Reviews

Oh, nooooooo...... That's a darn shame the V.C. invaded Ft. Benning, GA! It would make for good training though! I can name a lot of the ranges off in the distance on the aerial shots. It didn't change much for 20 years & looks about the same from a Blackhawk.

I did like the weapons display for the Army PR scene in the beginning. Although, the PPSH is Soviet, and SKS is ChiCom, not the other way around... Also, rare Mosin-Nagant WW1- era revolver instead of de riguer VC Officer's Tokarev ACP?

I'm not going into the script, that's already been covered, but I think I'm hearing Mandarin as the movie plays in the background! Oy!

Well, this is what we should expect from yet another delightfully offbeat romp, courtesy of the Coen Bros. "The Professor" Tom Hanks character's recital of the ancient Greek poems is really unexpected... What was his "Phud" in again? The most interesting character he's played in many years, and really showcases his ability to portray something besides his usual "All American Hero" type. Bravo! I'll bet he really had some wicked fun! The supporting cast is a wonderful ensemble too, especially the perpetually smoking "General". Even though there is the code of "honor among thieves" we find out that personal differences can erode this "sacred" institution all well!

I would love to have seen the alternate ending with BJU debunked. That night I also had to view "A Very Long Engagement" so didn't get to the special features in Ladykillers DVD. I'll just have to buy it... It was that good!

C'mon, this flick looks like it was filmed at Ft. Irwin! (NTC to you post cold warrior types) Possibly Ft. Huachuca in Arizona, but Irwin is right up the I-15 from LA.... We have post-war Pershings being cast as Panzers (Maybe a Viet-Nam vintage M-48 Patton as a King Tiger, I've already forgotten) Korean-Era Chaffees take the place of Shermans. Belgium looks nothing at all like the high desert scrub of Ft. Irwin either, no matter how much faux snow you put on it. It looks like the producers collaborated with the California National Guard to save money. Lame compromise. Too bad, the cast and acting/direction were first rate. They could have gone up to Ft. Lewis, WA, and at least had a passable location.

In contrast, I at least liked Force 10 with Harry Ford for a little more authenticity. Actually filmed on location in beautiful Yugoslavia, and the Soviet late war T-36's (from Yugo reserve units?) used actually had the WWII Panzer body kits which were good enough to fool an attacking Stuka! I think Yugo Pres. I think Tito helped them out with this film so that his name was thrown around in the script. Clever! Coudn't detect any anything not authentic in weapons, uniforms, etc.

O.K., I'll concede that this movie is not all that great! I don't think there's been a really great motorcycle related film since Easy Rider. Although, Little Fauss and Big Halsey with Redford was not too shabby! A good character study as well as a bike flick. At least these films had something to do with the real racing spirit, unlike the miscreant unproductive behaviors glorified in the recent Larry Fishburn's "Biker Boyz". I can't think of any more insane premise than racing Nitro-enhanced Huyabusa type bikes down a dead-end dirt road as a grand finale... I think trying to travel light speed is a more feasible idea? There's something about that scene stolen from a horse/western flick, but doesn't work! This film did nothing but serve to further demonize the average Joe commuter/enthusiast cyclist for law enforcement types by glamorizing a subculture of reckless uninsurable freaks that exist in the big U.S. cities.

• For those that don't like the SDR ending, don't you get it? Underdog type gets the hot chick, takes the race with utter impunity only to meet demise at the end. It's a classic tragedy! Also tragic was the British motorcycle industry (British industry in general during this period) Metaphor?

I think besides the Norton rotary made for the Brit Police, the U.K. was soon to produce <200 units per annum until the 1995 resurrection of Triumph. I think the Jeff Bridges character in SDR was supposed to be a metaphor for the then- dominant American Kenny Roberts, but I'm sure the great KR wouldn't appreciate that particular character portrayal! If upon watching SDR you find yourself irretrievably bummed out, watch Little Fauss, it will make you feel much better!

However, the Silver Dream concept was not completely fictitious. The Barton "Silver Dream Racers" were actually being built in an abandoned church in the U.K. at this time, They were a good design on paper, but very poorly executed when it came to tolerances and metalurgy. Some units would have their engines frag all over the shop after a couple throttle-twists. As the real story progresses, a Yank. Eric Buell got the design rights & built his own Wisconsin version that worked in 1983 (Buell RW-750 "Road Warrior"). However, the controlling regulatory entity in the U.S. eliminated this racing class that season... Politics even infiltrate the cycle racing world.... After this setback, Buell went back to engineering at Harley for a while. He would rise from the ashes to build an actual super-bike using a Harley engine with his own company. So far, the latest versions are very impressive, if not for all out speed, but a combination of charisma, durability, and finesse that nothing else has . I used to ride exclusively Japanese bikes myself, but have recently been converted... What would make things come full circle is some revived new tech at Harley to produce something that will eat Ducks (Ducatis) and RC51's, Maybe win the AMA super-bike title!!! It could happen? For now, there's the new Triumph Daytona 675. A full frontal assault on the same old Godzilla bike that's been coming from Hamamatsu for innumerable years. That's partially the essence of what this movie is really about. Vindication is at hand!:)

Well, that's where this sad little movie actually does fit into a bigger picture...