# Band of Brothers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238 "2004-04-15T22:16:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/1 "2004-04-15T22:16:20Z")
It’s probably the best damned war film I have ever seen. If you haven’t been catching the nightly episodes on The History Channel, you might want to tune in tonight. After that, you’ll probably think (as I am) about buying the DVD set. Please note: I searched to find if there were any **BoB** threads and couldn’t find one. If I erred, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/2 "2004-04-15T22:52:42Z")
Get the book, too. It’s fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/3 "2004-04-15T23:21:18Z")
The DVDs are a good investment. Lots of extra information in case you’re sitting through an episode thinking, “wait a minute, who’s _that_ guy?” ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/4 "2004-04-15T23:41:51Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > Get the book, too. It’s fantastic. Especially the parts that tell what happened to the men after the war. Sort of a kin to Tom Brokaw’s “The Greatest Generation” ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/5 "2004-04-16T00:13:21Z")
Given the subject matter–arty stuff–this is better suited to the **Cafe Society**. I’ll move it over for you. TVeblen, IMHO mod ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/6 "2004-04-16T00:17:39Z")
If only I could watch an entire episode without ever thinking “PC load letter!?”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/7 "2004-04-16T00:29:02Z")
I also have the DVDs, it is an incredible show. Hard to believe any project could leave me with new respect for the talents of Donnie Wahlberg. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/8 "2004-04-16T00:51:34Z")
To show how men under the duress of war rose or fell to their own level. A moving experience. The scene at the end of part three where Malarky is picking up his laundry and is asked to pick up the laundry of those who hadn’t yet…a list of those that had died…choked me up. Truly superb film making. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/9 "2004-04-16T01:00:30Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > Get the book, too. It’s fantastic. Well, thanks to your urging I did. Just got back from the Mall. I’m certain I’ll love it. Thanks again, **MissBunny**. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/10 "2004-04-16T01:00:53Z")
I’ve got the DVD set. Great ensemble of actors, and what look to this civilian like very believable combat scenes. My favorite part, though, is the interviews with the actual veterans. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/11 "2004-04-16T14:21:23Z")
I second (or third, fourth, or fifth) the suggestion to buy the DVD box set. It is definitely worth every penny just for the episodes - throw in all the rest that comes with the box set and it is a great item to own. Will the History Channel broadcast the “wrap-up” episode that aired on HBO after the 10-part series ended? That, to me, was so great to finally get the names associated to the veterans you’ve been seeing all along in the intro pieces to each episode and the character’s based upon their experiences. I thought I read somewhere that by the 3rd episode they had exceeded the budget for Saving Private Ryan. I don’t know if that is correct or not but it certainly is believable considering the quality of the production. Anyway, if you’ve not seen it before you are in for many, many amazing and heart-breaking moments ahead! (I think I’ll start watching the DVDs again today!) Oh, and although I bought and read the book I thought the show was far better. Something about the author’s style just didn’t click with me. It does give you a bit more info on the people though and I felt it really emphasized that although they hated the LT. (David Schwimmer’s (sp) character) from airbourne school they all admitted if it wasn’t for him they’d probably not have made it through the tough times during the war. Oh, and another question - anyone heard any news on the proposed Band of Brother’s HBO production based in the Pacific theatre? I heard a rumor a long time ago that they were going to do it but nothing since. MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![Miabella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Miabella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miabella)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/12 "2004-04-16T14:29:54Z")
I love this series. I’m now watching it for the third time, and it gets better with every watching. That is partly because it was difficult for me to keep the characters straight on first viewing. The only characters I was sure of the first time were Winters, Nixon, Marlarkey (the actor is from my home town), and Sobel. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/13 "2004-04-16T14:46:27Z")
**MeanJoe** snippet: “Oh, and although I bought and read the book I thought the show was far better. Something about the author’s style just didn’t click with me. It does give you a bit more info on the people though and I felt it really emphasized that although they hated the LT. (David Schwimmer’s (sp) character) from airbourne school they all admitted if it wasn’t for him they’d probably not have made it through the tough times during the war.” What I found surprising is the guy that MeanJoe mentioned - Lt. Herbert Sobel - the sumbitch you grow to hate, is for real. I mean that’s his real name. I took for granted the book and film would change the names of the ones who behaved somewhat shamefully - even though he did indeed whip Easy into tip top shape. Here’s a quote from the photosection: “Sink and Winters were tough but fair and respected; Sobel was a martinet and widely disliked. Still, as Private Rod Strohl put it forty-nine years later, “Herbert Sobel _made_ E Company.” The rigorous training in the States saved many lives in combat in Europe.” ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/14 "2004-04-16T16:46:50Z")
Yep and truly great program. HBO are producing some of the best TV ever made IMO. BoB, Sopranos and 6 feet under are all superb. And the say US tv is crap 😉 back to the thread. I loved BoB and also have the DVD set(metal case). Not only is the content superb but the packaging is a class above the rest as well. Quality from beginning to end. Being able to look at the docu. with the real guys was great and very moving indeed. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/15 "2004-04-16T19:18:04Z")
I’ve been watching this show since sunday and haven’t been able to stop. I’m looking forward to tonight. Probably the best war movie I’ve ever seen, and it looks quite realistic, particulary in the technically details. Though does anymore remember which town they get ambushed in during the Market Garden Episode(I believe it’s “Replacements”)? One of the troopers mentioned something about Van Gogh living there. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/16 "2004-04-16T19:45:14Z")
I loved \* Band of Brothers \*. Now if we could somehow get Hanks and Spielberg to make a Pacific theater miniseries, or even 3-hour movie about Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Saipan or Peleliu. Or… even though “Memphis Belle” did a good job, a miniseries about 8th AF bomber crews in 1943 would be particularly good- that was a DEADLY job under very strange conditions. (aside- 8th AF crews suffered MORE casualties than the entire USMC!) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/17 "2004-04-16T20:34:00Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Please note: I searched to find if there were any **BoB** threads and couldn’t find one. If I erred, my apologies. Looks like we’ve lost all but [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=160834&highlight=band+of+brothers) from a year ago. Or maybe they just haven’t been indexed. At any rate, starting a new thread was the best thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/18 "2004-04-16T21:34:10Z")
From the DVD set I enjoyed Ron Livingston’s Video Diaries. They were both informative and amusing. The “guys” had to go through an abbreviated basic training course including a very basic jump school. IIRC, the actors who played officers were placed in leadership roles during “basic.” as well. My favorite line: Ron Livingston, in hushed voice, as he pans across the simulated battlefield: _Today we’re practicing “flanking manuevers.” That’s fancy Army talk for “go around the side.”_ ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/19 "2004-04-16T22:11:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Though does anymore remember which town they get ambushed in during the Market Garden Episode(I believe it’s “Replacements”)? One of the troopers mentioned something about Van Gogh living there. I believe that was Einhoven. My spelling may be a bit off, but I have watched it enough times, I should have it memorized. This show has grown on me until I have become convinced that it is the best thing ever done on television. I say that without a bit of hyperbole. Better than Seinfeld, MASH, Roots, whichever one of the usual suspects you care to trot out. The depth of feeling and the avoidance of standard war movie cliches allows the viewer to develop a level of involvement that I haven’t felt with any other series. I would also like to note that Donnie Wahlberg’s work is not a fluke. He has miraculously become a very fine actor. He was terrific in the late, and much lamented series _Boomtown_ (which featured a number of BOB regulars). He was also wonderful in the little seen movie _Diamond Men_ with Robert Forster. The acting in BOB is uniformly terrific. It could easily have been spoiled by bringing in known faces to fill its main roles. One need only look at _The Thin Red Line_ to see what happens when everyone is determined to Act with a capital A. Ron Livingston and Damien Lewis both deserve more and better work along with Wahlberg. Now I had heard some talk of another series, made by the same people, and set in the Pacific. Has anyone heard talk of another similar undertaking? I would happily subscribe to HBO for that alone. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238/20 "2004-04-17T00:34:11Z")
Quote: Though does anymore remember which town they get ambushed in during the Market Garden Episode(I believe it’s “Replacements”)? One of the troopers mentioned something about Van Gogh living there. From the book: “Winters led a forced march to Nuenen, about 5 kilometers, encountering no opposition but once again cheering Dutch, offering food food and drink. Webster remarked that this was the village in which Vincent van Gogh had been born. ‘Who the hell’s that?’ Rader asked.” Rader’s question is different from the observation one of the grunts made in the film - which very loosely is something like, “Ain’t it amazing what Harvard guys come up with!” I think. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-of-brothers/240238.md?page=2)