All articles tagged with #world war ii
In Variety’s review, Owen Gleiberman praises the combat-staged action and Scott Eastwood’s performance in Rod Lurie’s WWII thriller Lucky Strike, but argues the lone-survivor premise reduces suspense and makes the film feel tidier and safer than raw war cinema.
An NBC News poll asking Americans to name the country’s greatest achievements shows a strong preference for rights-related milestones—abolition of slavery, the 13th and 19th Amendments, and broader voting rights—while also highlighting World War II victory and the moon landing as major milestones. Responses cluster into three themes: expansion of civil and voting rights, military/diplomatic successes, and science/technology achievements, with many quotes reflecting pride in progress and national unity.
Scott Eastwood stars in Rod Davis Lurie’s Lucky Strike, a WWII survival thriller set during the Battle of the Bulge, following Captain Castle as he treks behind enemy lines with a wounded leg and a lifeline radio through tense encounters with German forces. The film impresses with immersive visuals, a desaturated palette and long takes, and co-star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor anchors the drama, but the screenplay leans on familiar war-film clichés and struggles to sustain momentum, despite the director’s assured craft.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced backlash from within his own party after using a D-Day commemoration in Normandy to attack immigration, saying European capitals must act against the ‘invasion,’ a line critics called inappropriate for the anniversary; fellow Republicans like Rep. Michael McCaul warned the remarks were out of place, while the Pentagon defended Hegseth’s compliance with travel ethics. The piece also notes protests in France and contrasts Hegseth’s remarks with Trump’s D-Day-focused AI tributes on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump, 79, marked the 82nd D-Day anniversary by flooding Truth Social with AI-generated images and videos praising himself—ranging from an AI lion ride to a drone-port mockup—while offering no tribute to the Normandy heroes; the White House issued a standard commemorative statement elsewhere, drawing criticism for the omission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to France for ceremonies.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the D-Day anniversary in Normandy, delivering a speech at Colleville-sur-Mer but skipping the main Langrune-sur-Mer ceremony, drawing criticism from locals who said his 'warlike' views clash with democracy and called for canceling the visit; a local association urged cancellation, while officials and veterans paid tribute to the fallen.
Archaeologists uncovered a secret WWII-era bunker and tunnel in a Polish town used by Jewish resistance fighters, with a Star of David emblem found in the hideout, shedding new light on local Jewish resistance during the Nazi occupation.
A suspected World War II-era bomb exploded beneath a stilt house in a fishing village in Indonesia's Papua region, killing five people and injuring about 19, with nine homes destroyed and several people missing as authorities search the area.
THR’s review of Pressure deems Anthony Maras’s WWII drama a taut, cerebral thriller about the weather forecast that could decide D-Day. Focusing on meteorologist Dr. James Stagg (Andrew Scott) and his clashes with Irving Krick and Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) over whether to delay the invasion, the film—based on David Haig’s stage play and using archival footage—builds sustained tension across the 72 hours leading up to the operation, with Scott delivering a standout, nuanced performance. Release date: May 29, 2026.
Brendan Fraser says his portrayal of Dwight D. Eisenhower in Pressure aims to show Ike's genuine care for his troops during the pre-D-Day crisis, drawing on the Tiger exercise tragedy; Fraser studied Ike and leadership for the role as the film, which co-stars Andrew Scott and others, opens in theaters Friday.
Tom Hanks explains in a recent interview that his ongoing interest in World War II stories comes from the opportunity to tell deeply human, historical tales, a pull that has kept him returning to WWII projects for over 25 years since Band of Brothers.
Tom Hanks and historian Jon Meacham discuss a new 20-episode History Channel docuseries, World War II With Tom Hanks, which presents a comprehensive global view of the conflict from the 1939 invasion of Poland to Japan’s 1945 surrender, produced with the National World War II Museum. Executive produced by Hanks and Meacham, the series aims to illuminate the war’s scale and its lessons for today—addressing revisionist histories and democratic resilience—and premieres on Memorial Day as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Tom Hanks says his lifelong interest in World War II is driven by present-day moral questions; ahead of a 20-part History Channel documentary, World War II with Tom Hanks, he aims to explore themes of freedom, equality, and humanity, not nostalgia, and hints he’ll continue optioning WWII stories with ongoing projects sparked by childhood memories of veterans’ reunions.
After a call from a veterans' advocate, about 1,500 people gathered in Massachusetts for the Catholic Mass funeral of World War II Navy veteran John Bernard Arnold III, who had no immediate family. The ceremony included four veterans saluting his casket, a poignant reflection on Arnold’s life (love of classical music, chocolate cake, and Grey’s Anatomy), bagpipes, and a gun salute. The flag from his casket was given to the veterans home that cared for him, and his great-nephew Joe Durban later flew in to receive the flag and visit Arnold’s grave, turning a solitary burial into a large-scale act of remembrance.
Gloria Bullen, then 10, and her family from Gorey were deported in 1942 after Hitler ordered British Channel Islanders to be moved to Germany. They spent weeks at Biberach internment camp before being moved to Bad Wurzach castle, enduring scarce food, limited schooling, and isolation from locals. Food parcels from the Red Cross offered rare relief. Liberation came in 1945 when Gloria’s father saw tanks approaching; they returned to Jersey and later moved to Cornwall in 1954. The story highlights the personal toll of occupation and wartime shortages on the islands.