For several more days British, Belgium the regular French public and even large numbers of Germans have gone to great lengths to commemorate this world famous battle that changed the course of modern history. While far left French President Hollande’s government has chosen to virtually ignore what has unfolded into a massive spectacular attracting world-wide attention, much of the rest of Europe has not followed his lead.
On Wednesday, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, led by the bearskin capped regimental band of the famous Coldstream Guards dedicated a new monument to the regular British soldiers who courageously turned the tide at the battle of Waterloo.
June 18 will mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Over 130,000 spectator tickets have been sold for four days of reenactments, speeches, and commemorations being held on the actual site in Belgium where 200,000 French, British, Prussian and Dutch troops once fought to decide the future of Europe.
From June 18th through June 20th over 5,000 historical reenactors will gather in central Belgium to commemorate the 200th anniversary of perhaps the most famous battle in world history, Waterloo – and a small group of dedicated, history and horse loving Americans will be an important part of the spectacular festivities. At least one member of the British Royal family will be in attendance along with the King and Queen of Belgium, the King and Queen of the Netherlands, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, various high ranking official from both France and Germany, and other dignitaries from across Europe.
Fifty major leaders of the free world marched arm in arm on the public streets of Paris to let the world know they stood united against radical Islamic terrorism. President Obama chose not to attend
There are tragic and decisive moments in our past where political ideologysuddenly didn’t matter, events where almost allAmericans of every race, religion and political belief came togetheras concerned citizens. The burning of Washington, D.C. bythe British during the War of
A television movie like An American Story couldn’t get greenlit today. In fact, it’s still surprising the Hallmark Hall of Fame and CBS joint production actually got broadcast back in 1992. Yet this fictionalization of the Battle of Athens, the
The annual G.I. Film Festival hits Hollywood tomorrow night for a special Veteran’s Day presentation. The three-day GIFF Hollywood 2012 is hosted by the Los Angeles Film School at Sunset and Vine, an institution which has done an outstanding job
In 2002 actor Sam Elliot played Sgt. Major Basil Plumley in the brutal and affecting Vietnam War film “We Were Soldiers.” Earlier this week, Elliott paid his respects to Sgt. Major Plumley who passed away at the age of 92. Based
The sixth annual G.I. Film Festival wrapped this weekend with a group of outstanding films that pulled heartstrings and helped us understand the motivations and sacrifices of American men and women who go off to war. “From Philadelphia to Fallujah,” conceived
The West Point class of 1967 started out as part of America’s privileged baby boomer generation who suddenly found themselves thrust into the turmoil of the Kennedy assassination, social unrest, and the Vietnam War. Jordon Kronick’s “Into Harm’s Way,” screened
Hollywood and New York are known for hosting “star-studded” galas, events where often vacuous but popular actors and actresses line the red carpet for piranha-like paparazzi. A near-sellout crowd of real heroes and supporters gathered Monday at the start of
This is the first of a series of articles profiling films and filmmakers showing their work at the 2012 G.I. Film Festival being held May 14-20 in Washington, D.C. A dramatic film and a unique documentary at this year’s G.I,
Think a University of California degree is worth its weight in gold? Think again. According to a new study, you might want to rethink that second mortgage needed to send junior to a UC campus. The California Association of
“My dad was essentially a philosophical anarchist,” laughs Chris Mitchum about his famous father Robert Mitchum. “He thought that man was basically good and could govern himself, but he hated authority and didn’t care for heavy handed government. He thought
In 1971, Chris Mitchum won Photoplay‘s Gold Medal Award and was picked by Box Office magazine as one of the top five stars of the future along with Ryan O’Neal. But everything came to a screeching halt after a major role
John Sayles may be this country’s most idiosyncratic independent writer-director, though his personal films and novels often look suspiciously Sol Alinsky-ish. Many of Sayles’ films are of a left leaning historical nature and have ranged from early 20th century miner’s
Two of the best military documentaries since Jake Rademacher’s Brothers at War premiered at the G. I. Film festival last weekend to incredible audience enthusiasm. David Scantling’s Patrol Base Jaker and Mitty Giffis Mirrer’s Gold Star Children captured viewers with
In its five-year history the G. I. Film Festival does its best to feature a big Hollywood premiere appropriate to their mandate of films that portray military men and women in a positive light. Not easy when Hollywood mostly churns
After three days at the G.I. Film Festival I can tell you that each new group of filmmaker friends I’ve made are a mix of military and military-friendly folks from across, not only our country, but also the whole globe.
Ed. Note: Just a note of thanks from everyone in the BIG family to Dan for his superb coverage of this invaluable festival. In five short years G. I. Film Festival co-founder Brandon Millett, with his wife and fellow founder
In the aftermath of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group’s successful raid to take out Osama Bin Laden last week, I feel privileged to be covering the only film festival in the world to feature films about the military.
No actor has ever represented the drama, power and dignity of ancient times on the big screen like Academy Award-winner Charlton Heston. Now one his two greatest films of Biblical times, Cecil B. De Mille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) has
When The History Channel rejected Emmy Award-winner Joel (24) Surnow‘s $30 million mini-series The Kennedys, it was another message to millions of viewers that have rightly started to ask, “So where’s the history?” History spokespeople claimed that the miniseries did
Recently New York Times blogger and humanities professor Stanley Fish referenced my Big Hollywood review of the Coen Brothers’ remake of John Wayne and Henry Hathaway’s True Grit. Though I have reviewed a film or two for various publications I’ve
You just have to glance at my Big Hollywood contributor’s photo to realize that I love a good western – the cowboy hat with the tux kind of give it away. So it was with much anticipation that I awaited
The other weekend in San Antonio over 600 people gathered for the 50th anniversary re-premiere and celebration of one of the great American-themed epics of the early 1960s, John Wayne’s The Alamo. People came from far and wide to watch
Last week after a packed book signing and lecture at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, best-selling political thriller author Vince Flynn (American Assassin, Pursuit of Honor) generously took a few minutes to fill me in on his thoughts about dealing
The George Clooney film The American opened in the number one box office spot this last weekend despite a terrible reception from those who actually sat through the film. According to the reviews Clooney plays an armorer turned assassin, which
The cable channel History‘s latest historical venture, America; the Story of Us — a twelve-part, cheap-looking, know-nothing celebrity driven monstrosity that insults the most basic of historically informed Americans intelligence, ended it’s broadcast run last week. The opening episode was
The recent Daily Variety article “Hollywood calls ‘Truce’ on war films” described how the film industry is now sidelining any future war and espionage films because of recent box office disappointment like Green Zone. The $100 million to $130 million
John Wayne has been on people’s minds lately. Dick Cavett recently wrote a nostalgic New York Times piece about his lone meeting with Hollywood’s “Duke.” He also told of the meeting on the Dennis Miller Show. Meanwhile, liberal author Gary
[Ed. Note: This is part two of a two-part series. You can read part one here.] The Noble Redskin, or Blueskin stereotype that James Cameron’s Avatar shoves down historically ignorant sci-fi geeks throats is one of the most damaging myths
With the success of James Cameron’s Avatar, audiences are once again being assaulted by Hollywood’s assumption of self-hate and false politically correct “truths” about who America is today and what we were in our past. Of course we shouldn’t be