Posts Tagged ‘World War II’

Library Addition: Tiger! The Tiger Tank: A British View

Thursday, November 11th, 2021

Every now and then, I do buy books that aren’t science fiction, fantasy or horror-related. In this case, I became aware (possibly from one of their YouTube videos) that the British Tank Museum in Bovington (which I visited in 2014) was doing a new book on the Tiger tank, and went “Yes, I do want that!”

Fletcher, David, editor. Tiger! The Tiger Tank: A British View. The Tank Museum, 2021. First revised edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. A considerably revised edition of a book first published in 1986, featuring extensive British intelligence documentation and analysis gathered on captured Tiger 131 (still, I think, the only fully running, intact, surviving Tiger 1 from World War II, and the Tiger seen in Fury). The paperback version of this book is available through the Tank Museum, but this hardback was done as a Kickstarter-like deal through them, and my name can be found on page 255. Bought for £32.94, including transatlantic shipping.

Christmas Storytime: Orson Welles’ “Gremlin Troubles”

Friday, December 25th, 2020

Enjoy one of the great Orson Welles’ contributions to the war effort: a story about gremlins, the supernatural critters that attacked World War II planes, more funny than horrific, and with a Christmas theme:

This was from his Ceiling Unlimited radio show, sponsored by Lockheed-Vega to dramatize aviation’s contributions to the war effort. Welles wrote, directed and starred in the first 13 episodes before others took over for him.

Cast credits start in at 13:10. See if you can guess who played the Irish lass before you get to them…

Three Sentence Review of Tora! Tora! Tora!

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017

1st part: Slow, static and talky.
2nd part: Slow, static and talky.
3rd part: HOLY FUCK!!!!!

National Film Registry Adds 25 More Films

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

The National Film Registry has announced this year’s selection of 25 important films worthy of preservation, and there are a lot of gems on the list:

  1. Airplane! (1980)
  2. All the President’s Men (1976)
  3. The Bargain (1914)
  4. Cry of Jazz (1959)
  5. Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)
  6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  7. The Exorcist (1973)
  8. The Front Page (1931)
  9. Grey Gardens (1976)
  10. I Am Joaquin (1969)
  11. It’s a Gift (1934)
  12. Let There Be Light (1946)
  13. Lonesome (1928)
  14. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
  15. Malcolm X (1992)
  16. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
  17. Newark Athlete (1891)
  18. Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)
  19. The Pink Panther (1964)
  20. Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)
  21. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  22. Study of a River (1996)
  23. Tarantella (1940)
  24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
  25. A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

Airplane!, The Exorcist, The Empire Strikes Back and The Pink Panther are all great films, arguably among the top 100 ever made. I believe it was K. W. Jeter who said that the student version of THX 1138 was much better than the theatrical release, so I’ve always been curious to see that. Strangely enough, I’m also curious about Saturday Night Fever, despite my loathing of disco, as many critics (the late Gene Siskel among them) consider it one of the great films of the 1970s, and National Review‘s John Derbyshire says it’s one of the best films about blue collar American life ever made. I also remember Dwight being impressed with Malcolm X, despite not having seen Malcolm I–IX.

Of course, a lot of these are notable only for being early examples of the form rather than gripping cinema, such as Newark Athlete:

Or A Trip Down Market Street:

Let There Be Light is John Huston’s pioneering documentary on the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following World War II:

And Our Lady of the Sphere is sort of like Terry Gilliam’s work on Monty Python, but not as interesting:

Then again, it was made in San Francisco in 1969, so there’s nothing about it that can’t be explained by the phrase “Dude, I was so high…”