CMT - The Enemy Below

It's the most terrifying beast I'd ever seen. At 55 meters tall, it can block the rays of the sun. Fleeing from it is not an option; it can travel nine thousand kilometers, before it runs out of gas. The strength of the thing is so incredible, it can carry a helicopter on its back. Its eyes can spot you over a hundred kilometers, and if you dive in the water, they can follow you to the ocean floor.

That isn't even the worst of it. You see this kind of monster is very well armed. A single shell from the gun it carries, is big enough to total your family van. It has more missile launchers than you can keep up with, and your answering shots just bounce right off.

I'm talking about a modern navy warship here, but if you didn't guess that, I can't say I blame you. If you're one of the few that's in the know, you'll recognize the name of the Hobart Class Destroyer. The general public knows nothing about this vessel, and I think it's safe to say they couldn't care less. The thing is, their disinterest really isn't their fault; the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of entertainment.


Classic Movie Trailers  - The Enemy Below (1957)


According to Star Trek, space is the final frontier, and in the case of humanity I suppose that's true. If we're talking about fiction, space has been done, and the final frontier is underneath the waves. Tell me if you can name just five properties, that are somehow involved with the sea. I'm sure you can come up with a novel and a movie here or there, but where are the franchises? Where are the trilogies and where are the blockbusters?

Off the top of my head, the only things worth noting are "Pirates of The Caribbean" and the "Sea Quest" TV show. That's it and that's truly pathetic. Water covers two-thirds of the globe and the best thing we can come up with is "Deadliest Catch"? Reality shows shouldn't be alone here. Scripted programs should be right behind.

Who's to say science-fiction can't happen in the sea? Of course it can and it should. Besides, the spaceships in the Star Wars fleet, have obviously been inspired by ships in real life. The thing about it is, the seas are complicated and in many ways, they're more interesting than space.

The pressure increases with the depth of the water, but sonar still illuminates the dark ocean floor. Think about how many animal species are undiscovered, then multiply that figure if you've only considered land. War on water is unlike anywhere else. We've seen submarines shooting torpedoes, but if one vessel dives and the other cannot, what happens then?

Fortunately, this movie sheds some light on that subject. To be honest with you, that's what kept me fascinated. I'm watching as a film buff and as an author, so I'm soaking up as much information as possible. When you think about it, that's the problem with water; traveling in it and on it are tough things to understand.

The vessels and proper sailing are hard subjects for me. All I know is portside, starboard, fore and aft, but trust me, that's a lot more than most audiences. If you've enlisted in the navy or you've sailed most of your life, the information you hold is a hurdle for the rest of us. People don't commonly measure speed in knots, and we have no concept of a nautical mile. 

For the uninitiated these are huge obstacles, especially when they're presented in a feature length film. One hundred and twenty minutes is not enough time, to teach people everything and keep them entertained. It's going to take an incredible script and a fantastic director, to come up with anything that doesn't put us to sleep. "Titanic" was popular, but that's one film in one genre, when the setting we're discussing can handle them all.

Where are the horror films? How many horror films are on the water? It's really ridiculous, when you stop and think about it. There should be a treasure trove of material on this. When you pee in the pool, it should be because of something you saw; if that's not happening you're not being served.

Science is in the waves. Action is on the waves. There's no reason why fantasy can't be there as well. You can lose yourself in the number of fantasy novels, reading about men traveling on horseback. We can't do the same with boats?

The first one that gives us Star Trek on the sea, will be the biggest creative genius ever recorded. The first author to follow "Pirates" with something bigger, will create a franchise that lasts a hundred years. The crafty devil that makes us fear the waves, will show that "Jaws" is not as scary as the mind. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your earth. If you spend the whole time out of water you're missing a whole lot.




Trailer Here.
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@ChannelSeals

See "The Enemy Below" on Netflix!

Next Week: Leap Year Jump! (No Post on 2/29)

3/7/16 - The Start of Give Me Comics March - Properties that should be expanded episodically. 

"The Prophecy" is first, followed by "Escape From L.A.", "Darkman" and "Starship Troopers".

EXTRA: The Hobart Class Destroyer

CMT - The Desert Fox

Everyone isn't a rebel. We glorify rule breakers and independent souls, but how many of us fit that description? It's much more common for people to fall in line, but there is a lot of honor in that. We don't write or talk about it much, but men have a desire to follow a worthy cause.

For every marauder, thief and barbarian, there are ten more soldiers, and they fight just as hard. They may not seem like interesting characters, but their passion and their pride are only matched by their discipline. When they rise from their beds and don their uniforms, they march into a fervent life of servitude. There is a complete and loyal commitment, to country and state, or leader and God.

Dedication to a cause is very noble. Dedication to a superior is a compromised position. When you've been groomed to honor authority, it doesn't take long for awe to turn into reverence. There are terrible days ahead for any good officer, who discovers they are committed to an unworthy commander.


Classic Movie Trailers - The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)


There are countless works of fiction set in World War II. There are numerous history books, that have covered the subject with great detail. An exhaustive list of games is also available, and they allow you to reenact every pivotal scene. Films can place a group of Nazis anywhere in time, for an instant supply of trite and clichéd villains.

It's a part of history we love to relive. We seem to revel in it and I think it's unhealthy. Given all our denouncements of intolerance and prejudice, we view Nazi Germany with unjust stereotypes. A large group of people can't be wholly evil, just as no community is completely pure.

There's no denying the horrors that were committed. It's chilling to contemplate the recorded inhumanities. I simply want to separate the act from the actor. Those people weren't some separate species of humankind.

Fanaticism is a danger to everyone. What Germany succumbed to was an extreme case, but the problem appeared before and many times since. There are plenty of old stereotypes, irrational fears and unsupported beliefs that inch us towards the same ledge.

Jews probably won't be victimized the same way. We're too mindful of antisemitism, and plenty of minorities can take their place. All it will take is a struggling country, or one that believes its greatness has come and gone. They will cast their votes to return to former glory, and they'll pass laws to marginalize a small group. One charismatic figure will hide his boiling madness, and people will reject that they've made a terrible mistake.

We are easily swayed by propaganda, and we have an impatience that defeats critical thinking. Even worse, we have a tendency to be exclusive, and we dismiss the troubles of dissimilar groups. We're social animals that become blind followers, if a smart person takes advantage of our weaknesses.

Men like Rommel are the most susceptible. A soldier is dangerous, when he has devotion to kind and cause. Human beings are creatures of habit, and some actions are contrary to our very natures. Mutiny and treason are unthinkable sins, to the military trained and taught to abhor them.

Betraying a senior officer can be betraying yourself. Even if it's the right thing to do we may not go through with it. Deep down, we admire and associate with our leaders. If years pass in their service, it's hard to part with our ideal visions of them.

Instead of using Nazis as easy targets, we should spend more time with the lessons they've given us. They are a telling example of many human faults, and we lose sight of that with the loss of our sympathy. There shouldn't be so many games with Nazi cannon fodder, and we should be more critical of how they are depicted. If we treat them as a second class of humanity, we'll find that we're dangerously close to following in their footsteps.




Trailer here.

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@ChannelSeals

See "The Desert Fox" on Netflix!

Next Week: "The Enemy Below"

CMT - People Will Talk

According to many traditions and popular opinion, couples should marry at a very early age. Once they're wed they should immediately have children and raise them in a spacious home, with a white picket fence. In later years, the partners will retire at the same time. Their deaths should occur close to each other, so they can be laid in the same plot of land.

The surviving children bear children, and they'll live as their parents and grandparents did. Every man marries a woman, and each woman pairs with a man. All of them settle down before the age of thirty and the cycle continues, until the end of time.  

It goes without saying that each person marries once. Divorce is unacceptable, and children born out of wedlock are absolutely disgraceful. There is only one path you're expected to follow; naturally, I wonder about how many actually do. I'm sure some families adhere to these rules, but I doubt they'd see more than a generation, before someone doesn't conform.


Classic Movie Trailers - People Will Talk (1951)


I can't read much of the above before I realize the absurdity. Think about the amount of people in a small town. What are the chances that all residents live like I've described? What about the next town over and the big city next to that? How many of humanity's billions, have fallen in line with marriage conventions? 

Of course, not everyone agrees on this subject. There are religions that let people commit to more than one person. In some areas, it's common for women to wed much older men. Whatever customs dominate your space, I have little doubt that they aren't always adopted.

It's helpful to remember that appearances can be deceiving. I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating; "normalcy" can be illusion and life is not what it seems. The presence of a wedding ring does not describe a relationship, and a marriage certificate is not an account of history. Think about a husband and wife that are celebrating twenty years together; how much would you wager that they've been happy that long?

A love that lasts for decades, may not seem so strange. You might think to your own union, or the one enjoyed by your parents. Your sisters and brothers could have hitched a long time ago, with absolutely no visible signs of turmoil. If you ask me, it's likely that you don't know all the details.

Think about the length of time that we're considering. Think about how we grow and change in the space of just one month. Think about how a meeting can change a life forever. Does anything remain constant for long periods of time? Anything at all?

The queerest thing about societal norms is the fact that people actually expect them. Numbers-wise they should be exceptions, instead of things that occur with any regularity. Despite social pressures and consequences, there's no way the nuclear family can be a catch-all. If life isn't simple, how can love be?

Guys, if you're in love be happy that she's single. If she has kids, or happens to be pregnant, forget your assumptions about family. How it comes together is really unimportant. What matters is that you can celebrate, without having to pretend.


Trailer Here.

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@ChannelSeals

See "People Will Talk" on Netflix!

Next Week: It's War with "The Desert Fox", followed by "The Enemy Below".

CMT - The Great Gatsby ('74)

"The Great Gatsby" was published in 1925. It was the third novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story has been adapted to film numerous times, including a recent picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio. There have also been a few TV productions, as well as an opera, on the same subject.

I haven't had the chance to sit down with the book, but if this film is faithful, it must be illuminating. People tend  to focus on the glamour of being wealthy, and I get the impression that the rich are unduly venerated. There's definitely nothing wrong with looking up to success, but at the end of the day, we're all just human beings. Some have less and some have more, but essentially we're the same. 

We fall in and out of love in the exact same way. We marry for the same reasons and we stray just as much. If Gatsby's character proves anything, he proves that money doesn't cure obsession. People can be insanely happy with love and marriage, but a few years later everything can change.


Classic Movie Trailers: The Great Gatsby (1974)


I often wonder why cheaters do it. I'm not at all surprised to see people grow apart, but I find it hard to understand why they don't leave right away. There must be some sympathy for the person that you've wed. You may not love them anymore, but that doesn't always mean you want to hurt them.

Maybe that's the reason why we hide infidelity. The wish to be with someone else doesn't make the breakup any easier. It's like the sour pill you eventually have to swallow. If anything is going to improve, you have to take it and wash it down.

Of course, I'm assuming that there is some love between you. The line that separates it from hate, might have been crossed long ago. You would think that they would sign the papers and be done with it. Honestly though, there's always more to it than just that.

When a relationship is well established, there are more than two people involved. You have in-laws, family, friends and other married couples to consider. People get used to those relationships, and they add to the difficulty. We put on a show for our neighbors and we don't want to be embarrassed, or shamed by our problems.

Come to think of it, shame might have a lot to do with it. You may be alright with leaving your spouse, but you may not be so keen on being left. Pride is an incessant beast that gnaws at the mind. It's one thing to breakup and quite another thing to have someone taken from you.

If you stop and consider the implications, there's something wrong with that idea. Marriage is a mutual commitment, and it isn't about becoming someone else's property. You can change your last name and become a part of a family, but you agree to that arrangement and you have to do so willingly. Both partners must benefit in the institution; you can say you belong to each other, but just remember that you choose to be.

It needs to be said that wherever you go, your children will bind you together. They're also involved in your relationship, and at the end they'll still be there. Maybe they are the reason why so many suffer so long. It's hard to explain change to an adult, and it's harder to break your kid's heart.

Coping takes a long time, and it may seem even longer. Routines are tough to break, but old habits will eventually give way. At the end we all must act with our best interests in mind. So with that stated, I have to conclude that divorce may not be among them.

We might say that we hate someone when the opposite is true. Marriage can fall apart sometimes, but it doesn't have to stay broken. People get used to their relationships and they're harder to leave than we're willing to admit. Maybe we drag our feet towards divorce, hoping we find the strength to run the other way.


Trailer here.


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@ChannelSeals 

Next Week: The "Love" in CMT - Love & War concludes with "People Will Talk" (1951).

Starring Cary Grant. Rotten Tomatometer: N/A, Audience Score: 78%