The adventures of an 18th century imagination, located in Northern Europe formerly ruled over by joint rulers Duke Karl Frederick and Duchess Liv.Not to mention the American colony of Ny Tradgardland the 17th century Colony of New Tradgardstadt and the newly restored territory of the Shetland Isles.
Featuring a supporting bill of gaming in a diversity of times,places and scales.Hopefully something to interest all who pop by...
Saturday, 15 August 2020
Two film questions...
Which film has given you the greatest sense of another time and which has influenced your gaming most?
I think for the greatest sense of another time it would have to be “The Duellists” for the beauty of the photography and look of the thing. For influencing my gaming it would have to be “ The Longships “ seen when young and caught my imagination. Fuelled my interest in history greatly.
Tricky first question. Two contenders for this: Captain Alatriste; and Hope and Glory. The past is a foreign country. And not just because Alatriste is about a Spanish soldier). The film gives a sense of a culture alien to us. The main character who is a hero in their terms is a complete and utter, argumentative, violent p***k in ours. Hope and Glory sets out to show us the world as we thought we knew it through the eyes of a young boy. The War through his eyes is a time of wonder and opportunity. Captain Alatriste just pips it.
Second question is much easier for me. It has to be Waterloo. Went to see it when it came out (must have been 7 or 8) and it dispelled the idea I had from watching WWII films that soldiers fought running around and diving in the dirt! And it was splendid. After that my main interest was definitely the horse and musket era.
I have heard of the Captain film, must give it a go. Waterloo is quite a film, have a souvenir programme from it in the loft somewhere,went with my Dad to see it.
"The Warlord" subliminally influenced my wargaming as surely did "El Cid". Conjuring another time........I absolutely agree about" The Duellists" and would add "Barry Lindon" (pity they didn't stick closely to the original novella).
For the first "Queen Margot" a sweaty dirty image of royalty. The second is much harder because there has been so many movies. I'll pick "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". A conflict I've always had an interest in but not the style of game I would want to put on the table.
I really like Queen Margot, visually stunning with fantastic female lead. The wind... is a powerful story indeed. I worked with someone whose mother had been in a situation similar to the B&Ts village raid as a wee girl.Listening to her speak about it has stayed with me.
As a child in the 60's it seemed there were almost constant reports and news footage of the war in Vietnam, my mother was in regular contact with a group of French missionaries working over there, their letters brought the conflict and suffering very close. Later when I started reading first hand accounts of the war I was shocked by the brutality and senselessness of it all, so when I first watched Apocalypse Now it brought all that back to me, the nihilism of random events and characters creating a surrealist world out of control.
The film which has most influenced my wargaming must be Waterloo, the visual aspect of the hobby has always been paramount for me and it ticks all my boxes for grandiose scale and colour.
Not films, but two TV series. Ivanhoe and Robin Hood for sense of another time. The benefit was it was in England, more easily relatable to. The 300 Spartans for influencing me in choice of gaming starting point. That is three great heroes.
Listened to a very interesting radio programme about T E Lawerence the other day. Great film too. Barry Lyndon explains a lot about why people game the eighteenth century.
The Duellists or Master and Commander for period atmosphere.
Wargaming inspiration: not a film, but a TV comedy show - Michael Bentine's It's a Square World, in which he used to do recreations of Balaclava &c with puffs of smoke for gunfire. He showed you could recreate battles in miniature. Bentine also had humorous Heath Robinson type weapons, such as the gas that dissolved trouser buttons so that enemy troops' braces would fail and they'd be reduced to holding their breeches up and thus be unable to fight.
A toughie this, but Waterloo. I remember sitting in my local cinema dreaming of owning thousands of figures to re fight the battle. Still a brilliant spectacle. After that its a toss up between Taras Bulba or the Duelists, but then there is the Vikings and Spartacus.
Thanks for reminding me of The Flashing Blade, great stuff! Set in the same period, The Last Valley was pretty good, I thought. There's no real clue which side the soldiers are fighting for until near the end - and from the villager's point of view, it made no difference.
Sense of another time - can this be the grubby future of the first Star Wars?
Most influential on my gaming - oddly a film I remember coming out when I was a child about Arnhem, A Bridge Too Far, even though I do not now usually game WW2 like I did as an Airfix kid. There are many things I dislike about this film, not least the star cameos, it is the strong linked narratives and the individual actions in the middle of chaos that I find fascinating. I caught a little of this again in Band of Brothers.
Some excellent film choices by everyone, quite a few of which I have never seen. This morning - what a difference a day makes - my most influential film on gaming is now hovering somewhere between the acrobatic fight scenes in The Magnificent Seven (or every cowboy film I've seen), the shoot outs in Morecambe and Wise's the Magnificent Two, and the battle scenes of Carry on Up the Khyber Pass. Ho hum ...
I think for the greatest sense of another time it would have to be “The Duellists” for the beauty of the photography and look of the thing. For influencing my gaming it would have to be “ The Longships “ seen when young and caught my imagination. Fuelled my interest in history greatly.
ReplyDeleteTricky first question. Two contenders for this: Captain Alatriste; and Hope and Glory. The past is a foreign country. And not just because Alatriste is about a Spanish soldier). The film gives a sense of a culture alien to us. The main character who is a hero in their terms is a complete and utter, argumentative, violent p***k in ours. Hope and Glory sets out to show us the world as we thought we knew it through the eyes of a young boy. The War through his eyes is a time of wonder and opportunity. Captain Alatriste just pips it.
ReplyDeleteSecond question is much easier for me. It has to be Waterloo. Went to see it when it came out (must have been 7 or 8) and it dispelled the idea I had from watching WWII films that soldiers fought running around and diving in the dirt! And it was splendid. After that my main interest was definitely the horse and musket era.
I have heard of the Captain film, must give it a go. Waterloo is quite a film, have a souvenir programme from it in the loft somewhere,went with my Dad to see it.
DeleteThe 300 Spartans (1962) as a child and more recently Apocalypse Now.
ReplyDeleteProper Sandals epic and what an iconic view apocalypse now is.
Delete"The Warlord" subliminally influenced my wargaming as surely did "El Cid". Conjuring another time........I absolutely agree about" The Duellists" and would add "Barry Lindon" (pity they didn't stick closely to the original novella).
ReplyDeleteI recall the Warlord on tv. I nearly chose Barry Lyndon myself. That are just so many out there..
Delete'Waterloo' I think and of course 'Zulu' , of late 'Apocalypse Now' I think .
ReplyDeleteMy Dad took me to Zulu, loved it. Other choices iconic in their own ways,
Delete55 Days at Peking, without a doubt.
ReplyDeleteMust get this done in 28mm some day.
That would be a game to see...
DeleteFor the first "Queen Margot" a sweaty dirty image of royalty.
ReplyDeleteThe second is much harder because there has been so many movies. I'll pick "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". A conflict I've always had an interest in but not the style of game I would want to put on the table.
I really like Queen Margot, visually stunning with fantastic female lead. The wind... is a powerful story indeed. I worked with someone whose mother had been in a situation similar to the B&Ts village raid as a wee girl.Listening to her speak about it has stayed with me.
DeleteAs a child in the 60's it seemed there were almost constant reports and news footage of the war in Vietnam, my mother was in regular contact with a group of French missionaries working over there, their letters brought the conflict and suffering very close. Later when I started reading first hand accounts of the war I was shocked by the brutality and senselessness of it all, so when I first watched Apocalypse Now it brought all that back to me, the nihilism of random events and characters creating a surrealist world out of control.
ReplyDeleteThe film which has most influenced my wargaming must be Waterloo, the visual aspect of the hobby has always been paramount for me and it ticks all my boxes for grandiose scale and colour.
Apocalypse Now is so powerful and I am not surprised it brought that all back. Waterloo, the scale indeed...
DeleteNot films, but two TV series. Ivanhoe and Robin Hood for sense of another time. The benefit was it was in England, more easily relatable to. The 300 Spartans for influencing me in choice of gaming starting point.
ReplyDeleteThat is three great heroes.
If we are doing tv too ( and why not I say) it would have to be “Arthur of the Britains “ with Blessed, Praed etc. I loved it and the Flashing Blade!
DeleteLawrence of Arabia and Barry Lyndon
ReplyDeleteListened to a very interesting radio programme about T E Lawerence the other day. Great film too. Barry Lyndon explains a lot about why people game the eighteenth century.
DeleteThe Duellists or Master and Commander for period atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteWargaming inspiration: not a film, but a TV comedy show - Michael Bentine's It's a Square World, in which he used to do recreations of Balaclava &c with puffs of smoke for gunfire. He showed you could recreate battles in miniature. Bentine also had humorous Heath Robinson type weapons, such as the gas that dissolved trouser buttons so that enemy troops' braces would fail and they'd be reduced to holding their breeches up and thus be unable to fight.
Master & Commander, a splendid film. I recall Bentine’s Potty time which was similar in many ways.
DeleteI forgot Master & Commander. Superb all round. Great period feel.
DeleteAs for Michael Bentine’s Potty Time: “ah oui General!” I’ll never forget his Battle of Waterloo.
A toughie this, but Waterloo. I remember sitting in my local cinema dreaming of owning thousands of figures to re fight the battle. Still a brilliant spectacle. After that its a toss up between Taras Bulba or the Duelists, but then there is the Vikings and Spartacus.
ReplyDeleteThe Vikings, Spartacus, Tara’s Bulba , just too many great films to choose from.
ReplyDeleteA Bridge Too Far is a firm favourite. Sink the Bismarck and Battle of the River Plate fueled my love of naval gaming.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice, I am partial to The Cruel Sea & In which we serve when it comes to Naval films too.
DeleteThanks for reminding me of The Flashing Blade, great stuff! Set in the same period, The Last Valley was pretty good, I thought. There's no real clue which side the soldiers are fighting for until near the end - and from the villager's point of view, it made no difference.
ReplyDeleteI recall the Last Valley, Michael Caine etc. There was a character called Gruber if I recall correctly.
DeleteSense of another time - can this be the grubby future of the first Star Wars?
ReplyDeleteMost influential on my gaming - oddly a film I remember coming out when I was a child about Arnhem, A Bridge Too Far, even though I do not now usually game WW2 like I did as an Airfix kid. There are many things I dislike about this film, not least the star cameos, it is the strong linked narratives and the individual actions in the middle of chaos that I find fascinating. I caught a little of this again in Band of Brothers.
Interesting choice, I haven’t seen it for years. I watched band of brothers some time ago and was most taken by it.
DeleteSome excellent film choices by everyone, quite a few of which I have never seen. This morning - what a difference a day makes - my most influential film on gaming is now hovering somewhere between the acrobatic fight scenes in The Magnificent Seven (or every cowboy film I've seen), the shoot outs in Morecambe and Wise's the Magnificent Two, and the battle scenes of Carry on Up the Khyber Pass. Ho hum ...
ReplyDelete