Film Club

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Don’t forget about the hundreds or thousands of Somalis (civilians and militia) killed by the Americans in the same incident. No lessons were learned from it (same all over again in Iraq and Afghanistan, on a bigger scale).

Good film though.

I don't know all the inns and outs of the battle for Mogadishu only a brief outline  but collateral damage sadly does  happen during military operations.  As for the militia dying what do you expect if there against the Americans. They have to defend themselves when being fired upon. It's kill or be killed sometimes in warfare.

Your more of a history buff than me with regards to the Americans not learning their lessons  so I have to  respect what your saying. What I would say though is some of the tactics employed by the Taliban were shocking to say the least. Used children in known Taliban strongholds . When the Americans dropped bombs on them targets with children sadly dying  the Taliban used that as propaganda war against the Americans.

Extraction
6/10
Brainless and breathless action film starring Chris Hemsworth that is 16 Blocks,  come Mile 22 crossed with The Raid and John Wick.
Plenty of bullet ballet and scarcely believable but highly choreographed fight scenes.
Not great but suspend your belief at the start and it’s entertaining enough.

Quoted from Rick12

I don't know all the inns and outs of the battle for Mogadishu only a brief outline  but collateral damage sadly does  happen during military operations.  As for the militia dying what do you expect if there against the Americans. They have to defend themselves when being fired upon. It's kill or be killed sometimes in warfare.

Your more of a history buff than me with regards to the Americans not learning their lessons  so I have to  respect what your saying. What I would say though is some of the tactics employed by the Taliban were shocking to say the least. Used children in known Taliban strongholds . When the Americans dropped bombs on them targets with children sadly dying  the Taliban used that as propaganda war against the Americans.

Look at it from the other side. The militia in Somalia were defending their country against invading Americans. I know it’s not as simple as that, but it’s not a case of the Americans being attacked and defending themselves. Could apply the same argument to the Germans in occupied Europe. (I’m not equating the Yanks to the Nazis).

Same in Afghanistan. That was a doomed mission before it started. As every other invasion has ultimately failed. Us, 3 or 4 times, then the Soviets. Or closer to the Yanks’ own experience Vietnam (see comment above about people defending their country against invaders).

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Look at it from the other side. The militia in Somalia were defending their country against invading Americans. I know it’s not as simple as that, but it’s not a case of the Americans being attacked and defending themselves.

I think though sometimes force is necessary for the greater good.  Although General Ayid agreed to a cease fire imposed by international pressure originally there were still  waring militias some linked to him  who ignored it and continued fighting and looting international food delivarys. Bear in mind as well that near the end of 1991 estimates suggest there were 4.5 million Somalians on the brink of starving to death.

Having said that you do make good points on looking at the deeper picture. Reading history websites on Google highlight  that Somalians felt let down  in 1977 when the Americans didn't intervene when they desperately needed help following the war against Ethiopia. Not just in Africa either. I know when I read  King Hussein of Jordans biography recently  he often felt let down by the Americans when he was trying to foster a deal with Israeli politicians over securing stability in the Middle East. He felt sometimes the Americans were trying to do what was best for them in the rise of perceived communist threat from Russia.

I think that’s true most of the time about the Americans, and any country. They’re doing what they think is best for them. That’s not to say altruism doesn’t play a part. As do various other interest groups applying pressure on governments.

Agree with you on the wider picture on Somalia and the reasons the UN sent in forces. The problem is the Yanks were gung ho and also a law unto themselves. The attempt to arrest those Aydeed lieutenants which led to the battle, followed on from a previous bungled operation. In that one they had intelligence that there was a meeting of hostile militia leaders, so they bombed the building and killed a load of innocents- not just ‘collateral damage’ but the leaders at the meeting were there to discuss how they could bring about peace. This provoked wider spread antagonism to the Yanks and was why ordinary Somalis as well as militia attacked them.

It’s also significant that the US forces were based at the airfield to the west and the UN were based at the sports stadium to the east of the city.  As the film shows, there was no trust between the ‘partners’ and the Pakistanis and Malaysians had to pull the Americans’ chestnuts out of the fire.

The Limehouse Golem
6.5/10

In Victorian London, a Scotland Yard inspector hunts down the sadistic killer behind a series of gory, Jack the Ripper-Like murders.

Not the greatest film in the world but entertaining enough. Good cast and Nighy is as watchable as ever.

Nobody
8/10

A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.

Has the spirit of an 80s action film mixed with a touch of ‘the Equaliser’ and a body count to match ‘The Raid’.
Understated performance from Bob Odenkirk who is excellent and a great cameo from Christoper Lloyd.
Perhaps shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did but hey ho.

Quoted from Sandford1981

Nobody
8/10

A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.

Has the spirit of an 80s action film mixed with a touch of ‘the Equaliser’ and a body count to match ‘The Raid’.
Understated performance from Bob Odenkirk who is excellent and a great cameo from Christoper Lloyd.
Perhaps shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did but hey ho.

Yeah, I enjoyed it too. I'm a big fan of Bob Odenkirk.

Quoted from ginnywings

Yeah, I enjoyed it too. I'm a big fan of Bob Odenkirk.

Yeah I’m with you there. I think this may open up more roles for him to be fair.

Apparently it was based on an idea by Bob, who dealt with a home invasion himself by trapping the trespassers in the basement. He was frustrated with how the authorities dealt with the situation and had thought about how he would take the matter into his own hands if he "was a badass."

I've seen this film many times....but Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.....Gary Oldman brilliant.  I did also watch the 1970s tv series which is superb with Alek Guinness.....

Also (because I'm a  semi-French nob) Bienvenue Chez Les Chti - (Welcome to the house of the Chti) great French comedy about guy from the south going the the North ("oh no, not Paris?"..."no, no THE NORTH") ... this is the region my wife is from (Le Nord)  - basically Calais....Dunkirk...Lille and around there...  they are all drunkards and speak with weird accents....    The French basically look at that part of the world like the a lotof English do  to Grimsby...