milesalpha Reviews

Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)

Excellent British recreation

[7/10 · 22 March 2007]

Just a hint for casual viewers, ignore Mr. Crook's synopsis of the battle, it could not be more incorrect. Bismarck was a full battleship and not commissioned until 1941. Gneisenau and Scharnhost were battle cruisers and much larger than the only actual pocket battleship he mentions, the Graf Spee (there were 2 other pocket battleships in the German fleet).

The film itself is very much in the tradition of British war films, little Hollywood glitz but much more accurate than Hollywood's history films. Very much in the vein of Sink The Bismarck and well worth watching. Graf Spee was the most effective of the German surface raiders but it once again proved that the submarine was a much more cost effective way to destroy shipping.

Loose Change: Second Edition (2005 Video)

Only in America

[1/10 · 21 January 2007]

Nothing could point out the problems with education in the United States better than this video (it is not a movie). Proponents of Dylan Avery and Alex Jones type of junk reject science in favor what they claim is common sense or (and this is very humorous) their high school physics classes.

Years after Avery has put out his first bit of nonsense, there are still no supporters from the scientific community (sorry I cannot count Jones or Wood, they are far afield from their area of expertise). Even the fact that Avery is now trying to put out a third version to correct his previous errors has no effect on his fans, they lap it up blindly. Avery is claiming that the third version will get a general theater release and and one of his producers has claimed a budget of 20 million dollars, only 3 times the budget of Farenheit 9/11. Then again he claimed they would be at Sundance (don't bother to check, they aren't) so their word is worth about the same as their documentary, virtually nothing.

If you feel you must watch this nonsense, please take time to check his facts, for laughs if nothing else. Find the complete video with the flight instructor that Avery claims proves the terrorists could not fly the plane. Avery edited out the part in which the instructor says there is no doubt in his mind that the pilots involved could have crashed the plane into the buildings. Run down the real story of insurance agent Ryan, it is much different from what Avery claims. Find a structural engineer or an architect and ask what they think of Avery's claims. When the final version comes out, find a local historian and ask about the Reichstag fire (Avery has already stated this would be in the third version), he clings to the "nazis did it myth", demonstrating his inability to carry out even easy research.

Avery, Jones and their fans display the kind of thinking that saddled you with the stupidest president of the last 100 years.