Band Of Brothers...? (1 Viewer)

[David Rogers]

Band of Brothers is a 'traditional' war treatment, in that we are introduced to and follow a group of soldiers. In time, some die and that brings pain to both the suvivors and the audience.

Tremendous storytelling. Get the set sight unseen, no sweat. Well worth it. Also, read the book if you haven't, as it fills in the full story of Easy Company. I know reading is not popular anymore but it's worth the time.

 

[Chad A Wright]

This is one of those releases that seems to always get pushed aside when i have a choice of what to get. It's on my Christmas list this year, and if it doesn't show up under tree, it will be the very first thing I buy afterword.

 

[David Lambert]

TVShowsOnDVD named it Best Mini-Series DVD of 2002. And you will find site owner Gord Lacey's *ECSTATIC* review of the set right here.

This now sells for $64.76 everyday at my local Wal-Mart.


...and my wife better get the hints I've been dropping that I want this under the Christmas tree, or I'll have to stop putting out! :wink:

 

[WillKTaylor]

What Jeff Gatie said.

In addition, it's an extraordinary rendition of E Company's journey from beginning to (premature in most cases) ending. Mostly each episode offers engaging insight into one main individual's perspective during the collective flow of the company's predicaments. The film touches upon as many an emotion one can manage. It truly underscores a inner depth that hopefully, none of us will every have to undertake. It's a truly engaging script that draws one in to a better understanding as to what it might take to be a soldier, a human facing such ugliness and loss .. and achievement.

On the A/V side, my equipment could not enable an opinion worth mentioning here, at least on the video side. It's anamorphic presentation looked beautiful regardless. The audio side does not fail by truly adding dimension and punch to the experience. You will be pulled in .. whether that's a good or bad thing, for you to decide. It's war, there are massive explosions and gun battles that will test your system regardless of size.

$60 - 70 - 80, whatever .. if you're interested in war, history, or a solid story telling affair, this tribute to the men of Easy Company (and others) is a no-brainer.

Rented the first two disks and ran out to buy the set blindly during the same day the rentals were due back. No regrets here. It's top 5 of my 277 - an easy seller, one I couldn't say enough about.


Regards.

:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i think there is a thread in the software for sale section selling band of brothers for $50. i was thinking of getting it, but i have a lot of tv on dvd ahead of me, 24 season 1 and 2, sopranos season 4, and six feet under season 1. i am really looking forward to band of brothers though, especiallt after looking through this thread.

CJ

 

[Andrew_Sch]

My dad got it for 60 bucks at a store here in Baltimore, the Sound Garden in Fells Point. However, it was the only copy and the gas to get here and back from New Jersey would likely be more than what you'd save. That being said, it's awesome, get it!!!

 

[Eric Bass]

I never ever buy a DVD without seeing the film first.

I bought this set unseen, and I have never regretted it. Along with Das Boot, easily the best war movie/series ever made. Better story, and much better characters than Private Ryan of which I'm also a huge fan.

 

[Rob Speicher]

As if you needed more recommendations...buy it. Even for a TV series, it does well under repeated viewings. I've seen the whole series 4 times now, in addition to random episodes shown on HBO.

 

[RobertW]

as so many have said, buy it, it's absolutely worth it. best thing ever made for television, period.

"anonymity of the characters"

i know where he's coming from on this. when i first watched it, the sheer number of characters, most played by actors i'd never seen before, the fact that some disappear for a few episodes only to reappear later, and new ones join the company, the lack of cliched story-telling and character development, trying to figure out what their rank and job was, and how each related to the others in the company, what effect promotions(and deaths) had, and the weeks wait between episodes, it was hard to keep track of everyone and figure out who was who, except for a few major characters(winters, malarkey, guanere, bull, nixon, speirs, luz, perconte, leibgott and lipton), the rest(martin, toye, webster, talbot, moose, skinny, shifty, heffron etc.) all seemed a bit tough to pick out in the story. they'd come on screen and you say, "now which one is this guy again?"

but as the series went on, you got to know these guys as real people, and after the last episode aired, i stayed up all night watching the entire series straight through; i just didn't want to let it go. and after living with them for ten weeks, it was so much easier to track them from the very beginning, and see exactly who was who and seeing their part(often entirely absent or very small in some episodes) through to the very end, seeing what their rank was, what their job in the company was, who served under who, etc.

a tour de force by everyone involved in this production. it's the dvd set, and movie, that i measure all else by. far superior to Saving Private Ryan.

 

[Jonathan L]

I'd just have to agree with all the positive notes here. Absolutely fantastic, I would recommend it to anyone who has even a passing interest in war films.

Also, at least for me, by the end of the final episode one definitely appreciates the casting of virtual unknowns in pretty much all the key roles (except for probably David Schwimmer and Mark Wahlberg)...it seems to ease the attachment to the characters, since there isn't some other role that they are already "famous" for.

 

[Nick Sievers]

casting of virtual unknowns in pretty much all the key roles (except for probably David Schwimmer and Mark Wahlberg)

It was actually Donnie Wahlberg, Mark's brother. I would call him a relative unknown.

I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, the mini-series is phenomonal. I have never been enthralled with WW2 as much as this series. It is an incredibly moving and powerful epic that captures the era perfectly. I really felt for these men and soldiers.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Another I'd seen it on HBO (heck, had to videotape it since it was on at the wrong hours) so I knew what I was getting into, but the DVD set is absolutely gorgeous, both package-wise, extras-wise and of course, A/V quality-wise.

Just a side-note, two actors playing leading characters, Donnie Wahlberg and Neil McDonaugh (playing Carwood Lipton and Buck Compton resp.) went on to Boomtown; good actors both, and it's a shame Boomtown went bust.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Mark Wahlberg

That was Mark's brother Donnie, IMHO a much better actor than Mark. He was outstanding in this series and the resemblance between him and the real Carwood Lipton was a tour de force in acting. It was so good, you could easily pick out 'Lip' from the unnamed soldiers doing the intros by about half way through the series. The only others that were that obvious were Guanere and Winters and there were many, many more clues (Guanere's accent, Winter's obvious role as an officer) that allowed their identifcation.

 

[Francois Caron]

My own review of the series.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/milnoc/Revi...fBrothers.html

Definitely worth the purchase!

 

[Eric Fisher]

I thought that Damian Lewis did a great job at Winters in the series.

 

[Garrett Adams]

Just a side-note, two actors playing leading characters, Donnie Wahlberg and Neil McDonaugh (playing Carwood Lipton and Buck Compton resp.) went on to Boomtown; good actors both, and it's a shame Boomtown went bust.

A side side-note is that Buck Compton went on to become an Assistant District Attorney in Los Angeles, as did Neil McDonaugh in Boomtown. That's really getting into your character.

 

[Bill J]

I remember watching Band of Brothers every week when it originally aired on HBO. Every episode felt like the shortest hour of my life. It's that good.

In case some of you don't already know, Spielberg and Hanks are planning on making a similar miniseries for HBO that takes place in the Pacific. I haven't heard anything about it for awhile, and it supposedly won't be released until late 2005 if it is ever made. Unfortunately, it won't be based on any literary material by Stephen Ambrose.

 

[RodneyT]

Here is a review that i wrote after watching a preview disc for the website i write reviews for. hope this helps in your choice:

The most expensive TV miniseries of our time comes to DVD. This rivetting, harrowing and all too moving account of an army company moving across war torn Europe is quite simply the single most impressive DVD release I have seen in the last twelve months. Not for the extra features, but simply for the content of the material on offer. Because I very rarely watch TV these days, my life as a reviewer all to often puts me out of touch with what's on the small screen, I missed this series when it screened on Channel Nine here last year. Thankfully, I missed one of the best TV series I have ever seen, because I finally get to experience it on a big screen, with thunderous Dolby Digital sound. What is it about Band Of Brothers that makes me say it's the best I have seen in the last 12 months? Quite simply, it's the raw human emotion and level of authenticity of the production that made my jaw drop. For those who may have missed it, Band Of Brothers is a ten-part made for TV miniseries that debuted on US Cable network HBO last year, after three years in production and roughly $US150 million had been spent on it. Produced by dream-team Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and featuring a no-name cast (except for Donnie Wahlberg, he was the only one in the cast list I recognised, unless you count David Schwimmer....), this massive effort is an absolute credit to all involved, and stands alone as quite simply the single best war series ever created for entertainment. The short version is this: imagine Saving Private Ryan done for nearly eleven hours of TV viewing. Incredible battle sequences, powerful drama and wonderful, jaw dropping production values make this something you have to see to believe.

Easy Company was an elite parachute regiment formed just prior to the US entering the second world war. As a Paratrooper division, they were the ones who had the toughest job of all: landing in possible enemy territory, cut off from their own forces, and left to fight their way through to victory. The stories of Easy company are probably best remembered in the old war comics produced after WWII in the late 40’s and early 50’s, but here, they finally can be told through the best possible medium. Easy company first saw action on D-Day on the coast of Normandy, France, and in the initial jump as many as 30% of their company were killed. After landing in Normandy, and winning their many skirmishes and battles, they took part in the famous Battle Of The Bulge, liberating Holland and eventually, storming their way into Germany and taking Hitlers prized posession, his hidden mountaintop hideaway, Eagles Nest. This famous company deserved to have it's story told. Here, the breadth of the production allows it to be examined and explored, which after viewing, I have to say it most certainy deserves. The number of casualties is simply staggering, the death and destruction almost overwhelming, and if you didnt stop every second to think about how this is based upon actual events (not even based upon, this IS the actual event) and that the men on camera are real, live people, you cannot even begin to fathom the years of emotional torture these men went through in the name of peace. I was quite moved after watching Saving Private Ryan, and thought that that little effort couldn't possibly be topped for sheer emotional content and realism. Here, I learn that it can be beaten. Given the time frame covered by this series, which goes from D-Day (essentially, although the first episode shows us the men of Easy training and preparing for that famous day) to the declaration of surrender by Japan on Novermber 11, 1945, the makers of this series have managed to produce the most rivetting stories of the years these men spent in Europe. Based on the book by Stephen E Ambrose, Band Of Brothers is quite simply, the most compelling DVD release this year, and is essential viewing for all. It's the kind of stuff that makes you stop and think about what actually had to happen for our way of life to continue. And given that almost everybody in Easy company seems to get shot in the ass every episode, sometimes that's hard to see.

The DVD set from Warner Brothers is brilliant. While not jam packed with extra features, the quality of this presentation is second to none. Ten episodes are spread across 5 discs, with the sixth disc reserved for the supplemental material. As a result of this decision, the space normally reserved for extras on each disc has now been filled with first rate picture and audio quality across every single episode. More on which, later. The sixth disc, which is exceptionally well done, contains two documentaries, one of which is about an hour and a half of survivors of Easy company, many of them men actually portrayed in the series, discussing what the war meant for them and how they felt throughout it. Frank and emotion charged, this is truly inspirational stuff. Indeed, as the final episoed will attest to, these men were not each heroes, they were a company of heroes. The second featurette, a thirty minute making-of, is pretty much puff-stuff for the advertising campaign and obviously made prior to the series being completed. The rest is quite good, although a little brief: Ron Livingstones video diaries.... a look at exactly who is who in the company, and a short and sweet message from Jeep (Cherokee, you know) and how they helped sponsor the production etc etc. The picture quality on these extras is alternatively great and good, depending on the recording material (digital tape, film or whatnot) but one annoying part about disc six is that some of the features change from 16x9 enhanced to 4x3 standard. This is annoying for those without automatic changover functions on their big screen projectors. Like me. Disc six may not be packed with the extras we all want to see, but it's certainly worthy of the rest of the set, and makes a worthy contribution.

Discs 1 thru 5 are bereft of any extra features at all. They simply contain each of the ten episodes, two-per-disc, in their original aspect ratio formats, plus stunning Dolby Digital sound, with chapter menus available.

It took me three days to get through all this material. After completing the series, and breathing a sigh of satisfaction, I took stock of what I had seen and exactly how it had effected me. One thing I will note, however, is that if I had watched the series on television, a week between wpisodes, I think by about part four I would have been going barmey. You see, my memory ain’t so flash, and there are that many faces and names flying across the screen you have to have a very good memory to keep up with who’s who and what's what. Simply put, I am glad to have watched all these episodes virtually continuously so that I didnt miss anything by forgetting names and faces. Sometimes, it was hard to keep up. So if you intend to buy this series, as I did without even seeing it first, it may be best to watch each episode about a day apart, just to give yourself time to breathe and not enough time to forget what you have just seen.

Each episode is virtually a self-contained adventure in the lives of these men, all but the first and last episodes fucussing on either one man or one aspect of the company. With two episodes per disc, there was no annoying layer change to worry about with this, so I settled back to watch.

Picture quality on this series is obscenely stunning. Shot in the same desaturated way as Private Ryan, the rapid shutter rate and realistic feel of the battle sequences is offset by the sun bleached sky and landscapes these men go through on their journey. From the training ground at Currahee in Episode 1, through to the forest of Bastogne and the endless snow and frost, to the final Sound Of Music look of the Alps and Austria, glistening in the sun and for all the world postcard material, every single frame of this series is immaculate. Not one fleck of digital alaising or artefacting is apparent, and the source material is simply brilliant. No dust or dirt to be seen here, except for the massive amounts that get flung at the camera every time the ground explodes. The original aspect ratio for the series was 1.78:1, which is actually about the same as you get from the standard television widescreen format, and every episode is presented as such with a sparkling anamorphic print. This television series could be screened theatrically and nobody would know the difference. Black levels are spot on; shadow definition is usually not an issue because the series is shot in such a way that it's either black, or white, no grey. What little contrast vagaries there are are perfect, leaving little discrepancies in the picture quality. Colour saturation, where required, is awesome, with gorgeous landscapes to behold that make for great eye candy. The blurry battle sequences are razor sharp for clarity, and every single splatter of blood aches to be seen on one of the more detailed transfers I have seen in a while. Skin tones are well represented, allwing for maximum impact when the skin is torn apart by bullets or shrapnel and the blood flows. Without doubt one of the single best DVD transfers ever achieved. Stunning.

Audio on each episode is of reference quality. From the subtle quiet of reflection by the characters, to the ear chattering bombast of the battle sequences, every facat of this productions audio has been carried off to perfection. The 5.1 mix on offer here is a far cry from the surround audio allowed on free to air television here, so this is always going to be the preeminent format to hear this series. While the US release of Band Of Brothers contained a DTS track, I am thinking that it perhaps wasnt required if the sound and picture quality on these disc is anything to go by. The Dolby 5.1 mix on each episode is crisp, clear and so intimate you sometimes feel like you are a trooper yourself, standing next to these men as buildings and bodies fly apart around them. Immersive, resonant and highly aggressive bass lurks around the next battle, thunderously filling your home theatre with rumbles and explosions. Gunshots crack with punch, as do the “whoomph” of grenades and mortars. Channel separation is immaculate; the on screen action perfectly matches the audio for placement. Any action that occurrs even a centimeter off screen is moved to the main channels, away from the center, and this is of immaculate presentation across all the discs. Panning and fading effects sound simply stunning. Trees explode around you in Episode 6, buildings shatter and quake in Episode 3, and the eerie silence of a Nazi death camp moves you to profound shock in one of the more dramatic episodes (I won't tell you which, because I don't want to spoil everything for you!) as the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack throws you an emotional curveball. Dialogue is crisp and audible most of the time, with a certain lack of clarity during the action sequences. Multiple speaking parts tend to drown each other out, especially when the company is under attack, and important information might be missed by those without the best speaker setups. This slight point of interest slightly detracts from the generally great dialogue track, which is slightly set forward of the main mix to increase dramatic impact. Rear channels get a tremndous workout, adding intensity to the already brilliant soundtrack by producing a cacophany of echoes, ambient noise and direct effects that shake you from your seat. While a DTS track could possibly have been included with a drop in picture quality, I don't really think it means all that much in this instance. This is purely Dolby 5.1, but I have to say that it is of such a quality I think a few sequences could perhaps become demo material. Band Of Brothers has audio that quite simply, is the single best Dolby mix I have heard since Fellowship Of The Ring. Full marks.

 

[Cary_H]

I had no access to HBO when BOB was first aired. Later when we got the opportunity we'd heard all the rave reviews so I too, passed on watching it knowing I'd want it when the DVDs were released.
I have watched only the first two episodes so far, choosing to savor it, so to speak.
I cringed when David Schwimmer made his appearance in the first episode 'cause I just can't picture him as anything other than the "weenie, whiney, loser Ross" from Friends.
(OT....I just can't see just what it is that makes Friends such a long running hit with TV viewers. IMO, next to unwatchable about the five year point.)
Anyway, please tell me he's gone from BOB for good,......puleeese.

And Rodney.....the Japanese packed it in right after the the two A-bombs in August of that year.
The Great War (WW1) armistice was signed on November 11.(1918)

 

[Leon Liew]

A great mini series telewise.No regrets purchasing this
war epic even though its in region 3.