Page 1 of 2
Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:22 pm
by pontiouspilot
I just finished watching this whole damm mini-series from the mid-'80s. It is very well done, based on 2 Herman Wouk novels. If you have a spare 30-40 hours get it from Amaxon or somewhere and watch it. Too bad they didn't have the computer generated graphics then that we have now.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:39 pm
by decaro
ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot
I just finished watching this whole damm mini-series from the mid-'80s. It is very well done, based on 2 Herman Wouk novels ...
Wouk made the simple, but brilliant observation in that both Hitler and Hirohito made the same strategic mistake of expanding East.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:27 pm
by pontiouspilot
He made a lot of wise conclusions....ussually speaking through the German General with the bad complexion. My guess is that other than Sharon Stone and Jane Seymour almost all actors in this are now dead!
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:35 pm
by Feltan
Hmmmmm ..... I was under the impression that this mini-series was just an extended chick-flick. Is there more to it?
Regards,
Feltan
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:30 pm
by ny59giants
I read the two books in junior high school before the mini-series came out. They did a good job of keeping the screenplay close to the books. Those two books got me to dislike the use of double carriage return in book. Meanwhile, while all the excitement is going on over here, we will now go to the boring stuff happening over here.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:40 pm
by pontiouspilot
It is very well acted....the Hitler Chiurchill and Ralph Ballamy as FDR were brilliant. There is a casy of thousands....and real people at that. If anything the so-called love theme helps it hold together. I prefer pure history to romance and this held me for 30-40 hours.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:17 am
by USSAmerica
I remember watching both mini-series on broadcast TV (ABC) when I was a teenager. I think I would enjoy watching them again, 30 years later.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:21 am
by Bullwinkle58
ORIGINAL: USS America
I remember watching both mini-series on broadcast TV (ABC) when I was a teenager. I think I would enjoy watching them again, 30 years later.
We watched both two summers ago. They age only semi-well. The first is more soap-opera-ish, and Jan Michael Vincent's acting is awful. The second is better in terms of flow and editing, but the romance between Pug and the British woman (Talky's daughter?) is a little hard to swallow. Robert Mitchum soldiers through the scenes, but his age made them a little off.
Overall not a bad way to spend some summer evenings. Don't know if I'd ever re-watch though.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:26 pm
by decaro
ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
ORIGINAL: USS America
I remember watching both mini-series on broadcast TV (ABC) when I was a teenager. I think I would enjoy watching them again, 30 years later.
We watched both two summers ago. They age only semi-well. The first is more soap-opera-ish, and Jan Michael Vincent's acting is awful. The second is better in terms of flow and editing, but the romance between Pug and the British woman (Talky's daughter?) is a little hard to swallow. Robert Mitchum soldiers through the scenes, but his age made them a little off ...
Well, re his casting, I think Mitchum remarked all the other big screen names were dead.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:51 am
by MikeS4269
ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
We watched both two summers ago. They age only semi-well. The first is more soap-opera-ish, and Jan Michael Vincent's acting is awful.
I agree on your views on Jan Michael Vincent, but I found Ali MacGraw (playing Natalie) was the one who nearly sunk the TV series for me. The character Natalie was fine in the books, but MacGraw's screen performance made me cringe every time she opened her mouth.
It was only the fact that my wife was sitting down to watch a full-WW2 epic drama with me for the first time (and loving it) that kept me going.
The pain was reduced when MacGraw was replaced in "War and Remembrance".
The show follows both books very carefully because Herman Wouk insisted it be that way before he released the rights to do the show. He had gotten very upset at how Hollywood had handled his "The Caine Mutiny" and he had vowed to never let such major alterations happen again.
I found both "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" great for their time, but like has also been stated above, I am not convinced they aged as well as some of the other works of the time. Definitely worth at least one watch through if you have the time and a set is available to you.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:36 am
by jcjordan
Like most miniseries from the 70-80's other than Roots, it should be akin the TMTSNBN & treated as such
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:19 am
by geofflambert
ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot
He made a lot of wise conclusions....ussually speaking through the German General with the bad complexion. My guess is that other than Sharon Stone and Jane Seymour almost all actors in this are now dead!
Is Jan Michael Vincent dead, I hope? At least he hasn't been pretending to play an actor in real life for quite a while.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:24 am
by geofflambert
I would've watched it if Lesley-Anne Down was in it.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:48 am
by danlongman
I know that some witty contemporaries suggested Mitchum was dead when it was made.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:18 am
by Bullwinkle58
ORIGINAL: lb4269
ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
We watched both two summers ago. They age only semi-well. The first is more soap-opera-ish, and Jan Michael Vincent's acting is awful.
I agree on your views on Jan Michael Vincent, but I found Ali MacGraw (playing Natalie) was the one who nearly sunk the TV series for me. The character Natalie was fine in the books, but MacGraw's screen performance made me cringe every time she opened her mouth.
It was only the fact that my wife was sitting down to watch a full-WW2 epic drama with me for the first time (and loving it) that kept me going.
The pain was reduced when MacGraw was replaced in "War and Remembrance".
The show follows both books very carefully because Herman Wouk insisted it be that way before he released the rights to do the show. He had gotten very upset at how Hollywood had handled his "The Caine Mutiny" and he had vowed to never let such major alterations happen again.
I found both "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" great for their time, but like has also been stated above, I am not convinced they aged as well as some of the other works of the time. Definitely worth at least one watch through if you have the time and a set is available to you.
Yeah, she was terrible too. Too old and played the character as a flighty airhead. Jane S. was better, but almost too serious. A hard mix. The scenes in the least eps as she fought to stay alive and find her son were the best IMO.
On a different note, for other reasons I recently went to IMDB to look up the actress who played Seegar in "Officer and a Gentleman." It was Lisa Eichorn (sp?) who played Pug's young, Hollywood daughter. She was also the art gallery woman in "Beverly Hills Cop", then faded away in show business.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:28 am
by witpqs
ORIGINAL: danlongman
I know that some witty contemporaries suggested Mitchum was dead when it was made.
Only sleeping, so they painted eyeballs on his eyelids. [:D]
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 6:11 pm
by CaptDave
Actually, Seegar was Lisa Eilbacher -- most of her work has been in TV rather than movies. You're right about her other roles. Now that I'm looking at it, I see most of Lisa Eichorn's work is also in TV. Easy to confuse those two names (in fact, anytime I see Lisa Eichorn -- like in the list of birthdays published three days ago -- I think of Lisa Eilbacher).
And then there was Lisa Blount, who played the brainless, bodacious set of ta-tas.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:45 pm
by Bullwinkle58
ORIGINAL: CaptDave
Actually, Seegar was Lisa Eilbacher -- most of her work has been in TV rather than movies. You're right about her other roles. Now that I'm looking at it, I see most of Lisa Eichorn's work is also in TV. Easy to confuse those two names (in fact, anytime I see Lisa Eichorn -- like in the list of birthdays published three days ago -- I think of Lisa Eilbacher).
And then there was Lisa Blount, who played the brainless, bodacious set of ta-tas.
Thanks. I claim 0618 as the problem. [:)]
Lisa Blount did nothing for me. Seegar? Yep.
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:35 pm
by pontiouspilot
Actually I think some of the actors not liked or most annoying were cast to their roles perfectly. This series has dozens of marvelous supporting actors eg. John Houseman, Sir John Gielgud etc, etc
RE: Winds of War/War and Remembrance
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:42 pm
by CaptDave
ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58
ORIGINAL: CaptDave
Actually, Seegar was Lisa Eilbacher -- most of her work has been in TV rather than movies. You're right about her other roles. Now that I'm looking at it, I see most of Lisa Eichorn's work is also in TV. Easy to confuse those two names (in fact, anytime I see Lisa Eichorn -- like in the list of birthdays published three days ago -- I think of Lisa Eilbacher).
And then there was Lisa Blount, who played the brainless, bodacious set of ta-tas.
Thanks. I claim 0618 as the problem. [:)]
Lisa Blount did nothing for me. Seegar? Yep.
100% in agreement here!