TV/Movies Megathread

[Admiral Yi]

It wasn't about withdrawal of an icebreaker, but the symbolic effect of decommissioning the last British force in that area of the world.

You're forgetting about the token Royal Marine unit.

The assumption the Argentines made wasn't that Britain wouldn't object but that they wouldn't go to war. After 30 years of decolonisation and seeing a local colonial power withdraw from the neighbourhood, I don't think that was an unreasonable view by the Argentines. For a start I'm not sure that many other PMs would have gone to war over it.

Edit: The Argentines didn't predict a war. They expected the US to not support the UK - as in Suez - and for a colonial power to back down when presented with a fait accompli - as in Rhodesia, Goa and many other places. The Falklands was the exception.

None of these things you've mentioned have any relationship to the presence or absence of an icebreaker in Port Stanley.  30 years of decolonization is still 30 years of decolonization whether the icebreaker is there or not.  Decomissioning the icebreaker didn't radically and abruptly alter their assesment of US support.

[garbon]

Wouldn't that be akin to telling someone that they caused a robbery because they didn't have an alarm system (with the prominent alarm system sign on their lawn) equipped at their home?

More like there's a shifty guy in the who's been around your house and you leave the front door open.

That's still not really a causing something to happy. Sure that's foolish but the shifty guy still knows that he shouldn't be entering your house / would likely still try and enter even if you had your door locked.

Also is that really equivalent? We removed our naval presence so clearly we won't mind if you invade?

[Sheilbh]

That said, the war was much more useful than just keeping the icebreaker there.

Quite. And as I say I don't think that war would necessarily have been fought if Thatcher weren't in charge. I think most PMs would have negotiated, with the US mediating, and effectively accepted the Argentine occupation as a fait accompli.

That's still not really a causing something to happy. Sure that's foolish but the shifty guy still knows that he shouldn't be entering your house / would likely still try and enter even if you had your door locked.

It'd affect your insurance though

None of these things you've mentioned have any relationship to the presence or absence of an icebreaker in Port Stanley.  30 years of decolonization is still 30 years of decolonization whether the icebreaker is there or not.  Decomissioning the icebreaker didn't radically and abruptly alter their assesment of US support.

There's 30 years of decolonisation - which is withdrawal, retrenchment in Europe and a history of post-colonial powers seizing bits of territory or settling the borders for themselves by military force, which is subsequently accepted by the colonial power (and the world). Given that I don't think it's unreasonable that Argentina thought Britain wouldn't fight for the Falklands after they've removed their last, token projection of power in that area.

If a country removes its forces and capabilities from an area it's not unreasonable for other countries in the area to take advantage on the assumption that they're not coming back. That tends to be the norm.

[Tonitrus]

"The Last Detail"

Great Nicholson flick, and probably Randy Quaid's best (and maybe only) serious role.

[Tonitrus]

And if the only way to stop this Falklands hijack, is to spam reviews of every episode of "Who's the Boss" I've been watching recently....I'll do it. 

[Malthus]

I've recently been re-watching my old episodes of the "Sharpe" series, starring Sean Bean.

The casting is great and the episodes are fun ... it really suffers from two problems:

1. Most obvious to everyone watching it, it is really really hard to stage Napoleonic battles when you only have enough money to hire 20 extras.  Lots of episiodes are re-written to avoid having to stage actual battles, but still the problem remains.

2. Less obvious unless you have read the book - they radically change Sharpe's character from the novels, basically be re-writing the plots so that Sharpe never really does anything horribly rutheless. Sharpe in the books is a lot nastier. Sharpe in the TV episodes is a big softie by comparison.

To give an example: in Sharpe's Battle, the novel, Sharpe has to prevent some Irish soldiers he's supposed to be training from deserting. To solve this problem, Sharpe makes a deal with a local guerilla leader: castrate and murder the next soldiers to desert, and make it seem like it was done by the French (in return, Sharpe offers the leader some muskets).  In Sharpe's Battle, the TV episode, the French actually *are* responsible for mutilating and murdering deserters.

And so it goes: in each case where Sharpe did something really unpleasant or questionable (in the novels), he doesn't (in the TV series). In the novels, his upbringing in an orphanage was horribly abusive and he goes back and wreaks a terrible vengence on the guy who ran the place - murdering him very messly (and he deserved it) (Sharpe's Prey); in the TV series, his upbringing was bleak but he fondly remembers the woman who runs the place, who helps him (Sharpe's Justice), etc.

The writers occasionally add stuff that is just odd, like in Sharpe's Sword, where for some reason unknown to me the TV writers added an apparently jailbait love interest for Sharpe (a trauma-mute girl nicknamed "lass") which was really quite squirm-inducing. She pursues Sharpe (by among other things turning up naked in his bedroll in his tent) who turns her down.

[Neil]

If a country removes its forces and capabilities from an area it's not unreasonable for other countries in the area to take advantage on the assumption that they're not coming back. That tends to be the norm.

Weren't the Royal Marines still around?

[Sheilbh]

If a country removes its forces and capabilities from an area it's not unreasonable for other countries in the area to take advantage on the assumption that they're not coming back. That tends to be the norm.

Weren't the Royal Marines still around?

I think there were 50-60 left. But they were also in the process of withdrawing and the MoD had been announced that they'd were on their way elsewhere.

[Sheilbh]

2. Less obvious unless you have read the book - they radically change Sharpe's character from the novels, basically be re-writing the plots so that Sharpe never really does anything horribly rutheless. Sharpe in the books is a lot nastier. Sharpe in the TV episodes is a big softie by comparison.

I loved this show when I was younger. But this is always why I largely hope Flashman never gets adapted. I think TV/film writers couldn't help but try and heroise him a little bit. Which would ruin it for people who like the books.

[Malthus]

2. Less obvious unless you have read the book - they radically change Sharpe's character from the novels, basically be re-writing the plots so that Sharpe never really does anything horribly rutheless. Sharpe in the books is a lot nastier. Sharpe in the TV episodes is a big softie by comparison.

I loved this show when I was younger. But this is always why I largely hope Flashman never gets adapted. I think TV/film writers couldn't help but try and heroise him a little bit. Which would ruin it for people who like the books.

Flashman *was* adapted - once. Royal Flash was made into a movie starring Malcolm McDowell.

Sadly, it sucked.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073639/

[Josquius]

I'm hoping Cornwell's Saxon series gets the Sharpe treatment. Even without simple modern special effects to multiply troop numbers the shield wall should be a lot easier to show with only a few actors.

[Viking]

I'm hoping Cornwell's Saxon series gets the Sharpe treatment. Even without simple modern special effects to multiply troop numbers the shield wall should be a lot easier to show with only a few actors.

Peter Jackson's hordes of Uruk Hai were sufficiently believable that I was willing to suspend my disbelief. Line warfare suits the CGI treatment (empire total war may have been a crappy game, it was beautiful to look at). The uniforms and banners were specifically designed to be identified by an observer on the battlefield. Now you don't need to hire a couple or Turkish or Russian army divisions to play the armies on the battlefield like they did in the 1970's.

I would have expected an ACW movie to start this, but he sheer abundance of re-enactors willing to be extras for free and who already have correct period attire means that it will have to be european.

[Queequeg]

Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Incoherent.

[Neil]

If a country removes its forces and capabilities from an area it's not unreasonable for other countries in the area to take advantage on the assumption that they're not coming back. That tends to be the norm.

Weren't the Royal Marines still around?

I think there were 50-60 left. But they were also in the process of withdrawing and the MoD had been announced that they'd were on their way elsewhere.

Stupid Argies.

[Habbaku]

Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Incoherent.

Yeah, but what about the movie?