I watched this show in 1969 when my father was stationed in Bangkok and the family relocated. I didn't like it. I loved it. And I can still hum the Banana Splits theme song. The part I enjoyed a lot was the write-in letter for Dear Drooper. He would always come up with the zaniest reply. To a writer, amazed that the light from the sun travels 86,000 miles per second, he replies, "Don't forget, it's downhill all the way." To a safety conscious student driver, he replies, "The most dangerous part of the car is the nut holding the steering wheel." I still have the tape recording (monoraul audio) I made back then. This is part of my childhood and my early lessons in humor.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Hell in the Pacific
(1968)
Two great actors, a great script, a grand theme.
27 October 2005
What I would give to know only Japanese and watch this movie. You don't have to understand what Toshiro Mifune is saying to understand this movie.
Does war extend to the individual? Trained to kill or be killed, two adversaries face off. Each with his own fear that the other will succeed. Why didn't they kill each other when they had the chance? Because man is a social animal and he needs the company of others. To use a cliché - No man is an island.
And in the end conflict erupts. Not because of any innate difference between the two men - but because of how they define themselves in a greater scene. I am Japanese - you are American (and vice versa). Throw in the element of non-communication (neither spoke any of the other's language) and you have it.
Two great actors, a great script, a grand theme.
Does war extend to the individual? Trained to kill or be killed, two adversaries face off. Each with his own fear that the other will succeed. Why didn't they kill each other when they had the chance? Because man is a social animal and he needs the company of others. To use a cliché - No man is an island.
And in the end conflict erupts. Not because of any innate difference between the two men - but because of how they define themselves in a greater scene. I am Japanese - you are American (and vice versa). Throw in the element of non-communication (neither spoke any of the other's language) and you have it.
Two great actors, a great script, a grand theme.
The Best of Enemies
(1961)
Another good war movie
27 October 2005
Another good war movie. Who says war movies need to have blood and violence? This was a battle of wits between the Italian commander and the British commander.
This movie has all the elements that precipitate war. Two armies that do not speak the same language with claims to past glory. And in the end they find themselves as men with a common goal - to survive in the desert.
The football scene was interesting in that, peeled down to basics, the men found a common passion. Could it be saying that conflict can be settled in a sportsmanlike manner? The funniest dialogue I found was when the British commander ordered the Italians to dig a latrine in the middle of the desert because it was the civilised thing to do. The Italian commander retorted, "My people were building sewers while your people were painting themselves blue."
This movie has all the elements that precipitate war. Two armies that do not speak the same language with claims to past glory. And in the end they find themselves as men with a common goal - to survive in the desert.
The football scene was interesting in that, peeled down to basics, the men found a common passion. Could it be saying that conflict can be settled in a sportsmanlike manner? The funniest dialogue I found was when the British commander ordered the Italians to dig a latrine in the middle of the desert because it was the civilised thing to do. The Italian commander retorted, "My people were building sewers while your people were painting themselves blue."
The Victors
(1963)
One of the best war movies
11 December 2004
I saw this movie in a late spot more than 15 years ago and I hung onto its title. I've been looking for a copy of it since. The scene that I cannot forget was when Vince Edward's unit stumbled onto concentration camp prisoners escaping into the forest. One of the prisoners stop and vaguely making out the soldiers realize that these are not Germans. The prisoner approaches Vince Edwards, kneels and kisses Vince Edwards hand.
Regarding the ending, wasn't it a statement of how Germany caused two great countries to unite to defeat it and in the end caused the cold war. Remember, the American soldier was so angry because his German girl friend was raped by Russian soldiers. I don't think this is an antiwar movie. War movies aren't just about shooting and killing. They're about soldiers too.
Regarding the ending, wasn't it a statement of how Germany caused two great countries to unite to defeat it and in the end caused the cold war. Remember, the American soldier was so angry because his German girl friend was raped by Russian soldiers. I don't think this is an antiwar movie. War movies aren't just about shooting and killing. They're about soldiers too.
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