A Harbinger of the Knights to Come…

To have a great film you’ve got to have a great story. Like Lennon-McCartney, the two go hand-in-hand: Mutiny on the Bounty, Gone With the Wind, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Casablanca, The Hustler, Damn the Defiant, Lawrence of Arabia, Zulu, The Magnificent Seven (h/t to Akira Kurosawa), Lord Jim, The Great Escape, & The Wild Bunch , just to name a few (a very incomplete list to be sure!)  Anymore – too oft for comfort – stories seem to be tossed into the WC in favor of (or lack thereof compensated with) F/X. Don’t get us wrong: there’s nothing better than terrific F/X – what would Star Wars be without it (ok – basically a Western) but still with a great story!!! Sometimes great stories come in the form of the creator’s mind (as with Star Wars for example). Other times they come in the form of true-to-life real events, such as those that Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell experienced in Lone Survivor. For those not familiar with it, Lone Survivor is the story of SEAL Team 10 during Operation RedWing; in Luttrell’s words:

“a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains.The SEAL team was made up of Luttrell, Michael P. Murphy, Danny Dietz and Matthew Axelson. Luttrell and Axelson were the team’s snipers; Dietz was in charge of communications and Murphy the team leader. A group of goat herders stumbled upon the SEALs, the four SEALs immediately took control of the situation and discussed what to do with the herders. After taking a vote and basing their decision on ROE [Rules of Engagement], Michael Murphy made the final decision to let them go. The herders were subsequently released and disappeared over the mountain ridge. Luttrell believed they immediately betrayed the team’s location to local Taliban forces and within an hour, the SEALs were engaged in an intense gun battle. In the ensuing battle, the rest of the SEAL team members were killed. Team leader Michael P. Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, and Marcus were awarded the Navy Cross. An MH-47 Chinook helicopter was dispatched with a force consisting of SEALs and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “Nightstalkers” to rescue the team, but the helicopter was shot down by an RPG. All 16 men on the Chinook were killed.

Luttrell was the only survivor. Badly wounded, he managed to walk and crawl seven miles to evade capture. He was given shelter by an Afghan tribe, who alerted the Americans of his presence, and American forces finally rescued him six days after the gun battle. Following his physical recovery from Operation Redwing, Marcus went back and completed one more tour before being medically retired. He then wrote the book, Lone Survivor, to share the amazing story of his brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Bottom Line: it’s about Brotherhood, which is a Knight’s Creed. These men lived, slept, fought, and died together. That is the soldier’s lot & has been since the dawn of time. In the end, they fight more for one another than the flag, Mom, & apple pie. The lives of the men next to them are paramount. Their struggles with the omnipresent possibility of death, harsh – most often severe – surroundings far away from home or family, creates a bond between them that never dies, never fades. Try talking to any Veteran of the Battle of the Bulge or Chosin Reservoir, for example: there’s a bond between them & their comrades that is special & cannot be penetrated, neither by siblings, wives or children.  That Brotherhood is Chivalry & one of the most important principles of chivalry is that of Loyalty, in not letting down a fellow brother. But what should come first – Kindred Brother of Spirit & Esprit de Corps or Brother of Flesh & Blood?  Like Damocles’ Sword, it hangs over their heads.  And a double-edged sword it can be. That is the prime question we will explore in THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death. Without Chivalric principles, the story wouldn’t exist.

THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death Cast Member Edwin H Bravo (on right) as ATKA clowning on set of ‘Harbinger Down’ with Michael Estime (on left), as DOCK.

Update: It’s finally here folks!!! The trailer for Harbinger Down in which you will see THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death Cast Member Edwin H Bravo: See it here!!! Impressive. Has a “Deadliest Catch” meets “Aliens” feel to it. How ironic that Lance Henriksen is in both!!!  We earnestly look forward to the premier!!! As heretofore stated, Director Alec Gillis comes by this genre well: he’s made an indelible mark in it and knows creature & creature effects, having worked with the Stan Winston Studio several times before. If anyone knows creature/creature effects, it was the legendary Stan Winston & the studio he created. We would be remiss in not pointing out that Gillis’ next project also stars Lance Henriksen along with the terrific Malcolm McDowell as well as Armand Assante, Richard Moll, & Francesca Eastwood. 

They’re # 1!!! Robert Walker, Jackie Tepper, Joanna Tepper, & Mo Fitzgibbon win Best Music Video at Dances With Film 2014!!!

Stay tuned: MASTERS OF WAR:Soldiers of Distinction teaser/sizzle reel being updated with some new graphics!!! Should have it ready in just a few days. As previously mentioned, we already have international distribution on the show, but why not talk to the networks anyway? It’s nice going in knowing we already have that in our back pocket. And thanks to Robert Walker & Mo Fitzgibbon of Walker-Fitzgibbon.com for all their help & assistance in this process. And they just scored a major success – winning Best Music Video – Joanna Tepper’s “Save the Children”  at Dances With Film Festival 2014!!!!  Go here to see all thepix!!!  Kudos & Congrats Guys!!! Take a Bow – You Deserve It!!!!

More on R.E. Wilhelm’s “The Abandoned Dead” as updates warrant. Director Mark W Curran’s keeping a tight lid on info!!! Similar to us and “Scorched Earth: The Other Side of World War II.” :<D You can see his other film, Barker Daniels written & directed by Michael Moutsatsos  Facebook page here.

Stay tuned, lots more on the way!!!

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Stay Chivalrous, My Friends