Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

grendelkhan The Odd Angry Shot is a small Australian film that highlights the lives of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. To a large segment of America, it is surprising to discover that we weren't the only ones in the war. Australian soldiers were also there (as were soldiers from the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Taiwan). The film looks at a group of friends from the Australian Special Air Service Regiment. Like the UK, the Australian SAS are the Australian Army's top special forces unit, and they were a tough, professional group.The film showcases the camaraderie of the men, as they swap jokes, while killing time in camp. That is, until a mortar attack hammers home that they are in a war. Things start to get more serious as they move out into the jungle for patrols, which seem to accomplish little, except increase casualties.The film makes a strong anti-war statement by showcasing how soldiers get through things, by fighting for each other, since the geopolitics don't make sense. Lead actor Graham Kennedy gets to express a lot of soldier's sentiments about how politicians dump them into the mess, while they just try to stay alive and get back home. Many veterans throughout the world can sympathize with those words.The film was rather low budget and looks sparse, compared to bigger American productions, like Apocalypse Now and Platoon. However, they got big bang for their buck, thanks to cooperation from the Australian army and by picking strong moments. The battles are small, but the focus is on the tight group within the troop. We see them laugh, fight, party, and cry together, as real soldiers do.This is definitely one to seek out, rather than some of the more propaganda oriented films of recent years, or some of the bigger budget American films. It's more intimate and less clichéd, with a fine cast of both actors and characters.

petelowery William (Bill, in the film) Nagle, author of the book is listed in "Sleeping with your ears open" (I think) as a Member of A Squadron SASR and credited as the writer of The Odd Angry Shot.He wasn't yankee special forces, he was an Aussie digger.As for the weapon handling... don't forget, they had "a soldiers five" on how to use a sub cal SLR or M16, then had to film it! Tactics, spacing etc... When you have to fit 3-5 actors into a single shot, they need to be a bit too close for tactical purposes.... Even Andy McNab admitted this about the filming of Bravo 20.Budget?.... Meh.... Pfft! I don't reckon it was supposed to achieve as much success as it actually did. A big budget might've turned it into a hack Hollywood epic with famous last stands and bayonet charges to justify the expense.... That would have ruined the brilliant result.

lone-ranger I have seen this film 2-3 times and it haunts me still. Absolutely one of THE best Vietnam war films. It stands (in my humble opinion) right at the top of the tree above "Full Metal Jacket" and "Platoon". The attention to detail, the painstaking portrayal of military ops (endless preparation and all...), the loooooong periods of boredom interspersed with the short, frantic, terrifying engagements with the enemy... Perhaps most tellingly, the grim gallows humour of the men right at the sharp end, the men actually doing the job who in the midst of all the horror, manage to ease the stress by finding the funny side of it all. A film you don't see shown that often. If you get the chance, see it. I guarantee you will not forget it.

Bob-406 This film is rarely shown, but is available on video if you hunt around. It is a minor classic and stars a young Bryan Brown and a Graham Kennedy before his crow imitating newsreader days.Whether it portrays the SAS realistically is a moot point, but this was the Australian SAS in the late sixties/early seventies and reference to Australian Books such as the "Phantoms of the Jungle", suggest that the Swanbourne troops went through Vietnam in the way portrayed.The film is worth watching not for the overdone anti-war message but the black humour and jokes. The presentation of the shoebox contraption to the pardre is worth watching in itself.