‘OOHRAH’ FOR HOLLYWOOD
By Mike Saunders
Tyler Mendelson @ The EVVY Awards.
Throughout all branches of the military, one of the first lessons that is driven into the minds of service members, is respect of the uniform. This means wrinkle-free, boots shined, and all ribbons placed in the proper order. Nothing drives a veteran crazier than when they see their uniforms on the big screen, looking all jacked-up. Since the attacks on September 11th, Hollywood has been profiting from war movies. This is not to say that these stories shouldn’t be told, but if the subject is the real life of a service member, the least directors can do is research the roles. Even in times of war, there is still uniform standards that are in place, and enforced.
Tyler Mendelson, a 29 -year-old Marine Veteran, from Poughkeepsie, New York, is an up-and-coming film maker. Mendelson graduated from Emerson College where he majored in, you guessed it! Film. He shared his take on how the military uniform is being portrayed in movies. “I remember before the military, I loved The Hurt Locker and after I served, I was like what the fuck is this piece of shit? It is completely bullshit.” In 2018, Mendelson made a short film about WWI, what he refers to as the forgotten war.
Mendelson raised the funds from a Kickstarter campaign for the $21,680 budget he needed. Mendelson’s focus was the authenticity of the uniforms, and that the actors really captured the movements that a soldier on the battlefield would make. Aside from winning an Evvy Award (Emerson College’s version of the Emmy) for Outstanding Production Design, the film went on to win many awards in film festivals, including Best Veteran Film, Best War/Western Film, and Best Editing just to name a few.
Those of you who are film buffs may have heard that Hollywood purposely gets the uniforms wrong as a sign of respect for the men and women who wear them. “It’s untrue. They (the directors) are not required to make anything inaccurate. It’s all just like an urban legend, that they have to paint an inaccurate picture with military stuff, it’s bullshit.”
Mendelson’s hard work and talent for storytelling through a lens have not gone unnoticed. His work has been praised by Doug Ellin, Kevin Connolly, and Kevin Dillon from the hit HBO show Entourage. Mendelson made a three-minute film on his iPhone, A Marine Corps Story, which was picked as one of the winners from a competition from Victory The Podcast. “I think people understand how real it was. It just tries to suck you in, and just keep you interested.”
It is no secret that cinema shapes the way civilians think about Veterans. Some just label Veterans as killers without even knowing what their jobs were. Our Vietnam Veterans know better than anyone about how it feels to be ostracized from society for fighting a war. Most Vietnam Veterans didn’t get to decide whether to join the military or not; it was simple: if your draft number was pulled, you were going.
American citizens sometimes don’t understand that a soldier does not decide where he/she goes and what he/she does. Movies like Rambo, as entertaining as it was, gave the Vietnam Veterans a reputation for being blood thirsty lunatics. Mendelson doesn’t blame Hollywood for any bad rap that Veterans might get just for identifying as such
On set of “THE HUN”
‘’I think as film makers take on those subjects, they are responsible for telling it not necessarily in a positive light, but an accurate light…if you’re delving into something like Post Traumatic Stress, or Veterans’ transition, a true story like Lone Survivor. You can really tell if a director has that military experience, like Peter Berg. I don’t think he served in the military, but he had military advisors, including Marcus Luttrell, for that movie to make sure he got it right. Not necessarily every detail, but the uniforms, and the way people act and all that stuff, that is the important stuff to nail.”
I don’t think it will be long before Tyler Mendelson becomes a known name in Hollywood. You can see for yourself on his website tylermendelsonfilm.com. There, you see his entire collection of works and his awards. Tyler is currently writing his next film. He will not reveal what is it, but he hinted that it is of a certain time period and will include military flashbacks. I’m sure I can speak for the staff of AT EASE! Veterans Magazine and our loyal and wonderful readership when I say, best of luck Tyler. We are rooting for all your upcoming success.