WW2 Pacific? (1 Viewer)

[Gideon]

I remember unpacking the first shipment of King & Country's IWJ series. Back then, the figures were like these nicely painted lumps of lead but there was nothing out there that told that story in miniature the way these figures did.

For us, the first and second release did really well. I couldn't keep them in stock. This most recent release did not do well for me.

WWII is a really slanted topic in miniature. In the American psyche, its a conflict between America and Germany with England kind of peppered in there. Forget about the Canadians, French Resistance - when I was in high school, we didn't learn about the involvment of any other nation except for America, England and Japan.

This is why, I believe, that it is a tougher sell commercially speaking. You can make every facet of the German or American army and have a market for it - as long as it is DDay moving forward.

 

[OzDigger]

Oz,
Speaking of movies, have you had a chance to see "Kokoda" and if so, what are your thoughts? Consider that I am into battles/action/combat such as Saving Private Ryan, but I am also into a good story such as Days of Glory........

Regards,
George

Hi George, I saw Kokoda at the cinema and bought the dvd when it came out. It's a full on war movie that pulls no punches in depicting a clash between well trained Japanese Marines and a group of young, inexperienced and poorly equiped Aussie militia pending the arrival of regular Australian soldiers.

I think it was an excellent movie that brought home the real horrors of fighting in a jungle environment. Although made by film school graduates the movie had the appearance of a big budget picture but with the true to life aspect that you only seem to get when money making is not the objective.

What did you think of it?

 

[Harrytheheid]

Hi George, I saw Kokoda at the cinema and bought the dvd when it came out. It's a full on war movie that pulls no punches in depicting a clash between well trained Japanese Marines and a group of young, inexperienced and poorly equiped Aussie militia pending the arrival of regular Australian soldiers.

I think it was an excellent movie that brought home the real horrors of fighting in a jungle environment. Although made by film school graduates the movie had the appearance of a big budget picture but with the true to life aspect that you only seem to get when money making is not the objective.

What did you think of it?

I seem to recall posting about this movie a few months ago. I thought it was extremely well done.

Cheers
H

 

[redhugh]

Don't give up yet jrsteel, the profile of the pacific war may yet be lifted and Mr Speilberg and Hanks may do for the Pacific War what Band of Brothers did for the European theatre.

The Pacific, a 10-part sequel to Spielberg's Band of Brothers, is currently being shot in Melbourne and Port Douglas.

“The Pacific” follows the stories of the two authors, as well as that of fellow Marine John Basilone, as they the fight against Japan across the entire Asian theater.
But despite the similarities between “The Pacific” and “Brothers,” HBO Films topper Colin Callender noted that the new project will dramatize how the Asian war “profoundly differed from the European front. This was a different sort of war fighting a different sort of enemy.”

The Pacific will be produced by HBO Films, in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television. The production will be based at Melbourne Central City Studios in Melbourne, Victoria, with filming to take place in Melbourne, where US troops camped in 1943, and Far North Queensland.

The Pacific is based on the books With the Old Breed, by Eugene Sledge, which was hailed by historian Paul Fussell as “one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war”, and Helmet for My Pillow, by Robert Leckie (recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Annual Award), as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers

Due to screen early 2009, so you can tell Britains & K&C to start scheduling the early 2009 releases

 

[damian]

Airfix had a few good plastic Pacific sets back in the 1970's. Their Aussies, Gurkhas and Japanese were some of my favorite sets.
They seemed to sell OK then.
Regards
Damian

 

[gk5717]

Great news on the series "Pacific". I thought I read a while back that it was cancelled.
Gary

 

[redhugh]

Great news on the series "Pacific". I thought I read a while back that it was cancelled.
Gary

No they are filming in Melbourne a while now, they are closing down the city centre for a whole weekend for filming at begining of Feb, unfortunately I'll not be around, otherwise would try and get a few pics

 

[PolarBear]

The latest series of Japanese for K&C

1.I agree the sculpts and painting are outstanding.

2. Gen Kuribayashi is outstanding.

3. The new action figures are all too similar in appearance and in what they are doing.

4. I would love to have some non-combatant figures to go with the General, such as other officers, staff, soldiers doing chores and preparations on the island like in "Letters from Iwo Jima". Perhaps a variety of single figures such as Andy does with FOB, WWI and most recently the new items for AK.

So the bottom line for me personally was that there just wasn't enough variety in uniforms or activities in the last release. So Andy or Richard at WB don't give up on those of us who love the Pacific. Try a few new single figures as I describe above.

Randy

 

[jazzeum]

Further to this thread, there are a couple of good books out there (out of obviously hundreds or thousands) on the subject. One is Ronald Spector's "Eagle Against the Sun," which I read years ago and thought was very good. It's available from Amazon. Another one is Max Hasting's new book (not yet available in the US but available from Amazon UK), which I've just started, called "Nemesis" about the war against Japan 1944-1945. It doesn't just focus on the Pacific to my knowledge.

 

[PolarBear]

One of the earlier Iwo sets from K&C with palm tree backdrop--PB

"Death in Paradise": "U.S. Marine William O'Brien of Lexington, Mass. does battle with a Japanese infantryman amidst the beauty of a South Seas island."

 

[jrsteel]

Don't give up yet jrsteel, the profile of the pacific war may yet be lifted and Mr Speilberg and Hanks may do for the Pacific War what Band of Brothers did for the European theatre.

The Pacific, a 10-part sequel to Spielberg's Band of Brothers, is currently being shot in Melbourne and Port Douglas.

“The Pacific” follows the stories of the two authors, as well as that of fellow Marine John Basilone, as they the fight against Japan across the entire Asian theater.
But despite the similarities between “The Pacific” and “Brothers,” HBO Films topper Colin Callender noted that the new project will dramatize how the Asian war “profoundly differed from the European front. This was a different sort of war fighting a different sort of enemy.”

The Pacific will be produced by HBO Films, in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television. The production will be based at Melbourne Central City Studios in Melbourne, Victoria, with filming to take place in Melbourne, where US troops camped in 1943, and Far North Queensland.

The Pacific is based on the books With the Old Breed, by Eugene Sledge, which was hailed by historian Paul Fussell as “one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war”, and Helmet for My Pillow, by Robert Leckie (recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Annual Award), as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers

Due to screen early 2009, so you can tell Britains & K&C to start scheduling the early 2009 releases

Yes I've been following the development of this series. Hope it will be as good as Band Of Brothers which was probably the greatest thing ever on TV.
What is the area of Port Douglas like? Is it a good double for the Pacific islands? Do you know if they're actually filming anything on Guadalcanal?

 

[Warrior]

Oz and Harry,
I haven't had the chance to see the movie as of yet; it popped up here for only a short time in some of the smaller theaters and I never had the chance to go see it. I wanted to buy it on DVD, but have been told it is only available on DVD's that can be viewed on the European version DVD players (why there are two types of DVD players is beyond me), so I have to wait until it is available in the correct format.

Oz, thanks as usual for your courtesy................

Regards,
George

 

[Currahee Chris]

Unfortunately, my Pacific war items are sparce. I think it is a great theater of ops but for whatever reason, it isn't on most collectors radar screens. Why not?? Not sure really- one look at Carlos's Museum quality dioramas should sell anyone.

It is fairly well represented at wargaming shows I attend- it is also pretty well represented in plastic figures too.

Wargamers also give TREMENDOUS attention to the War on the Eastern Front, but alas, it appears to be a dead duck for the most part for TS Collectors.

From a collector's perspective, I haven't given up on it either or the Eastern Front for that matter. I'm holding out to see if it picks back up, which, I think everyone hopes it does. Right now though, Nazi Germany just DOMINATES the TS world.

 

[jrsteel]

Unfortunately, my Pacific war items are sparce. I think it is a great theater of ops but for whatever reason, it isn't on most collectors radar screens. Why not?? Not sure really- one look at Carlos's Museum quality dioramas should sell anyone.

It is fairly well represented at wargaming shows I attend- it is also pretty well represented in plastic figures too.

Wargamers also give TREMENDOUS attention to the War on the Eastern Front, but alas, it appears to be a dead duck for the most part for TS Collectors.

From a collector's perspective, I haven't given up on it either or the Eastern Front for that matter. I'm holding out to see if it picks back up, which, I think everyone hopes it does. Right now though, Nazi Germany just DOMINATES the TS world.

Chris you are right. Nazi Germany dominates the hobby right now. You couldn't even say WW2 dominates. It's specifically Nazi Germany. I'll never understand why and I find it disturbing that's the way the hobby has gone.

 

[OzDigger]

Oz and Harry,
I haven't had the chance to see the movie as of yet; it popped up here for only a short time in some of the smaller theaters and I never had the chance to go see it. I wanted to buy it on DVD, but have been told it is only available on DVD's that can be viewed on the European version DVD players (why there are two types of DVD players is beyond me), so I have to wait until it is available in the correct format.

Oz, thanks as usual for your courtesy................

Regards,
George

George, most of the more recent dvd players can handle PAL and NTSC dvds in any of the region codes and they are very cheap because they have to compete with the new blueray and HD dvd players coming out.

 

[redhugh]

Yes I've been following the development of this series. Hope it will be as good as Band Of Brothers which was probably the greatest thing ever on TV.
What is the area of Port Douglas like? Is it a good double for the Pacific islands? Do you know if they're actually filming anything on Guadalcanal?

Here's a link with a photo from the filming of The Pacific of the troops storming the beach at guadacanal (queensland really)
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22264181-2862,00.html

 

[damian]

The recent K & C Iwo Jima sets were well detailed imo. However most of the poses were lying or kneeling subjects which aren't as popular as the more upright poses. They were also nearly all battle-action poses rather than the more sedentary poses that collectors seem to like in dios.

Oz
I don't think the Aussies at Milne Bay or the Yanks at Iwo Jima had much time to sit around and drink cups of tea. It was only those chaps at Market Garden who did that.

Regards
Damian Clarke

 

[OzDigger]

Oz
I don't think the Aussies at Milne Bay or the Yanks at Iwo Jima had much time to sit around and drink cups of tea. It was only those chaps at Market Garden who did that.

Regards
Damian Clarke

true, but only if you base a set or a range of sets on actual battle(s), which is why I feel it's a better idea to name set(s) after a theatre. That way you can include a wider range of beligerents and poses and have it an ongoing thing with new sets each year.

 

[Harrytheheid]

Oz
I don't think the Aussies at Milne Bay or the Yanks at Iwo Jima had much time to sit around and drink cups of tea. It was only those chaps at Market Garden who did that.

Regards
Damian Clarke

Damian,
Never underestimate the rejuvenating powers of a nice cuppa char. Besides, everyone knows "Americans Drink Coffee"*

* Boston Tea Party by the Alex Harvey Band

Cheers
H

 

[Chuck Harris]

I was fine with Andy's answer until I got to the end and he had to include his snide comments. He's entirely too thin skinned. I can say on this forum I don't like particular figures. I think a lot of the stuff he does is great like Americans at Battle Of The Bulge 8th, Army etc. I don't like everything Britains does either.
I understand Richard's reply about scenery. Phony looking palm trees look bad.
But I'm just into the figures. I guess Figarti makes good vehicles but I don't think their figures are good yet.

jrsteel

Ease up a bit. We all like different style and the way thing look. We're collecting toy soldiers. Give people some slack and have fun.