I love the Smell of Naplam in the Morning.

Last night I spent 3  hours of my life watching  Apocalypse Now Redux The extended version of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war film which I would have to say is one of the worst war films ever made. There where only a few things I liked about movie. One of them was was when Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore played by Robert Duvall who makes his men go surfing during a battle and also plays Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" over the helicopter to the VC troops. I also enjoyed Dennis Hopper's performance as the crazy photographer. Another good thing was that they played a little bit of "Satisfaction."

 First off it was way to long. It was very slow at times, it barely had Harrison Ford, they killed off a young Laurence Fishburne. It was very strange and confusing and I could not figure out what was going on. One moment they are fighting and getting shot at, then minutes later they are making out with naked women in a playboy helicopter. I did not care for Brando or Sheen. I also thought that the scenes in Brando's hideout were really disgusting. It makes fun of the men that gave there lives by portraying them as drunk, crazy, stupid and ruthless trigger happy killers. The movie acts like the soldiers in Vietnam were just sitting around drinking, smoking, having sex and doing what ever they wanted with no authority. We will finish off the Vietnam Series with another member of the Sheen family his son Charlie in Oliver Stone's Platoon.

We've been up on that hill ten times, and they still don't think we're serious.

Last night I watched Hamburger Hill a movie about the actual battle that took place in May of 1969 about the The 187th Infantry Regiment and The 101st Airborne Division who had to take a hill in Thua Thien Province. It took them ten days a because of the well fortified North Vietnam trench's. But after heavy rain,friendly fire and more then 70 dead and 300 wounded they finally get to the top of the hill.  The film stars a young Don Cheadle in his forth film.  We Gotta Get out of This Place by the Animals was a good choice for this movie. The music by Philip Glass is also really good. Platoon is next.

I served my country - and they just want to take from it - just take, take! Love it or leave it, that's what I think.

I just finished watching the war film Born on the forth of July starring Tom Cruise and Willem Dafoe. The film was directed by Oliver Stone. The film is about Ron Kovic a veteran played by Tom Cruse who is  paralyzed during his second tour in Vietnam just one day after he and his platoon massacre a group of unarmed women,men and children. Kovic thinking the government lied to him about the war he along with thousands of other vets start protesting and finally he gets his voice heard. This was a good film because it is one of the few war films that what life is like for wounded vets returning home and how they must adapt to the changes in America. I think it paints a good picture of what life is like for the wounded returning from war. Both Stone and Kovic make Camino's in the film which was cool. How weird is it that Tom Cruise was born on the 3rd of July. The music by John Williams is good as are the songs played.  Hamburger Hill will be next.

This is my rifle. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

Last night I watched Stanley Kubrick's War classic Full Metal Jacket as part of Vietnam week. Seeing this movie for the first time. I liked this film because it shows you what life is like in the training camps. It was also a good anti war movie I liked when they sang the Micky Mouse theme. The music was also really good. Born on the forth of July is next.

With joyous memories, we leave the mystical city of Da Nang! What gay adventure lies ahead? Brother, this trip is gonna make LSD feel like aspirin!

As part of Vietnam week I watched the 1968 film The Green Berets starring John Wanye his son Patrick Wayne,Bruce Cabot,Jim Hutton and George Takei(Sulu). They are all on a mission in South Vietnam to  kidnap a North Vietnamese General and to build and control a camp that is trying to be taken by the VC.  One of the things that was good about this film was the great cast. The film also  is one of many to feature the Wanye/Cabot partnership. Those two are always good together.

The things that were bad about this film were the fact that they were having a fire while it was raining. Also the fake VC dummies looked really bad when they were hit by the napalm.  I am also getting sick of John Wanye's jokes,after awhile they become not funny. Another thing I did not like was that they killed off Sulu. It's not one of my favorite war films but it's  ok.

Next is Kubrick's Classic Full Metal Jacket.

I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear, before you and before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me, God.

Last night I watched We Were Soldiers as part of Vietnam week. It stars Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott who go into battle fighting in the Battle of Ia Drang the first major fight by the United States and the VC. I thought this was a good war film because it shows what effect the war had on both the American and North Veitnam home front. I also like that it shows the battle from both the American and VC side. It was very good war film.
Join us next time as we watch John Wayne in The Green Berets.

That's all right. I did. Hey, come on now. If you kick out the gooks, the next thing, you have to kick out the chinks, the spicks, the spooks and kikes. All that's gonna be left in here are a couple of brain-dead rednecks, and what fun would that be?

As part of Vietnam movie week I started out by watching Good Morning Vietnam. It's a comedy about Robin Williams a radio host in Vietnam how has to entertain the troops. The film also stars Forest Whitaker and The Stanton Twins who are also in Gremlins 2 and Terminator 2. I have not seen many of Whitaker's movies, but I liked his performance in this film. I laughed very much during this film at some of the Wizard of Oz and Nixon jokes. I also liked most of the music played in the film such as In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett,I Feel Good by James Brown and Baby, Please Don't Go by Them, I Get Around and two other Beach Boys songs and many other 60's classics. Great comedy. Williams is really good and funny as always.
 Next we will be watching We were Soldiers.