Not sure who to ask on this but--im told I created a Hornets Nest???

Quote from The Ringo Kid

No probs I get mistaken a lot too. I just wanted to make sure that you all knew I was talking about a movie and not about people. Truthfully, I watched it once and didnt make much of it except that at least during the Civil War scenes-that it looked like the Costner character was trying to make some kind of a "statement" by going suicidal and trying to get Johnny Reb to kill him. Reb could have easily done it too being the majority of them were born with rifles in their hands ;-))

I don't know what kind of politics Costner believes in but I have never heard him be public about them--which to me--does show he has class-unlike cLOONEY, hanks, penn and others. My whole "hatred" is for the movie. I dont like a movie--I never watch it again--simple as that.

Pardon me for disagreeing with you but I'm afraid that you're mistaken about there being any message in that scene

In the opening scene the military doctors were going to amputate Lt. Dunbar's foot. He didn't want to live without it so he decided to die for his country rather than live without being whole. He forced his boot on his wounded foot in great pain and took Cisco, to ride down the Rebel sharpshooter line, hoping for a quick death.

In the end, his daring ride allowed the Union to win that battle. Dunbar's CO was taken with his bravery and gave the services of his own personal physician to save Officer Dunbar's foot.

That's what the opening scenes were all about. Dunbar was trying to commit suicide by Rebel bullet, yes, but it was because he didn't want to live as a maimed main. There was no statement involved. It was an intrinsic part of the story that led to Dunbar's being rewarded by being sent out west.

My brother's a Vietnam vet without legs in a wheelchair. He suffers greatly with phantom pain in spite of everything that can be done for him. If I were in his position I don't know if I'd ever agree to an amputation. He was a POW for 5+ years. We thought he was dead for so long. Too long. It's a miracle he came back to us alive.

Did Dunbar have had the right idea? I could see myself on Cisco waiting for a bullet, taking it all away. We'd each have to take that decision for ourselves...I do think about this sometimes. Unendurable phantom pain vs being here for my autistic son. It's an extremely difficult decision I hope I never have to make for myself.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

No probs with not agreeing--free Country. I know my memory has slipped on that movie--ive only seen that scene once ;-))

I hope you dont mind telling your Brother for me, that he is an awesome person and has my deepest respect and thanks for serving and sacrificing. I OWE him a lot. Im friends with lots of Nam Vets, so i know a lot of inside stuff that they go through. Luckily, none of the Nam vets i know where PoWs. Your Brother is as tough as they come-surviving 5 years of excuse the French--hell.

On the movie though, to me thats what I "saw" from the scene and it greatly irritates me to see something IMO--is anti-American-when there is no need for it. Born on the 4th of July made me see white heat-even though i understood what that guy went through.

Did you see DWW from the very beginning? Sounds like you missed the opening. The film starts out just outside the operating tent. The focus is on the 'haystack' of amputated limbs, dripping bloody arms, legs, etc. Then it pulls back and goes into the tent where Lt Dunbar is on the table with the flies swarming around. The doctors are talking about how they have to remove his foot. The doctors are called away and he sees his chance to escape his fate. He'll have none of this and it leads into the scene that you misunderstood.

We all make mistakes, it's part of being human. Shoot, I hardly get through a day without screwing something up. Seems like for some of us folks, the hardest words to say are: 'I'm sorry, I was wrong' doesn't it?. I've raised my son differently.

Will was a Marine Ranger. Tough? Oh, yes, he still is. I don't know how he's put up with the physical pain all these years. He can still kill you 50 different ways with a broom handle from his wheelchair. He went behind the lines in Viet Nam. I'm not allowed to say any more than that or he'd be annoyed with me. His torture experience was beyond hell.

My husband's skipper in the Navy was a POW, too. He was in the Hanoi Hilton. He was very strange. He was released. Will had to rescue himself...that happened after the end of the war. It was different. I have very strong negative feelings about Nixon as a result. Will wasn't treated appropriately, but I refuse to get into a political discussion over him. Our Veterans, on a whole, are not being treated properly.

The more I think about it, the more I know I couldn't live in a wheelchair. I'm nowhere near as tough as Will. If I were free I'd ride Cisco hoping for a bullet to take me out.

I'll be sure to tell Will what you said.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

Hi P, As far as I know I saw it fromt he beginning. Thing is, since I disliked the movie, ive never thought much on it and tried not to remember it. The only part that stands out for me--were the Civil War scenes. After that--I got bored with the movie but--I did watch it till the end credits--I just havent seen it since just after it came out so i can easily get things confused from ti and movies liek: Geronimo and the newer Westerns. Ive only seen Geronimo in parts--including a recent broadcast of it a few days ago. I like that film--or what ive seen even if the actual history is greatly distorted. Im a big Gene Hackman and Wes Studi fan. Anyway, I did see DWW fully through but--just cant name other scenes that I can remember. Also, I DO have a memory problem thanks to a Neurological problem--and that's partly to blame ;-))

Will truly is awesome and I hope someday he will "talk" about his full experiences by writing a book which I would buy--or maybe getting Clint Eastwood to make his story into a movie and you know Clint would take careful attention to keeping things correct ;-)) Same goes for the Navy Office too. I wonder if he saw John McCain while an unwilling ""guest"" of the hanoi Hilton?

Much appreciated though for you willing to pass on my wishes to Will. People like he is really makes me that much prouder to be an American. I got VERY lucky when I was attending College. By accident i met and shook hands with a famous Nam Vet who was a Medal of Honor Recipient by the name of: Roy Benivides. He was a Sergeant in Nam and just look up his citation and you will be amazed. Sarge Bill said that on every pay day when he was in the Army--they used to read citations of MoH Recipients and remembers Audie Murphys and Sgt Benivides's citations well--as he was the one who read them to his unit.

RK, I was glad to pass on your message to Will. However, he'll never be writing a book or otherwise be going through his memories. It's much too upsetting for him. His psychiatrist and therapists have told him to leave it alone.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

Hi P, As far as I know I saw it fromt he beginning. Thing is, since I disliked the movie, ive never thought much on it and tried not to remember it. The only part that stands out for me--were the Civil War scenes. After that--I got bored with the movie but--I did watch it till the end credits--I just havent seen it since just after it came out so i can easily get things confused from ti and movies liek: Geronimo and the newer Westerns. Ive only seen Geronimo in parts--including a recent broadcast of it a few days ago. I like that film--or what ive seen even if the actual history is greatly distorted. Im a big Gene Hackman and Wes Studi fan. Anyway, I did see DWW fully through but--just cant name other scenes that I can remember. Also, I DO have a memory problem thanks to a Neurological problem--and that's partly to blame ;-))

Will truly is awesome and I hope someday he will "talk" about his full experiences by writing a book which I would buy--or maybe getting Clint Eastwood to make his story into a movie and you know Clint would take careful attention to keeping things correct ;-)) Same goes for the Navy Office too. I wonder if he saw John McCain while an unwilling ""guest"" of the hanoi Hilton?

Much appreciated though for you willing to pass on my wishes to Will. People like he is really makes me that much prouder to be an American. I got VERY lucky when I was attending College. By accident i met and shook hands with a famous Nam Vet who was a Medal of Honor Recipient by the name of: Roy Benivides. He was a Sergeant in Nam and just look up his citation and you will be amazed. Sarge Bill said that on every pay day when he was in the Army--they used to read citations of MoH Recipients and remembers Audie Murphys and Sgt Benivides's citations well--as he was the one who read them to his unit.

So far I haven't seen Geronimo. Sounds like I should look for it.

Skipper may have done. He was there for more than 5 years. The chief torturer called him mat su'e. It means pig of my eye. He named his boat Mat Sue in Key West. I found that a bit odd, but some of his cheese had slipped from his cracker. They were all a bit strange when they returned. IIRC he lived in a hole in the ground for that 5 year period. He didn't talk specific details about when he was in jail to us wives. This is what my husband told me.

I posted a thread on this movie just recently
Classic Movie Westerns- Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Quote from ethanedwards

I posted a thread on this movie just recently
Classic Movie Westerns- Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Thank you, Ethan. Now I really want to screen Geronimo.

Thank you, also, for this board. It's opened up a number of great films for my family viewing. I'm grateful for that and more grateful for the new friends I've made here.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

There is another I cant think of the name fo the main actor or the movie but--he was the "bald British" guy who was with Stallone in The Expendables and TE2. hes likable and I might go see that one.

Do you mean Jason Statham?

Quote from The Ringo Kid

Ill never forgive or forget what the north nam-ese did to our guys. I cant begin to imagine the hell he went through. Naming his boat after that sounds to me like he is more than willing to talk about it. I hope he does as stories like that NEED telling.

One of my best friends lost his brother in a plane crash in Vietnam. (A coincidence) Steve has grieved for his brother so for so long now that it's been more years than he was alive. I can understand that kind of hurt. I had a sister. She died from cancer when I was 7. I've grieved for her all my life. At some point you either let go and forgive or you carry that burden or anger and resentment and it poisons the rest of your life. You see, the kind of cancer that killed my sister, Joyce, is now treatable. See how annoying that is?

Steve is also a pilot. He carried that anger for decades. The last time I saw him, he let it go. It's taken him a long time and he will never forget or stop loving his brother as he'll never stop missing him. I'll never stop missing Joyce. She'll always be with me as a part of my heart. This is something that only recently happened. It takes us a while sometimes.

Of course, we all make out own decisions about these things. Carrying anger and resentments hurts us rather than the other party. Here's something I read recently that helped me about being unwilling to forgive and let go: 'Unwillingness to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.'

I'd been angry with my mother-in-law, righteously so, for nearly 20 years. Still, I was the one with migraine headaches, high blood pressure, backaches and insomnia. I wanted to forgive her for my sake but somehow all that I had done wasn't quite enough to allow me to let go of my anger and rage toward her. Once I read these words, I was able to release all that anger, rage, resentment and yes, hatred, that I had held on to, and finally forgive her for all the harm and ill that she had done to me. It was an incredible feeling of freedom.

Now, in the event anyone may think it was a minor case of daughter-in-law/mother-in-law issues, allow me to disabuse you of that notion. I spoke to this woman on the telephone only once a year, at Christmas, and that night I would have screaming nightmares that would wake everyone in the 4,000 square foot split level house. Yes, my monster-in-law gave me PTSD. I am not exaggerating, it was that bad. I am not making this up. I went to great lengths to avoid her, taking separate vacations from my husband, even, who vacationed with his mother every year. (If anyone must know, send me a PM, it's a long story.)

But this is my experience. I'm not telling anyone how they should live. This is what I did. I used to be addicted to rage attacks, too. My life is ever so much better now, not to mention the people around me are happier without the Extreme Bitch Queen living with them. (I mean me, of course!)

So forgive me this brief segue into How I Learned to Forgive My Monster In Law. Please don't take it as me telling anyone to change your own lives. There's no advice in anything ^ there. This is what I did: I can speak with my MIL on the phone now and I even send her emails.

Interestingly enough, she's apologised to me twice now. Since I'm a Christian and Jesus told us that if we want to be forgiven we have to forgive others, I've forgiven her for her trespasses against me. It was a huge load off my own back for which I am grateful.

There's a process for this. If you're interested in either one, let me know via PM. I don't miss the screaming nightmares.

Hi Mona, A discussion is going on about Hellfighters. I and another loved it, but most of the ones I normally agree with didn't like it at all. I wonder if it might be a Male/Female type thing. What did YOU think of it. Thanks, Keith

Quote from Hawkswill

Hi Mona, A discussion is going on about Hellfighters. I and another loved it, but most of the ones I normally agree with didn't like it at all. I wonder if it might be a Male/Female type thing. What did YOU think of it. Thanks, Keith

Not sure I've ever seen it all the way through. off to Netflix

Quote from Peridot

Not sure I've ever seen it all the way through. off to Netflix

Thanks. It is not a big deal. As Bill said, there is always a movie that everyone hated and someone who loved it. I and DH may be the only ones who ever liked it, but....like it we did. I am just curious WHY it was disliked so much. People have aired their reasons, but it hasn't satisfied me. Guess when you really enjoyed a movie, you don't listen correctly, LOL!

I THINK I love it because Duke was a vastly experienced man in his field....was known as THE expert to call if a well fire was out of control. He had built up his own business. He also did all the dangerous work himself while bringing along a young man, (Jim Hutton), who would eventually take over as he was getting older. And, there are some really exciting parts when the well fires are being put out.

Also, when Duke gets hurt in a movie, I always feel as if I am the one looking after him, LOL! Always been like that with my heroes!

Critics rated it something like 17% while fans were 76 %. Our group except for a few so far, thought it was terrible. RK liked it, but don't see where many others did. Peter hasn't seen it yet....wondering what he will think....we usually agree pretty much.

Well let me know if you get a chance to see it. Thanks, Keith