Our weekend predictions and revenue results go as follows:

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows ($68 million) – It’s deja-vu back to the Christmas opening weekend 2009. There you had “Sherlock Holmes” and “Chipmunks 2″ taking shots at “Avatar.” Amazing how all three found success and “Avatar” became film’s all-time leading grosser. That kind of pedigree will not be lost this weekend. Film can do “Fast Five”-like opening numbers but the sub-par frame will hold it back considerably. Still, expect quite a box office boost to the overall box office market.

2. Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked ($36 million) – Animated films are drastically under-performing across the board right now. The most notable being “Happy Feet Two” which was also an animated franchise sequel. Despite the current lackluster results around animation, this one will still pull very good numbers. Not franchise best, but still a very high opening nonetheless.

3. Mission:Impossible – Ghost Protocol ($15 million) – Despite this roll-out in only 425 theaters (300 IMAX), this one will do very well off solid reviews and the addition of the “The Dark Knight Rises” prologue. You have to wonder about the strategy here though, why not just roll it out on a large screen count to begin with?

4. New Year’s Eve ($8.5 million) – Film did not impress anyone last week with its low opening. Will get a slight boost as it gets closer to the real New Year’s Eve holiday, just don’t expect much confetti being thrown to celebrate these numbers.

5. Young Adult ($6 million) – A quirky, older skewing comedy actually fits in well right now. Film will tap into the same pool that made “Juno” a surprise box office hit. Add to this the film’s legitimate Oscar sleeper buzz and you have this better than expected result.

We’ll see if these predictions can put Sensei in the holiday spirit, but what say you?

Thank you to everyone who participated in the informal have you been ostracized? poll. The results were interesting. More “in the closets” than I expected, and as I read the words, “just keep my mouth shut,” I became rather angry that my fellow Big Hollywood readers feel bullied in the workplace. Because that is what it is: bullying. When a human being fears that he may lose his job if he has the wrong thoughts, he is being bullied. Period. It doesn’t matter if the taunts are in your face or hovering unannounced in the air, only a bully uses his size and power to intimidate others into toeing the line.

Several of you indicated that you have lost your job, left your career or been blacklisted, which is even more disheartening.

Graphic designers and people in advertising, according to the comments, feel compelled to keep a very low profile. It makes sense, because this is an industry where the work must be commissioned. In order to stay employed, the artist needs to stay in the good graces of the powers that be.

The film industry, as we all might have predicted, is one of the meanest, according to those who participated in the poll. The hatred is vehement, and many conservatives feel thoroughly gagged for fear of being ostracized. The bully factor, at times, feels amplified tenfold compared to other industries. Nevertheless, as the individual gains some seniority in the business and experiences success, he or she is far less likely to just sit back and listen. This is comforting news, and as I sorted through the results, I found another inspirational trend.

The more opportunity for independence – self publishing and indie films, for example – the more likely the artist feels free to express himself openly. In fact, self-published authors seem to sing with a sense of unadulterated freedom, knowing that they will never have to bite their tongues again.

THAT is the freedom we need to seek. The more conservative voices that spring up in the entertainment industry, the more ground we will reclaim from those who push a socialist, anti-American, class war agenda. We may yet win this battle for hearts and minds in favor of free markets and individualism. So let’s support one another in a mission to let our voices be heard!

As bass player Nathan Ballein wrote in the comments, “I’ve been outspoken ever since I realized that while getting fired for my political beliefs is a drag, the peace of mind is way worth it.”

This weekend’s predictions and revenue results go as follows:

1. Puss In Boots ($27 million) – The film will hold in its default position since the overall box office frame is not strong. Just like “The Help” showed in its run, when overall box office is down, go with the film that currently sits at the top and has the most positive buzz. That would be “Puss In Boots” currently.

2. Immortals ($25 million) – This picture faces a huge hurdle in that the overall box office frame is really weak right now. Generating audience support will not be easy, but as we noted in a new film essay this week, this one has the advantage of tapping into the audience pool that made “300″ an enormous success. This audience is very loyal when the film’s concept is right. Therefore, we predict a higher-than-expected opening and a close battle with “Puss In Boots” that will last until at least Saturday evening. The film may not win the weekend but will develop strong box legs to do very well overall.

3. Jack And Jill ($18.5 million) – Despite Adam Sandler’s box office success in the past, the market this weekend is just too crowded for more than one breakout comedy hit. “Jack and Jill” will end up here because “Puss In Boots” controls the very audience it’s hoping for.

4. Tower Heist ($13 million) – After last week’s very disappointing opening, “Heist” now finds itself facing the reality of its high production budget versus its very low box office forecast. The film’s best hope is to save face and avoid a very high drop this time around. That prospect is very unlikely as audience ratings on the film remain low.

5. J. Edgar ($12 million) – With critics’ reviews only sub-par and audience reviews not much better, this one is quickly dropping from Oscar darling to just another “Hereafter.” The film may benefit from early Oscar buzz, but that only takes the film so far. Look for disappointing results here for the studio.

That’s our forecast. But how do you see it?

Director Jonathan Flora frames the film around Gary Sinise, an actor and director with a long, intimate history with soldiers and veterans, though he himself has never served. From his brother-in-law, who was killed in Vietnam, to current bandmate Kimo Williams,  a ‘Nam veteran who started jamming with Sinise after they met on a production of A Streetcar Named Desire in the mid-90s, his career has always seemed to providentially intertwine with the military. Following the jihadist attacks of 9/11, Sinise felt compelled to help those directly affected by the Twin Towers’ destruction, volunteering in campaigns to benefit the FDNY. This spirit of volunteerism, in concert with his ever more frequent band practices with Williams,  materialized into a USO tour in 2003. Despite his diverse résumé, Sinise was universally associated with his Oscar-nominated performance as “Lieutenant Dan” from Forrest Gump, so as the group expanded, Sinise named it the “Lieutenant Dan Band,” and the rest is history.

It’s tempting to think this is a vanity project for Sinise, now better known for his long-running role on CSI: New York–that like other celebrities, he’s got a pet cause designed to make him look like a good guy. It’s certainly clear the producers ask virtually every interviewee their opinion of the man, but any doubts the viewer entertains about his sincerity quickly evaporate as the film reveals a level of determination and effort that would be noteworthy from anyone, celebrity or no. We see him orchestrate an increasingly elaborate stage show, drawing on his experience running Chicago’s Steppenwolf theatre. We see his family silently bear the burden of his prolonged absences; they miss him but recognize his time away as tours of duty. We realize Sinise and co. aren’t ego strokers reading a PSA script for a check, whipping up crocodile tears over the ozone layer so they can lecture flyover country and feel morally superior. They’re hard-working entertainers willing to put their lives on hold and travel to war zones all to display their gratitude to our servicemen and women.

Aside from the warm fuzzies it’ll put in your heart, For the Common Good is an entertaining and exhaustive documentary. We’re treated to a brief history of the USO, Gary’s young introduction to both music and acting, musical numbers by the Lt. Dan Band switching seamlessly from one concert’s footage to the next, and plenty of interviews with soldiers and veterans. We get to meet members of the band as well, and it becomes rather apparent why Kimo and Gary gravitated toward each other; both are natural storytellers and performers. One of the film’s highlights is Kimo revealing how he almost got shot playing a concert (while still a soldier) at a fire base in Vietnam. Other notable sequences include a view and discussion of the inside of one of Saddam Hussein’s mansions, a “Snowball Express” concert for the children and other family members of deployed soldiers, and a few cameos from other celebrities such as John Ratzenburger, Robert Duvall, Gary Cole, and Jon Voight.

The film’s title comes from an Abraham Lincoln quote that perfectly sums up its themes: “Honor to the Soldier and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause. Honor to him, who braves for the common good.” In any other context, I know the phrase “for the common good” would cause many here to blow a gasket over its collectivist implications, but in this documentary we see the concept in its noblest form. Our soldiers sacrifice themselves not to prop up dependents but to protect independence, and we see how one man’s thankfulness for that protection plays its own part in carrying our troops forward in their mission.

Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good is available through On Demand nationwide, or  you can view the film directly through its website.

You’re not alone.

With the advent of do-it-yourself internet radio shows and webcasts, the number of grassroots, conservative talk show hosts augmenting the daily news stories covered by conservative kingpins like El Rushbo and The Great One is growing exponentially.  These citizen activists are effectively using new media venues to circumvent the barrage of liberal propaganda spewed by today’s so-called ‘journOlists’ and Hollywood celebs.

What is noticeably missing, however, are radio shows and webcasts that focus primarily on conservative pop culture.   Most, if not all, of the internet shows provide the hosts’ commentary on current news and politics because, like it or not, it’s what’s on most everyone’s minds these days.  But what do we conservatives have right now that is just for entertainment that is NOT laced with the ill-informed, anti-American ideology of the left?  Not much, if anything…

Until now.

What would you say if you heard that a self-proclaimed “redneck”, single, white male from Kentucky and a beautiful, accomplished, married black conservative female from Hollywood, with little in common except a love for this country,  joined forces to poke fun at all of the insanity using comedy and the arts as their weapons?

Well, buckle up, friends…that is exactly what is about to happen…on a brand-spankin’ new, cutting-edge, conservative arts and entertainment webcast called ‘the IN word’ with co-hosts Joe Dan Gorman and Sonja Schmidt.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

A show with a provocative title like the IN word just smacks of controversy and political IN-correctness run amock…and is the perfect bait to lure folks in.  And word about the IN word is getting out.

You will undoubtedly laugh out loud at the shenanigans and endearing chemistry between Joe Dan and Sonja – the Kentucky hillbilly musician and the Hollywood ‘Diva of Liberal Destruction’.  They have had a couple test runs over the past few weeks and received nothing but positive feedback.  One viewer described the show as “intelligent and silly, poignant and provocative — in short, the show is ‘fun’— a genre typically ‘forbidden ground’ for conservatives.”

The premise of ‘the IN word’ is to showcase ‘Liberal Free Conservative Arts’ and Joe Dan and Sonja (both members of BigDawg Music Mafia) will be inviting artists from our site to join in on the fun starting with conservative urban funk rocker Toots Sweet.  If their test runs were any indication of what is to come in their subsequent shows, ‘the In word’ is sure to become the most “IN” show on the internet.

Joe Dan Gorman, a conservative musician and blogger who runs his own multi-media business, was thrilled when he pitched his idea to Sonja Schmidt about the show and she accepted.  For those who don’t know, Sonja is a veteran TV Writer/Producer, children’s author and political humorist.  She hosts ‘Left Exposed’, a hit commentary show at PJTV.  Schmidt also played Michelle Obama in Laura Ingraham’s The Obama Diaries stage show and was a writer for In Living Color and The Arsenio Hall Show.

Here is what Sonja had to say about  co-hosting the IN word:

When creator, Joe Dan Gorman contacted me to join him as co-host and co-producer of a brand new webcast show called, the IN word, my first thought was *&^%&* WHAT?!  Then after hearing him out, I learned that the IN word would be slick, fast paced, contemporary and entertaining.  And rather than being yet another typical, conservative news program, the focus would be on conservative artists and entertainers from all across the nation.  I love the IN word!  The idea of a hybrid conservative comedy talk-show meets VH-1 was an intriguing idea and one I quickly agreed to do with Joe Dan, who I confess I was a bit of a fan of.  Personally, I’ve done my time at many a Hollywood award show (or as I call them, self congratulatory tributes to themselves for producing junk normal people don’t like) where the host routinely goes to the bash-George-Bush well, for a garunteed laugh.  And where celebrity awardees (before thanking all the ‘little people’ who made it possible) would take cheap shots at our military or some perceived wrong they believed America has committed.  Of course afterward they’d party like there was no tomorrow and wind up ‘drunk-puking’ in those ’smart cars’ they drove that night to prove their commitment to an eco-friendly world. Okay, just thinking about it, I’m about to drunk-puke.

I’m proud to say the artists who will be featured on the IN word (musicians, painters, bloggers, writers, etc.) will be nothing like the typical Hollywood types.  TIW guests are proud patriots, with a unique awareness of purpose, and an overabundance of talent.  As Joe Dan says ‘Just ’cause you’re conservative, don’t mean you’re good.’

Aside from being the first conservative arts and entertainment show, TIW is a guaranteed ‘No PC Zone’ where Joe Dan and I will be talking about stuff lots folks are thinking but are too concerned about the thought police to say out loud.  No more lamenting about how the Left has created rules for what we can say or do… and about how they’ve negatively influenced our culture for us.  We are committed to taking it all back every Wednesday night on the IN word.  And I look forward to seeing you there!

Be sure to tune in this Wednesday evening, 8 June 2011 at 11PM ET (8PM PT) on UstreamTV (its free and will stream LIVE to your computer) and join us in chat as we root for Joe Dan Gorman and Sonja Schmidt and the premiere of the internet’s first interactive, conservative arts and entertainment show.

We’re gonna party like its November 2012!

Live stream begins at 11:00 PM ET

Video chat rooms at Ustream

—–

“Whaddya Know” describes itself as “part 60 Minutes, part Oprah, and 100% like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” but there is a crucial difference between Joe and the hosts of those other shows.  Whereas Oprah and others fought tooth-and-nail to get where they want to be and thus try to make their shows all about themselves, Joe is an accidental celebrity.  He’s quietly taken on the role of a household name without adorning any of the ego that normally comes along with it, and that completely flavors the tone of the show.

Instead of taking place in a bright TV studio with a trained-seal audience, the set for the talk show-esque portion of the show looks like it was built inside a barn; the tone is folksy, intimate, humble.  Instead of hogging the spotlight in every conversation and interview, Joe is completely content to give guests his full attention and let them speak at length.  It’s a refreshing respite from the all-but-scripted, pandering-for-applause fake style of conventional talk shows.

However, those worried about Joe not having the chops or charisma to carry an entire show, rest your troubled hearts; he’s got plenty of backup.  Like Ed to his Johnny, like Andy to his Conan, like Garth to his Wayne, co-host Rodney Lee Conover is a quirky, energetic counter to Joe’s laid-back, dry humor. Their interplay with each other and guests such as Nick Searcy from the show Justified finds all parties comfortable and casual yet lively.

But an important thing about Joe is that its cameras aren’t stuck in one little room. As a multi-genre show, it features news packages that are truly educational while still featuring the show’s informality and wry humor. It’s a much-needed departure from the cookie-cutter templates of MSM news segments with their maddening poseur objectivity and condescending 5th-grade narration.

Now, when I say that the news segments are “educational,” I will admit that I was genuinely surprised by many of the revelations in these portions of the show– how California beaches experience more pollution in the absence of oil drilling due to seepage, or how Mexican military troops have escorted drug cartels across the border into Texas.

Other regular segments provide perspectives from an even wider range of voices. “Street Smarts” with Lewis Brown, a man who either is homeless or just looks it, shares his thoughts, promising, “My mouth don’t write checks my ass can’t cash.”  The segment “Ladies Out Loud” is fly-on-the-wall view of girl talk with a group of women, mostly mothers, discussing how local and national issues affect them and their families. It’s like The View, just with thoughts.  In “Joe’s Bar,” our plumber host interviews people who aren’t celebrities or conservative activists, just boots-on-the-ground individuals like teachers who share their personal experience and opinions on issues such as public unions in education.  For political junkies, YouTube star “Thomas Paine” hams up some common-sense punditry in response to viewers’ mail.

And this inclusion of diverse voices has continued into further episodes; during the recent demonstrations in Wisconsin, he’s been visiting residents of the state, filming and talking, asking open-ended questions, getting insider information. It’s engrossing, because unlike the vain celebrity flattering meant only for self-promotion of other talk shows, there’s a genuine interest in people and what they have to say. You can tell that Joe’s fundamental philosophy is that everyone has something to contribute in understanding our nation, and that sort of respect for all people, abandoned for decades by a cynical television establishment focusing only on the grotesque voyeurism and empty glamor, is more than refreshing.

I don’t make any excuses for conservative media; either it’s well-crafted and entertaining, or it isn’t. “Whaddya Know, Joe?” has been a very pleasant surprise, and I’ve found myself constantly checking the RightNetwork website for updates and new videos.  If your cable provider doesn’t carry RightNetwork, you can contact them and demand they do, but in the meantime, don’t wait to view “Joe” from their site.  It’s an engaging, delightful program that just might be bound for greatness.

The beauty of having a central gathering place online is the great networking and collaborations taking place.  Case in point, one of our gifted members, Joe Dan Gorman, who has some great, hard-hitting conservative messages in his songs and videos (a couple of which YouTube has banned – “You(Tube) can’t handle the truth!”…this will be a topic for another day), recently wrote and produced a new music video entitled We Will Not Submit and invited some of our members to join him in recording some back-up vocals for the song and taking part in his video, and it is already getting tons of great reviews and being aired on conservative internet and AM/FM radio stations across the country.

—–

Other recent collaborations include  AlfonZo Rachel, Nate Smoove, and Rufus Troutman on their latest song, Government Not the Answer.  Bobby Powers and Party Time, my songmate, BigDawg, and I recently collaborated on Freedom Reigns and performed an acoustic version at our CPAC Liberty Fest.  Several other cool collaborations are currently underway between members of our site – something BigDawg and I are thrilled to see.

We are not just about music, though.  We have also attracted filmmakers like Wendy Goldman and Becky Best, of Crusader Pictures, who are currently writing the script for their Feature Film Comedy, An Incorrect Man: “a comedic look at a world overrun with political correctness and bloated bureaucracy, where one man makes a stand—and gets hammered”…and are seeking support via a site called Kickstarter which enables everyday citizens to get involved in projects such as this one.  They will be filming in Nashville, as music will play a large role in their project and they look forward to working with some of our site members.

—–

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and “Al Gore’s Internet,” these collaborations are taking place without members actually working together face-to-face which should encourage those of you who think you need a lot of cash, a band, a fancy studio, or production company to make things happen…and things are, indeed, happening. 

BigDawg Music Mafia is fast becoming the “go-to” place for conservative organizations looking for talent for their upcoming events and projects.  Fellow culture warrior and radio talk show host, Jason Worley, has requested some music for his Denver-based radio show, Grassroots Radio Colorado on 560 AM, KLZ and member Melody Himel Scalley, host of Politics on the Edge on 103.3 FM, WESR, is using one of my songs to open her show.  Liberty Bell Radio has also had a few members on their show and has been playing our members’ music.  Mark Skoda, who just launched a new radio show and television station (to be syndicated) in Memphis, will be teaming with us on upcoming projects.  California-based radio host, Alana Burke has also joined our site and will be inviting members to share their music on her show.  We’ve also been approached by NBRN.FM, a Nashville radio station, for some of our music for their broadcast rotation, and by a media company looking for talent for a project they are working on.  We were just recently approached for possible teaming with media company Reload with Emmy-winning director Steve Feldman whose goal is to produce movies, television shows, and mobile device apps that are created from a conservative (Biblical) worldview.  Some of our members are also going to be performing at the Freedom Jamboree in Kansas City this Fall as well as a TEA Party vs Hollywood:  PUT-UP or SHUT UP Tennis Challenge For A Cure event that one of our members, Ruth Bryant White, is helping plan for October 2011 at Caesar’s Palace and The Darling Tennis Court.  This is a charity event being held in honor of Shannon Tavarez, the 11 year old star of Broadway’s The Lion King who lost her battle with leukemia last November.  The event will have TEA Party leaders and superstars challenging Hollywood and “Mainstream Media” personalities in tennis matches (including table tennis!).   I would so love to see Sarah Palin and Kathy Griffin duke it out.  No contest there!  These are just a few examples of how all the great networking is opening doors to our members…and we are just getting this party started!

The key to growing this movement of conservative culture warriors is agressive marketing and networking with other conservative organizatons.  I just had the great honor of representing BigDawg Music Mafia at an Emergency Conservative Leadership Summit in Washington DC at which over 50 TEA Party & other conservative leaders met to strategize a way forward toward 2012, to work together to keep eachother informed on the issues and what each respective organization is focused on.  I plan on staying fully engaged with these fine patriots to constantly drive our message home.

Still think it can’t be done?  Just watch us.  Got talent?  Join us.  Need talent?  We got that.  And to those who want us to “sit down and shut up”…we have a message for you:  “We will NOT submit”.

Actor Kerri Turner attends the GI Film Festival

“This effort between the GI Film Festival and the Military Channel will be invaluable in putting the heroism and the sacrifice of the nation’s bravest men and women on full display for all of America to witness. This has been the Festival’s core mission from day one,” said GI Film Festival Chairman Stephen K. Bannon.

The G.I. Film Festival is the first and only film festival in the country dedicated to honoring the successes and sacrifices of American GIs. The festival’s documentary and narrative films showcase themes ranging from the courage and ingenuity on battlefields throughout history to the struggles of homelessness and post-traumatic stress on the home front.

The G.I. Film Festival block runs on Military Channel from 9-11 PM ET on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout November starting on Friday, November 12, the day after Veterans Day.

“We are proud to provide our filmmakers with a nationwide audience on one of the nation’s most respected television networks,” said GI Film Festival Co-Founder Brandon Millett. “We know Military Channel viewers will be touched and inspired by this programming. And we hope through our films that they gain a greater sense of appreciation for our nation’s men and women in uniform.”

“This national television program is a landmark event in the history of the GI Film Festival,” said GI Film Festival Co-Founder Laura Law-Millett. “With this ground-breaking new series, we now move from a DC-based event to a national organization fostering a positive image for American GIs.”

“The diverse lineup of the G.I. Film Festival is a natural fit for Military Channel, which prides itself on highlighting the full spectrum of human drama, courage and patriotism intrinsic to the armed forces,” said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Military Channel. “By providing the G.I. Film Festival a national platform, Military Channel invites its viewers to explore these beautifully produced films that resonate with the creative passion of each independent filmmaker.”

The opening weekend of G.I. Film Festival programming on Military Channel includes:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 from 9-11 PM ET

SHAKEY’S HILL In 1970, CBS News cameraman Norman Lloyd followed a battalion of American soldiers into the jungles of Cambodia. The mission was to seek out substantial weapons and supply caches being used by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. As the battalion closed in on the location of the caches, they encountered a growing resistance from the North Vietnamese forces. Rarely seen footage and first-hand accounts take the audience through each firefight leading up to the operation’s climax, which came to be known as the infamous taking of Shakey’s Hill. By melding field interviews from 1970 with retrospective interviews from 35 years later, SHAKEY’S HILL explores not only the events leading to this successful mission but the effects of war decades later. SHAKEY’S HILL, winner of the 2007 GI Film Festival’s Best Documentary Award, is produced and directed by Norman Lloyd.

—–

THE SURGE: THE UNTOLD STORY, the Military Channel Documentary Award winner at the 2010 GI Film Festival, offers a look into the real story of the troop surge in Iraq, as told by top U.S. military commanders, policy makers and soldiers on the ground. These never-before-seen interviews move beyond Washington politics to explore how a failing mission transformed into one of the most successful military operations in a generation of war fighting. This documentary honors the sacrifice, courage and ingenuity of the military personnel who confronted nearly impossible circumstances, but found success through their dedication and hard work. THE SURGE: THE UNTOLD STORY is presented by the Institute for the Study of War, in association with The Stevens & Schriefer Group with Kim Kagan and Russ Schriefer as executive producers and Jason Killian Meath as director.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

—–

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 from 9-11 PM ET

TRIANGLE OF DEATH: First-time filmmaker Marine Sergeant Folleh Shar Tamba tells the story of a foreign land engulfed in daily combat in TRIANGLE OF DEATH, winner of the 2009 GI Film Festival Founder’s Choice Award. Living day-by-day and seeing a country that wants to change, the 2nd Battalion 24th Marines’ struggles are chronicled in this poignant film. TRIANGLE OF DEATH is a story of people helping people, regardless of politics, presidents or public opinion. Told by the Marines who saw it firsthand, this is the story of the triangle of death and how its people chose to participate in Iraq’s first democratic national elections. TRIANGLE OF DEATH is produced by Wolf Dog Films with Folleh Tamba as director, Juan Montelongo and Thomas Hartmann as producers.

—–

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 from 9-11 PM ET

L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DID: They weighed less than 800 pounds and were completely unarmed – but these cloth-covered spotter planes, the L-Birds, created more chaos than any other aircraft used in WWII. Flying low and slow to see enemy movement, the L-Birds would call in artillery fire to rain death and destruction ontotheir targets. Thanks to an innovative suspended landing system that hung above trees or over the sides of ships, pilots of these unique planes could land and take off without even touching the ground. Hosted by Academy-award winning actor Cliff Robertson, L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DID profiles this little-known but heralded warplane, which earned a reputation as the deadliest plane used in WWII. L-BIRD: THE LITTLE PLANE THAT DID is produced by On Air Media from the Drury TV Studios with Brian Shipman as director.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

—–

GOD AND COUNTRY: In the spring of 1942, the world was at war. Hitler had swept unchecked across the European landscape and was pounding at the doors of Great Britain. The United States learned of a plot by the Germans to break the stalemate with Great Britain. The German’s plot involved the use of diabolical new chemical weapons that were being developed at a research facility in Poland. GOD AND COUNTRY is a dramatic film portraying a team of three Americans who put their lives on the line to stop this plot by putting their lives on the line. GOD AND COUNTRY, winner of the “Best Narrative Short” at the 2008 GI Film Festival, is executive produced and directed by Daniel Piatt.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

—–

With approximately 600 film submissions over the last four years, we’ve seen a lot of historical war documentaries come across our flat screen. A LOT. But within the first few moments of reviewing Chosin, we knew we had something completely different. And it had nothing to do with the technical aspects of the film, which were impressive by any standard. Or even the incredible story itself, which will soon be seen on the big screen in narrative form.

No, what is extraordinary about this film is the depth emotion expressed by these heroes and the strikingly graphic nature of their descriptions. It’s been over a month since we reviewed the film and I still can’t shake the image expressed by one of the heroes who said when he shot one of the Chinese invaders at close range, the man’s “blood burned my eyes.” In other words, this was not a group of vets swapping war stories around a campfire. This was a great unburdening. A cleansing. (Check out the trailer above and you’ll see what I mean.)

For 85 minutes we were completely transfixed. And when it was all over we were left asking the question: How did these rookie filmmakers manage to pull such incredible material from these men in a way we had never seen before?  Well, here’s how.

The filmmakers (Brian Iglesias and Anton Satter) are military veterans, Iraq War veterans, to be exact. And fellow Marines. And this is why they were able to extract from these men stories they had never told their wives, their children or their closest friends.

Chosin Film Premiering at GI Film Festival

Iglesias and Satter spent eight months on the road collecting the stories of 184 Korean War veterans in 27 cities, living out of a van and eating military rations. And what they have delivered is an intimate, breathtaking and important piece of work that must not be missed.

 Click here to buy tickets. The screening will begin Saturday night, May 15, 8:30 pm at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC.  The GI Film Festival (GIFF) runs from 11 May – 16 May 2010 in Washington DC.  The GIFF is a non-profit event and the only film festival in the nation whose mission is to honor the the service and sacrifices of the men and women in uniform through the medium of film.