What’s On Now?! The 1964 Classic “ZULU”!!!

Good Morning, Y’all.

Hope You’re Swell.

I Continue To Function.

Didn’t Sleep Worth Nothin’, But I Live.

Since I Was In Such A Downer Of A Mood Upon Awakening This Morning, I Decided To Pop A Flick Onto The Tube And Just Veg For A Bit.

As The Headline States…

…I’m Kicking It Back With The Personal Favorite…

“ZULU“

…Starring…

STANLEY BAKER

&

JACK HAWKINS

&

MICHAEL CAINE

!!! !!!

😀

I First Saw…

“ZULU“

…Way Back In The Ole Junior High Days.

It’s One Of Those Flicks You See Early On…

…Forget About…

…Then See It Again 10-Yeas-Later And Be Like…

"Oh, Snap! I Remember This One! Cool Beans!"

🙂

This Was Another Of Those Purchases That Came-About Because Of The Wal-Mart And Its Loverly $5 DVD Bins.

You Can Find Some Real Crackerjacks In There Sometimes.

Some Proverbial Diamonds-In-The-Rough, So To Speak.

I Would Easily Consider Finding…

“ZULU“

…For $5 To Be Well, Well Worth-It.

Wouldn’t You?!

You Don’t Know?!

Ah…

…You’ve Never Seen It.

Don’t Worry.

Most People These Days Haven’t.

I Suppose It’s A Flick Most Folks Just Don’t Think About Anymore.

BUT…

…I DO.

The Story Here Is Very Simple.

A British Militia…

…In Africa…

…Comes Under Attack By 4,000 ZULU-WARRIORS…

…And The 100-Man-Militia Has No Where To Run.

So They Stand Their Ground…

…And They Fight.

And They Fight.

And, Yes, They Fight Some More.

The Outcome?!

Nah.

Ain’t Tellin’ Ya.

You’ve Gotta Watch It To Find-Out How It Turns-Out.

Ya Know Ya Know!?

Good.

I Hate Spoilers.

Sometimes, They’re 100% Called For, Sure Sure.

Sometimes, I’m Just 100% Not Tellin’!!!

😛

I Will Say This…

“ZULU“

…Isn’t 100% Accurate In Its Storytelling…

…And That Part MIGHT Bug A Few People.

BUT…

…It Didn’t Bug Me Too Much.

In Fact, I Was Thoroughly Entertained.

It’s Just One Of Those Forgotten Classics I’m Always Talking About.

To ME…

“ZULU“

…Is Quite The Fun Little Yarn…

…And Easily Worth The Time You’ll Invest In It.

(It's Almost 2-Hours And 20-Minutes Long.)

I Enjoy A Quality “War Epic” From Time To Time…

…Regardless Of Who’s Doing The Fighting.

This Is A Pretty Good One.

So Fans Of The Genera Will (likely) Lap-It-Up.

If Ya Get Bored…

…You Could Do A Lot Worse.

“ZULU“

…Is Pretty Nifty, Fo SHO!

😉

Alright, Kids…

…Let’s Get’er Movin’ Movin’ Movin’ This Morning.

Time’s-A-Wastin’!!!

I’ve Gotta Try Getting A Walk In Before The Rains Hit.

See Me Soon…

…AND Talk To Me Sooner.

Much Love, My Peeps.

L8r.

😀

(100% Not) Random Movie Mention: “DOWNFALL” (2004)

Previously, I Talked To Y’all About The Flick…

“DAS BOOT“

(http://youjivinmeturkey.com/2012/09/10/totally-not-random-blu-ray-movie-mention-das-boot-1981/)

…And How It’s One Of My All-Time Faves…

…And That It’s My Favorite Foreign Language Flick.

Period.

BUT…

…In Close Company Is…

“DOWNFALL“

…Starring…

BRUNO GANZ

…As…

“ADOLF HITLER”

…Showing Us The Final Days Of “The Third Reich” During World War II.

Honestly, My Peeps…

…This Flick Is A-MAZ-ING.

BRUNO GANZ

…Is Simply Mesmerizing.

He Takes On The Roll Few Folks Would Ever Want To Play…

…And He Plays It To Sick, Twisted Perfection.

Directed By…

OLIVER HIRSCHBIEGEL

…The Film Was Nominated For The ACADEMY AWARD For BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM.

It Really Is That Amazing Of A Flick, My Peeps.

It’s A 155-Minute Glimpse Into Berlin, Germany…

…And The Bunker Complex Of Hitler And His Closest Advisers, Associates, Etc Etc, During Those Final Days.

BRUNO GANZ

…Does Such A Bang-Up Job, We’re Able To See The Madness And The Horror That Was Hitler…

…And Just How Sick And Insane He Was.

I Don’t Know Many People Who Have Seen This Flick…

…But Those Who Have Were Very Much In Agreement That…

“DOWNFALL“

…Is A Flick Everyone Should Watch A Some Point.

It’s A History Lesson…

…And Everyone Should Take Note Of It.

I Actually Found The Flick Pretty Wild AND Disturbing.

In Fact, I Found Myself Uncomfortable In A Few Places.

It Really Is That Powerful Of A Flick.

It’s Not Something You Watch Over And Over Again, That’s Fo SHO.

Watch It.

Understand It.

Enjoy The Film-Makers Boldness In Telling The Story Of One Of The Darkest Chapters In Human History.

Then Decide If You Liked It Or Not.

I Shall Leave It At That, My Peeps…

…But I Sincerely Do Suggest You Check-It-Out If You Ever Get The Chance.

It’s Worth The Time Investment, Fo SHO.

😐

(Totally Not) Random (Blu-ray) Movie Mention: “DAS BOOT” (1981)

So, My Peeps…

…Just What Is My All-Time-Favorite FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM??

Well…

…That’s Actually A Rather Easy Choice.

While I’ve Seen Dozens And Dozens Of Foreign Language Flicks In My Day…

…Not One Has Had An Impact On My Life/World More Than…

“DAS BOOT“

(1981)

…Directed By…

WOLFGANG PETERSEN

…And Starring…

JÜRGEN PROCHNOW

!!! !!! !!!

😀

Thus Far…

“DAS BOOT“

…Is (in my opinion) The Crown Jewel Of My Blu-ray Collection.

This DIRECTOR’S CUT Is Simply…

…Honestly…

…BREATHTAKING.

.Period.

The Visuals Are So Amazingly Clear.

The Sound Quality Is Second To None.

You Sincerely FEEL Like You’re A Member Of The Crew.

The Blu-ray Transfer Is So Crisp.

You See Everything…

…From The Trickles Of Water Seeping In…

…To The Bolts In Walls.

You See Everything…

…And That’s Just The Power Of The Blu-ray.

The Film Itself Is The Very BEST Of Its Type.

You’ve Seen Other Submarine Flicks.

“THE ENEMY BELOW“

(1957)

…Or…

“THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER“

(1990)

…Or…

“CRIMSON TIDE“

(1995)

…Etc Etc…

…All Of Which Are Truly Wonderful Flicks And Personal Favorites, Yes Yes…

…But They’re NOT…

“DAS BOOT“

…Which I Believe To Be The Very BEST Submarine/Naval Flick In The History Of World Cinema.

.Period Period.

Saying That Usually Pisses Some Folks Off.

How Could I Take That German Flick Over All The Others?!?

It’s Simple, My Peeps.

“DAS BOOT“

…Is The Most HONEST…

…The Most EXHILARATING…

…The Most FINELY-CRAFTED Film Of Its Genera.

I Know Some Peeps Simply CANNOT Stand To Read Their Flicks As They Attempt To Watch Them…

…But This Is No Issue With Me.

You Almost Know What They’re Saying Anyway, Without Having To Do The Reading.

Being Ex-Navy, Myself, I Was Totally On-Board With This One.

(Pun Totally Intended, By The Way.)

 You Can Tell Director WOLFGANG PETERSEN Did Everything He Could To Make This One As Real As Possible.

He Wanted To Make You Feel Like You Really Were On-Board A German U-Boat During The Height Of WORLD WAR II.

The Characters Are Honest And True…

…As Are The Actors Portraying Said Characters.

TRUST ME, My Peeps…

…If History…

…If War…

…If The Military…

…If The Navy…

…If Submarines…

…If Amazing Film-Making…

…If Brilliant Acting…

…If Realism…

…Are Any Or All Things You’re Interested In, Or What You Seek-Out In Your Flicks…

…Yeah…

…You’d Be Hard-Pressed To Find One Better Than…

“DAS BOOT“

.Period Period Period.

It’s A Flick I Sincerely LOVE…

…And The DIRECTOR’S CUT On The Blu-ray Is Wonderfully Wonderful.

It’s EPIC, To Say The Very Least…

…But EPIC Is The Proper Word To Use In This Instance.

Fo SHO Fo SHO, Kiddies!!!

😀

Random Movie Mention: TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH (1949)

Last Night, Before Drifting Off To Sleep, I Decided To Watch A True Forgotten-Classic Among Classics, 1949s “TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH” Starring Man Among Men GREGORY PECK In An Oscar Nominated Performance!! He Plays “General Frank Savage”, A Hard-Boiled Tough-As-Nails B17-Bomber Pilot AND Squadron Commander During WORLD WAR II. The Acting Is WONDERFUL, But Some Of The Ariel Photography Is Simply A-MA-ZING! Trust Me, My Peeps, If You’re Into War Movies That Pack A Wallop-Of-A-Punch, “TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH” Could Very Likely Be A Diamond-In-The-Rough For You. I’d Totally Recommend It To ANYONE That Loves/Enjoys Quality Craftsmanship In Their War Flicks!!!

“THE ENEMY BELOW”: A Bloggin’ing For An Old Sailor

As The Title Says…

…I’m Doing This One Special.

My Grandfather Is Slowly Being Taken From Us.

He Suffers From Alzheimer’s Disease.

It’s Been A Horrid Experience…

…For Him…

…And For All Of Us Who Know AND Love Him.

And It’s Been Taking Place For OVER A Decade, Now.

I’m Going To Tell Him About This Bloggin’ing.

And He’ll Be Happy About It…

…For About 3-Minutes.

After That…

…He’ll Have No Clue It’s Been Done At All.

And Then…

…I’ll Tell Him Again.

Paw…

(That’s What I’ve Always Called Him)

…Is A Member Of…

“THE GREATEST GENERATION”

…And Was ALWAYS Very PROUD Of That Fact.

I Went Into The Navy…

…At The Age Of 18-Years-Old…

…And Just 5-HOURS Out Of High School.

Paw…

…However…

…Went Into The Navy In 1944…

…At The Age Of 17-Years-Old.

He Dropped-Out Of High School…

…Lied About His Age…

…Went Into The Navy…

…And Into A Raging War.

To ME…

…That Was MORE Impressive…

…Than ANYTHING I’d EVER Heard…

…Then…

…AND…

…Now.

He Always Knew How Amazing I Thought He Was.

And Now…

…I Can Only Hope He Remembers My Name When He Looks At Me.

 So…

…This Is For Him.

He And I ALWAYS Enjoyed Watching A Good War Movie.

I Watched One Of OUR Favorites Today.

And I Felt The Need To Do This One.

I Do Hope You’re Reading It, My Peeps.

Just Don’t Feel Bad When I Say…

“It’s Not For You.”

…But It’s What I Have…

…And How I Best Express What’s Going On.

And I SINCERELY Felt It Was The Very Least I Could Do.

Tonight…

…We Cover…

“THE ENEMY BELOW”

“The Enemy Below” (1957)

…A CLASSIC Of CLASSICS…

…In Regard To…

…WORLD WAR II NAVAL FILMS.

The U.S. Destroyer IN “The Enemy Below”

Starring In…

“THE ENEMY BELOW”

…Are Two CLASSIC Actors Themselves.

ROBERT MITCHUM

As

“CAPTAIN MURRELL”

The U.S. Destroyer Captain

Robert Mitchum IS Captain Murrell

And

CURD JÜRGENS

(Listed As CURT JURGENS In English Speaking Films)

As

“VON STOLBERG”

The German U-Boat Captain

Curt Jurgens IS Von Stolberg

Since I Already Know You Kids Trust Me.

Well…

…Enough To Know I Do Know A BIT About My Topics.

Then When I Say…

…TRUST ME KIDS…

“THE ENEMY BELOW”

…Is ONE OF THE VERY BEST FILMS Of ITS GENERA…

…Then You Can Rest Assured…

…I’m Rather CONFIDENT In My Belief…

…Shipmates.

😉

The German U-Boat IN “The Enemy Below”

Being An Ex-Navy-Man…

…From A LONG-LINE Of Ex-Navy-Men…

…I’ve ALWAYS Had A MAJOR-LEAGUE-APPRECIATION…

…For QUALITY Naval Films.

“THE ENEMY BELOW”

IS

QUALITY

!!!

ROBERT MITCHUM…

…Does A GREAT JOB As The American Ship Captain.

HOWEVER…

…CURD JÜRGENS…

…Does A SPOT-ON-PERFECT JOB As The German U-Boat Captain.

MITCHUM Was An “OLD-SCHOOL” “HOLLYWOOD Tough-Guy”…

…Who Honestly KNOWS How To Act.

He’s A PRO At Playing “CALM, COOL, and COLLECTED”…

…But He’s ALWAYS “BELIEVABLE” In This Film.

PERIOD.

JÜRGENS Was One Of THE BEST European Actors EVER EVER.

PERIOD PERIOD.

The Ships Duel IN “The Enemy Below” And The Film WON The Academy Award That Year For BEST EFFECTS/SPECIAL-EFFECTS!!!

I Do So LOVE A Quality “CAT & MOUSE” Style Of Story…

…And This Film Is Almost TOTALLY A “CAT & MOUSE” Tale…

…Which Makes It A WONDERFUL Film Experience.

Think “U-571” Only BETTER…

…And Filmed Over 40-YEARS-EARLIER.

If You’re A Fan Of This Genera…

…Or Just Really Enjoy…

…Well-Made…

…Well-Acted…

…CLASSIC FILMS…

…Then I Suggest You Give…

“THE ENEMY BELOW”

…A Look-See.

I DO PROMISE YOU…

…I’ve Seen It 50+Times…

…And Have NEVER Been Tired Of It.

“The Enemy Below”

When I Watch This One…

…I Can’t Help But Think About…

…PAW.

I Think About OUR Good-Times…

…Enjoying A Great Old Film.

I Think About HIS Stories…

…About How Scared He Was…

…And…

…About How He FELT It Was The Right Thing To Do.

And I’ve ALWAYS Respected That.

More Than Most Things In Life, Actually.

I’ve ALWAYS Respected Anyone…

…Who Made The Decision To Serve…

…Because They FELT It Was The Right Thing.

In The Film, There’s A Scene Where…

…CAPTAIN MURRELL Is Talking To Another Officer…

…When MURRELL Says…

“…There’s No End To Misery And Destruction. You Cut The Head Off The Snake, And It Grows Another One. You Cut That One Off, And You Find Another. You Can’t Kill It, Because It’s Something Within Ourselves. You Can Call It The Enemy If You Want To, But It’s Part Of Us. We’re All Men.”

And I Can Sincerely Understand What He Was Talking About.

And Then…

…As The Film Ends…

…MURRELL And VON STOLBERG…

…Are Standing At The Fantail Of A Ship.

Together, They Enjoy A Cigarette.

VON STOLBERG Says…

“I Should Have Died Many Times, Captain, But I Continue To Survive Somehow. This Time, It Was Your Fault.”

MURRELL Responds…

“I Didn’t Know. Next Time, I Won’t Throw You The Rope.”

VON STOLBER Nods And Says…

“I Think You Will.”

To ME…

…That Ending Always Seemed…

…PERFECT.

Something War NEVER Is.

But Here…

…It Sincerely FELT Right.

Taps, Taps, Shipmates.

Time To Rest.

😉