Viva the 'Nam

It's a film title and just a little something that would never have crossed my radar without "The National Post" feed.

Viva the 'Nam is a full length action flick that follows US Army recruits from basic to the jungles and streets of 'Nam. It was 10 years in the making by University of Texas film school graduates Paul Hanley and Kieran Healy and just released in January to a small but appreciative crowd at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Tex.

Based on the YouTube clips of this film, it has all the standard components of the traditional war movies, lots of name calling by the Senior Drill Instruction, lots of gratuitous violence, gun porn, then more blood, guts and gore for good measure. The difference is that this entire film was created in a single car garage with a salvaged 16mm camera, well researched details for costuming, munitions, staging, and sets to maintain period authenticity and finally it required lots and lots and lots (we can't stress the lots part enough)of GI Joe action figures. Yes, entirely stop-motion work, entirely brilliant.

Hats off to the creators Hanley and Healy for 10 years of dedication. Here's the trailer for it. Now I want to see the entire thing.