Here is the opening sequence:
BTW, I just posted a virtual tour of the Thorpe Abbotts Airfield, in South Norfolk, UK, where the real 100th Bomb Group operated out of.
https://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=12709.msg736226;topicseen#msg736226 (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=12709.msg736226;topicseen#msg736226)
FWIW, the "Unauthorized History of the Pacific War" podcast will be doing an 8-part series on the 8th Air Force to dovetail with the "Masters of the Air" show. For those who haven't listened/seen their Youtube videos, this is an
exceptionally outstanding analysis on the Pacific War. Now they will be briefly covering the daylight bombing campaign in Europe. From their podcast:
"Seth and Bill have a quick special announcement to make regarding an upcoming WWII miniseries. Masters of the Air, premiering January 26 on Apple TV+ will be a cinematic adventure that needs to be seen by all WWII aficionados. Seth, Bill and new guest historian Tommy Lofton will dissect each new episode of Masters of the AIr the Monday after it airs. We will tell you what was accurate, what wasn't, what they covered, and what they should've covered while giving you tidbits of the actual history of the Bloody 100th Bomb Group.
This will be a limited run 9-week miniseries here on our channel and will not take the place of our normal show, this limited 9-week show will be in addition to our normal programming. Our first dissection will air Tuesday January 30 just after our normal show airs."
QuoteApple gave viewers a bit of a treat ahead of the Friday premiere. The tech giant dropped the first five minutes of the show so viewers could be introduced to the characters of "Masters of the Air."
So I really, really, really wanted to watch this mini-series, but I didn't have Apple TV+ cause I'm cheap. Did a little interneting and found out you can get it for free, for 3 months! Which works perfectly, since the final episode will be on March 15th.
Came across this article: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-tv-plus-free-trials
I got it through the Best Buy option (new or qualified returning subscribers only). A bit annoyed had to enter a cc at the Best Buy website and then again at Apple TV. Will be keeping an extra eye on the cc for the next few months. So I ended up with a free 7 day trial, then a free 3 month subscription. :twirl:
^This helps me muchly because I also don't have Apple TV and I am also cheap.
I am cheap, but forgetful so I would not cancel until I got the bill.
our 3 free months will end halfway through the series. we got the trial for Foundation and For All Mankind.
I'm still kinda meh over this series.
How about Greyhound?
Even if can't get for free, subscription is only $10 per month, for this series you just need two months which is $20 ($2.22 per episode). Gets you nine episodes, not too mention all the other shows and movies available during that time. Even if only buying for this series, still way cheaper than going to movies for something like this and don't need to leave your house:)
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 25, 2024, 10:29:47 AMour 3 free months will end halfway through the series. we got the trial for Foundation and For All Mankind.
I'm still kinda meh over this series.
Slow Horses is also good on Apple+... British series about MI-5 Counter-Intel folks who dress like normal people and have messy desks.
Another way to get "free" subscription months is buying an Apple TV, the hardware. I think it includes another 3 months. The device is much better than the Amazon Android offerings.
Quote from: Gusington on January 25, 2024, 10:52:01 AMHow about Greyhound?
cant really say. I had it on as backround white noise but havent really watched it.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 25, 2024, 05:34:12 PMQuote from: Gusington on January 25, 2024, 10:52:01 AMHow about Greyhound?
cant really say. I had it on as backround white noise but havent really watched it.
Heresy! https://tenor.com/view/heresy-priest-blasphemy-gif-21064011 (https://tenor.com/view/heresy-priest-blasphemy-gif-21064011)
It has Tom Hanks it it you heretic!!!
it was on in the backround while I was playing wargames, fuck off! :RockOn:
since you two are all balls out about it, what makes it so good besides Tom Hanks?
:TimeOut: fyi, I'm watching e1. Thought it was starting tomorrow.
ep1 of Masters?
yup. And now into e2.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 25, 2024, 09:35:19 PMsince you two are all balls out about it, what makes it so good besides Tom Hanks?
1) Its navy. In particular, it is surface navy. That alone is enough reason to watch it. Multiple times. :grin:
2) It has Tom Hanks (who is way too old to be a WWII destroyer skipper, but is still believable as one)
3) It is about ASW (although you do have to ignore the U-boats getting on the Tactical Broadcast System (TBS) network and harassing the destroyer crews).
4) While it doesn't do a good job of showing the tedium that is convoy escort (that would make be a bad movie), it does reflect some of the desperation that was the WWII convoy battle. It definitely has some "Hollywood" elements to liven things up for a modern audience, but they don't break the overall immersion of the movie.
5) The actual portion of the movie dealing with life on destroyers fairly accurate.
6) Ignore the first 5 minutes of the movie. Tom being dumped by the girl has no bearing for the rest of the movie. I don't know why that scene is in the movie at all.
Quote from: Tripoli on January 25, 2024, 10:56:21 PM6) Tom being dumped by the girl has no bearing for the rest of the movie. I don't know why that scene is in the movie at all.
To remind us how hot Elizabeth Shue was.
Just watched the first episode
Very strong Band of Brothers vibe - that's a good thing
Combat scenes were intense -Apple might have a real hit on their hands
this series will not fall short on epic visuals.
I originally wanted Apple TV just to see Greyhound but now with Masters of the Air and other shows mentioned...I really want Apple TV.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 25, 2024, 09:28:11 PMit was on in the backround while I was playing wargames, fuck off! :RockOn:
LoL. Right back at you!
I'll excuse your... impertinence because your duties as a clan leader are extensive and time consuming.
As an aside my wife is a Clan Leader in one of the top 10 clans in Diablo Immortal.... it is a time suck.
Quote from: Gusington on January 26, 2024, 12:42:21 PMI originally wanted Apple TV just to see Greyhound but now with Masters of the Air and other shows mentioned...I really want Apple TV.
Wife and I binged three seasons of Ted lasso in a week on Apple TV
^And there's another.
Quote from: Windigo on January 26, 2024, 12:46:44 PMI'll excuse your... impertinence because your duties as a clan leader are extensive and time consuming.
As an aside my wife is a Clan Leader in one of the top 10 clans in Diablo Immortal.... it is a time suck.
oh I've stepped away from that JOB! I'm happy to just be among the rank and file of a top 5 team.
hmm.... just looked, we've slipped to 6th :buck2:
but ya, running those things is a fucking pain in the ass when the other people involved are 2 finance guys with spreadsheets out the ass and a hillbilly with no spatial awareness. :facepalm_picard:
Saw both EP1 and EP2. So far, everything I was hoping for. However the wife thought the characters were a little flat...but what does she know... :Party:
for me there are no characters that I can connect with. for shows like this theres a lot of value in an opening Currahee episode.
I really enjoyed the first 2 episodes but I'm a huge bomber nerd. Hanks and Spielberg really do seem to hate the Brits though, don't they?
Deleted them entirely from Pvt Ryan, made them bumbling imbeciles in Band of Brothers, and now they're smarmy know-it-alls in Masters of the Air.
I agree that the characters aren't that well fleshed out yet. Given that they decided to focus on the entire 100th Bomber Group, you're looking at 480 aircrew plus additional ground crew. Maybe they would've done better to concentrate on a single crew or plane?
Greyhound is a very decent film, despite the aforementioned German antics over the radio and the over-the-top Warhammer 40K artwork on the subs.
Made me google Currahee. Interesting. A lot of professions have Currahee-Lite type bits in their backgrounds experiences.
Right Water-Brother Gus?!
I can neither confirm nor deny.
wut?? No public meetings for Gus?
I am pretty much an internal facing beast. Thank God.
Quote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 01:51:09 PMI am pretty much an internal facing beast. Thank God.
Good on you.
I'm external facing enough for the both of us. My anonymity has dipped into the negatives in the last two years.
If I could be 100% anonymous in every single facet of my life I would.
Quote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 02:24:04 PMIf I could be 100% anonymous in every single facet of my life I would.
I'm still waiting for the hookers, groupies and blow to show up.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on January 29, 2024, 02:49:18 PMQuote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 02:24:04 PMIf I could be 100% anonymous in every single facet of my life I would.
I'm still waiting for the hookers, groupies and blow to show up.
working for the gub'mint? Good luck with that.
Trying to decide which I would prefer more - hookers or groupies. Who could really decide??
Quote from: Windigo on January 29, 2024, 03:24:29 PMworking for the gub'mint? Good luck with that.
I work in the sexy world of business publishing. We're in the fast lane.
:privatedancer:
Quote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 03:46:32 PMTrying to decide which I would prefer more - hookers or groupies. Who could really decide??
Hookers demand their money up front. Groupies are harder to get rid of. Pure speculation on my part for both of them!
Hmm...still can't decide.
Quote from: bobarossa on January 29, 2024, 05:14:41 PMHookers demand their money up front. Groupies are harder to get rid of. Pure speculation on my part for both of them!
When I was in college I had a history groupie that latched onto me after I did a talk at Judson Girl's College on Dobrynin and the last days of the Cold War.
It was weird, but welcome. :ThumbsUp:
^Was she hawt?
There are history groupies??
I was a history major in undergrad and grad and this is the first time I have ever heard such a tale.
Quote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 05:28:56 PM^Was she hawt?
There are history groupies??
I was a history major in undergrad and grad and this is the first time I have ever heard such a tale.
(https://i.gifer.com/3HWu.gif)
Quote from: Gusington on January 29, 2024, 05:28:56 PM^Was she hawt?
There are history groupies??
I was a history major in undergrad and grad and this is the first time I have ever heard such a tale.
Hawt? No. Very cute? Yes. Very bouncy and wore this cute pink ballcap. I enjoyed getting it off of her.
:Dreamer: You absolute cad.
:notworthy:
(https://www.velosterturbo.org/forum/attachments/veloster-performance/50808d1453382156-methanol-mix-tests-science-over-fiction-13421592412389.gif)
yes
(https://i.imgur.com/PUe1kqu.gif)
^That never gets old. :Dreamer:
whats the thread about? :headscratch:
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 30, 2024, 08:58:11 AMwhats the thread about? :headscratch:
"What's my age again?"
Geez, I had this thought on page 4, not sure if I should even post it now.
I watched both episodes last night, and I thought the same thing Star posted: I could do with out the Currahee nonsense. Just get to the good stuff; I don't have any real need to know the backstory of the characters. This ain't Dickens.
I think Star was saying the opposite and that a good training montage would help viewers connect with the characters.
I talked with some coworkers who aren't WWII history needs but who watched it. They said they weren't sure what was happening some of the time because they couldn't understand the technical jargon or what was going on inside the bombers.
I'm glad they aren't hand holding and going out of their way to say what a Ju88 or a 190 is, but I suspect I might be in the minority.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on January 30, 2024, 04:43:03 PMI think Star was saying the opposite and that a good training montage would help viewers connect with the characters.
yes to this.
and now as your punishment!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1752353967550660922
Mah belly does the same thing after Thanksgiving but even more sexy.
I'll take that punishment anytime.
Man, I just re-read Star's post. I was 180 off on that one! Anyway, I stand by my statement. I hated all the beginning BS in Band of Brothers.
so do you generally skip the first few chapters of a book as well?
I don't think they could've really pulled off a historically accurate re-telling of training without adding a lot of run time. Bomber crew members each trained at different locations based on their specialization and didn't become crews until after training was completed.
Anyway, I just finished episode 3 which covers the disastrous raids on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and Regensburg. It was very cool but I felt it was a bit lacking in impact in how the bomber losses were portrayed. They basically added a bunch of redshirts we hadn't seen before and then expected us to care about them as they get picked off. Would've been nice to get a bit more character development for the guys who bought it in this episode but I guess that'd be difficult to pull off without making it a 20 episode series.
Shame about the one previously introduced character who didn't make it though. I was enjoying his character the most out of those so far introduced.
The show writers once again took a crap on the Brits by proclaiming that their raid on Aug 17, 1943 was the "largest air armada ever assembled". It consisted of 376 bombers and 240 escort fighters.
The RAF launched their first 1,000 bomber raid more than a year earlier in Operation Millennium in May, 1942 when 868 of the assigned bombers plastered Cologne.
:Dreamer: Damn SDR, you have some knowledge packed away in that braincase.
None of it useful.
It's weird. I can remember the entire dialogue exchange from scenes of WKRP and Gilligan's Island and obscure WWII facts but formulas I use at work every day or foreign language vocabulary that I study?
Gone 30 seconds after I look it up.
Anyway...the bombing campaigns against Germany is kinda my thing, particularly the night bombing campaigns by the RAF. I wrote my bachelor's thesis on the development of the bomber doctrine during the inter-war period and the dangers of blindly trusting technocrats and "experts".
Thanks for the heads-up on this one; had seen "masters of the air," bits and bobs on my YouTube feed but never put 2 and 2 together; me am observant!
Ep 4 was a bit lackluster. It felt like a filler more than anything.
I have to say I am enjoying the series. And it is growing on me with each episode.
There is some hand-wringing in the press about the series' "lackluster" Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/masters-of-the-air-s-unwanted-rotten-tomatoes-record-is-worse-after-episode-4/ar-BB1i8q5G?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=65d14d5ea8de41b29f429b3f1850feb6&ei=29 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/masters-of-the-air-s-unwanted-rotten-tomatoes-record-is-worse-after-episode-4/ar-BB1i8q5G?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=65d14d5ea8de41b29f429b3f1850feb6&ei=29)
But speaking only for myself, I think it is the best WWII Air War content to hit the small screen since HBO's "The Cold Blue."
Yup, I think it's great so far. I'm a huge WWII air nerd though so I'm just happy any time I see a plane on screen. I have seen quite a few reviews and comments from people complaining about the use of CGI. I don't get the complaints myself. I think most of the scenes are very well done and look quite good. Yeah, you can tell it's CGI and it has some odd colour tint effects but overall, it looks good enough for me. (The close up of an explosion from one of the B-17s crashing during the Regensburg episode being a pretty stark outlier).
I'm eagerly awaiting the next episode. I'm hoping they stick with the bombing exploits of the 100th but I suspect the story focus is going to shift into POW camps and evasion and escape instead. I really want to see the Munster raid that earned the 100th its "Bloody" nickname and I'd like to see them follow the career of Rosie Rosenthal as he goes to rack up 50 missions rather than focusing on Buck and Bucky's story after the 2nd Bremen raid.
In case anyone was wondering how the underground got on to 'Bob' (I was) :headscratch: Here is a possible explanation.
https://www.outkick.com/culture/masters-of-the-air-death-bob-explained-german-infiltrator
Quote from: steve58 on February 14, 2024, 08:26:18 AMIn case anyone was wondering how the underground got on to 'Bob' (I was) :headscratch: Here is a possible explanation.
https://www.outkick.com/culture/masters-of-the-air-death-bob-explained-german-infiltrator
Not to mention the Babe Ruth baseball question. As the movie Battleground taught us...baseball knowledge was a critical life skill...:)
I think it was the way he wrote the date, the way he wrote the number 7, and the lighter he was carrying.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on February 14, 2024, 12:03:10 PMI think it was the way he wrote the date, the way he wrote the number 7, and the lighter he was carrying.
Yes, but there was also a trick Babe Ruth question as well. :)
Wow! Episode 5 was amazing. Best of the series so far. I was hoping they'd show the Munster raid and focus on Rosenthal's arc and they certainly delivered.
I've been watching some reaction videos to the series on YouTube. Apart from one mother/son team, none of the reactors have any real knowledge of the history so its been an education seeing how they react.
I'm eager to see how they react to this one. I suspect they'll have a very different take on it that I did. I think the music and lighting in the first half of the episode are well done and will produce the desired effect of building tension.
Having said that I'm still not sure who the target audience for this series really is. Is it written and directed for history buffs or is it meant for a wider audience? As a history buff, I'm loving it even though I know they've changed up a lot of the official record in favour of making things more dramatic. I'm not sure how it's going over with the normies though. They were a bit confused in eps 1 and 2 and they were having trouble distinguishing between the different characters because of the oxygen masks and they didn't understand some of the more technical aspects. Ep 3 went over well and shocked a lot of them. Episode 4 angered them and many complained that they didn't like not being shown what happened. A few said that if Elvis has really left the building, they'd stop watching. I think the fact that ep 5 doesn't show anything more about Quinn and Bailey's e&e or answer questions raised in episode 4 is going to lead to some further frustration. One couple who are reacting lamented that they didn't get to hear the testimony from the actual vets like they did in Band of Brothers. The guy wondered if this was because this came out much later than BoB and he thought maybe the vets had passed on. I almost jumped in to the comments to tell him why, but instead decided to take the advice from the pilot on episode 1 "don't tell them anything. They'll see it soon enough".
Back to the episode. I loved the early bits where we are given a more detailed look at the planning room and we're then given a bit more thorough look at the internal workings of the bomber and the tasks the crew carried out on the run up to the target. The interrogation back at barracks and Crosby's reaction to the letter both hit hard.
anyone complaining about CGI is an idiot. what are they expecting? its not like there are lots of B-17s in flying condition lounging around the world.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 16, 2024, 03:24:24 PManyone complaining about CGI is an idiot. what are they expecting? its not like there are lots of B-17s in flying condition lounging around the world.
Not to mention having more than one needing to get shot down/damaged in a variety of different ways
The original Battle Star Galactica reuse of combat footage comes to mind.
Way better to CGI it all
Ep 6 was pretty decent despite there being no action in the air. Feels like the character development is really hitting its stride (even though they seem to have left off Quinn's story for quite a few episodes now).
More evidence of Spielberg really having something against the Brits, unfortunately. Once again, they're portrayed as condescending dickheads throughout. I also thought they went a bit overboard with their portrayal of ze Germans. They came across more like caricatures from a Captain America comic than real people.
Still loving the series though. I really wish they'd do something like this covering Bomber Command.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on February 23, 2024, 08:59:56 AMEp 6 was pretty decent despite there being no action in the air. Feels like the character development is really hitting its stride (even though they seem to have left off Quinn's story for quite a few episodes now).
More evidence of Spielberg really having something against the Brits, unfortunately. Once again, they're portrayed as condescending dickheads throughout. I also thought they went a bit overboard with their portrayal of ze Germans. They came across more like caricatures from a Captain America comic than real people.
Still loving the series though. I really wish they'd do something like this covering Bomber Command.
I liked Ep6 as well, and my wife got a big smile on her face when Elvis 'came back into the building.'
Interesting song choice for the montage. I approve. But it's just that Woody Guthrie's original version was a bit of a toe-tapper. In the montage, it was slow and ballad like. Almost didn't recognize it. Here's Woody's version:
Dirty proto-hippie...
Also, The Dude should totally fly a B-17. Walter could be he bombardier. Donny could be in the bill turret. The Jesus could be his crew chief.
They could put the rug between the waist guns and maybe drop Bunny's toe on Bremen.
Ep 7.
That was a jarring time jump. I'd have preferred to follow Rosendale's progression rather than have it abruptly jump from 3 to 25 like that. Same with Quinn and Bradey's evasion story. Disappointed with Crosby's choice.
Too much Hogan's Heroes, not enough 12 O'clock High for me.
Yeah...Ep7 seemed like it was just transitional, but I am not sure to what. But yes, the time jump made it feel like there was an Ep6.5 that was 'left on the cutting room floor.'
Still, overall, I enjoying the series.
It seems like the last 1/3rd of the series is suffering from the same problem as the Midway movie. They're trying to cram too much stuff into too few episodes. As a result, storylines are starting to feel rushed and disjointed. They're also glossing over important events or skipping them entirely. The narrative structure is starting to fall apart. What's the point of having Col. Bennett and Rosie talking about the change in tactics and the need to use bombers as bait to lure the Luftwaffe into the air so the fighters can wipe them out (aka Big Week) at the end of Ep 7 only to skip over Big Week entirely in Ep 8?
It's all so frustrating because this series had the potential to be so much more. Eps 2-6 were very, very good overall. Eps 7 and 8 were both very disappointing. :hair: :hair:
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on March 08, 2024, 11:34:43 PM...Eps 7 and 8 were both very disappointing. :hair: :hair:
Sadly, I agree. Ep8 seemed pretty rudderless...and rushed.
Episode 9 and so it ends. If I had any doubt until now whether MotA had what it takes to meet the legacy that BoB and Pacific are, this episode alone nails it. That was some powerful television there.
Quote from: Crossroads on March 16, 2024, 08:26:14 AMEpisode 9 and so it ends. If I had any doubt until now whether MotA had what it takes to meet the legacy that BoB and Pacific are, this episode alone nails it. That was some powerful television there.
+1 The series got its 'MoJo' back in Ep9. Overall a great series.
I enjoyed the series overall and will happily watch it again but I feel that they tried to cover too much in too few episodes and the narrative suffered for it.
It could have done with 3-4 more episodes, a 2nd season, or a tighter focus on core characters and the omission of some storylines. Jamming the Tuskegees into 2 episodes felt a bit cheap. That should be its own series. Same with Windgate/Westlake. An entire series about the SOE and the Jedburgh teams would be cool.
At any rate, i hope this series generates some interest in WWII air warfare. I'd love to see a series about the RAF Bomber Command and the tech EW arms race that developed. I also hope this will finally let Peter Jackson get the Dambusters remake funded.
Having now seen the whole series I can finally read this thread. Already impressed by silent robot's post and agree for the most part.
This one seemed a little more soul less than the precious two, however it's certainly better than most anything else around these days.
I did find the cgi a little jarring at times and the aircraft movement a little un-natural. I almost wish they had gone with memphis bell style model aircraft with cgi effects on top. Star wars style.
I hated the diversions from the air war story and did not find the later episodes especially had enough air war action. I know some will say that would have got stale but I disagree if they did it properly. Aftet all band of brothers managed to do it well enough. Memphis Bell is still a better b17 show to watch imho.
They just needed to focus properly and show and explain tactics in the air.
What was frustrating for me was that they shoehorned a lot of stories I assume that most who watched this have already seen in much better and more focused shows.
The great eacape = the prison episodes
Schindlers list, the piano etc = the holocaust scenes (even band of brothers did this in more depth than masters of the air).
Love scenes = almost any other movie, boring and also does not help parents watch with kids.
Tuskegee airmen and red tails = tuskegee airmen scenes
I would have preferred to see B24 stories or lancaster ones or even a fighter squadron that actually escorted the 8th air force and had a relationship with them if they were going to muddle around so much especially in the later episodes. Just felt that we missed an opportunity to learn about the air war the way we did in memphis bell. I think that the air war scenes were so short that almost everything done was almost a throw away comment, short and disjointed without much explanation for the audience about anything. I was waiting for deep conversations about that stuff and it never really came. Broad strokes was the name of the game.
I liked the theme song and took what I could get from this show as we have very little any good from hollywood these days. But am afraid spielburg and hanks did less than they did with previous shows in the series. I liked greyhound a lot more.
What's more. Like Greyhound, I am assuming I cannot get a physical copy because apple tv. I'd still love to collect both Greyhound and Masters of the Air. A second watch might improve things a bit. But I hate owning things digitally as a thing on a server somewhere when it comes to movies. Especially when they love to tinker with the things we love and change them, but mainly because I don't want to rely on the internet to give me reliable high quality viewing.
Quote from: Destraex on March 20, 2024, 02:41:40 AMI hated the diversions from the air war story and did not find the later episodes especially had enough air war action. I know some will say that would have got stale but I disagree if they did it properly. Aftet all band of brothers managed to do it well enough. Memphis Bell is still a better b17 show to watch imho.
They just needed to focus properly and show and explain tactics in the air.
Maybe because it's cheaper than cgi? I don't know.
Imagine if Halo had not been an angst filled mellow drama - and instead put more action into it?
Quote from: Windigo on March 25, 2024, 12:46:38 PMQuote from: Destraex on March 20, 2024, 02:41:40 AMI hated the diversions from the air war story and did not find the later episodes especially had enough air war action. I know some will say that would have got stale but I disagree if they did it properly. Aftet all band of brothers managed to do it well enough. Memphis Bell is still a better b17 show to watch imho.
They just needed to focus properly and show and explain tactics in the air.
Maybe because it's cheaper than cgi? I don't know.
Imagine if Halo had not been an angst filled mellow drama - and instead put more action into it?
I suspect it had more to do with just providing what they thought was variety in the story line. I think for most of us on this forum, that was probably not a good choice. Most of us could easily baste happily in a dozen episodes of just bomb runs. However, for the more general, less interested in military history audience (like my wife), the variety in the story may have been welcome. Just a thought...
Heresy!
Sadly, that seems to be correct. I watched a half dozen normie reactions to the series and most (the chicks especially) said they were lukewarm to the early episodes but really got engaged once the story shifted to the POW camps. My reaction was the complete opposite.
I hate POW movies/series. Not looking forward to the episodes I didn't see yet now.