We’ve given a lot of attention here on Under the Radar to the annual GI Film Festival (where Military.com is a participating media sponsor) but a recent event here in DC, months removed from the festival, speaks to the organizer’s larger goal of creating ‘a year-round campaign to foster a positive image for men and women who serve.’
‘The GIFF Summer Rewind’ got the festival out of the theaters and into the lobby of a DuPont circle hotel — over dinner and drinks a crowd of about 50 military-film fans took in the best of the festival’s 2011 shorts selection. Documentary and narrative, high-budget glossies and inventive indies all mixed to create a diverse and dynamic selection of soldier-focused storytelling — highlights for me included the short and poignant Something Special from Kiwi filmmaker Kristi L. Simkins and the ambitious low-budget Cold War era drama Thule. You can watch trailers for each below. +Continue Reading
I like to call them the 12:01s, the film fans that flock en-masse to the late-night screenings of the latest and greatest screen adaptations of classic comic books — last night in a balmy Washington, DC, I once again joined these legions of comic fans and college kids for the ‘local premiere’ of Captain America : The First Avenger. +Continue Reading
At this year’s MilBlog conference I got the chance to meet a team a filmmakers out promoting their film, Happy New Year. The director, Lorrel Manning, has seen the project grow from a stage short to a feature film — and has faced both praise and criticism for the way he portrays PTSD in the project. We invite you, the UTR reader, to take a look at this exclusive clip from the film and check out our 5 questions with Lorrel and tell us what you think - +Continue Reading
For more than a year before D-Day, the US Army’s Eighth Air Force waged war with Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe – protecting the British Isles and making small inroads towards the heart of Germany. The latest episode of WWII in HD, this time titled The Air War, (produced by Lou Reda Films and presented on the History Channel), will look at the history of the eighth Air Force with the same unapologetic realism and brutal battle footage that has defined this series. Military.com got a sneak peek of the episode and we can tell you that the film is powerful, unforgettable and required viewing for any and all history buffs! +Continue Reading
With combat operations in Iraq officially ending – the attention of the world and particularly the US military is shifting to Afghanistan. In a distant and beautiful land where the British, the Soviets and most recently the Taliban have failed to establish stable governments, we are left to answer the question: What will it take to one day celebrate the end of combat operations in Afghanistan? +Continue Reading
Starting a review by saying “It isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be…” is almost never a good sign. The Expendables may be that rare exception. +Continue Reading
The Season 4 premiere of Mad Men begins with an off-camera voice asking the one question that has driven the entire series: who is Don Draper? +Continue Reading
In less than a decade, Christopher Nolan has evolved from indie darling to Hollywood’s most bankable director. After the non-stop action of The Dark Knight and the star power of The Prestige, it is easy to forget that his breakout film was the quirky, confusing and low-budget Memento from 2000. +Continue Reading
Glenn Close may forever be linked to a ‘boiled bunny’ (thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance in Fatal Attraction), but in the real world she is very much an animal lover.
Pax (co-directed by Close and Sarah Harvey, a talented, young NYC-based film editor) tells the story of a dog raised and trained inside an upstate New York women’s correctional facility and eventually given to Bill Campbell — an Iraq war veteran suffering from PTSD.
The film premiered last month at Washington DC’s GI Film Festival and has already caught the attention of Oprah.
Take a look at our interview with Sarah Harvey and footage of Glenn discussing the film.
Most news stories about child stars of 80s read as cautionary tales about fame’s pitfalls. Rick (perhaps better known to some of our readers as ‘Ricky’) Schroder’s story is certainly an exception.
The star of Silver Spoons has worked consistently in film and television for thirty years, including a three-season stint as Detective Danny Sorenson on NYPD Blue.
At the GI Film Festival Rick unveiled his latest project: Starting Strong.
Schroder served as director and producer on this short-form reality show that informs the youth of America about life in the US Army and the various MOS (Military Occupation Specialties) available to them.
Under the Radar is commentary. We don’t report the news; we offer our take on what happened.
