I first heard about Battle: Los Angeles last year while attending Comic Con in San Diego.  As you can imagine, there were quite a few projects being hyped that weekend and, honestly, I didn’t pay too much attention to this particular film.  Why?  Because, when it comes to projects that feature our military, I’ve been let down too many times before.  My first reaction is typically, “Here we go again.”

As the trailers started to circulate the web, I begrudgingly admitted they looked pretty cool.  My geek streak is certainly wide enough to get down with some old-fashioned alien invasion stuff and I realized that the movie would feature my beloved Marine Corps, OSR (Ooh-Stinkin’-Rah). However, my distrust still prevented me from getting excited about it.

As the release date neared, I was torn.  Do I go see the movie, take my licks and try to enjoy the action aspect of it or do I give it a pass?  I decided on the latter.  I was not going to pay good money to go watch my brothers and sisters get crapped on again.

Then, last week I read an article in which Aaron Eckhart talked about the film:

“This movie, in my opinion, is meant to be a love letter to the Marines. We had their full cooperation. They had my full cooperation. I tried to get it right. I think this movie is very reverent towards the military and reverent towards the ranks, both the officers and the Marines and the grunts. I don’t see how any Marine can see this movie and feel like they’ve been at all taken advantage of. I think this is going to be an oo-rah moment for them.”

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Last week, Heartland Truly Moving Pictures President and CEO, Jeffrey L. Sparks, announced that the feature film documentary, Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good, featuring actor Gary Sinise and his “Lt. Dan Band” is a Crystal Heart Award winner and will be screened during the 2010 Heartland Film Festival, which will take place through October 23rd in Indianapolis.

The film, directed by Jonathan Flora, follows Sinise and his band as they support the troops and first responders around the world including Kuwait and Iraq.  The Lt. Dan Band began playing shows in 2003 and has played close to 200 concerts for America’s heroes and their families.
Films that receive the Crystal Heart are being honored for best meeting Heartland’s mission of “exploring the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”  Having seen this uplifting and inspiring film, I can assure you that it does just that. 

“Having long known the high reputation of the Heartland Film Festival and the quality of films it showcases, it is a true honor to be recognized and I tip my hat to Jeffrey Sparks and his staff for all they do,” said Flora, who hails from Ohio, served with the 82nd Airborne and also produced the film along with his wife, Deborah Flora.  “As a veteran and filmmaker working in Hollywood, it is a privilege to be able to support our troops and first responders through our medium.  The spirit of service and commitment to the greater good has always served as an example to me.  At its core, this movie is about remembering those who are willing to lay down their lives for others and those who are left behind.  Gary Sinise is a man who has chosen to remember and to honor.  Gary truly is the Bob Hope of this generation.”  (more…)

This past Thursday night, I attended the Prima Notte Gala at the Los Angeles Feast of San Gennaro in Hollywood, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla.  This was a fundraising event and auction held to pay tribute to the US Military and recognize the outstanding efforts that Italian-Americans have made to serve America during times of war and to support the San Gennaro Foundation.

Robert Davi and Connie Stevens

Jimmy Kimmel, producer Douglas DeLuca and some of Los Angeles’ most prominent Italian-American citizens created The San Gennaro Foundation to benefit underprivileged children and the homeless in Los Angeles.

Master of Ceremonies, Mark DeCarlo, hosted the evening’s celebration that featured performances by Pete Jacobs’ Wartime Radio Review, an old-fashioned USO show, complete with a swinging band.  Actors Connie Stevens and Robert Davi were recognized for their charitable work, especially their work with our military.

I arrived early and was able to sample much of the food that’s available at the Feast.  I had purposely skipped dinner so I was ready to dive in.  I stopped by a booth run by “Nonna” (Italian for “grandma”) and she gave me a sample of some biscotti that was out of this world.  When I came back for seconds, she shooed me away with a wink while surreptitiously slipping some more biscotti into my hand.  If you get a chance, look up Frankie’s Old World Biscotti.  You won’t regret it.  Another standout was Pagano’s Seafood.  Don’t pass their booth without buying something. (more…)

I’ve been paging through this old scrapbook that Uncle Pete sent me.  An Australian woman named Jean made it for him during the war.  She must have spent tens of hours clipping out all the news articles and arranging them just so.  After the war, Jean sent the scrapbook to Pete’s mother.

I asked Uncle Pete about Melbourne.  He said that, while 1st Marines stayed at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (M.C.G.), 7th Marines stayed at a place called Mt. Martha that was about 15 miles outside of Melbourne.

Pete told me that Australia was “a lot of fun.”  He was a little surprised by how it was portrayed in the series saying, “It wasn’t as bad as all that.”  He “didn’t see any bummin’ around or bar brawls” and informed me that, unless a Marine was squared away, he wasn’t getting any liberty.  “That’s not to say there wasn’t no drinkin’ goin’ on,” he laughed.

So, with Episode 3 we got a little drinking, a little romance (will someone please get Leckie a shoehorn?) and the Marines were off again. (more…)

Last week, Uncle Pete sent me a box full of history.  Books, photos, news clippings and the granddaddy of them all… a scrapbook meticulously prepared and maintained by an Australian girl during the war and sent to Uncle Pete’s mother.  That, however, is a story for next week.

As I carefully made my way through the contents of this box, I realized that I was holding history in my hands.  It was quite a feeling let me tell you.  I hope to share some of the items as the weeks commence.

PFC Pete Cavo with 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division

Episode two returns us to Guadalcanal.  The Marines have been here a while and they are tired, hungry and low on supplies.  I’m beginning to recognize some of these guys.  Marines at rest are an amusing bunch.  It’s an attitude that’s difficult to capture and almost impossible to reproduce.  Too often, Hollywood goes for the stereotypes.  Director David Nutter handles the men in these situations deftly.

The age-old rivalry between the US Army and Marines made me chuckle.  Marines have always been asked to do more with less and that is a tradition that continues today.  The pride that is instilled in every Marine is demonstrated by Chesty Puller’s order that all personnel be freshly shaved upon the arrival of the Army.  Then, rather than call attention to their tattered uniforms, Puller praises his “raggedy-ass Marines,” declaring that they “look this way for a reason.” (more…)

Every so often, my father-in-law, Angelo, will bust my chops saying, “Hey, Mike!  I talked to a real Marine today!”  Then he’ll clap me on the shoulder and chuckle in that Jersey City “you’re a good kid” kind of way.

Full disclosure:  I served for four years as an enlisted man in a helicopter squadron at the tail end of the Cold War.  My time was spent in the necessary but unglamorous world of logistics and embarkation.  I never had to fire my weapon in anger and was never fired upon.  Hence, the “real Marine” jab.  Hell, with what the Marines today are doing, I sometimes don’t feel like a “real Marine.”  I’m sure there are some other peacetime vets out there who know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, when Angelo hits me with the jab, it means he’s been talking to Uncle Pete.  My wife’s great-uncle Pete Cavo joined the Marines in 1940.  He served as a rifleman in 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.  I called Uncle Pete Sunday afternoon to talk to him about his time in the Corps.  He answered the phone and his thick, jovial Jersey accent triggered a sharp pang of longing for my old home state. (more…)

UPDATE: “The Congressional Medal of Honor” is now listed as the ”Medal of Honor” and the “Gladiator” film mentioned is no longer listed as the version directed by Ridley Scott. Thanks to our ever helpful fact-checking commenters.

Ed. Note: Starting Sunday, March 14th, HBO begins its 10-part miniseries “The Pacific,” which follows the United States Marine Corps through WWII in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. This $100 million production re-teams a number of those (including Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg) involved in HBO’s unforgettable 2001 miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” which many, including myself, consider to be one of the finest productions about WWII made for television or any other medium.

I’ve asked Michael Broderick, an actor, former Marine, and top-notch writer to be Big Hollywood’s point man on this project. He’ll be snagging whatever interviews he can, reviewing many if not all of the episodes, and keeping the Big Hollywood community up to date and informed on what is sure to be a seminal moment in television, a terrific piece of entertainment, and a worthy tribute to our Veterans. — JN

The Pacific:  An Interview with Jon Seda

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

I entered the Marine Corps in nineteen eighty *cough* at the tender age of seventeen, secure in the knowledge that upon completion of my four year hitch, I would move to Hollywood and become a popular and sought after actor.

Instead, I fell in lust and, upon leaving the Corps, followed my John Thomas to New York City.  That was okay.  They have actors in New York, right?

No contacts, no formal training and no idea what I was doing, I ended up in a fantastic little rock and roll band instead.  We made a good run of it through the 90s.  In fact, I met my wife while I was playing CBGB in 1998. (more…)

This weekend, on the recommendation of a friend, my wife and I went to see “Dear John”.  I know, I know… I’m a little late to the game.  It seems this is the movie that briefly unseated the mighty “Avatar” (then in its 8th week) from the #1 slot a few weeks back.

Yeah, it’s a “chick flick” and I’m sure the film did most of its initial box office due to the popularity of its male lead, Channing Tatum.  The ladies love them some Channing Tatum.  He seems like a nice enough fellow; he’s a believable actor.  Aside from the fact that, watching him, I’m constantly reminded that I really need to work my core (we actors are a generally insecure and superficial lot), what’s not to like?  I first saw him in the excellent “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and the guy impressed me.

In “Dear John,” Tatum plays Staff Sergeant John Tyree, a Green Beret who meets and falls in love with Savannah Curtis (played by Amanda Seyfried), while home on leave.  

Savannah is a pretty and intelligent young woman with a solid set of values.  She doesn’t drink, smoke or sleep around and seems at ease in her own skin.  She is confident, compassionate and gives freely of her time and energy to her friends and the larger community. (more…)

[Ed. Note: See below for a special DVD purchase promotion for Big Hollywood readers. Own a great film, save a little money, and best of all, support our troops and their families.]

The moment I saw that long line of soldiers making their way down the tarmac and watched as Joe waved goodbye from the steps of the plane, I knew that I had just witnessed something very important and very special.   I had just seen an early cut of Jake Rademacher’s amazing Brothers at War.

I knew Jake from seeing him around the William Morris Agency (they’ve since merged with Endeavor) where we are both represented as voiceover actors.  While sitting in the waiting room one day, preparing to read our copy, we got into a conversation about current events and the subject of Iraq came up.  It came out that I’m a former Marine and, although I served years ago, Jake was interested to hear my take on things.  Soon after, he invited me to watch his film and give him some feedback.  Of course, he prepared me by giving me a few disclaimers (it’s still a little long, there’s no music, yet, etc.) but otherwise just let me watch it uninterrupted in a tiny editing room in Burbank.

When it was over, I was blown away.

If you don’t already know, Brothers at War follows the Rademacher family as three of their sons deploy to and return from Iraq.  Two brothers, Isaac and Joe, are soldiers.  One, Jake, is an actor and filmmaker.  Jake wants to know what his two brothers are really doing in Iraq, so he takes a camera to go and find out.  The result is the best and most straightforward modern war documentary that I’ve ever seen.

Brothers at War doesn’t take a clinical outsider’s view of the war in Iraq and the men and women fighting it but, rather, feels as if it actually puts you in the boots on the ground among our soldiers and Marines.  It is an extremely personal experience filtered through a lens of simple curiosity and a thirst for understanding. (more…)