Journalhttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/en-US2008-11-22T17:15:34ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Dog Days of Summer House Cleaninghttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/8/7/dog-days-of-summer-house-cleaning.htmlChris2008-08-07T23:04:46ZSquarespace released a major update of their software, and so the last few days I have been at work updating templates and making basic revisions to the style of the blog. A quick survey of some of the older journal posts in the archieve showed a number of broken links and corrections that need to be made. The content on the links page and the Amazon Armor List also in needs of a major cleanup effort.

]]>Beltring 16-20 July 2008http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/7/19/beltring-16-20-july-2008.htmlChris2008-07-19T20:54:02ZPictures from this year's Beltring show are slowly making their way on the net. A large number of pictures can already be found in the official galleries of this year's War and Peace Show. In addition a number of individuals attending the show are already posting images. Dennis Trowbridge has some great photos of with galleries for vintage WW2 Allied and German armour and softskins (with some replicas). Post war AFVs are also included.

]]>Tali-Ihantala's T-54/55 based KV-1 and ISU-152http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/6/29/tali-ihantalas-t-5455-based-kv-1-and-isu-152.htmlChris2008-06-29T19:06:11ZI was wrong about the KV-1 in the Finish film Tali-Ihantala 1944. Photos of the KV-1 and ISU-152 used during the filming have now surfaced on the G503 Message Forum. From the photos the vehicles are clearly VISMODs based on a T-54/55 chassis. Both prop vehicles are very good replicas considering the inherent visual limitations of the T-54/55 chassis and running gear. An acedemic case could be made that a post-war Swiss Panzer 61 or Panzer 68/88 might provide a better looking KV-1 or ISU-152 replicas. Two Swiss Panzers were converted into German Panzer IIIs for the 2001 film Enemy at the Gates and at least one of these vehicles can be seen in trailers for the soon to be released film Defiance. The layout of the chassis, design of the running gear and size of the road wheels would suggest that that a Pz.61 or Pz.68/88 could be converted into a very respectable KV-1, KV-2, or ISU-152 prop. However, the T-54/55 is one of the most widely manufactured tanks of all time and the Finish army was long time user. The availability of vehicles suitable for film prop conversions, spare parts and a deep pool of knowledgeable mechanics makes the decision to use a T-54/55 a surrogate for a prop KV-1 a no brainer.

As a final note, Mikko Makela's post on G503 hints that the Parola Armor Museum intends to restore at least one of its two KV-1s and maybe the museum's lone ISU-152 to running condition.

The Hat Tip goes to Daimyo on the Axis History Forum for correcting me and leading me to the Mikko Makela post on G503.

]]>Tanks of Tali-Ihantala 1944http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/6/8/tanks-of-tali-ihantala-1944.htmlChris2008-06-08T19:31:11ZIts a lazy Sunday afternoon, but here are a few behind the scenes video clips of the StuG IIIs and T-34-85s used in the making of the Finish war movie Tali-Ihantala 1944. The two disc DVD of this film has just been released, but I have yet get my hands on a copy. The StuG IIIs shown are veterans of Continuation War and excellent photos of Finish armor used during and after the war can be found on Andreas Lärka's website www.andreaslarka.net

Update: clips from Tali-Ihatala slowly making it on to Youtube after the DVD release last week. In addition to the StuG IIIs, T-34s, and T-26s, ~~there is a KV-1~~! ~~I did not even know Parola KV-1 was a runner!~~

Update: The KV-1 and ISU-152 used in the film are props based on T-54/55 chassis.

]]>Weta's Mark IV Replica on the Movehttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/6/4/wetas-mark-iv-replica-on-the-move.htmlChris2008-06-04T22:01:11ZIn November of 2005 I wrote a brief post on the replica World War I British Mark IV tank built in New Zealand by Peter Jackson's team at Weta. The vehicle has shown up at the Classic Fighters Marlborough (Omaka Air Show) several years running. The following are three Youtube videos from the 2007 event showing the Mark IV replica in action.

]]>Red Dawn Remake?http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/5/18/red-dawn-remake.htmlChris2008-05-18T19:27:06ZAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, MGM is considering a Red Dawn remake.

I have to confess that I cringed when I first read the news. My first reaction is that remaking Red Dawn would be like remaking Road Warrior. Yes, a new production could use real surplus T-72s, BTR-60s, BMP-2s, BRDM-2, and maybe even get one or two real Hind Helicopters. I am sure someone could also come up with a new and improved Black Interceptor, but the question is why?

]]>Retro Lozenge Revisitedhttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/5/11/retro-lozenge-revisited.htmlChris2008-05-11T22:10:56ZThe Poelcapelle 1917 Association, a Flemish World War I reenactment group is building a full scale replica British Mark IV tank. In progress photos can be found on the group's blog. Its unclear at the moment if the replica will be able to run under its own power or even if it will have working tracks?

The hat tip goes to Rob on the Landships WW1 Forum.

Update: Not speaking Flemish it has been a bit hard to dig up more information about this project. I will keep trying to find the email of someone in the group, but if anyone on the Continent has more information about this project please feel to free to email me.

]]>Hizbollah's Propaganda Machinehttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2008/4/22/hizbollahs-propaganda-machine.htmlChris2008-04-22T19:37:03Z

Time's Fake Tank Complete with Hizbollah Approved Caption Its been a while since I posted anything so I don't feel bad about writing a post about a 8 mouth old picture from Time Magazine (15 August 2007 Issue). Last summer Hizballah opened the appropriately named Spider Web Museum among the ruins of a bombed out building outside of Beirut, Lebanon. Built to commemorate their 34 day war with Israel in the summer of 2006, the museum contained a number of elaborately staged propaganda scenes filled with real and faux artifacts of the conflict. Prominent among the Spider Web's exhibits was a captured Israeli Merkava tank displayed dramatically in the bottom of a bomb crater. The captured wreck of one of the IDF's most formable and well protected main battle tanks makes for an impressive display, too bad it's a fake.

Playing the part of the captured Israeli Merkava is a cosmetically altered Soviet manufactured T-55 tank. To be fair to Time's militarily challenged editors and journalists, the T-55 had at one time served in the IDF and it had fallen into Hizballah hands. The vehicle had been one of a number of Soviet supplied T-55s captured from Arab armies during the 1967 and 1972 wars. Over the next 20 years the renamed Tiran 5s were heavily modified by replacing power packs and main guns as part of IDF upgrade and standardization programs. During 1980's Israel began to phase out the Tirans and in the process turned over a number of Tirans to their South Lebanese Army (SLA) allies. The vehicle at the "Spider" was abandoned by the collapsing South Lebanese Army (SLA) during the summer of 2000 (For more on SLA Tirans and other vehicles see: Moustafa El-Assad's "Blue Steel" series of books).

~~No longer in running condition,~~ At some point between 2000 and 2007 the tank turned up at Hizballah's prop shop and began its transformation into a Merkava. With sheet steel appendages added to the turret and hull to give the rough shape of a Merkava the derelict vehicle went on to be used as a prop in Hizballah propaganda videos promoting the tank killing abilities of organization. In one video sequence the fake Merkava in question can be seen siting stationary in a muddy field flying an Israeli flag.
A few moments later a massive explosion is detonated under the tank.

Screen Capture from YouTube - Fake Merkava Just Before Explosion
Exploding Dummy Merkava - No Hollywood Gasoline Fire Balls

Great theater for Hizballah faithful, but hardly worthy of the more grandiose gasoline fueled fire ball explosions that Western audiences have come to expect! Maybe a copy of "Saving Private Ryan" could be sent to the Hizballah special effects department?

It can be safely assumed that after filming the wreck was dumped in the crater at the "Spider" to continue its role in Hizbollah's on going deception and propaganda operations.

Update: The hat tip for this post goes to Joe D. on the AFV News Discussion Group. See here.

Update: I was wrong again. Turns out that the VISMOD "Merkava" was a runner before the staged IED detonation. Photos of the vehicle in operation can be seen here. Hat Tip goes to Roy Lingle on AFV News who lead me to a post by Dark Avenager on militaryphotos.net. It turns out the photos were on Yahoo! News.

]]>T-34 Theatrehttp://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2007/12/16/t-34-theatre.htmlChris2007-12-16T22:13:19Z

Art House T-34I found this interesting theatre prop for sale by a Dr. Jackob Barnea on www.milweb.net in the vehicle park section under "Armour & Tracked"

"This vehicle was constructed and builded for a theatre. Body completely iron. The tower can be turned left and right, the cannon can be moved up and down. An interesting exhibit. Moveable. Weight about 800 kilo. For transportation its possible to split the body in 3 parts. £8,000.
0043-664-1010300"

Any guess at the scale? Could it be a full-scale? Wonder what the girl friend would say if this showed up...?

]]>Top of My Christmas Wish List: "Theirs is the Glory"http://filmpanzer.squarespace.com/journal/2007/12/16/top-of-my-christmas-wish-list-theirs-is-the-glory.htmlChris2007-12-16T21:01:21Z Theirs%20is%20the%20Glory%20Cover.jpg

I finally found a reasonably priced DVD copy of the 1946 classic docu-drama "Theirs is the Glory" from RZM.com. Maybe if you live in the UK this title is easier to come by, but your not going to find it in the Walmart bargain DVD bin here in the States or for that matter even on Ebay or Amazon.com until just recently. The vehicle props and on location shots are legendary, but to be able to watch actual veterans of Arnheim re-enact the battle less than two years after it ended, that is priceless!
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