Hatfields & McCoys

[vintage68]

Really looking forward to this one over Memorial Day weekend:

http://www.history.com/hatfields-and-mccoys

Looks like some great hats and clothing too!

 

[Blackthorn]

Me too. My last name is McCoy. Should be interesting.

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

It's about time this story of Americana was revisited, and it was filmed in Romania, like Cold Mountain. The last production of this type was a made-for-TV movie in 1975. Later this year a big screen version called Bad Blood: The Hatfields and McCoys will be released, filmed in Kentucky.

 

[Blackthorn]

Interesting, Jedburgh, thanks for the heads up.

 

[vintage68]

Later this year a big screen version called Bad Blood: The Hatfields and McCoys will be released, filmed in Kentucky.

Caught the preview for that one, unfortunately it has "straight to DVD" written all over it. The History Channel version looks much better.

 

[1961MJS]

Caught the preview for that one, unfortunately it has "straight to DVD" written all over it. The History Channel version looks much better.

Now don't be bad mouthing the whole Straight to DVD genre. I'm still upset that American Pie Band Camp didn't get Best Picture.

I've read up on the Hatfields etc. Wild time back then.

Later

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

Is this the first true acted out movie-style drama for The History Channel, not to be confused with the brief scenes of docudramas they usually do? Several years ago National Geographic (with Hallmark) did a made for made-for-TV movie on Stanley and Livingstone that was pretty decent. It apparently was their only venture into this type of production.

 

[vintage68]

Is this the first true acted out movie-style drama for The History Channel, not to be confused with the brief scenes of docudramas they usually do?

Yes, as far as I know, and from the description on the History Channel website, it's being described as a full-length mini-series/drama.

 

[hatophile]

It's nice to see this made into a movie. Should be interesting.

 

[gtdean48]

Saw both an extended trailer & then a shorter one at previews for The Avengers in IMAX 3D yesterday.
This should be a good one for period movie fans as well as hat folks.
Can't wait....

 

[Feraud]

I too am looking forward to watching this.

 

[vintage68]

I caught the encore presentation of the first installment last night, and I gotta say I was pretty offended by The History Channel. Going into a made for tv movie, one expects all the commercials, and the one I watched last night had a commercial break about every ten minutes.

What really offended me were all the logos and graphics The History Channel chose to include in the Hatfield's & McCoys. There was the bright red graphic in the upper left-hand corner telling the viewer that this was indeed "the Hatfield's & McCoys." Then, in the lower right hand corner was the bright red and yellow The History Channel logo. The worst thing was that in addition to both of those graphics, another graphic would appear in the lower left-hand corner advertising a future show about every five minutes.

To me, all these graphics and logos throughout the show were the equivalent of sitting down in a dark movie theater and watching someone text on a bright cell phone screen. Just really inconsiderate to the point of being rude. I endured only about an hour of this before I had to turn the whole thing off. I won't be watching the next two installments.

Having said that, I thought the actual production was very good, and I'll probably buy the DVD in the future so I can watch the show without distraction. But I won't be watching any further productions on The History Channel.

 

[gtdean48]

Only 1/2 way thru last night's episode but liking everything about it. The dialog is excellent. Digging the hats & costuming.
Some things stand out, like non-period saddles & men going without coats & wearing shirts open collar....

 

[JAVIER]

PER AOL: On Kevin Costner.... In May 2012, the 57-year-old actor re-emerged on TV, producing and starring in the mini-series "Hatfields & McCoys," which earned record ratings for a pay cable movie.

Glad to see it did well, I enjoyed it.

 

[Blackthorn]

They changed a number of things about the historical event. I can't imagine why, the truth of it was plenty dramatic. For instance it has both Hatfield and McCoy as Confederate soldiers serving together, but actually McCoy was a Union officer, to the best of my recollection. That in itself contributed a lot to the hostility.

I only watched the first episode, then got bored. It seemed too much like a Costner vehicle, to me.

 

[JAVIER]

They changed a number of things about the historical event. I can't imagine why, the truth of it was plenty dramatic. For instance it has both Hatfield and McCoy as Confederate soldiers serving together, but actually McCoy was a Union officer, to the best of my recollection. That in itself contributed a lot to the hostility.

I only watched the first episode, then got bored. It seemed too much like a Costner vehicle, to me.

It was rather accurate, During the American Civil War, both families were staunchly pro-Confederate, and Randolph himself served in the Confederate Army during the opening years of the war and was a POW from 1863 to 1865 However, Randolph's younger brother, Asa Harmon McCoy, enlisted in the Union Army as "Asa H McCay" in Co E of the 45th Kentucky Infantry USA. He was discharged from the Union Army on December 24, 1864 after suffering a broken leg, and returned home. The first real violence in the feud was the murder of a returning Union soldier, Asa Harmon McCoy. He was killed by a group of ex-Confederate Homeguards called the "Logan Wildcats". Devil Anse Hatfield was a suspect at first, but was later confirmed to have been sick at home at the time of the murder. It was widely believed that his uncle, Jim Vance, a member of the Wildcats, committed the murder.

Here is a cool: search on Randolph (even a record as a POW as mentioned in the film) http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/vacwmb/webbbs_config.pl?read=8967

Grave site of the Hatsfield:http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=3061&PIpi=45987550

 

[Blackthorn]

It was rather accurate, During the American Civil War, both families were staunchly pro-Confederate, and Randolph himself served in the Confederate Army during the opening years of the war and was a POW from 1863 to 1865 However, Randolph's younger brother, Asa Harmon McCoy, enlisted in the Union Army as "Asa H McCay" in Co E of the 45th Kentucky Infantry USA. He was discharged from the Union Army on December 24, 1864 after suffering a broken leg, and returned home. The first real violence in the feud was the murder of a returning Union soldier, Asa Harmon McCoy. He was killed by a group of ex-Confederate Homeguards called the "Logan Wildcats". Devil Anse Hatfield was a suspect at first, but was later confirmed to have been sick at home at the time of the murder. It was widely believed that his uncle, Jim Vance, a member of the Wildcats, committed the murder.

Here is a cool: search on Randolph (even a record as a POW as mentioned in the film) http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/vacwmb/webbbs_config.pl?read=8967

Grave site of the Hatsfield:http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=3061&PIpi=45987550

This web site says the majority of the McCoys fought for the Union:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield–McCoy_feud

" The majority of the Hatfields living in Mingo County (in what would eventually become West Virginia) fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The majority of the McCoys living in Pike County, Kentucky, fought for the Union Army."

 

[ButteMT61]

OCD that I am, I am amazed that the shootout scenes in the cabin (episode 3) showed hero shots of shiny, gold Phillips head screws in the windows.
That sort of thing ruins otherwise well done scenes for me.
Otherwise, really enjoyed this series. Bill Paxton eerily similar to his role in Big Love.

 

[JAVIER]

This web site says the majority of the McCoys fought for the Union:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield–McCoy_feud

" The majority of the Hatfields living in Mingo County (in what would eventually become West Virginia) fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The majority of the McCoys living in Pike County, Kentucky, fought for the Union Army."

There is a Union POW record for a Randolph McCoy, May's Va. Regt., in the unfiled papers and slips (NA Microfilm Pub M347) showing his capture/arrest in Pike Co., Ky., on 7-9 July 1863 and subsequent imprisonment at Camp Chase and Camp Douglas from 20 July 63 to 16 June 65 when he took the oath and was released. http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/vacwmb/webbbs_config.pl?read=8966 Many people—even members of his own family—regarded Asa Harmon, who had served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, as a traitor. The killing of Harmon McCoy by the Logan county boys and Devil Anse caused resentment by the McCoy family but little else. Ole Ran'l decided that Harmon had brought his troubles upon himself through his act of disloyalty and deserved what he got. While some have surmised that his murder set the stage for the feud, most historians now see this incident as a standalone event. http://history.knoji.com/the-hatfield-mccoy-feud-devil-anse-and-ole-ranl/ And this one too states otherwise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_McCoy During the American Civil War, both families were staunchly pro-Confederate, and Randolph himself served in the Confederate Army during the opening years of the war and was a POW from 1863 to 1865[huh] that's the thing with Wiki it user lead. I'm pretty sure though, that Kevin Costner did his homework on this, seeing as it was done for the history channel and all.

 

[hatophile]

I think both the Hatfield and McCoy families, as well as many others in the border states, switched loyalties based on convenience and safety for them and their family members.