Lone Survivor, coming 10JAN14
 

Great story of survival and toughness. The movie is supposed to be respectfully and well done....

Lone Survivor - Featurette: "A Look Inside" - YouTube

This film is getting a lot of hype but the January release date says it did not test well with focus groups. If it did they would have saved it for a June release.

But I have long thought focus groups cannot tell everything about a narrow focus film like this one. This should do well as the bits of it I have seen look first class.

Historical films where the ticket buyer already knows the ending are a tough sell, but one thing Hollywood has always done well is take the viewer to someplace they could never go on their own. This film follows in that tradition.

But as far as the January release date goes: January and February are the times that poorly tested films are released since this is the lowest attendance period of the year due to cold weather and snow. But it might do Hollywood watchers well to remember that Blackhawk Down was released wide in January and it seemed to do quite well with a total take of $174.000.000 after 15 weeks.

An ex-Navy type friend of mine saw it last week. He said it was pretty realistic and it'll grab you. He saw it up the road aways. It'll be here locally Thursday, 1/9. I'll see it maybe next weekend.

Coincidentally, I just finished No Easy Day yesterday. Asked the guy who got me an autographed copy to relay my thanks to the author next time he sees him. I've had it for about 6 months & held off reading it due to personal mixed reservations I had about him going public. :confused::o
After reading his reasons in the book and watching a 60 minute interview he gave, I'm ok with it. You marvel at the men who answer the call. Or, at least I do.;)

I sometimes wish we had a theater.

I read the book and can't wait to see the movie.

I think the movie was released in late December (in New York and Los Angeles), and then in wide release January 10, so that it could be considered for an Academy award in 2013.

From what I read, the movie is getting great reviews.

The Academy has a rule about when a film is considered released, and that rule is when did the film play in LA county? It also has to play at a public theater where all the admissions are paid.

This is not hard to do, and if you think you have an award contender then you release it at the end of the year so that by the time it hits second run houses the awards are being given out. Since the film is still in release it is easy for distributors to find a theater to exhibit it should it score an Oscar or two.

Here is a review from Variety, which is a show biz trade mag. You might note that this is not like your standard movie review as it goes into details that are important to show biz folks but no so much the average ticket buyer, but if you have read the book you might want to read this review as it also goes into a bit of how the book was adapted.

This review will also give the non show biz person some insight into what goes into making a book with one readership base into a film with a much larger viewer base.

‘Lone Survivor’ Review: Mark Wahlberg Stars in Peter Berg’s Grueling War Drama | Variety

I spoke to someone who has seen this. They say it is not for the faint of heart and not something to take the kids to see.

But then that is just their opinion. How do they know what my kids like to watch?

I've heard the 40-45 minute battle scenes between the four (4) Seals and the 145 to 180 Taliban is brutally realistic and graphic.

I know it's waaaaay too intense for my 10 year old twins to watch.

As a parent, you have to make the call, but even at 13 years old, your kids would have to be awfully mature to be able to see a movie like this.

I wasn't old enough for the first 15 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan."

Thanks for posting the link to the review. Im ambivalent about seeing it. I'm not much into gore but I know that the story is compelling.

"Black Hawk Down" REALLY upset me, so I think this time I should be ok with this movie, I will go see it locally.

People used to scoff at Mark Wahlberg, you know -- "Marky Mark" the underwear model and "singer" but he has truly come into his own, a good actor by most any measure.

I agree with you about Blackhawk Down.

From the beginning of that incursion I was at Bush for sending the men in. Don't send violent men to do a peaceful mission unless you are willing to accumulate lots of dead people.

When it happened I was pissed-off Aspin for not adequately supporting them and at Clinton for not pulling them out, absent support. I remain pissed off at the deceased Les Aspin and the still talking Clinton.

The movie somehow personalized my anger at politicians who are so cavalier with the lives of good men.

*VERY* well said!

So was this.

"End of the Innocence"


Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky?
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by

When happily ever after fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly

Aah, but I know a place where we can go
That's still untouched by men
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass waves in the wind

And you can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense but this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

Oh, beautiful for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king

Armchair warriors often fail
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie

Aah, but I know a place where we can go
And wash away this sin
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass waves in the wind

Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Offer up your best defense but this is the end
This is the end of the innocence

Who knows how long this will last
Now we've come so far, so fast
But somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us

I need to remember this
So baby, give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say goodbye

Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense, this is the end
This is the end of the innocence


~~Don Henley/Bruce Hornsby

Love his music.:)

don henley end of the innocence - Bing Videos