FanFare

This Oscar-nominated documentary interviews the men and women who were at Los Alamos during work on the first atomic bomb. Includes the secrecy, lab alcohol-fueled social scene ("their average age was 29"), footage of the bomb, the tense final preparations in a lightning storm, scientists talking about the pride, horror and/or regret they felt in both 1945 and 1981, and more. At Criterion Channel and free on YouTube. [more inside]
posted by mediareport on Jul 17, 2023 - 3 comments

In 1945, Germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Jul 12, 2018 - 2 comments

An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Jun 26, 2018 - 8 comments

Intelligent, sprawling saga of a squad of American soldiers, following them through Europe during World War II. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Jun 16, 2018 - 1 comment

Allied agents stage a daring raid on a castle where the Nazis are holding an American General prisoner... but that's not all that's really going on. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on May 7, 2016 - 7 comments

The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Mar 24, 2016 - 10 comments

The story of a sergeant and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. A semi-autobiographical account by director Samuel Fuller; the original version was chopped from a 270 minute cut to 113; most reviews below are from the 2004 "Reconstruction" version which, although it post-dated Fuller's death, likely comes closer to realizing his vision. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Mar 19, 2016 - 3 comments