I've been watching Texas Rising on the History Channel. Pretty good so far IMO. Anybody else watching? It's about the Texan war for independence, after the Alamo. I've seen it portrayed as the origins of the Texas Rangers as well.
Bill Paxton and Brendan Fraser are among the cast. Ray Liotta is in there somewhere, though I haven't recognized him yet.
ETA: Huh, I didn't recognize the actor playing Andrew Jackson--it's Kris Kristofferson!
ETA2: Ah, Ray Liotta plays a guy named Lorca, who was the lone male survivor of the Alamo. He is bug nuts crazy, or becomes so. (don't want to give anything away)
You can catch the first two episodes at History's website, perhaps Netflix or such has them as well:
http://www.history.com/shows/texas-risi ... free=false
Texas Rising
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PawPaw
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Re: Texas Rising
Yeah, I've been watching. It looks like they've resurrected the legend of Emily Morgan (nee Emily West), who is known in popular legend as the Yellow Rose of Texas. I didn't think that any current historians granted her story much sway in the Texas unpleasantness.
There are some interesting historical figures in the show, like William A.A. (Bigfoot) Wallace. Of course, they cover such notables as Juan Seguin and Deef Smith, who I always though were under-appreciated in the current historical narrative.
There are some interesting historical figures in the show, like William A.A. (Bigfoot) Wallace. Of course, they cover such notables as Juan Seguin and Deef Smith, who I always though were under-appreciated in the current historical narrative.
Dennis Dezendorf
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McClarkus
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Re: Texas Rising
I thought your were talking about the water.......rising that is..........as in rivers...........
One secret to life. Step #1 - Find something you enjoy doing. Step #2 - Find someone foolish enough to pay you to do it.
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Rod
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Re: Texas Rising
As a Texas History teacher and amateur historian, I have to say this show SUCKS worse than Republican congresscritters sucking up to Obama.
Houston's camp is on a 1000 foot bluff when the Revolution took place in the grass and wood covered Central Texas Plains.
The Alamo was in the center of a small town called San Antonio and not stuck all by itself out on some desert plain. The Alamo itself didn't have the hump until the 1840s and the Long Barracks looked more like an incomplete set.
The defenders' bodies were thrown on funeral pyres, not dumped in holes.
There were no Black defenders and the Blacks who were there were released.
Emily Morgan wasn't at the Alamo.
The Karankawa and Comanche stayed away from Central Texas during this fracus.
Deaf Smith was hard of hearing, not deaf. He would have made a REALLY lousy scout if he was completely deaf.
Juan Seguin is using a 1914 McClellan saddle.
Much of the clothing is way out of period.
All this in the first hour of viewing. I switched it off after that. This was SUPPOSED to be historically accurate but didn't even get close. I have no desire to see any more of the bullshit presented in this garbage.
Houston's camp is on a 1000 foot bluff when the Revolution took place in the grass and wood covered Central Texas Plains.
The Alamo was in the center of a small town called San Antonio and not stuck all by itself out on some desert plain. The Alamo itself didn't have the hump until the 1840s and the Long Barracks looked more like an incomplete set.
The defenders' bodies were thrown on funeral pyres, not dumped in holes.
There were no Black defenders and the Blacks who were there were released.
Emily Morgan wasn't at the Alamo.
The Karankawa and Comanche stayed away from Central Texas during this fracus.
Deaf Smith was hard of hearing, not deaf. He would have made a REALLY lousy scout if he was completely deaf.
Juan Seguin is using a 1914 McClellan saddle.
Much of the clothing is way out of period.
All this in the first hour of viewing. I switched it off after that. This was SUPPOSED to be historically accurate but didn't even get close. I have no desire to see any more of the bullshit presented in this garbage.
one can be a Democrat, or one can choose to be an American.
Good acting requires an imagination; reality requires a person not getting lost in their imagination.
"It's better to have a gun if you need it". Felix's opthamologist
Good acting requires an imagination; reality requires a person not getting lost in their imagination.
"It's better to have a gun if you need it". Felix's opthamologist
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kapikui
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Re: Texas Rising
I kind of wondered about that. I watched "Sons of Liberty" when it was on a while ago, and while it was rather enjoyable if taken as basically fiction, it had only a little basis in fact. I wouldn't call myself any kind of historian, but the revolutionary war is my favorite period of history, so as I watched it I was sitting there going "Waitaminute. I didn't think it happened like that." So I went to my books and sure enough it didn't. I figured that another "History" channel drama would have about the same level of accuracy.Rod wrote:As a Texas History teacher and amateur historian, I have to say this show SUCKS worse than Republican congresscritters sucking up to Obama.
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PawPaw
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Re: Texas Rising
My son and I were talking about this earlier. He's a revolutionary war re-enactor, and said that one of the things he noticed were the hats. The main hat in the early 1800s was flat brimmed. The classic Stetson shape, now known as the Boss of the Plains wasn't invented until the late 1860s. So, about half the hats the Rangers are wearing, are wrong. It's all in the details, and they didn't get the big details right.
Dennis Dezendorf
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skb12172
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Re: Texas Rising
Just like the movie "Glory," in other words. Too bad.
There must be an end to this intimidation by those who come to this great country, but reject its culture.
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Cybrludite
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Re: Texas Rising
Pretty much as I expected, then. I had done some reading up on the styles of that general time period a while back (A lady friend wanted us to go in period garb to a Jane Austen festival. 
), and the online ads for the series had the folks dressed like post-Civil War cowboys armed with single-shot caplock pistols.
), and the online ads for the series had the folks dressed like post-Civil War cowboys armed with single-shot caplock pistols."If it ain't the Devil's Music, you ain't doin' it right." - Chris Thomas King
"When liberal democracies collapse, someone comes along who promises to make the trains run on time if we load the right people into them." - Tam K.
"When liberal democracies collapse, someone comes along who promises to make the trains run on time if we load the right people into them." - Tam K.
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Aesop
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Re: Texas Rising
It is, in the memorable and apropos phrase from the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, nothing but "boob bait for the Bubbas": flash 'n trash pseudohistory trying to pass off political correctness as some form of historical fact.
When you cede storytelling to the lackwit bimbos of society, there's no tale they can't f*** up.
The correct term for such faux history with an agenda is propaganda.
When you cede storytelling to the lackwit bimbos of society, there's no tale they can't f*** up.
The correct term for such faux history with an agenda is propaganda.
"There are four types of homicide: felonious, accidental, justifiable, and praiseworthy." -Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
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Vonz90
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Re: Texas Rising
If they are going to go with an inaccurate view of history, then they should go all the way and do a"Texas Power Rangers" mash up.