Korean War

Movie Review: Devotion

Go see Devotion in theaters! You will consider it time well spent and will not regret the $7-$15 price of a ticket. I do not usually do movie reviews, but since I have written a blogpost about Adam Makos’ book, I have decided to give my thoughts on J. D. Dillard’s adaption. Who knows, I …

That Should Be A Movie: A Christmas Far From Home by Stanley Weintraub

A set piece would be when the 5th and 7th Marines, including 600 wounded walking with the help of ice-glazed tree limbs, march into Hagaru. They had fought their way there over fourteen miles for four days and three sleepless nights. Their comrades gather on the surrounding hills to greet the arrival of their comrades who were covered with ice and stubble. At 600 yards from the perimeter, the column stops. The wounded and frost bitten who could walk, crawled out of their trucks and fell in line with their comrades, their boots stomping the snow in perfect cadence.  In the snow. As the column enters the perimeter, some grunts join them, marching along side the column “From the Halls of Montezuma…”They began singing “…To the shores of Tripoli…” It is the Marines Hymn. “…We will fight our nation’s battles…” Rugged veterans were brought to tears. “Look at those bastards,” they say. “Those magnificent bastards.”

That Should Be A Movie: Single Handed: The Story of Tibor Rubin

It is called Single Handed
It is a Prison Camp Drama
In the vein of Unbroken.
It is like Son of Saul meets Hacksaw Ridge.
It follows courageous Holocaust survivor Tibor Rubin
And compassionate World War II veteran Randall Briere
As they fight North Korean and Chinese Communists and American antisemites.
Problems arise when Tibor and Randall are captured by the communists and Tibor is denied his medals by a bigoted officer.
Now together Tibor’s death camp experience and Randall’s determination will help them survive a POW camp and get Tibor his Medal of Honor.
My unique approach would be a movie in five acts. Tibor the Holocaust Survivor. Tibor the Immigrant. Tibor the Soldier. Tibor the Prisoner of War. Tibor the American Hero.
A set piece would be when North Korean guards call the American prisoners out of their huts and line them up, execution style. Some prisoners cry out for mercy. Others wet themselves. Some fall on their hands and knees. Tibor pulls them back up. He tells the group to pray and begins chanting in Hebrew. His fellow POWs join him. The guards raise their weapons to firing position. Then the Chinese officers show up and stop the North Koreans just in time.
Target audiences would be men and women (20 to 80), Jewish people, South Koreans, Hungarians, history buffs, military veterans, and teachers.
Audiences would want to watch Tibor’s story due to the themes of bravery, determination, excitement of battle, suspense of surviving in a POW camp, courage in the face of adversity and antisemitism, and the human-interest story of the only Holocaust survivor to receive the Medal of Honor.

That Should Be A Movie: Devotion by Adam Makos

The story recorded in Devotion showcases the best about humanity. Jesse and Tom were the finest America had to offer. Jesse’s determination to become a pilot is shining example of the determination that comes from following one’s dreams. Tom’s actions on December 4, 1951 are an example of the power of friendship. Hopefully, the film adaptation tells the story with the polish and finesse that it deserves. My prayers are with the production. May its success at the box office pave the way for more major films about the Korean War so that the veterans and fallen of “The Forgotten War” remain unforgotten.

That Should Be A Movie: The Last Stand of Fox Company

It’s called The Last Stand of Fox Company
It is a War Action Drama
It the vein of Blackhawk Down
It is like Fury meets Hacksaw Ridge
It follows spit-and-polished but tough disciplined Marine officer Captain William Barber
And fatalist Patton-like Chinese American Marine Lieutenant Kurk Chew-Een Lee
As they battle overwhelming Chinese Communist forces and the sub-freezing conditions of the North Korean mountains in their fight to save 30,000 UN forces from 120,000 Communists
Problems arise as nearly every man in Barber’s Fox Company is wounded, the artic conditions ruin their equipment, and a wounded Lieutenant Lee has to go AWOL after slapping in the hospital a soldier with PTSD
Together their determination, resilience, comradery, skill and cunning hold a vital mountain pass for five nights and six days and help evacuate UN forces while inflicting heavy damage upon the enemies of freedom.
The idea came to me when I was listening to an audiobook version of The Last Stand of Fox Company by Tom Clavin and Bob Drury and heard Korea referred to as “The Forgotten War.”
My unique approached would be the multitude of conflicts the soldiers fight, from the Communists to the weather, to each other, and in the case of Lee, racism.
A set piece would be when Lt. Lee is leading the relief column for Fox Company throw the frozen mountains in the dark of night. He is wearing a pink sully-drop air panel so his men will not lose him in the dark or, worse, mistake him for the enemy, since he looks, well, Chinese, and accidently shoot him. He holds up a hand. The column stops. He advances through the dark, approaching a Chinese position. He knows a few words in pidgin Chinese, so he fools the commies into letting him come into their lines. Then he pulls out a grenade, throws it. After the blast, he mows the place with gunfire. Then he motions for the column to continue.
Target audiences would be military historians, history buffs, war movie fans, military servicemen and women, veterans, Korean War veterans and their families, Chinese Americans, Korean Americans, South Koreans, fans of video games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, fans of Top Gun: Maverick, and men and women (teens-50s)
Audiences would want to see the movie due to its themes of bravery, courage, comradery, fighting for freedom, resilience in the face of adversity, overcoming harsh conditions, Lieutenant Lee’s triumph over racism, the thrills, excitement and suspense of battling and defeating overwhelming odds, the heroic ordeal of saving tens of thousands of lives, and remembering America’s forgotten heroes of the Korean War.

That Should Be A Movie: The Battle of Chipyong-ni: Part I

It is called The Battle of Chipyong-ni
It is a War Action Drama.
In the vein of Lone Survivor
It is like We Were Soldiers meets Fury.
It follows tenacious but fair-minded General Matthew Ridgway
And cunning yet encouraging Lieutenant James P. Mitchell
As they seek to rebuild the spirits of the US Army and find the position of the Chinese army, and determine its strength, numbers and movements.
Problems arise when Mitchell’s company loses its radio and then is cutoff and surrounded by Communist Chinese
Now together Ridgway’s generalship and Mitchell’s leadership will rescue his company at the last minute and find the enemy’s location.
The idea came to me when reading Leo Barron’s High Tide In the Korean War where he writes that the course and events of the battle would make a great movie.
My unique approach would be showing every act of valor during the battle that resulted in a medal, cross or star.
A set piece would be when Mitchell and his company begin running low on ammunition as casualties mount. Despite American planes dropping bombs and napalm on the Chinese, the enemy continues to attack. Mitchell orders the wounded not to moan or cry out when hit so the enemy cannot determine the company’s undermanned strength. Then an airplane drops a streamer with the message that help is on the way. Mitchell crawls around the perimeter, skinning his knees across the hard, icy surface of the hill, streamer in hand. He goes to each man on the line, tells him the encouraging news, then moves onto the next man to lift his spirits.
Target audiences would be military servicemen and women, military veterans, history buffs, South Koreans, Korean War veterans and their families, Korean Americans, fans of video games like Medal of Honor, Battlefield and Call of Duty, fans of Top Gun: Maverick, and men and women (teens to 60s).
Audiences would want to see it in theaters due to the themes of courage, devotion, resilience and determination during a last stand, the excitement and adventure of battle, and honoring veterans and their fallen comrades of a “forgotten” war.