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Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > The Lounge > Non-Civil War Books, Movies, Music, etc. > Hatfields and McCoys Mini-Seriers |
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Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > The Lounge > Non-Civil War Books, Movies, Music, etc. > Hatfields and McCoys Mini-Seriers |
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| Hatfields and McCoys Mini-Seriers | Rating: 
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| Posted: Mon May 7th, 2012 12:08 am |
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1st Post |
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CleburneFan Member 
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Amongst the many previews run before "The Avengers" this weekend was a compelling look at a new mini-series History Channel will debut this Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 about the Hatfields and McCoys. The preview started with a Civil War scene, so I was on high alert from that very minute, not knowing what was coming next. Turns out the History Channel is tackling the subject of two battling Apalachia families whose struggles have become legendary. Lending star power to the mini-series are Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. The costumes and photography look amazing. If you would like more information, check this link: http://www.history.com/shows/hatfields-and-mccoys/articles/about-hatfields-and-mccoys I'm hoping some of you will watch it so we can discuss the series. Last edited on Mon May 7th, 2012 01:01 pm by CleburneFan |
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| Posted: Mon May 7th, 2012 02:20 am |
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2nd Post |
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Hellcat Person 
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Are you talking about the scene of Federal soldiers being killed on the road and then Costner says "Get 'em off the road." Scene quite a few commercials for it on History and H2 when watching Top Shots or something on H2.
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| Posted: Mon May 7th, 2012 01:14 pm |
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3rd Post |
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CleburneFan Member
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Frankly I wasn't sure what was taking place. I recognized the Civil War uniforms, but before I could try to figure out what battle or skirmish or whatever, the preview had raced on to the next scene. Then it dawned on me that this was not so much a Civil War story as a post-war score-settling story. The pounding stylized or "rockified" bluegrass background music was the major hint that this must be the long-awaited Hatfields and McCoys drama I had read about quite awhile ago. I have to confess I enjoyed this preview MORE than "The Avengers." Maybe I am getting too old for the super hero genre, but will save judgment for after this summer's Batman. Oh, as an aside, I liked the stylized bluegrass music so much, I hurried to Amazon.com and pre-ordered the soundtrack to the "Hatfields and McCoys." All too often these days, music is the best part of movies. You can see the preview to H & McC at the link I provided above. It has that addictive music too.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2012 02:07 am |
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4th Post |
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CleburneFan Member
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Having seen the three two-hour segments of "The Hatfields and McCoys" twice on H-2, I can say that I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet seen it. It will run again this weekend or you can buy the DVD at the History Channel store. After all the hype, I had fully expected to be disappointed, but as it turned out the show was better than what I expected. The only irritation was all the ads except the funny Geico ad with the caveman human resources manager dealing with two male employees named Hatfield and McCoy! Some superlatives were the excellent acting, the exquisite photgraphy, the mountain scenery, the period and regional costumes and, of course, the way the story was told. Some commentators feared that the characters would be made to look like ridiculous, corny redneck hillbillies, but instead the treatment was surprisingly sensitive. The very harsh conditions of life in the Kentucky and West Virginia mountains in the Tug River region stood out to me. Each character was very well cast. Kevin Costner as the aggressive, determined Devil Anse Hatfield and Bill Paxton as "Old Ranall" McCoy, a pious Bible-quoting patriarch, are very convincing in their roles. They show very well how deep-seated animosity can tear oneself and one's life apart. The series demonstrates the exorbitant price of being "right" at all costs. Each person in this drama has his or her own reaction to the interfamily and inner-family violence, some seeming to relish the hatred and others being dragged into it unwillingly. Almost everyone becomes a victim to a greater or lesser extent, even children...even a dog. A lesson in the story of this infamous feud is that hatred feeds on itself, growing deeper and more heated with every fresh atrocity. Hatred escalates ever more intensely like a monster. No doubt the Civil War was an effective training ground for the feud that would follow. As a musical note, the powerful, heavy Bluegrass song in the previews is "Bartholomew" by the San Diego band Silent Comedy. This song appears no where in the actual series. Instead, much of the background music is on a soundtrack CD or download and is soft, relaxing Bluegrass. Kevin Costner was one of the producers of the album. My favorite song on the CD quickly became "I Will Lay You Down" which is played in the series when bereft Cotton Top realizes his father has just died. The History Channel must be very pleased with the reception this series has received. More people watched it that any other non-sports event on cable except for "High School Musical." Fourteen million viewers tuned in the first night, an impressive record!
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| Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2012 05:38 am |
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5th Post |
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Hellcat Person
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I changed channels after the first 45 minutes of night one. It just didn't interest me, though to be perfectly honest it didn't interest me before night one. The reason I tuned in in the first place was I thought from what you said in your second post that maybe I was missing something to actually peak my interest.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2012 11:41 am |
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6th Post |
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BHR62 Member 
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I watched all 3 nights and give it a big thumbs up. I was a McCoy supporter after they murdered the Union McCoy soldier. But there really wasn't a good guy side to it. Both sides were pretty brutal. Amazes me that they intermarried in that environment. But i hope to watch it again.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2012 08:27 pm |
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7th Post |
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CleburneFan Member
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It's not surprising that not everyone would like Hatfields and McCoys. My sister-in-law gave up the first night in the first ten minutes when Devil Anse Hatfield allowed a Union looter to run away, then calmly shot him in the back. She thought the show was going to be too violent, but honestly I don't know how that story can be told without showing violence. Also probably some folks tuned out when they discovered that the treatment was not going to be comic or light-hearted as some have been in the past making the parties involved look like dumb country bumpkins. I found much to appreciate in the series, but realize that each person has his own preferences in what they watch on TV and the series wasn't for everyone...just like "The Avengers" isn't for everyone and neither was "Avatar" or "Titanic."
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| Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2012 11:17 pm |
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8th Post |
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Hellcat Person
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Violence ain't really a problem here considering some of the stuff I like would certainly be deemed violent. Actually what I saw was less violent than a few episodes of Band of Brothers or The Pacific and I enjoy watching both of those. And I wasn't expecting a comedic, country bumpkin treatment based on the commercials having a more serious vein. The show just never really sparked my interest. To be honest I'm not terribly interested in the feud to begin with so that probably had more to do with my not getting into the show than anything else.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 3rd, 2012 09:39 pm |
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9th Post |
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Johan Steele Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352 
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I missed this when I was in the hotel. Between being sick & just too tired to focus on much. I keep hearing really good things about the series. I've never been a fan of Costner but Paxton... I think I could enjoy.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 3rd, 2012 09:57 pm |
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10th Post |
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CleburneFan Member
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Paxton really surprised me because I had not taken him for being capable of doing such a convincing job of portraying Randall McCoy, a conflicted man who stuck by his deep religious convictions even while his entire world fell apart around him. He was very convincing. I haven't been a big fan of Costner either, but I was very impressed with how he protrayed Devil Anse Hatfield. Paxton and Costner weren't the only ones who impressed me, however. Tom Berringer was the brutish sadist Jim Vance. He had me scared. The actor who played Bad Frank Phillips also radiated menace. I also thought the two actresses who played Mrs. Lavicy Hatfield and Mrs. Sallie McCoy were very good. The young man was especially good who played Cottontop, the mentally challenged young man who cannot deal with the drama all around him but is tragically caught up in it.
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