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Date	Original Topic
16th January 2003	"Zulu" referenced in "The Two Towers"? By Diana Blackwell This is a lightweight matter, but it's been bugging me. Somebody on the Internet Movie Database says that "Zulu" is referenced in "The Two Towers." I've seen "The Two Towers" twice and have no idea what this person is talking about. Unless they mean the scene where the orcs stand outside Helm's Deep, banging their spears rhythmically on the ground, while their opponents fire on them from the ramparts. But that would be a pretty lame "reference." Is there some other reference I'm missing?
Date	Replies
16th January 2003	George Hulmes The spear-on-shield banging is probably what they meant, seeing the Two Towers myself last week. However, there was a quite blatant Churchill/ Battle of Britain reference when Gandalf basically makes the "The battle of France is over, the Battle for Britain is about to begin" speech but referring to Helms deep and Middle-Earth Instead. It's an exact quote, I'll try and find it. Regards, George
17th January 2003	Mark Hobson The other week I was reading a review of The Two Towers in which it was commented that the battle scenes were amoungst the best since Zulu, with hordes of people launching themselves against one another in hand-to-hand fighting. As I haven't seen the film I don't know which scenes he was talking about, so I can't judge.
19th January 2003	Trevor Finney Hello Guys. Went to see "Two Towers" yesterday! Enjoyed the film, and the fight scenes are good. But to compare the hand to hand with Zulu. There is no real comparison. There is a certain feel to the fight scenes in Zulu that sort of transport you back in time. As if your actually there. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the RD defenders. I suppose I sound daft! But thats the way i feel about this exceptional film!
21st January 2003	George Hulmes Mark, I'd highly recommend going to see the Two Towers, even if you haven't read the books or arn't a fan of the genre. The film's a fantastic visual spectacle, especially the aformentioned battle of "Helms Deep." Trevor, I agree completely with the combat scenes In the Two Towers being in no comparison to those from Zulu. You can't beat live-action fighting no matter how many CGI characters you create on screen. Regards, Morden
21st January 2003	Mark Hobson Let's not forget Zulu Dawn. Some of the battle scenes at the end are pretty impressive, especially those with Bob Hoskins and the young 'Private Williams'. Every time I see them I get a chill down my spine.
22nd January 2003	George Hulmes Mark, I know what you mean about Hoskins, his performance was superb. "Private Williams!" "Sarn't Williams!" "You just might get that medal yet, Private..." The scene where the isolated soldier draws a single bloodied cartridge from the pouch of a dead comrade, spits on it, and pushes into the breech of his Martini is in my opinion one of the best scenes in any war film I've seen. Regards, George
23rd January 2003	Mark Hobson Some of the scenes in Zulu Dawn were actually filmed at the actual locations or very close to them. The portion when the Centre Column crosses into Zululand was shot at the Buffalo River at Rorkes Drift, although for some reason it was done the opposite way around with the British crossing from the Zulu shore to the Natal shore. Also, the first skirmish - supposed to be at Sihayo's kraal - was filmed on the rear slope of the Oskarberg hill. Later, when Melvill and Coghill swim back with the Colours the site chosen is only a few hundred yards upstream from the real location of Fugitive's Drift. This is also the point where most people walking Fugitives' Trail swim across now. Alas, the battle scenes were not shot at Isandlwana, but rather at Siphexi hill further to the east.
23rd January 2003	John The battle sequences in Zulu were better than Zulu Dawn in my opinion, although both films needed more Zulus. In Zulu Dawn you can sometimes see the soldiers in the foreground fighting fiercely, but those in the background seem to be doing nothing -- though I have to admit I didn't notice that until maybe the tenth viewing. And Zulu, of course, had better music, though much less of it. And speaking of Zulu, does anyone know where the Isandlwana sequence was shot? The hill looked more like Isandlwana than the one they used in Zulu Dawn.