"Band of Brothers", now on HBO On Demand

youtalkfunny · #1 11-07-2006, 07:21 AM

HBO likes to run this around Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Eps 1-5 are up now. I would imagine that 6-10 would soon follow.

If you've never seen this, do it now. It is, quite simply, the greatest tv show ever made. It's so good, it feels funny calling it a tv show.

Ten episode mini-series, each episode about an hour long. Based on the true story of Easy Company, a company of paratroopers who were EVERYWHERE in WWII: starting with the D-Day invasion at Normandy, through France, Holland, Belgium, and finally Germany itself, with stops along the way at Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge), the discovery of the concentration camps, and Berlin at the very end, including Hitler's mountaintop "Eagle's Nest".

Visually, it's a lot like "Saving Private Ryan". Not surprising, since Spielberg and Hanks have their names all over this.

What separates it from "SPR"? We have ten episodes to get to know these guys. They become the best of friends, and we are let into their circle of friendship. We go through boot camp with them, we drink with them. We shiver with them in the woods at Bastogne, and we [censored] our pants with them when the terrifying shells start to fall. We celebrate with them when they liberate a Dutch town. We curse incompetent officers with them. We recoil with them when they discover a death camp. We giggle with them when they loot Goering's liquor cabinet.

And we cry with them every time they lose a buddy. You'll have your favorite guys as the series progresses. And you'll jump out of your chair and scream, "Oh no, not him!", if he gets wounded or killed.

I never heard anyone say that this show was anything but "unbelievable" or "awesome". If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor, and dial it up.

Dick Winters was a [censored] MAN.

KilgoreTrout · #2 11-07-2006, 09:33 AM

I agree with OP. It's a different take on the WWII genre, mainly because of the format. It's a character-based drama. We grow to know the characters, and in a sense establish a bond with them. When something happens to the characters we identify with them. Very well put together.

The "Day of Days" episode is tremendous, but the "Why We Fight" episode, where E Co. stumbles upon a concentration camp, is simply chilling.

Dominic · #3 11-07-2006, 12:45 PM

I have this on DVD and watch it at least one a year...I don't think there are enough superlatives in the English language to do it justice. IMO, it is certainly one of the greatest artistic achievements in television or film history. It is nothing less than riveting, through all ten hours...

The Battle of the Bulge episode is also one of the most frightening and disturbing hours of television ever.

Love it love it love it.

ClassicBob · #4 11-07-2006, 01:05 PM

Finally got to watch this a month ago thanks to one of the TV Links websites having it up. It was everything it was hyped up to be. Fantastic.

kitaristi0 · #5 11-07-2006, 01:26 PM

It looks like I'm gonna have to check this out, see what all the fuss is about. I'm generally not a big fan of army-type stuff so that's why I've been putting off watching this for so long.

miajag · #6 11-07-2006, 01:28 PM

"Crossroads" is my favorite episode of any series ever.

ClassicBob · #7 11-07-2006, 01:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It looks like I'm gonna have to check this out, see what all the fuss is about. I'm generally not a big fan of army-type stuff so that's why I've been putting off watching this for so long.

[/ QUOTE ]

I generally agree with this sentiment, but all the hype made me want to watch it. You will not be disappointed.

MrWookie · #8 11-07-2006, 01:51 PM

Thanks for the note. I just got my cable company to give me 6 months of HBO for free after threatening to take my business to sattellite. I'll look this one up.

CheckRaise · #9 11-07-2006, 03:43 PM

I just want to reiterate that this series is amazing, my favorite piece of television ever. I'm a bit of a war buff so this is obviously up my alley but I've gotten friends who couldn't tell you [censored] about WWII to watch this and they all loved it. I seriously doubt you would be disappointed even if you aren't a fan of military stuff. It tells a great story, there is plenty of action and you really get to know the characters.

jonny drama · #10 11-07-2006, 04:32 PM

agree 100%, I've seen this around ten times and it's phenomenal. If you can keep a dry eye when the real Dick Winters is reading that letter at the end, you have no soul.