Well here is the first review/spy report from my own Dad. You've read about him joining along on many adventures and films, but this is the first time you heard from him. First off if he says it a great movie, then that's what it is. This guy doesn't have an ounce of bullshit or agenda in his old butt. Noone I know has seen more war movies than him. We have them all and he watches them. I grew up with him showing me Wake Island, Bataan, Back to Bataan, The Longest Day, They Were Expendable, Guns of Navarone, The Green Berets, Apocalypse Now, The Killing Fields, Empire of the Sun, All Quiet on the Western Front, Fires on the Plains, etc etc etc... In all I got the message that while War is terrific action, it's completely and utterly stupid. When thousands die on both sides, can victors really be announced? And he loves war films. One last thing, he's not on crack, he just hates using the Shift key cause that would require the use of two fingers at the same time and he hasn't gotten that adept yet with the keyboard. In reality he doesn't scream like this, it's actually more of a low grumbly Laurence Tierney voice. Ya know... soothing. Prepare for more reviews from Quint, Robogeek, RoRo and Marcus. All positive and all amazed.
WELL, HERE'S A LOOK AT "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" FROM THE EYES OF FATHER GEEK (HARRY'S DAD). 1ST OFF I'M 53 YEARS OLD , A BABY BOOMER THAT WAS BORN WHILE MY DAD, HIS BROTHERS AND COUSINS WERE STILL FIGHTING IN WWII. AS A YOUNG KID I WAS BROUGHT UP HEARING STORIES OF THE VARIOUS BATTLES FROM RELATIVES AND THE DADS OF MY FRIENDS. ONE OF MY FATHER'S COUSINS LOST A HAND AND BOTH LEGS ON OMAHA BEACH AND MY BEST FRIEND THROUGH JR. HIGH SCHOOL STEP FATHER WAS A RANGER WHO CLIMBED THOSE HELLISH CLIFFS ON D-DAY. HE WOULD SIT SHIRTLESS IN THE BACKYARD ON THOSE HOT 1950'S SUMMER AFTERNOONS IN SAN ANTONIO TELLING US STORIES OF THE BIGGEST INVASION EVER, WHERE HE HAD EARNED 2 SILVER STARS, 3 BRONZE STARS AND 5 PURPLE HEARTS BETWEEN THE SHORELINE AND THE RHINE. HE HAD DOZENS OF SCARS ON HIS LEGS AND BACK, AND MANY BLUE/BLACK BRUISE-LIKE MARKS ON HIS BODY. IF WE HELD OUR FACES RIGHT, AND HE FELT LIKE IT HE WOULD LET ONE OF US TOUCH THE MISCOLORED FLESH, PUSHING GENTLY TO RAISE A DARK KNOT TO THE SURFACE. THEY WERE BITS OF METAL HE STILL CARRIED WITH HIM FROM THE BEACHES THAT DAY IN JUNE OF 1944. IRON FROM NAZI HAND GRENADES LOBBED DOWN THE FACE OF THE CLIFFS. I GREWUP KNOWING OUR PRESIDENT HAD LED THAT INVASION, AND I READ EVERYTHING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON ABOUT D-DAY. NATURALLY I WENT TO EVERY MOVIE MADE THAT PROMISED EVEN A LITTLE TASTE OF THAT GREATEST OF HUMAN ADVENTURES AND TRAGEDIES. MOST OF THE TIME I LEFT VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED.
NOT THIS TIME! THIS WAS THE FILM I'VE WAITED OVER 40 YEARS FOR. THE ONE THAT NOT ONLY SHOWED COMBAT THE WAY IT HAD BEEN SO OFTEN DISCRIBED TO ME BY THOSE WHO HAD EXPERIENCED IT FIRST HAND, BUT A FILM THAT COMES AS CLOSE AS MERE MOVIE FILM CAN TO PLACING ME IN THAT MAD WORLD SO OFTEN OVERLY GLAMORIZED BY HOLLYWOOD. THE DIRECTOR'S CHOICE OF A MUTED COLOR STOCK, A LACK OF FILTERS, AND THE USE OF HANDHELD CAMERAS MADE ME FEEL I WAS WATCHING FOOTAGE SHOT BY A SIGNAL CORP MAN WITH AN OLD WWII WINDUP BELL & HOWELL 16MM CAMERA. EITHER THAT OR THAT I WAS THE CAMERAMAN DODGING BULLETS, GETTING SPLATTERED WITH THE MUD & BLOOD OF BOTH FRIEND AND FOE. THE SURROUND SOUND TOO HEIGHTENED THIS FEELING OF IMPENDING DANGER AS BULLETS WIZZED BY STRIKING THE THEATER PATRONS SEATED AROUND ME, EXPLODING THEIR FLESH & BONE WITH SICKENING REALISM . ALL IT LACKED WAS THE ARRID SMOKE & SMELL OF GUNFIRE WISPING THROUGH THE AUDITORIUM TO COMPLETE THE SCENE.
MUCH HAS BEEN MADE OF THE GORE IN THIS FILM. WELL COMBAT IS GORE AND ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE IS DANGEROUSLY FOOLING THEMSELVES. IN THIS FILM GORE HAPPENS MATTER-OF-FACTLY. IT IS NOT DWELT UPON, IT'S JUST THERE ALL AROUND YOU, LIKE IT WOULD BE. IF IT SICKENS YOU, WELL, GOOD, IT SHOULD. WAR , THE THOUGHT OF WAR SHOULD SICKEN YOU. IT SHOULD NOT BE LOOKED UPON LIGHTLY, IT IS NOT A GLORIOUS GRAND ADVENTURE WHICH LEAVES THE SURVIVIORS UNSCARRED. IT SHOULD ONLY OCCUR AS A LAST RESORT, AFTER EVERYTHING ELSE HAS FAILED. THIS MOVIE SHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING FOR EVERYONE IN A POSITION OF POWER IN THE WORLD, NO EVERY ADULT IN THE WORLD. WAIT, MAKE THAT EVERYONE IN THE WORLD. IF IT TROMATIZES CHILDREN, GOOD, MAYBE THEY WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO FOLLOW SOME ZEALOT OFF ON SOME INSANE MISADVENTURE LIKE MY GENERATION WAS LEAD ON. SEE THIS MOVIE, SEE IT WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS. TALK ABOUT IT WITH THEM, AND NEVER NEVER FORGET IT!
I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FILM, THE ISSUES IT RAISES, THE ACTING, DIRECTING, AND EFFECTS FOR HOURS, NO, MAKE THAT DAYS, BUT I MUST E-MAIL THIS TO HARRY IN WASHINGTON D. C. SO HE CAN POST IT TONIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT FROM FATHER GEEK JUST WRITE ME AT rodan@bga.com AND I'LL TRY AND ANSWER YOU. GO SEE THIS MOVIE TOMORROW, ITS IMPORTANT, IT MAY END UP SAVING LIVES.
STAY COOL!
FATHER GEEK
