Post by petrolino on Jul 22, 2017 1:05:37 GMT
The psychological World War 2 picture 'Hell Is For Heroes' is centred around the exploits of a tired platoon cut adrift by high command who come up against a mounting enemy presence. Fess Parker and Harry Guardino bring strong wills as the acting Sergeants leading rebellious rulebreaker Private John Reese (Steve McQueen), straight shooter Private Stan Kolinsky (Mike Kellin), cynical schemer Private Dave Corby (Bobby Darin), stuttering recruit Private Joe Cumberly (Bill Mullikin), laconic mechanic Corporal Frank Henshaw (James Coburn) and Polish clown Homer Janeczek (Nick Adams).
'Hell Is For Heroes' had a troubled production and was originally intended for writer-director Robert Pirosh, an army veteran who wrote the existential war classic 'Battleground' (1949). It hangs together thanks to Don Siegel's spare, tight-lipped direction which is as mean as they come. The soldiers occupy their combat zone with bravery, dignity, humour and honour, displaying great camaraderie while battling a seemingly hopeless situation at every turn. Indiana bad boy Steve McQueen opted to dominate proceedings through contractual manipulation and he doesn't disappoint, laying down the coolness with factor 10, but this embittered loner has more to offer than a loaded gun.
"Ya don't like me either but you're drinking with me. People are the same all over the world, they go with the tide."
Steve McQueen
'Soldier's Song' - The Hollies
Steve McQueen
'Soldier's Song' - The Hollies
'Hell Is For Heroes' had a troubled production and was originally intended for writer-director Robert Pirosh, an army veteran who wrote the existential war classic 'Battleground' (1949). It hangs together thanks to Don Siegel's spare, tight-lipped direction which is as mean as they come. The soldiers occupy their combat zone with bravery, dignity, humour and honour, displaying great camaraderie while battling a seemingly hopeless situation at every turn. Indiana bad boy Steve McQueen opted to dominate proceedings through contractual manipulation and he doesn't disappoint, laying down the coolness with factor 10, but this embittered loner has more to offer than a loaded gun.
"Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding themselves living on the streets faster than those who served in previous conflicts, including Vietnam. Approximately one in five homeless adults around the US is a veteran. Nationwide, about 130,000 ex-servicemen and women do not have anywhere to live. Los Angeles is regarded as the country's homeless capital, where the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are up to 8,000 veterans without a home. Other organisations, including non-profit groups assisting the homeless, believe the figure is much higher. Beneath the skyscrapers and flashy buildings of downtown Los Angeles lies Skid Row. Much more than a row, the 50-block enclave is where LA's homeless gather, sleep and search for food. It is a far cry from the Los Angeles known around the world for its beaches and Hollywood glamour. Cardboard boxes and tents line the streets during the night, although the police force people to move on as the sun rises. By day, with the constant blare of police and ambulance sirens, the homeless shuffle around the streets pushing supermarket trolleys packed with blankets and plastic bags. There are missions and charity groups proving food, showers and medical facilities, although some veterans are reluctant to take advantage of the facilities. Rob Campbell is one of them. He says he once operated top secret computer systems for the US military. He now camps down for the night in a doorway, his hair matted, his fingernails grimy, alert for trouble. "You're down here because you're either a drug addict, you're incompetent, you've lost your job or you had some legal issues," says Mr Campbell, who served for two years in the US Air Force. The throngs of homeless people roaming the streets include many veterans proudly wearing their military caps and medals. With distant expressions, many appear to be lost and confused. The outward signs of trauma and mental illness are etched into their faces. "It's shameful," says Melissa Tyner, an attorney with the Inner City Law Center, which provides free legal representation to homeless veterans in need of help."
- Peter Bowes, BBC
"Although concrete figures on homeless veterans in the UK are hard to come by, it is a recognised problem. A newspaper investigation in 2013 found an estimated 9,000 rough sleepers – one in 10 – across the UK had a military background. Research ahead of a previous CSBA housing pilot in 2012 – which built 10 homes for ex-military personnel and four for people with learning disabilities in Bristol – found that one in four people sleeping rough in the city had been in the armed forces."
- Nicola Slawson, The Guardian
"Salford's mayor dubbed Greater Manchester’s homelessness crisis a ‘disgrace’ as he searched the streets for rough sleepers in the freezing early hours. Paul Dennett was joined by MP Rebecca Long-Bailey for the city’s annual homeless count - and said he was horrified at what they found. From a 19-year-old man sleeping rough in a park for more than three months - to another man slipping in and out of consciousness, barely covered by a blanket in the street, they said the exercise was ‘soul destroying’. Town halls, by law, have to send out a team of volunteers walk the streets each year to count the number of rough sleepers. Politicians wouldn’t usually brave the cold, but Mr Dennett said he needed to see the problem first hand - and insisted on going along to see the grim reality for himself. Council bosses accept it’s a poor way of gauging numbers, but say walking the streets is a good way of getting out to help people. The count merely provides a snapshot of homelessness, but isn’t nearly accurate enough. People can only actually be counted if they’re seen sleeping."
- Todd Fitzgerald, Manchester Evening News
"I started to write the script for Land Of The Dead but it was originally about homeland problems. I was tackling homelessness, AIDS, the vanishing middle class… although the idea of a city protected by water was still in that early script. However, this was right before 9/11 and no one wanted to touch it after that – they wanted to make soft, fuzzy, lollipop movies. So I stuck it on the shelf and then a couple of years later I took it down and put in some references to what was happening in America."
- George Romero, SciFiNow
'Night Of The Living Homeless' {'South Park'}
"As he’s shown his entire life, don’t bet against John McCain."
- President Bill Clinton
“Cancer doesn’t know what it’s up against. Give it hell, John.”
- President Barack Obama
“The Hanoi Hilton couldn’t break John McCain’s spirit many years ago, so Barbara and I know — with confidence — he and his family will meet this latest battle in his singular life of service with courage and determination.”
- President George W. Bush
Get well soon, Mr McCain ...
'Soldier' - Spirit
- Peter Bowes, BBC
"Although concrete figures on homeless veterans in the UK are hard to come by, it is a recognised problem. A newspaper investigation in 2013 found an estimated 9,000 rough sleepers – one in 10 – across the UK had a military background. Research ahead of a previous CSBA housing pilot in 2012 – which built 10 homes for ex-military personnel and four for people with learning disabilities in Bristol – found that one in four people sleeping rough in the city had been in the armed forces."
- Nicola Slawson, The Guardian
"Salford's mayor dubbed Greater Manchester’s homelessness crisis a ‘disgrace’ as he searched the streets for rough sleepers in the freezing early hours. Paul Dennett was joined by MP Rebecca Long-Bailey for the city’s annual homeless count - and said he was horrified at what they found. From a 19-year-old man sleeping rough in a park for more than three months - to another man slipping in and out of consciousness, barely covered by a blanket in the street, they said the exercise was ‘soul destroying’. Town halls, by law, have to send out a team of volunteers walk the streets each year to count the number of rough sleepers. Politicians wouldn’t usually brave the cold, but Mr Dennett said he needed to see the problem first hand - and insisted on going along to see the grim reality for himself. Council bosses accept it’s a poor way of gauging numbers, but say walking the streets is a good way of getting out to help people. The count merely provides a snapshot of homelessness, but isn’t nearly accurate enough. People can only actually be counted if they’re seen sleeping."
- Todd Fitzgerald, Manchester Evening News
"I started to write the script for Land Of The Dead but it was originally about homeland problems. I was tackling homelessness, AIDS, the vanishing middle class… although the idea of a city protected by water was still in that early script. However, this was right before 9/11 and no one wanted to touch it after that – they wanted to make soft, fuzzy, lollipop movies. So I stuck it on the shelf and then a couple of years later I took it down and put in some references to what was happening in America."
- George Romero, SciFiNow
'Night Of The Living Homeless' {'South Park'}
"As he’s shown his entire life, don’t bet against John McCain."
- President Bill Clinton
“Cancer doesn’t know what it’s up against. Give it hell, John.”
- President Barack Obama
“The Hanoi Hilton couldn’t break John McCain’s spirit many years ago, so Barbara and I know — with confidence — he and his family will meet this latest battle in his singular life of service with courage and determination.”
- President George W. Bush
Get well soon, Mr McCain ...
'Soldier' - Spirit
