9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Welcome to this year's Historical Challenge. Time is counting down, and I decided to run the Challenge when Trevor asked for a volunteer.

Challenge runs Dusk on May 24 - Dawn on July 1 2018. Memorial Day weekend is a bonus if you aren't participating in another challenge or want to take a break from it.
Movies and TV content about an historical figure, event or period are eligible.
Genres also include Westerns, War Movies, Biographical films and Period Films.
Documentaries of any sort. I liked Travis's rule on that, so I'm bringing it back.
Zeitgeist Wild Cards. These are for films that aren't technically period films, but are time capsules of their era. Films like Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, Saturday Night Fever, Valley Girl. They might have been contemporary when released, but they forever represent their time periods. We have three on the checklist, but the actual amount is unlimited.

Total counts really aren't as important in this challenge. Most of the eligible films tend to be rather long, so go ahead and watch Lawrence of Arabia or Barry Lyndon. You can count however you wish. Each episode can count as a single entry rather than the standard 2 broadcast hours equals an entry.

If you have specific questions about a film's eligibility, then please ask in the thread.

Don't abuse the Zeitgeist Wild Card. We're talking the type of film you would consider dressing up as at a theme party. For instance, Vanishing Point takes place in the 70s and is dated, but you wouldn't say it represents what we think of as the 70s, compared to something like Billy Jack, with its 70s era hippies/Kung fu pseudo-spiritualism cheesiness.

I'm allowing in time travel fantasy as long as the time travel is just an element to get the character to the past. Examples would be A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Voyagers!, Outlander, Life on Mars, Quantum Leap, and the like. We're not talking something like Doctor Who, but programs where the protagonist is put back to previous time period and has to deal with it in a non sci-fi way. Fish out of water type stories or those with strong history elements. You can back load these on the final day so they can count for the Sci-Fi challenge but you are welcome to watch them whenever you wish for this challenge.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

I hope people enjoy this Challenge. I liked Caligula's idea of making the Challenge a fun one, so I'm easy on what counts. I'll post the list thread later today, as I am counting Memorial Day Weekend as starting at Sunset tonight.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

Thank you. It was getting late and I haven't heard anything on this, until now.
So count me in.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

Thanks for starting this. Can it be titled as the discussion thread?

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

I'm in. What about extending the deadline to midnight on July 4, or allowing July 4 as an "extra" day, like Memorial Day weekend? (I've always felt that the challenge should run from Memorial Day Weekend until July 4.)

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

I requested a change to the title thread. Thanks for pointing this out. I wasn't home when I posted it and used my tablet to create the thread.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

As I said, I'm easy. How does a challenge running from Memorial Day Weekend to July 4th sound?

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

List thread is up.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

Since it was asked for, I decided to let the Challenge start on Memorial Day weekend, rather than just bonus time. It will begin at sunset tonight whenever that time is for you.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

:up:

:up:

:up:

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

When is this?

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

It runs from Sunset tonight to Dawn on July 5.

I kicked off my Challenge with an episode of Animal Fight Night , on Nat Geo Wild. I’ve always enjoyed the programming on that channel.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

^ I was just making a joke about your lack of days/year in the thread title.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

As I said, used my tablet to post the thread. But the date is in the first post.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge
 

I requested that the dates be put in too.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Whoever stickied the list thread, thank you.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

^^ :wave: you're welcome!

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Thanks, Giles :)

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Maybe Giles could also unsticky the TV list thread :lol:

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like working on this Challenge. I found a true crime documentary on the Justice Network, called Psychic Investigators . It was an interesting episode where a psychic saw the murder of a missing family man.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

oops, I totally did not see that it was still there ... derp ...

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I thought all the black and white episodes of Gunsmoke were the half hour Marshall Dillon shows. I was wrong. I just finished a black and white episode of Gunsmoke on Insp, that was an hour. It was a good episode, about a man who hired some gunslingers to take out Matt. Bruce Dern was even one of them.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Not your fault. I thought about alerting a mod multiple times but was kind of amused to see it still sitting there. :)

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

In order to honor the late, great R. Lee Ermey this Memorial Day, Outdoor Channel is airing a marathon of Gunny Time With R. Lee Ermey. I just caught my first ever episode of the show, and in this episode he was talking about and demonstrating rare WW2 sub machine guns.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

JOE29. I saw your comment about Curse Of The Jade Scorpion . You don’t need to use a wild card for it, as taking place in the 40s, it counts.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

In case anyone is on VUDU, there are a number of documentaries.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Ok. Thanks. I thought it might be cause it wasn't a military, war picture.
I'll remove that part of my comment.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I finished the BBC Documentary series, Africa yesterday, and moved on to finish Season 5 of Ancient Aliens. I have one episode left in that season. I also finished The Life Of Birds a few days ago. I keep forgetting to mail it back, as I’ve been always running around before going to town lately. When I mail it in, the next Netflix DVD will start the original Carl Sagan hosted, Cosmos .

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

^You mentioning Africa caused me to pull out my new(ish - purchased the DVD over a year ago, never made time for it, upgraded it to BR before Christmas) copy and start it

I just finished the episode on the Kalahari. That "starlight" camera they have is simply amazing! What an improvement over "nightvision" lenses! I'd like to see more documentary material filmed with that technology!

Before starting Africa I watched The Hunt. It was quite good and has some amazing footage of a Blue Whale feeding.

I watched Cosmos during its original run. I'd not yet purchased a VHS machine (young married - no money) so had to make sure I was at home when it came on. I remember distinctly that the city was paving the street in front of our house and we lost power half-way through one of the episodes. I purchased a copy of the series on DVD a couple of years ago and greatly enjoyed another viewing. The visual effects technology used dates it a bit but otherwise it's still quite good and, IMHO, far superior to the remake done a few years back. It's one of those rare series for which I've purchased a spare copy.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I plan to make time for The Hunt this month too. I bought the series on Google Play a few months back.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Had to suffer through Chicago today. The wife wanted to watch a movie. So I picked one that would be good for the challenge that was acceptable for her. Good sounding DVD though. I was happy with my sound system. Be back to my usual picks after this one.

Moved on to The Viet Nam War- Ken Burns. Fascinating. I taped it off of TV, PBS Station months ago. I don't have the whole series taped just a few different episodes so I can't view the whole series for the challenge.
Fascinating and frightening at the same time. I'll have to get the full DVD set at a later time.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

While browsing Netflix, I came across a show that looked interesting, Race Of Life. It's a series about the race to survive in the animal kingdom. I just watched the first two episodes, and have to say that it is indeed an interesting and enjoyable show.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I’ve been working my way through Blue Planet the last few days. I’ve already finished all of the regular episodes, and am just about done with the bonus disc. I only have one episode left on that disc.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Grit has a lot of good movies and television shows that work for this Challenge. I just finished watching a good episode of Zane Grey Theatre, that starred Howard Keel and a young Michael Landon. Keel played a gunman who wanted to retire.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Today marks the 73rd Anniversary of the start of Operation Overlord. 74 years ago today the Allies began Operation Neptune (aka D-Day), the invasion that would mark the beginning of the end for The Third Reich.

The Battle of Midway was in its 3rd day and would end on June 7th with the sinking of The Yorktown.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I should watch something for that.

I finally caught up with Spotlight and made it a "good-guy journalist" double feature with The Post. Coincidentally, John Slattery's character in the first is the son of Tom Hanks' character in the latter. Spotlight seems like the better film, but I liked both.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I'd love to watch The Longest Day as I have a new(ish) BR of that one. Downer is I don't get home from choir practice until ~7:30, don't usually get to sit down for a movie until 8:00-8:30, and that's a 3 hour movie! I don't know if I'd be able to stay awake long enough.

Maybe I should start Band of Brothers tonight. I should be able to get in the first two episodes, which mostly deal with D-Day.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

My Blu-Ray copy of THE GREAT SILENCE arrived yesterday and I watched it last night. Finally a version that does the film justice! The new restoration is great!

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

I was browsing Google Play on my tablet and noticed something new. At least on the Android version, Google Play has free content listed. Items are either free episodes right on Google Play, or also shown is links to free content on other apps, such as movies and other television shows with free episodes. I just watched a Season 7 episode of Expedition Unknown about the Vikings. An interesting thing to note is that the word Bluetooth actually came from a Viking King. The symbol for it is even a combination of two Nordic runes that spelled out his name.

Re: 9th Annual Historical Challenge *Discussion Thread* May 24-July 5 2018
 

Finally caught up with Dunkirk last night. Not quite what I expected, but good. I guess I was thinking it had less action because last year I watched Their Finest, dealing with the same events from a different (homefront) perspective.

Also bingeing Masters of Sex--I never finished the first season years ago so I started over from the beginning. I love the lead actors.

Man, I started Band of Brothers years ago and never finished, but I'd love to sit down and get to it someday. I'll see if I can fit it in this month.

My choir concerts were last weekend so I'm done with rehearsals till the fall. :)