Bigelow's next film is an another indie military action thriller

For her age? Dude, she's not 70...

Yeah? Huh. But, actually, that's not all that far away to me. (Sigh) I guess it's subjective.

Sorry to hear that? Man, I'm not dead. And don't call me "sir." Anyway, I admit, she doesn't look 60.

My years have taught me not to posit on such matters, my friend...

I just typed out a very long post about what this movie means to me as a vet but I have been burned trying to discuss these movies seriously enough times that maybe I should at least pretend to learn. There are far too many Americans who flat out don't understand because they're too wrapped up in the politics which to a soldier don't matter one bit. That's what the Hurt Locker is about, the soldier, not the war. It's not anti-war or pro-war or political in any way whatsoever. Despite that I'm sure there are a whole lot of people who refuse to watch it which is a shame. I feel it should be shown in high schools across the country.

I hope that with this next endeavor they go about it the same way. My fiancee's ex is Special Forces and is in Afghanistan right now. I might be more worried about him than she is. 5 years ago I tried to re-enlist as an Army Ranger to go to Iraq myself but I was too old they said. I can't say how many other vets I know and talk to wanted to the same. People who have not served and have no desire to will never understand. It has nothing to do with politics, flag waving, war mongering or anything else that people think.

I ranted anyway but the importance of a film like The Hurt Locker shouldn't be diminished. Similarly Black Hawk Down which is about a battle that not too many Americans were even aware of. My fiancee, who was married and living in Germany where her ex was stationed when it came out, had the honor of watching it with 2 Green Berets who had been Rangers that fought in the conflict. Despite what a lot of people think the film is very accurate. The only thing they told her Ridley Scott and co. hadn't captured was the actual brutality and intensity of it which is a similar complaint many Iraq vets who actually dealt with the IED's raised about The Hurt Locker.

Their stories should be told and remembered. There's many great books out there but since so many people don't read it's good that their stories are being immortalized on film for future generations who will no doubt be even more illiterate once books become digital downloads.

I like K-19 a lot. The biggest problem to me was Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson playing Russians. Come on. Sean Connery makes a passable Russian but not those two. The movie would have worked 100x better had actual Russians been cast and unknown ones at that. It's a great story.

That's some great info. I suppose I think about one of the greatest war films ever made, 'Das Boot'. Being a movie that is entirely about a German sub crew and watching the film in German it leaves no doubt that they are the enemy. But getting to know the characters and being in the intense situations they are in with them through pretty much the entire 3+ hours you can't help but pull for them and respect them.

Of course Wolfgang Peterson followed that movie with his own Harrison Ford movie in Air Force One but Ford is believable as the President of the United States who probably has a bull whip in his closet.

Das Boot is an awesome movie. I love how the tension and sense of disorientation is built by the sounds of attack and stresses on the sub, where the crew doesn't know whether they are all seconds from dying. I'd love to watch that with a really great sound set up.