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xmas viewing post-mortem

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:59 am
by Rolf Steiner
"Tee-vee, what cha doing to me??"

Amid the usual dross, the xmas schedules usually chuck up a couple of war flicks of varying quality, and one i'd never really caught before was Night of the Generals. It's quite a while since I read the novel so not quite sure how faithful it stayed to Kirst's book, but rather enjoyed it in any case.

anyhow, hardware-wise, does anyone know how they mocked up those 'tigers' in the warsaw scene? for a war flick of its vintage, those are pretty good pseudo-tigers (altho whether the presence of a tiger in such an action in warsaw in late 42 would have been realistic is another matter I'm guessing).

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:16 pm
by Marc Binazzi
Unlike many war movies made in the most whimsical places (the Battle of the Bulge made in Spain, with the pleasant sight of Panzers crushing cactuses under their caterpillars) the Night of the Generals was partly made in Poland, in particular Warsaw. Typically of its period the casting is pretty international, with French actors for instance, but the film in my opinion is pretty good and the tanks look pretty resemblant. Perhaps old T 34, which I imagine were not difficult to find in Poland in the seventies????

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:22 pm
by Rolf Steiner
Hi Marc

possibly, but very well disguised T34s if that's the case. The turret looked about right, but when they rolled past, the back was wrong - didn't have those twin exhaust things, but wasn't a slanted back like the T34.

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:43 pm
by Jock
Hi Rolf,

How are you? Merry Xmas and a Happy new year, and all that. Possibly a T-64 with a mocked up turret? 'Similar' body to the Tiger.

Cheers,

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:55 pm
by Rolf Steiner
Hi Jock

(late) seasonal salutations! not so bad this end, how about yourself?

Maybe it's those, have the feeling i'm going to be obessive enough to go back to that film and scrutinise that sequence further...

talking of Tigers, has anyone seen 'the star'? The panzerlager sequence there has some very convincing machines... possibly even the real thing?

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:59 am
by Jock
Hi Rolf,

I'm pretty good thanks. Trust you had a good one yourself. I've never seen the star, and to add to that, I'm still pretty pissed off that I missed Night of the Generals.

Hey ho. Take it easy mate,