Posted on Oct 13, 2014
What ONE incorrectly depicted thing pisses you off most about military movies?
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My question is really no more complicated than that.
For me, it is the rendering of the salute. Hands down. No second place. This pisses me off to no end!
In my opinion, this is THE most important of all military courtesies, and it should always be given with the most possible precision and exacting attention to detail.
FFS! It is something that is taught to every 'cruit in week 1 of basic training! It is perfected throughout training! In a military movie, this should be the EASIEST thing to get right!
It seems to me, that if an actor or actress can spend weeks or months learning hundreds, if not thousands of lines of dialog for a movie, they can at least spend an afternoon or a day, practicing with the advisor (there is ALWAYS an advisor who is a Vet or SM) on the set until they get it right.
I know there are bigger, or more obvious problems with some military movies. Weapons or uniforms or lingo that is anachronistic to the time period of the battle on screen...but DAMMIT, getting the salute wrong in any time period just frosts my shorts!
Usually, it's a fail with what I call the, "I'm shading my eyes from the sun" salute. Your f'n hand doesn't belong on your forehead like you're trying to watch the right fielder shag the fly ball! It belongs where you were TAUGHT to place it!
I find myself commenting out loud to friends, while watching movies that jack this up...they don't seem to understand why it pisses me off so much.
What does it for you?
For me, it is the rendering of the salute. Hands down. No second place. This pisses me off to no end!
In my opinion, this is THE most important of all military courtesies, and it should always be given with the most possible precision and exacting attention to detail.
FFS! It is something that is taught to every 'cruit in week 1 of basic training! It is perfected throughout training! In a military movie, this should be the EASIEST thing to get right!
It seems to me, that if an actor or actress can spend weeks or months learning hundreds, if not thousands of lines of dialog for a movie, they can at least spend an afternoon or a day, practicing with the advisor (there is ALWAYS an advisor who is a Vet or SM) on the set until they get it right.
I know there are bigger, or more obvious problems with some military movies. Weapons or uniforms or lingo that is anachronistic to the time period of the battle on screen...but DAMMIT, getting the salute wrong in any time period just frosts my shorts!
Usually, it's a fail with what I call the, "I'm shading my eyes from the sun" salute. Your f'n hand doesn't belong on your forehead like you're trying to watch the right fielder shag the fly ball! It belongs where you were TAUGHT to place it!
I find myself commenting out loud to friends, while watching movies that jack this up...they don't seem to understand why it pisses me off so much.
What does it for you?
Saluting
Movies
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 264
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Jacked up hand salutes and jacked up berets are a couple of my pet peeves. Junior enlisted with six rows of ribbons follows pretty close behind.
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The way they talk on radios. I was my squad radio operator, so that never gets past me. That's actually the biggest reason I liked Act of Valor, b/c they spoke on the radio in a correct manner.
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What bothers me most is the depiction of ALL senior–subordinate relationships as if they were drill instructors and recruits at boot camp.
●The subordinates render too many courtesies
●The subordinates stand at attention too often in the presence of the senior
●The senior says, "that's an order" too frequently
●The senior makes or threatens to make the subordinate do push-ups or a menial task
Generally, military personnel and relationships are depicted in a very stereotypical way; military personnel are one-dimensional, arrogant, authoritarian, and simple-minded. I'm sure there's a shorter way of expressing what I'm trying to describe.
●The subordinates render too many courtesies
●The subordinates stand at attention too often in the presence of the senior
●The senior says, "that's an order" too frequently
●The senior makes or threatens to make the subordinate do push-ups or a menial task
Generally, military personnel and relationships are depicted in a very stereotypical way; military personnel are one-dimensional, arrogant, authoritarian, and simple-minded. I'm sure there's a shorter way of expressing what I'm trying to describe.
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The wearing of the beret. Everytime I have seen it worn in a movie/TV it looks like a damn mushroom on their head!!! Can they really not see how wrong and ridiculous it looks? It can't be that difficult to find a consultant to teach them how to properly shape and wear a beret.
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Depiction? that every vet has PTSD. that frustrates the crap out of me and really gets my PTSD going. ;-)
If we're talking about militaria, then for me it's either haircuts or the dress uniform. I was an extra on Homeland, wearing a USMC Major class As with an Army nameplate and some Navy and Army ribbons on the rack. Sigh. Oh, and they had an Air Force Captain sitting at the table in the Situation Room. ugh.
If we're talking about militaria, then for me it's either haircuts or the dress uniform. I was an extra on Homeland, wearing a USMC Major class As with an Army nameplate and some Navy and Army ribbons on the rack. Sigh. Oh, and they had an Air Force Captain sitting at the table in the Situation Room. ugh.
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1. Pilots always flying with O2 masks off and visors up. 2. Navy and Marines referring to helicopters as “choppers.” They are Helos in the sea services. 3. Helo and multi-engine Pilots with boom mikes about 2 inches from their lips. All anyone would hear is the aircraft noise not the pilots voice (boom mikes should touch the lips). Pilots using 2 hands to hold a stick.
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PO1 Robert Wikert
Gollyyy Cdr. nobody would get to see their pretty faces if they had to keep their masks and visors on, that's what they get paid the big bucks for is showing off their good looks. Not their stupidity...
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