SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB: Week 192 - Hamburger Hill (1987)

europe1

It´s a nice peninsula to Asia
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Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.

41UrtvxeyEL.jpg

Our Director
John Irvin
MV5BMTQ1MjgwNTQzOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDM2MDAxMw@@._V1_UY317_CR141,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


Our Stars
Dylan McDermott
MV5BMjEwMjY2NzU4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODg2NDc4Ng@@._V1_UY317_CR17,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


Film Overview
Premise: A very realistic interpretation of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

Budget: $???

Box Office: $13,839,404

Trivia
(courtesy of IMDB)

* An electrician was electrocuted and killed in front of the cast and crew. Production was almost shut down but eventually continued after a memorial service.

* Near the end of the film, there is a scene where a soldier, his face covered with bandages, is blindly reaching out to his comrades as they hurry past him. This is taken from a famous picture taken at the real Hamburger Hill.

* The reception among Vietnam veterans was very positive towards the film's authenticity and brutality.

* A number of Vietnamese advisers served to ensure the authenticity of the Vietnamese people. John Irvin in particular made sure that the film looked real.
Members: @europe1 @MusterX @sweetviolenturg @FrontNakedChoke @chickenluver @Scott Parker 27 @Yotsuya @jei @LHWBelt @HARRISON_3 @moreorless87 @HenryFlower @Zer
 
Remember seeing this way back and thought it took itself way way too seriously. Even as a guy who loves shit like Platoon, Come and See etc. I remember there being a medic character who was insufferably preachy
 
At first I thought this was the typical Vietnam war movie but it wore on me and I actually quite liked it. Highlights to me where the sergeant in general and when he chewed out the reporter. The end was pretty fitting too. Typical vietnam flick but better. Same formula but I enjoyed it more than most. I also really liked the guy who went home telling why he chose to come back.
 
NOTE to NON-MEMBERS: Interested in joining the SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB? Shoot me a PM for more info!

Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.

41UrtvxeyEL.jpg

Our Director
John Irvin
MV5BMTQ1MjgwNTQzOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDM2MDAxMw@@._V1_UY317_CR141,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


Our Stars
Dylan McDermott
MV5BMjEwMjY2NzU4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODg2NDc4Ng@@._V1_UY317_CR17,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


Film Overview

Premise: A very realistic interpretation of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

Budget: $???

Box Office: $13,839,404

Trivia
(courtesy of IMDB)

* An electrician was electrocuted and killed in front of the cast and crew. Production was almost shut down but eventually continued after a memorial service.

* Near the end of the film, there is a scene where a soldier, his face covered with bandages, is blindly reaching out to his comrades as they hurry past him. This is taken from a famous picture taken at the real Hamburger Hill.

* The reception among Vietnam veterans was very positive towards the film's authenticity and brutality.

* A number of Vietnamese advisers served to ensure the authenticity of the Vietnamese people. John Irvin in particular made sure that the film looked real.
Members: @europe1 @MusterX @sweetviolenturg @FrontNakedChoke @chickenluver @Scott Parker 27 @Yotsuya @jei @LHWBelt @HARRISON_3 @moreorless87 @HenryFlower @Zer
This movie was exactly as I remembered it, always felt like a lower budget platoon with less action. I really feel for the men that had to take these silly positions, and for what? I did like that it showed friendly fire, which is very sad but is bound to happen in the chaos of war. Overall 5/10 for me, and I love war movies.
 
This movie was exactly as I remembered it, always felt like a lower budget platoon with less action. I really feel for the men that had to take these silly positions, and for what? I did like that it showed friendly fire, which is very sad but is bound to happen in the chaos of war. Overall 5/10 for me, and I love war movies.

Fair enough it is very similar to platoon. I reckon most nam movies are though cuz that's basically what happened. The action in platoon was better but I liked the acting in this for the most part.
 
Love this movie.

SEAN SEAN SEAN SEAN SEAN SEAN!!!
 
Damn only 5 replies. Look like we have a bunch of draft-dodgers in this club! :D

Obligatory posting.



I don't really know what to think of this movie. It has strong virtues (the look and immersiveness of the film as well as some strong scenes like the TV-interview) but it doesn't really run smoothly overall. It feels like I got the thematic aspect very quickly and then said theme just got reiterated over-and-over again until the movie was over. War is hell and the homefront blames the troopers instead of the politicians even though the troopers is knee-deep in the unsolvable shitiness of the situation (Rambo did it better). Overall it's a good film but it feels kinda... unremarkable.

225px-Walk_in_the_Sun_poster.jpg


It kind of reminded me of A Walk in The Sun in that it centres on one unit exclusively during one operation, very on-the-grounds perspective. But that movie was even more rigorous in adapting a soldiers' viewpoint and achieved even greater levels of verisimilitude.

It's kind of interesting to me how Vietnam movies almost never seem to feature the North Vietnamese to any great extent. In WW2 movies, the Nazis are always going to be characters. Their members are going to have a tangible presence. But in Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, and this film, the Viet Cong appear more like shadowy enemies than physical presences. I suppose you have some like Deer Hunter where they are unrepentant sadists and We Were Soldiers were they are more presented as honourable adversaries. But it feels kind of extreme how America-focused Vietnam movies often are, not even giving a character to the enemy. I suppose it's the whole "sneaky jungle warfare" aspect of the conflict coupled with the great cultural differences with the enemy that leaves little room for a sense of common ground. Or Americans are just very self-centred I dunno.

Though I suppose you also have movies like Heaven and Earth and Casualties of War which take a more sympathetic view with the South Vietnamese who are caught in the war.

And I suppose some B-movies like the Missing in Action shlock present the NV's in a more stereotypically villainous light.

always felt like a lower budget platoon with less action

I'd say that Platoon also has that gritty realistic feel. But it also has moments of high drama. I feel like Hamburger Hill kind of lacked its artistry.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/j9KYEf8WA1pxC/source.gif

Also Tom Berenger's face has that "a picture says more than a thousand words" quality.

dbbc2233b880d65bfda360867f34e323--tom-berenger-greatest-movies.jpg
 
Damn only 5 replies. Look like we have a bunch of draft-dodgers in this club! :D

Obligatory posting.



I don't really know what to think of this movie. It has strong virtues (the look and immersiveness of the film as well as some strong scenes like the TV-interview) but it doesn't really run smoothly overall. It feels like I got the thematic aspect very quickly and then said theme just got reiterated over-and-over again until the movie was over. War is hell and the homefront blames the troopers instead of the politicians even though the troopers is knee-deep in the unsolvable shitiness of the situation (Rambo did it better). Overall it's a good film but it feels kinda... unremarkable.

225px-Walk_in_the_Sun_poster.jpg


It kind of reminded me of A Walk in The Sun in that it centres on one unit exclusively during one operation, very on-the-grounds perspective. But that movie was even more rigorous in adapting a soldiers' viewpoint and achieved even greater levels of verisimilitude.

It's kind of interesting to me how Vietnam movies almost never seem to feature the North Vietnamese to any great extent. In WW2 movies, the Nazis are always going to be characters. Their members are going to have a tangible presence. But in Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, and this film, the Viet Cong appear more like shadowy enemies than physical presences. I suppose you have some like Deer Hunter where they are unrepentant sadists and We Were Soldiers were they are more presented as honourable adversaries. But it feels kind of extreme how America-focused Vietnam movies often are, not even giving a character to the enemy. I suppose it's the whole "sneaky jungle warfare" aspect of the conflict coupled with the great cultural differences with the enemy that leaves little room for a sense of common ground. Or Americans are just very self-centred I dunno.

Though I suppose you also have movies like Heaven and Earth and Casualties of War which take a more sympathetic view with the South Vietnamese who are caught in the war.

And I suppose some B-movies like the Missing in Action shlock present the NV's in a more stereotypically villainous light.



I'd say that Platoon also has that gritty realistic feel. But it also has moments of high drama. I feel like Hamburger Hill kind of lacked its artistry.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/j9KYEf8WA1pxC/source.gif

Also Tom Berenger's face has that "a picture says more than a thousand words" quality.

dbbc2233b880d65bfda360867f34e323--tom-berenger-greatest-movies.jpg


Yeah I think the whole vietnamese doesnt have a face is due to the style of fighting. There's not much to show of them because half the time your fighting them your just shooting aimlessly in a jungle in their general direction.
 
I liked this better than the first time I saw it. Mostly the visuals won me over. It looked very authentic in terms of setting and costumes. Choppers and jets were used to really great effect here and made for some awesome shots. There were a lot of nice touches like smoke twisting around during helicopter landings or trees exploding under mortar fire. Definitely I was kind of oblivious to this shit way way back when I first saw it.

While before I was really put off by the acting in this, I really liked McDermott (Especially that speech at the beginning with Han), Quill and Weber (Who I remember from The Shining miniseries where he was Jack) this time. The rest of the cast was wobbly though and Courtney B. Vance was especially irritating. That way overdone drama was my lasting impression from the first viewing, and it's still there, but there's a lot of well executed, light-hearted nam banter to break it up. Despite some iffy performances, the chemistry within the squad is pretty endearing

Overall I thought it was pretty solid
 
I liked this better than the first time I saw it. Mostly the visuals won me over. It looked very authentic in terms of setting and costumes. Choppers and jets were used to really great effect here and made for some awesome shots. There were a lot of nice touches like smoke twisting around during helicopter landings or trees exploding under mortar fire. Definitely I was kind of oblivious to this shit way way back when I first saw it.

While before I was really put off by the acting in this, I really liked McDermott (Especially that speech at the beginning with Han), Quill and Weber (Who I remember from The Shining miniseries where he was Jack) this time. The rest of the cast was wobbly though and Courtney B. Vance was especially irritating. That way overdone drama was my lasting impression from the first viewing, and it's still there, but there's a lot of well executed, light-hearted nam banter to break it up. Despite some iffy performances, the chemistry within the squad is pretty endearing

Overall I thought it was pretty solid

McDermott is totally who sold it for me
 
McDermott is totally who sold it for me

heck yeah.

“let me tell you something newsman, we’re gonna take this hill”


Or the whole “don’t mean nuthin’, not a thang”
 
heck yeah.

“let me tell you something newsman, we’re gonna take this hill”


Or the whole “don’t mean nuthin’, not a thang”

I kinda recognize the guy too but don't really remember him making any impression but I thought he did pretty dang well here.
 

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