Posted on 05/26/2015 8:00:06 PM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
Anyone watching the miniseries on History Channel? I missed part 1. Watching second. Not that great but I haven't changed the channel yet.
I thought Texas was sinking........
I saw part one last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, but have no idea whether it’s historically accurate; I’m a Canuck who’s essentially clueless about the history of Texas.
I read an article about the series which said it was bad history. I thought I would watch it anyway.
Well it only took around 10 minutes before I had, had enough. Maybe it got better but I will never know.
I was told earlier that people in Texas are disgusted as it is not historically accurate.
I’m DVRing it.probably watch it in the next few days.
Well, when they got to the part about the transgendered midget Texas Rangers dropping a nuclear bomb on the Egyptians at the Battle of Pearl Bailey in order to liberate the Martians, I figured the history was a bit off.
I’m a Texan and I’m enjoying it. They’re depicting the Texans as largely heroic. They’re not ignorant racist hicks fighting off inferior Mexicans, though they put a few of those types in there. In general, I like the character of all the main characters.
They are taking a lot of liberties though.
The ultra left-wing Guardian dumped on this show like hell —they utterly loathe it.
Sez it’s a show about hating Mexicans and Indians, etc, etc.
That means it’s super good.
I am a retired college teacher and have taught many classes of American and Texas state history. It is a shame that the money, acting talent and film expertise could not have been put to better use in telling a more accurate (and compelling) story of the birth of the Texas Republic. Read Lone Star: A History Of Texas And The Texans (T.R. Fehrenbach) for a pretty good understanding of the period and its players.
I recognize quite a few of the actors.
I think the guy playing the deserter was the same guy who was the typewriter carrying writer from “Saving Private Ryan” .
There was some pretty brutal scenes of the Karankawas slaughtering men and women, and then some good old classic cowboys vs. indians ensued. Santa Anna is depicted as brutal and as a terrible villain, as are many of his soldiers. But there are also Mexicans fighting on the side of the Texans as well.
I also liked how the Commanches were depicted. Not savage killers like the Karankawas, but damn scary to face in a fight.
The Texas are not demonized, but all the main characters are noble or at least likable in some way. I even like Brendon Fraser’s character. He plays a bad a** Texas Ranger who was kidnapped as a baby by Indians and raised as one of them. He’s not a historical character, but the characters that are historical are all great as well.
I am also old enough to have attended Texas public schools circa 1950’s when Texas History instruction was supplemented by some comic books called “Texas History Movies” and provided to all schools by the “Humble (now Exxon) Oil Company.” I was fascinated by them and probably still have my understanding of Texas History shaped to some extent by those little books,
Excuse me..was the Mobil Oil Company and they can be found online.
My wife said Ray Liota was as big as a barn. That’s too depressing as I remember him from Goodfellas.
Is he playing a character? The Alamo? Austin?
And Kourtney, an “aerial dancer”, won Master Chef. We just found out that means she’s a pole dancer. I was rooting for a Texan, Cutter.
I like Texas and have lived there twice in my life, San Antonio and Wichita Falls. I remember the Alamo (pun intended) when I lived in San Antonio and my parents would take us there on Sunday after church sometimes. I was always fascinated with the place and the story.
As far as the TV show goes, I understand it is a miniseries and not a documentary. That doesn't make it any less enjoyable. There are some parts that are kinda of "campy" but otherwise, it moves the story of Texas becoming a state forward from the time the Alamo was defeated by Santa Ana.
I will try and watch the remaining three episodes. Like I said, I am enjoying it. It appears that others are much more discerning and critical to take it for what it is, a TV show.
I recognized Kris Kristopherson as president Jackson.
Don’t remember seeing Ray Liotta.
Ray is playing a character from the Alamo who was thought dead, and came to in a pit the Mexican’s were using to burn the bodies in.
Ray Liota big as a barn? She’d probably see me as a mountain then, as Liota looks just fine.
Liota is playing a nameless, last survivor of the Alamo. He crawled out of a pile of bodies in shock, and since that time is playing the ghost around the Mexican camps, killing loads of Mexican soldiers.
Not sure if the Karankawas (’Kronks’) were maneaters, but I remember stories of the Tonkawa eating defeated Comanche.
I can see why Mexico might want to put Texicans between themselves and some of these tribes, particularly Comanche. They were bad news. (But apparently tasty.)
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