Starting tomorrow (May 30th--Memorial Day) and continuing all week, the History Channel will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with related programming. The first special (Gettysburg) promises to be a "don't-miss-it" event. Airing at 9pm eastern on History, this two hour special will depict the battle of Gettysburg like it has never been seen before, utilizing the gut wrenching visuals of CGI.
I must admit that I am not a Civil War fanatic, although I certainly understand how it can be a magnificent and horrifying backdrop for many cinema masterpieces from old (Gone with the Wind) to new (Glory). What really caught my attention when I first saw the promos for this event was that it was executive produced by British film directors extraordinaire Ridley and Tony Scott. Ridley is best known for two of the best sci-fi movies ever made (Bladerunner and Alien) while his younger brother Tony is the action film auteur, with Top Gun, The Crimson Tide and Unstoppable in his repertoire. The Scott endorsement sealed the deal for me...my DVR is already set to record "Gettysburg" tomorrow. Take a look at the promo below to see if you'll be there too. That haunting music in the background (by the way) is a cover of the old Kate Bush song, "Running up that Hill".
To Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins for your service and bravery 40 years ago, we thank you.
To all the men and women of NASA and related industries who's brilliance and diligence helped put humans on the moon, we thank you.
To all the people of the world who support space exploration and dream (as we do) of going boldly where no man has gone before...we thank you.
To all the television networks and Internet websites who remembered with their coverage this historic day, the Flaming Nose says a very heart felt thank you. Especially to the History Channel which featured the original CBS telecast of the Apollo landing narrated by the unforgettable news anchor Walter Cronkite, who just passed away this week.
Forty years ago people all over the earth put their differences on pause, to watch humans take the first step towards the stars. May it happen again in my life time.
Next stop...Mars. (Imagine how great it will look on HDTV!)
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