Now Available! Released 5/18/2010

In 1942 19-year-old Don Smith left everything behind … his home and family, his hopes and dreams, his newfound love … to serve his country valiantly during World War Two. His profound journey takes this reluctant hero from his Oregon mill town to the beaches at Normandy and finally to a snow covered forest in Germany where his personal sacrifices lead to a decisive victory during the infamous Battle of the Bulge.

As Smith fights to retain his humanity against the horrors of war, what starts as a simple love letter to the girl he left behind becomes his only lifeline of hope in the midst of desperation and fear.

Over three long years this letter he can never mail sustains him as he battles Everyman’s War … the war that rages in every man and woman who is called to duty and away from their dreams … and helps him reconcile that the loss of hope can sometimes be worse than the loss of life.

This WWII action‐love story stars an ensemble cast including newcomers Cole Carson and Lauren Bair as the reluctant small-town hero and the girl who waits at home.

One man's courage…One man's hope…Everyman's War.

As the seasoned infantry and tank units of the German 11th Panzer “Ghost” division move silently into position on the snow covered hills around Nennig, Germany, a battle weary GI and his unit stand ready to defend the small town, a key position in the Allied advance to win the war. Outgunned and outnumbered, Staff Sgt. Don Smith struggles to find hope and courage against overwhelming odds in one of the decisive confrontations in the “Battle of the Bulge” during WWII.

Review Coming Soon!

Order your copy of the film:
Everyman’s War

YouTube Trailer URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mcqhn-Ib3A

Behind The Scenes video can be found and embedded at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/xfactoradvertising

Film Details

* Actors: Cole Carson, Michael J. Prosser
* Directors: Thad Smith
* Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC
* Language: English
* Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
* Number of discs: 1
* Rated: Unrated
* Studio: Virgil Films and Entertainment
* DVD Release Date: May 18, 2010

Wow. From the NY Post today — The National World War II Museum in New Orleans and Tom Hanks have announced the roster for voicing their new WWII epic Beyond All Boundaries premiering at The Museum on November 6.

It seems like Hanks must have drafted the help of half of Hollywood as the cast list reads like a who’s who of A-Listers including Hanks, its narrator and executive producer, joined by Kevin Bacon, Corbin Bleu, Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Connolly, James Cromwell, Blythe Danner, Viola Davis, Jessie Eisenberg, John Goodman, Neil Patrick Harris, Kevin Jonas, Justin Long, Tobey Maguire, Daran Norris, Wendell Pierce, Chris Pine, Brad Pitt, Bill Sadler, Gary Sinise and Elijah Wood, among others. Are there more? Keep coming back to Hollywood at War for more information about this special cinematic experience opening in New Orleans.

This is a short clip from the BBC about the Sinking of the Bismarck (31 May 1941).

The story spawned its own 1960 feature film Sink the Bismarck!

Table of WWII Aircraft Carriers

BEIJING – “City of Life and Death” might sound like your average escapist action film helping to usher in the summer movie season.

But it’s not.

The 2-hour black and white epic recounts the early days of Japan’s occupation of Nanking (now known as Nanjing) in 1937. Over six weeks, Japanese troops committed brutal atrocities against hundreds of thousands of residents of the wartime Chinese capital.

Estimates of those killed vary wildly, but historians say around 200,000 to 300,000 people were slaughtered. It’s a dark episode of World War Two that doesn’t get much mention in the West, but here in China no one has forgotten.

“In China, everyone knows about the Nanjing Massacre,” said 38-year old filmmaker Lu Chuan, who directed “City of Life and Death.”

“But as far as I know, nobody outside of China knows [about it]… I think it’s important to let people outside of China know the truth, because wars and massacres are everywhere.”

Using an ensemble cast of Chinese and Japanese actors, the movie tries to portray Japanese soldiers in a much more humane light than previously seen in China-made movies of that era.

“I think it’s the first time in China for a Chinese movie to tell the story from a Japanese angle,” Lu told us over tall glasses of watermelon juice on a recent sweltering afternoon near Beijing’s Ritan Park. “It’s the first time for Chinese audiences to watch in a Chinese film that the Japanese soldiers are human beings, not beasts.”

That might seem like an honorable aim, but the response from Chinese moviegoers has been anything but impressed.

–

This is a definite hot button for many in east Asia an is bound to drive much controversy. The film looks interesting and after researching the events of Nanking, I am interested to see what they tell in the film, and where they got the historical information to base the film on. Hopefully there will be a translated version that westerners can see.

Marathon Honors Heroes of Combat from Six Iconic Films
[Midway (Collector's Edition) (1976), Patton (1970), The Longest Day (1962), Hamburger Hill (1987), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Battle of the Bulge (1965)]

AMC Heroes Programming Event Airs Throughout May

New York, NY – Senator John McCain will host AMC’s Memorial Day Movie Marathon, War Heroes, featuring six classic war films and celebrating the stories of the silver screen’s greatest heroes of combat. Throughout the War Heroes marathon, which premieres Monday, May 25 at 8am ET, Senator McCain will speak candidly about his personal wartime experiences and the significance of Memorial Day. War Heroes, part of AMC’s month-long tribute to the heroes and heroines of Hollywood, features the films Midway (1976), Patton (1970), The Longest Day (1962), Hamburger Hill (1987), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Battle of the Bulge (1965).

“The interesting thing that I found about heroes, is that they’re the last people to believe that they’re really heroes,” the Senator remarked. Of his own experience, McCain said, “The great honor and privilege of my life was to have served in the company of heroes.”

War Heroes is one in a series of hero movie marathons airing throughout May as part of AMC HEROES: Biggest, Baddest, Boldest. The month-long programming event pays homage to every type of hero – from caped crusaders to five-star Generals –with hosted film marathons every Saturday. Among the featured films are In the Line of Fire, Dirty Harry, Missing in Action, The Last Samurai, Code of Silence, The Octagon, Pale Rider and Death Wish.

Valkyrie

Starring: Tom Cruise
Release: December 26, 2008

Review of VALKYRIE

United Artists latest feature film, VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise, is a vivid drama based on a true story. This film gives an up close and personal view of the conspiracy to assassinate one of history’s most evil dictators, Adolph Hitler.

Read the full review and see the trailers on our Valkyrie Review page!

United Artists latest feature film, VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise, is a vivid drama based on a true story. This film gives an up close and personal view of the conspiracy to assassinate one of history’s most evil dictators, Adolf Hitler.

Known for his intense action films like Top Gun and the Mission Impossible trilogy, Tom Cruise brings his intensity to Valkyrie as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Wounded in North Africa in May 1943 during World War II, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany a crippled man with a changed view of the war and of the German Nazi leadership.

Approached by a group of conspirators against Hitler and his regime, von Stauffenberg is called upon to use his status as a war hero to get close to Hitler and facilitate the assassination. The short action sequences help to drive home the impact of the task they are undertaking. The plot becomes so complex it includes overthrowing the state police (SS) and hijacking the Berlin reserve army forces all at the same time the explosive goes off, presumably killing Hitler on 20 July 1944. The complexity of the plan is well played out in the film as are the interpersonal relationships. The conspirators in the German Resistance know their actions mean certain death if they are caught, but are resolved to make that sacrifice to stop the atrocities being committed.

The film itself is shot very up-close and personal with the actors. Most of the film is focused to within 3ft which helps to bring out the personal intensity, but also hinders the scenes surroundings. This detracts somewhat from allowing the audience to feel included in the film. The scenes were well played, but l would have liked to see a more developed background to the plot. The movie assumes the audience already knows a decent amount of the historical background, but it should have been included for future generations. I feel that omission is what detracts mainly from this film being of great historical value.

Overall I found this film to be a great portrayal of real events and for the most part historically accurate. The alliteration to Valkyrie in 3 different ways (the definition of Odin’s handmaidens who conducted the souls of the slain “Hitler” to Valhalla, Hitler’s Operation Valkyrie, and Richard Wagner’s The Ride of the Valkyries musical score), was woven nicely to help cement the title. From the start Valkyrie well shows the indoctrination the German military was subjected to, focused on winning their loyalty for one man, not for the German people as a whole. Alternately, it certainly helped to recover the sacrifices made by the German Resistance during World War II to fight against tyranny, which many people over look today. This film is an example of their voice saying “We are all not like him.”

View the trailer and featurette on our Valkyrie review page.

1943, 1944, Stauffenberg, Tom Cruise, Valkyrie, Movie, film, United Artists, Review, Media

Starring Tom Cruise, VALKYRIE, is the true story of the assassination plot against Adolf Hitler that took place on July 20, 1944 and which was led by, among others, German staff officer Klaus Von Stauffenberg (whom Cruise portrays).

This video of the making of VALKYRIE featurette contains behind the scenes shots, interviews from the directors and producers, and multiple clips of the film not seen in the trailer.

The July 20th Plot on Hitler’s life is one of the most heroic, but least known episodes of World War II history. Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance, and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler’s once he is dead. But fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation’s government–he must kill Hitler himself.

Sep 3, 2008–Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer have acquired screen rights to “Killing Rommel,” a novel by Steven Pressfield. Randall Wallace will write the script with Pressfield. Bruckheimer will produce.

Published in the spring by Doubleday, the book concerns a British battalion?s attempt to thwart German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel?s desert campaign.

“Killing Rommel” focuses on the British Long Range Desert Group and its attempt to stop Rommel, the legendary Desert Fox who routed the British in the North African desert in 1942 and threatened to overrun the Middle East thanks to his battlefield strategies and Panzer tanks.

Wallace has scripted “Braveheart” and the Bruckheimer-produced “Pearl Harbor.” He adapted and directed the Vietnam War drama “We Were Soldiers,” starring Mel Gibson.

“Killing Rommel” marks Wallace’s second Disney deal. He will direct Mike Rich’s script based on the Triple Crown-winning racehorse Secretariat and its owner, Penny Chenery.

Pressfield wrote scripts before he writing novels such as “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “Gates of Fire.”

Universal is developing “Gates of Fire” with a David Self script about the Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae.

Media, News, Movie, Film, Disney, Killing Rommel, Book, Pressfield

Watch the full episode of “Hero Ships: USS Laffey”.

The USS Laffey (DD-724) is the only surviving Allen M. Sumner class destroyer preserved in her World War II configuration and the only destroyer of the period that saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theatre.

USS Laffey - Benson-class Destroyer (DD-459)

USS Laffey (DD-459)

1942 Battle for Guadalcanal was the first action for the Laffey. Escorting a convoy toward Guadalcanal a Japanese submarine breaks into the defense and torpedoes the aircraft carrier USS Wasp. The Laffey picks up survivors from the burning oil covered sea.

In early November 1942 Marines on Guadalcanal face a desperate situation.

“My pride in you is beyond expression. No honor for you could be too great.”

Admiral William F. Halsey,
to the men who fought in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal,
November 12-15, 1942

While ships brining reinforcements to Guadalcanal were making their way to shore, The Laffey defended them in a screen, filling the air with flak and munitions to bring down the Japanese dive bombers. They then get news that a Japanese task force is approaching, vastly stronger than the US ships.

Japanese battleship Hiei in 1942

1000 Yards away the HIJMS Battleship Hiei (Kongo-class), with her 14″ guns bear down on the Laffey. They pass astern of the Laffey by only 20 ft. Then they are surrounded by 2 battleships and 2 destroyers with 14″ shells splashing all around her. 14″ shells hit the bridge of the Laffey and the #2 gun mount.

The blow to the bridge has knocked out many controls and making her slow and sluggish to control. Inside mount #2 the men are vaporized. She is then hit by a torpedo in the stern stopping her in the water. Then the battleship that hit her the first time hit with another 14″ salvo. Fires race topside and below. Captain Hank gives the order to abandon ship. The magazine compartment exploded and she started to go down.

On Friday the 13th of November 1942, the USS Laffey is pounded to death in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. 228 days since her comissioning she is dead. But the Laffey name is not gone.

USS Laffey – Allen M. Sumner-class Destroyer (DD-724)

USS Laffey DD-724

“I knew my Laffey would tangle with the enemy in some desperate battles. Yet I was determined to bring her and her men through any ordeal we might face. I had lost one ship and did not intent to lose another.”
- Captain Julius Becton (former captain if the USS Aaron Ward who saw the USS Laffey DD-459 sink)
upon taking command of the USS Laffey (DD-724)

The new Laffey’s first operation was on D-Day firing its 5″ guns and launching over 1000 rounds (more than any other destroyer) onto the beach defenses of Normandy. The German 88mm positions at Cherbourg needed to be taken out by the allied naval battery group and the Hambourg 11″ coastal defense guns pounded away at them.

Once complete the ships left the harbor and took a chance to go over battle damage. an 11″ shell with 400lbs of unexploded ordinance were found in the aft of the ship. Someone in a Checloslovakian forced labor camp made it a dud saving the Laffey.

Layte Island, Philippines. The US fleet closes in on the islands that were critical to the Japanese flow of oil. In October 1944, in a desperate attempt to stave off the advancing US forces the Japanese develop a new weapon, the Kamikazi (Divine Wind).

“Keep moving and keep shooting.
Steam as fast as you can and shoot as fast as you can.”

-Skipper of the USS Cassin Young
offering advice to Captain Becton in regards to kamikazes.

300 miles off the coast of Japan lies the island of Okinawa. It was the perfect staging ground of the invasion of Japan.
April 1, 1945, Easter Sunday, approx 50k troops advance on the beaches. Offshore, 19 picket stations are set up against kamikazi attacks. USS Laffey is stationed at radar picket station #1, the closest to the Japanese mainland. The gun crews prepare for battle.

“That screen has do many dots on it that it looked at times like an advances case of chicken pox.”
Captain Becton upon seeing the radar screen the morning of April 16, 1945.

At 8:20am Captain Becton receives word that 50 boggies are picked up on the radar screen. The first hit they received was on the fantail causing a fire for 2 decks. After several hits, a plane dropped a bomb jamming the rudder.

Finally US aircover arrives and chases off any remaining Japanese planes.

22 Japanese planes have directly attacked her, 7 kamikazes and 4 bombs hit the mark. The back part of the ship was a mess, the main deck was riddled and broken up. 1/3 of the crew are casualties. 2 water tight doors contain the flooding and keep the ship afloat. Damage control parties of the survivors win difficult battles over the fires and flooding.

Laffey is towed back to a nearby base for repairs and made it back to Seattle under her own power for formal repairs.

The ship earned the nickname “The Ship That Would Not Die” for its exploits during the D-Day invasion and the battle of Okinawa. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is preserved as a museum ship in Charleston, South Carolina.

http://link.history.com/services/link/bcpid1612750155/bclid1672079576/bctid1672667496