Actor and Former Navy Brat Lou Diamond Phillips to Host New Military Channel Franchise AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE
– Strand Launches Friday, April 1 with debut of “The Great Santini” – March 29, 2011
(Silver Spring, Md.) Military Channel has signed Hollywood film and television star Lou Diamond Phillips to host the new franchise AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE. Debuting every Friday evening beginning Friday, April 1, AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE pairs Phillips with retired and active duty officers who lived through major battles or have an expertise in the conflicts depicted in notable Hollywood films. As each film makes its Military Channel premiere, AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE provides expert commentary that can only come from being “on the ground” during the action as these officers reflect on the themes of that night’s film and also provide personal insight that puts each movie into a modern context.
“Lou Diamond Phillips is well known for his many feature films including the military movie Courage Under Fire and, as the son of a Navy officer, he is the perfect choice to interview some of the U.S. military’s most distinguished leaders,” said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager, Investigation Discovery and Military Channel. “The discussions within AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE bring an entirely new and even more realistic dimension to some of the greatest war movies of our time – from The Dirty Dozen to The Great Santini to Hart’s War – and provide valuable new information exclusively for our audience of military history buffs.”
“To have the opportunity to discuss the real-life events and strategies of the heroic efforts of service men and women from our nation’s history is something I will cherish,” said Lou Diamond Phillips. “In Military Channel’s AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE, I am honored to pick the brains of some of America’s heroes, who experienced first-hand the themes showcased in each week’s classic war film.”
In the premiere episode on Friday, April 1 at 8 PM ET, Lou Diamond Phillips and retired Marine Col. Arthur Athens discuss the themes behind the 1979 classic film The Great Santini, starring Robert Duvall, who was nominated for an Academy Award for this role. As the director of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, the former Commandant of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Athens is uniquely able to comment on what it means to be a leader in the military and within a family’s home, where in his own life he has ten children.
...