Wargaming in film #2 - Battleground

Battleground. The 1970s wargaming live on TV programme, which I've been watching lately.

Presented by Edward Woodward - himself a gamer - who gives an overview of the battle, introduces the opponents and then adds some airy commentary as the game progresses. "I think he's going to regret that attack on the flank there" and the like.

The games are pruned down to just the major incidents, with little sound effects driven vignette close ups of the action used as fillers.

Last night was the battle of Edgehill, where a school librarian took on a dairy inspector to the death in finest 70s rollneck display. Very gentlemanly play (no neckbeard rants happening here, especially with the fuckin' EQUALIZER overviewing proceedings) and fascinating to see how things were played back then.

I liked the fact that the wind was a factor in how accurate artillery fire was, as well as the nifty wooden painted range rulers in use.

Sgt Howie then gives us a summary and overview of who won, how that matches with history and the "join us next week for........" outro.

10/10 for the flared dogtooth check trousers on our man

Well, I enjoyed it. My wife was literally "what on earth is this you are watching??", but I don't care. Dark wood panelled studios with finest polyester jackets and heavily glossed models beats Greg Wallace bellowing at a computer screen any day.

So - Waterloo. Be having some of that!

Wargaming in Film #1 - Callan

Callan, the old spy/hitman telly series got, as all TV series did in the 70s, a big screen version. 

The difference here from our usual fayre is that our hero, Callan - an utter bastard - is also a wargamer. As was Edward Woodward, in fact, as its apparently his table and minis seen on screen in long pornographic shots of table display (his stuff was made by Peter Gilder)

Callan, retired off from black ops and in a crappy accountancy job, drinking too much and wanting an out, gets contacted by the old firm. They've a job for him. He gets back in shape, works out how to do it, then carries out the hit.

The key point for us is that when he makes contact with the hit (the chap works in the same building), the fellow is a wargamer! So they bond over this and the final scenes play out across the games table as they both try and work each other out.

Lots of scenes of Callan pondering how to deal with killing someone he genuinely likes and, well, has a superb games table and could be a regular opponent. This is filmed over scenes of him casting lead......not his own bullets, oh no, but his own miniatures. 

It was 1974 after all and you have to DIY or die then (literally!). Still - Casting whilst reading a history of the American Civil War and surrounded by paints, brushes and glues? They've got the detail of being a gamer down to a tee.

I enjoyed it, but its a cheapo film. Edward Woodward is always good for the money and him playing a cold bastard is always good value. This lead to him becoming the Equalizer later (directly from this role), so yeah - the Equalizer in his early years.

You know what? I think I might watch it again.