History Buffs: The Ghost and the Darkness

[@jamesrussell7760]

That scene where he is staring at the lion and his rifle goes, "click", scared the crap out of me. The critics were a bunch of stuffed shirts.

[@KanishQQuotes]

That was the moment i actually begun to believe that they were indeed ghosts

[@KanishQQuotes]

@@WrathofFenrir99 Exactly

[@angeluvsvid]

@@WrathofFenrir99 exactly like internet trolls

[@facubeitches1144]

The loudest sound in the world is a click when you're expecting a bang.

[@Fafafohi]

“Stuffed shirts” oohhh maannnn I am taking this.

[@WhoTookMyMirr]

Bob Gymlan does an incredible job recounting the events as told in Patterson's book. The quote that gets me the most from Patterson's account: "The Indians called them ghosts. The Muhammadans called them devils. The Africans simply called them Lions."

[@CamMackay96]

His video is a fantastic telling of the story! Highly recommend to anyone

[@WontSeeReplies]

Heroic lions stopping the British empire.

[@scottcarter2362]

The story, as narrated by him,is far more chilling than the movie. A case of sometimes fact is more horrorfying than fiction .

[@pgee4342]

I definitely recommend it as well. The video title is “The Full Story of the Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo”.

[@notatortoise1631]

Fr, that’s where I first learned about the Tsavo Lions. Bob did such a great job at it, and also with his Mysore Bear story as well. I wish he could do more videos like that.

[@mikedamat]

"Lost his hearing due to the lion's powerful roar" Or the numerous rifle shots next to his ear in an enclosed boxcar.

[@MrNozza123]

+The Name I Want Shut up! It was his roar! -Patterson, knowing how best to sell a book.

[@fightapathyordont8931]

+The Name I Want Well, a lion's roar is 114 decibels. A lawn mower is around 90. So i wouldn't be surprised if he lost his hearing due to the combination of the gun fire and the roar. Especially since they're in an enclosed area, which intensifies the loudness of a sound.

[@mikedamat]

+Fight Apathy or Don't Lion roars are loud, but a large caliber rifle is still significantly louder. A .30-06 in a 24" barrel is 158.5 dB (www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml) A 40 decibal gain would seem to be about 16 times as loud, 115 decibels can cause hearing damage if exposed for more than 30 seconds, but >160 dB can cause immediate hearing damage (www.pjspeech-hearing.com/images/_products/Hearing_Loss_Danger_Chart_in_Decibels_pj_speech.jpg). It was probably mostly the rifles, but claiming the lion's roar made him deaf would be more dramatic for the sake of a book.

[@fightapathyordont8931]

The Name I Want Yeah. Gun shots+lion roar+being inside a somewhat enclosed area = high chance of becoming deaf.

[@mickkemp4780]

they were probably using black powder weapons in very heavy calibers .45 boxer or Remington or .577 Schneider incredibly loud weapons. the martini was an exceptional brute to fire.VERY VERY LOUD

[@JimmySteller]

"Val came to the set under the worst conditions imaginable. He was completely exhausted from doing The Island of Dr. Moreau; he was dealing with the unfavorable publicity from that set; he was going through a divorce; he barely had time to get his teeth into this role before we started; and he is in nearly every scene in this movie. But I worked him six or seven days a week for four months under really adverse conditions, and he really came through. He had a passion for this film." -Stephen Hopkins (director of "The Ghost and the Darkness")

[@davestuddaman8127]

Never marry an actress

[@ladymopar2024]

I love this movie, thought it was a little underrated

[@stephenmcdonagh2795]

Got the lions wrong though- the main killers were two very large "Mainless" male lions.

[@stephenmcdonagh2795]

Just noticed it WAS mentioned.

[@mitchellneu]

Extremely underrated. Why don't we get more movies like these instead of the cheap jumpscare-a-thons and found footage bullshit we get today? Man and nature are truly the scariest monsters of all.

[@africansafariswithachocola6975]

Mitch Neu I mean you do have a decent point. There’s plenty of man eaters throughout history they could pick from. There’s plenty of man eating bears, leopards, and tigers to make a possible movie out of based off true events They did a loose one based off Gustave the Nile crocodile. He was used as a secondary villain though. Jaws is loosely based off the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916

[@mitchellneu]

@@africansafariswithachocola6975 Jaws is fantastic. What's the croc flick? I know there'll be one soon called Crawl but what were you thinking of.

[@stoicgaardian]

I watched this as a kid and was like man I’m glad this isn’t real and my dad was like, yes it is, and I was like well time to not sleep for a couple weeks

[@bobsyouruncle66]

The story is true, I have a copy of Patterson's journal, spend years reading all I could on the story and went to the actual Tsavo bridge built. Lions in the wilds of Africa are truely terrifying...I know from camping in Africa and having close encounters with lions...and they still kill many people annually.

[@tiernanwearen9499]

Or "dad you mind if i sleep with Mr Remington? Who? My rifle."

[@zahariburgess3660]

i live in kenya one time we were going to the costal regon and the buss broke down there

[@henrypaleveda7760]

that happened to me too.

[@stoicgaardian]

Offworlder1 100% agree

[@RogueT-Rex8468]

That scene where the man who killed a lion with his bare hands looked out at the grass is INTENSELY chilling. The close ups. The open grass. The shadow of the ghost and the music score put over it. It alone is astounding.

[@kitchengun1175]

the standoff against the second lion was wild, in all versions of the story this cat took three gunshots and two broken legs, was still alive and raring to go 10 days later, got shot again then got back up TWICE and nearly got Patterson's ankle as he climbed up a tree to grab the rifle that fired the final shot legendary cat

[@StoryGirl17]

It's amazing how much that lion stood before finaly dyng, especialy when you consider how quickly the first lion died after being shot. It's almost like his rage kept him from feeling pain, and had only the desire to kill.

[@Ron-d2s]

@@StoryGirl17 Accounts from early trappers and mountain men about encounters with grizzlies are insane Big bore heavy round to the brain... keeps coming, to the heart... keeps coming, broken and severed limbs... keeps coming!

[@TheShadowwarrior80]

I just love the scene at 11:55 after Paterson's gun misfires, Lion is just looking at him like "Bruh"

[@KanishQQuotes]

That was the moment I actually believed they are supernatural beings

[@GeorgeSemel]

My friend is not just a gun but a Farquharson Falling Block Single Shot Rifle. It would be the finest hunting rifle of the day and even in our time. It was so loved that Ruger in 1969 introduced the Ruger # 1 single-shot rifle. I got two, and Dakota made the Number 10 I had one of those. Today John Rigby and Sons are producing a limited edition one in 416 Rigby # 2 cartridge, yours for $ 51, 000 not even the price of a Toyota Tundra. No not just a gun, a legendary hunting rifle.

[@judemusyoki7052]

As a Kenyan this movie was equally and exciting & terrifying to watch. Quite accurate for the most part. Nice review 👍

[@owenmccarthy2521]

18:02 “I’ve seen worse, and I am pretty sure you all have too”. You are 110% correct with that statement. I saw 2001’s Pearl Harbor

[@Godzillafan1980]

One of the BETTER Michael Bay films but that's not saying much

[@sofydebehault4345]

Hi. I spent the 17 first years of my life in Africa and my dad spent almost is whole life there and was raised not very far from the Tsavo. This is THE story every old timer in Africa knows about. So when I saw the movie I was just soooo amazed! To this day, it remains one of my very favorite one and indeed very close to what was told at the time. It is largelly believed there there that the weird behaviour of these 2 lions (killing for pleasure, no fear of men or fire, 2 males hunting together while a male is usually quite territorial and lives with females) is because they were brothers probably grown up by humans... Before deciding that humans were better eaten then alive. Thank you for making a video on this movie that means so much to me and a lot of people who have lived in Africa. And a movie with such an amazing cinematography!

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

"The next obvious question is why did the filmmakers feel the need to ditch it?" Presumably because nobody was brave enough to try shaving the lion

[@hizurumegumi5727]

Fair point.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

@@hizurumegumi5727 I mean, would you? I certainly wouldn't

[@hizurumegumi5727]

yeah most wouldn’t, Unless there high, Drunk, or just plain stupid or a dude bro.

[@psilosighin]

@@hizurumegumi5727 I’m high and I wouldn’t, an animal trainer might tho.

[@hizurumegumi5727]

yeah most would not

[@evamattar793]

The Ghost and the Darkness was an excellent film!

[@tommyodonovan3883]

If you ignore Val's performance....Yes, it would have been a great movie.

[@narendramartosudarmo]

Agreed. It’s an underrated gem.

[@KanishQQuotes]

Lion themed nightmares

[@zorronegro229]

The actual account in his personal diary was WAY more terrifying

[@napoleonbonaparte5147]

It scared me from cats forever

[@shadiversity]

I remember watching this movie as a kid and it scarring the living crap out of me, and loving it by the end. Oh the joy I felt at seeing those evil lions dead. It is an incredible movie and now I'm more pleased to find out that the more unbelievable parts of it, like the lion in the cage, is actually true.

[@dongabriellexandru8148]

SHADDDDDDDD WAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ???? HMMMMMMM ????

[@mikereger1186]

In some ways it’s a lot like Jaws. Top predator terrorising people. Except this story is real.

[@SentinelGhost]

Perhaps if Patterson had the Pommel of mass destruction he cold have killed the lions much faster

[@obligatecarnivore6774]

Shadiversity I'm surprised that you aren't commenting about the physical differences between the two lions and standard lions

[@maximumfun1078]

What medieval weapons would lions REALLY use?

[@stephenmartin8331]

One of the main reasons I love this story and the movie is that when you learn the true history,it gets even crazier.

[@Ron-d2s]

Chewing on hit boot....... yep sounds about right for a cat.

[@Canadianvoice]

Crazy idea, the brits killed the slaves and blamed it on lions.

[@redram5150]

Why didn’t they use a mane-less lion? You ever try to shave a Lion?

[@Lioness006]

@RuleofVicus And audiences who didn't know better.

[@tvanza7791]

2 reasons in my opinion 1. Hollywood is all about the flashy over the top...maneless lions in their minds don't translate as flashy enough. 2. Hollywood has a fear of the common person. They think of their audiences as idiots. Thinking we would perceive the maneless males as lioness. All this to say Hollywood is out of touch 9 out of 10 times.

[@jessefyfe9249]

@@tvanza7791 their were no tamed male lions without manes at the time

[@kingofthebeast4024]

JESSE FYFE or now

[@GojiraSteve2019]

They could use a female lion... Maybe

[@sesfilmsllc]

Nobody bats an eye when a house cat hunts and kills a mouse, but it’s a whole different ordeal when you are the mouse.

[@keysglim]

There's a large house cat:Panik It's hunting and killing a mouse:Kalm You are the mouse:Panik

[@nomadjensen8276]

Yeah even house cats have that strange enjoyment of playing with their food. I found a half eaten mouse outside my house where there are many stray cats just living around the woods of my home just the other day and it reminded me of my sisters cat when we were young. she was shocked when she found a headless mouse in the living room.

[@TheAtlantaRailfan]

True

[@noahbrooksphoto]

361 likes lmao

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Oh but let a Coyote eat somebody's cat and people are ready to skin the poor thing alive and torture it to death for doing what it needs to do to keep on living.

[@EvilEye1986]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I grew up in South Africa and my dad worked on the film. He was a stunt double for both Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas at various points in the movie. I know some of the bridges and tracks are fake, but you can't even tell in the movie!!!

[@morganbanefort181]

What was val Kilmer and Michael Douglas like

[@paladinsix9285]

This is one of My Favorite movies too!

[@Canadianvoice]

What if the brits just killed the slaves and blamed it on lions.

[@Yeahno-ey3rb]

An underrated movie that deserved more attention. Still get goosebumps when I hear the soundtrack

[@handgun559]

*Sees corpse pile* "They're doing it for the pleasure..." Sooooo, they're just regular house cats, but big?

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

Very big

[@rockytopbritt]

Being a cat owner, this movie strikes a cord with me. The thought of full size lions acting like my cat is horrifying.

[@scoobydoo3928]

@@rockytopbritt Just imagining your housecat being about 9 feet long and 400 lbs., is enough to give anyone who owns a cat, nightmares. They are near perfect predators.

[@laurapomeroy7341]

Exactly! Just like your sweet well fed house cat. Remember that the next time you're sweet little seriel killer wants to go out side. We have ours on a leash and harness and watch her, she has killed five fluffy, feathery inocent creatures.

[@PrincessZelda_is_My_Side_Chick]

If they did it for pleasure, then I wonder if they left their dead uneaten humans on the front doormat as a present, like my cats do when they kill a mouse

[@Red80008]

This movie is a prime example of a heavily underrated masterpiece.

[@ZeeshaanBukhari22]

True

[@nogland8916]

My cat is giving me some weird looks right now...

[@alikos88]

+Bragon Dorn this cat...is it like other cats...?

[@algini12]

+Bragon Dorn It always did give you those looks. And now its too late......

[@fds7476]

*Run.*

[@mar10ssj1]

+Bragon Dorn Your cat is just contemplating your demise.

[@dff1286]

+CIIR LOL.

[@barbarahartmann2292]

My Great Uncle Captain Alfred Haslam was one of the characters left out or combined. He was a veterinarian who had come to help solve the lion problem but an illness had come over the local goats at the same time, he was killed by the local African tribe during a necropsy of a goat because they thought he was performing magic. Anyway, he's in the book. He is buried there too. I found this movie great, even though my Uncle was left out. Your review was wonderful.

[@bonefetcherbrimley7740]

Sorry about your great uncle, my friend.

[@ariw9405]

I loved this movie you’re right the cinematography alone is gorgeous. It also has personal significance for me, it was the first date movie for my now husband of 20 years

[@marcpeterson1092]

Odd choice for a first date movie.

[@a.l.michael6240]

I think that’s a cool first movie!

[@damienholland8103]

@@marcpeterson1092 not really.

[@86crud]

@@damienholland8103 Really. Scary movies make you want to hold someone's hand.

[@gregp103]

Give him a handy-j??

[@allendalephillips]

This has happened before. A tiger had over 300+ confirmed kills, a leopard the same. There are other stories as well

[@albatross4920]

There was a similar story of a bear in Japan that was a notorious man eater too

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

How do lions confirm kills?

[@bobbymobay]

Do you mean Shere Khan? I mean he couldn't even catch Mowgli!

[@bs__2028]

There's the killer crocodile Gustav The thing killed 300 men

[@samanthab1923]

India always has a village living in terror

[@WalkbetwixtWorlds]

I saw this in the theater, and it was instantly one of my faves, the score, the locale, the story.. and it had intrigued me then to research the true story. I am so thrilled to have found this channel just recently, and especially someone like minded on this particular film. Keep up the great work!

[@Canadianvoice]

Crazy idea the brits just killed slaves and blamed it on lions.

[@mtngrammy6953]

Thanks for filling in some good historical details! I saw this movie when it first came out. Having been a huge fan of animal behavior since I was a very young child (I'm now nearing 80), I have watched everything I can having to do with animal behavior. Working specifically with dogs for nearly 60 years now, I find that people seriously underestimate or simply deny the mental and emotional power of animals. Truly, these lions were unlike any others known before or since, but your explanation of the slaves being thrown out by the wayside explains a lot! Don't ever underestimate the intelligence of ANY animal! The more I work with animals, the more I realize that I know very little about the extent of their intelligence, emotions and uncanny abilities. The animal kingdom is truly amazing!

[@Reach1335]

"Face the animal on his own terms, you will find you are not so very strong." --The Beastmaster

[@GUNNER67akaKelt]

Awesome movie!

[@nathanb5579]

That's why we are smarter than them and can use tools to our advantage, Tactics and improvisation.

[@rcmunro22]

Face anything on their terms & not yours & this is the case. There's a reason advantages are... advantageous.

[@thegreatmoustachio]

You just convinced me to rewatch "The Ghost and the Darkness." I love that movie.

[@ronaldmilleriii7100]

Historians are skeptical about the 135 killed but what they don't know is that there are tigers and leopards that have killed up to 4 times as much people. The Champawat Tiger was responsible for 436 documented deaths. The Panar Leopard in 1910 allegedly killed 400 people. The Ghost and the Darkness is definitely my favorite movie. I have read the book numerous times and seen the movie too much to count and it never gets old.

[@notenoughodinson5912]

Whey, another Jim Corbett fan! My great grandad got to meet him when he was stationed in India

[@silverletter4551]

Those are some legendary hunters indeed!

[@aprildannettegosa5381]

Historians do not know everything

[@darrellcovello7917]

Actually my favorite Batman. I never hear anyone else agree with me.

[@237whpH2Bhatch]

Not really the point, these lions outsmarted men various times and were extremely lucky in getting out of traps.

[@andyb7808]

Deeply underrated film, I watched it as a kid after a historian at the Field Museum told me the whole story while I was standing in front of the lions. I think your essay captured many of the interesting points about both film and the true story upon which it was based. Bravo!🎉

[@crusaderofthelowlands3750]

The Ghost and the Darkness: "*ROAR*" Patterson: "I'm your huckleberry."

[@tonybates4308]

"You're a daisy if you do."

[@Yak1312]

Rofl!

[@NickThorbjørnsen2207]

"Play for blood? That's just my game."

[@orlandotragic7577]

Why Johnny Ringo...you look like somebody just walked over your grave

[@nathanmills335]

"Well...I s'pose I'm deranged...but I'll just have to call."

[@youtoob4life]

Personally, I love this movie. It scared me shit-less when I was a kid, and still gives me goosebumps. As for the low rating, I think it's probably because people thought it painted nature as the "bad guy".

[@michellemelville8979]

I was in my early 20s and it left quite an impression

[@Sweet.Mother.of.Cheesus]

well.. i kinda does. i remember how when I was younger and saw the movie for the first time I routed for the lions

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

Helps the director did horror before transition to action thrillers

[@KanishQQuotes]

Lion themed nightmare

[@derajnitram1882]

I never understood the negative reviews this film got either, I always thought it was the Jaws of the African Plains and I mean that in the best way. The Ghost and the Darkness captures the same tense moments, not knowing where the lions are, or when they'll strike next, and the music by Jerry Goldsmith creates a great sense of tension along with an epic score, much like Jaws had. I too love this film, I've seen it numerous times, and never have grown tired of it, sure it has historical inaccuracies, or be a more romanticized account much like Patterson's book, but it's still a good watch.

[@rhemorigher]

I've not seen it in years because ... well, because I didn't much like it when I first saw it, but I think from a recurring praise I've heard it might be how 'sucked in' you can get by the beauty and majesty of Africa, the mystery and power, which the movie is meant to really make seem appealing. I put it down to this 'cause when I watched it I was living in Africa, if I wanted that I went outside. Aside from the beauty and the sweeping plains, the intrepid journey through the dust, it was a fine movie, but nothing magical.

[@muhammadshahriarzaman1824]

Pp

[@FlyingFocs]

The best explanation I've heard was, "after the impressive CGI dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and alien invaders of Independence Day, normal lions just didn't seem impressive to audiences at the time." Of course, considering that no one makes films like these anymore, and I keep meeting people who say they love this film, it seems time has actually been pretty kind to this film. It's not gone under a massive critical revision like The Thing, Blade Runner, or Alien, but it is getting some vindication.

[@silverletter4551]

And the feeling that the victims had it coming was just a bonus.

[@heathermcfarlane6164]

Paterson's story of his successful hunt of the 2 lions at Tzavo is available in paperback. The attempt t lure the lions from the real hospital to the fake one failed because (in my opinion) the lions were MAN eaters and the blood etc they used was non human. Also, the lion slaughter was a case of unintended consequences: the slave trade in that area produced lions that were maneaters , putting a crimp in the slave trade.

[@kestrel09]

In his book, Death in the Long Grass. Peter Hathaway Capstick recalls his experiences as a big game hunter guide in Africa.There were accounts of lions entering sleeping huts selecting prey who were not closest to the door and removed the body without alerting anyone else. An interesting book with many interesting stories. It’s been posited that man eating lions become that way when they are older and not as adept at catching wild prey.

[@gullyfoyle3915]

That may have been a partial factor, and one of the lions had a serious abscess in the jaw, which would have made hunting difficult. There was also reduced game in the are due to a disease outbreak. Additionally, however, the very unusual behavior of the lions in the Tsavo region were likely also a late symptom of the East African (Arab/Muslim) Slave Trade. For hundreds of years columns of captured slaves were marched right through this area by Islamic slavers, on the way to slave dhows in Zanzibar, to be taken to Oman, India, and other ports in the Islamic world. When some of these slaves died, which they did in enormous numbers, the slavers simply left their bodies by the side of the trail. The lions in that region likely acclimated to the taste of human flesh over time (when otherwise and elsewhere lions normally do not eat humans) simply through the sheer abundance of scavengeable corpses.

[@vinnieg6161]

I feel like if that happens 1 time you'd build like a wooden wall or something

[@balanc-joy9187]

That is so disturbing the think about to me, my heart did a jump or two reading that. Just trying to imagine, either being dragged away so quickly you don't have time to alert anyone, or being someone sleeping in that hut and not hearing as this huge carnivore creeps along near you, and drags away someone _else_ and you don't even wake up. The person is just...gone, or at least pulled away before anything can be known right away. (Shivers). No wonder the men being hunted by the Tsavo lions called them Ghosts...

[@retriever19golden55]

I've read several of Capstick's books, they're terrific.

[@kestrel09]

@@retriever19golden55 I’ve only read Death in the Long Grass a great read.

[@johnsmith651]

you know what this movie needs, a damn Blu ray release

[@walmerkoyoc2136]

You should try Amazon, might have it

[@jeffreyhejny7315]

Can we skip to straight to brain download?

[@glitterboy2098]

The Bone cave was an odd thing IMO in both versions.. as far as i am aware lions usually don't Cache their kills in general, much less in caves. I've sometimes wondered if the bones weren't that of the sick slaves that the slaver used to dump along the route.. Leopards also lived in that region, and leopards ARE known for caching their kills, and using caves. a few decades of dragging the bodies of dying or dead captives into the cave to feast would certainly have created a fairly large amount of bones. (some of out best finds of prehistoric fossils in africa, especially for hominids, come from the pits and outcrops that Leopards liked to bring their kills to to eat and cache.) Leopard behavior wasn't well understood at the time, in large part because they were solitary and harder to see in the wild, and it was believed at the time that lions were the top predators of the ecosystem. so it would make sense that Patterson attributed the cave to Lions rather than some other animal. why the cave doesn't have bones now is an oddity, but perhaps the bones finally just rotted away. or some of the local people found the place and gave them burials without telling anyone else.

[@atf5275]

well, porcupines collect bones to chew on for the calcium so it could just be a family of porcupines.

[@mmmc5122]

@@atf5275 a trite observation that in no way accounts for the amount of bones.

[@atf5275]

@@mmmc5122 that's why I said could. It could be unusual behaviour from these already unusual lions? Or a leopard that scavenged what was left of the corpses as it was said that they usually didnt eat much if their victims?

[@kgraff4755]

Seems like a fair enough assumption, honestly. After what Patterson went through, of course he'd immediately attribute the cave only to the lions. What if the caching was from a leopard and the lions simply rented the cave for a bit? It's an interesting hypothesis for sure. 👍

[@glitterboy2098]

@@kgraff4755 in the book when they found the cave there was absolutely no evidence to tie the lions to the cave beyond "they found the cave while looking for lions that had been seen in the area". he immediately assumed it was a lion lair, based on popular beleifs of the time about lion lifestyle, but scientific studies in the century or so since have shown that Lions usually don't hang around in caves.. they tend to live in the open, and on the move.

[@Pantheonslayer]

My great grandfather worked this railway, i never knew him but he was truly a man. Bhagwan bless his soul

[@EmilioReyes_97]

Thank whatever you believe in that your here today because he didnt end up as cat food..

[@jcfra420]

@@EmilioReyes_97 You do realize, being the grandfather's first cousin, it makes no difference if Patterson was killed right?

[@EmilioReyes_97]

@@jcfra420 I was referencing if his Grandfather was killed

[@collinhennessy1521]

Bhagwan was my grandfather.

[@JackAShepherd]

That is really cool!

[@heathsemer3882]

I love this movie and had no idea how accurate it was!

[@jasonkelley8697]

it is very rare when a movie is so accurate even though it did take a few small liberties with some elements. it's also been said that people think Patterson may have exaggerated some elements in his book too though.

[@tonybanjo]

I asked Jerry Goldsmith if there was a movie where he was particularly fond of his score and he said The Ghost and the Darkness which he thought was an underrated movie. I'd never heard of it but found it on DVD and it's been a favourite and I did enjoy his score.

[@petergabriel8448]

The score is FANTASTIC. I picture the movie inside my head when I hear it.

[@leitheparsons1186]

This is fantastic movie. As far as the patriot your British bias is showing.

[@LesA.R.6568]

Jerry Goldsmith, heck of an composer.

[@StsFiveOneLima]

You actually met the man? This is not my favorite Goldsmith soundtrack, but is in the top 3. And he is my favorite film composer, ever.

[@realtsavo]

Jerry Goldsmith is a man I wish I could have worked with someday.

[@gethinthomas9535]

Oh val Kilmer how awesome you were in the 90s

[@jonathanw1019]

Before the dark times. Before the Empire of Krispy Kreme.

[@travelreview5962]

"I'm your huckleberry"

[@valancebohm3204]

Dont forget Heat... and the Saint.

[@jardelelias5625]

He was also great in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

[@azazelone905]

quotetheraven90 umm? I’ll say maybe on that. The difference was screen time. He certainly held his own with them that’s for sure. “Not enough steaks in the freezer...”

[@georgesartiano3559]

I recall being at a lecture by one of the cinematographers/vfx guys for this, and he was talking about the lions, and said they were pre-trained lions hired for the movie- so they didn't have to re-train any non-mane lions. The lion that attacks the woman at the train is really attacking his trainer, and iirc when the one lion is stalking one of the guys and crawling low, the trainers were holding a piece of glass over him that forced him down like that.

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

It also streamlines the film in another way; You don't need exposition to explain why male lions, some of the most ferocious ones in history are missing the lion male's trademark trait.

[@taffysaur]

Abraham Edelstein Exactly What I was thinking.

[@Tareltonlives]

Fair enough! Means less CG work and trying to answer a question we're STILL not sure about.

[@unfortunately_fortunate2000]

dude, you do know you're NEVER to begin a new sentence with the word "and" nor "the" don't you?... besides that, cool comment my guy.

[@Marioag20]

Alex Hendel really? Stephen King starts sentences in many of his books with “The”.. dumbass

[@satorukuroshiro]

I feel the best genre description for a film like this is Historical Natural Horror. After all, historical basis, natural threat, horrific events (real or embellished).

[@nickmattedwards]

As much as this film doesn't measure up to other genuinely epic films set in Africa such as ZULU in terms of historical significance it still remains a thoroughly entertaining and memorable film that I've re-watched a fair few time over the years. The acidic vitriol poured upon it when some genuinely awful films, such as AVATAR, send people into a celluloid based delirium is beyond me.

[@LucyLioness100]

I’ve seen the lions at the Field Museum numerous times. It’s pretty crazy to see the remains of such feared beasts but their legend is kept alive by our museum

[@bryanknecht6860]

Cool, in which city/country is the museum?

[@Regfife]

@@bryanknecht6860 Chicago, Illinois. USA.

[@doozerace]

@@Regfife across from Soldier Field

[@yiannapavlochristou6855]

@@Regfife I don’t mean to be rude but why are the remains in America and not in Africa?

[@geert574]

Because that museum paid Patterson 5000 bucks and the others didn't? Anyway the skins have shrunk the lions on display aren't the real size of Tsavo eaters

[@2wingo]

There were also safety concerns; Tsavo lions are much more capricious and violent than the maned ones, and cannot be reliably trained. They couldn't just shave the ones they had because, well, animal handlers tend to not allow it.

[@mirandaloy5448]

Honestly, it would be terrifying enough being that close to any lion--no matter how well trained. I couldn't imagine coming face to face with an actual Tsavo lion.

[@Euroviking86]

I'm happy they chose mane ones. Maneless lions inescapably look female to audiences, and they wanted to drive home that they were males. Besides, the image of maned lions is just far stronger, and hits closer to home. It was a good decision all around. Some of the best cinematography on lions ever is in this movie.

[@mirandaloy5448]

That's true. When Nick pulled up the Tsavo lions during the review, it took me a minute to realize that they weren't lionesses. Easier all around I guess to just use maned ones.

[@teheyepatch]

Not a problem for me. If the change was made for the safety of the cast, crew and animals involved, I will happily suspend my disbelief.

[@trevor8726]

I doubt the maned lions would like having their manes, which depict the fact that they are male, is being shaved off

[@damienkakoschke3099]

I remember tripping over this movie while channel flicking late one night & found it absolutely captivating. Then I had the chance to see it on TV a few years later & once again, brilliant movie, once you put it on, you cannot turn it off. I actually think this is one of Val Kilmer's better films (he has been pretty terrible in a lot of films, but this isn't one of them) & I liked Micheal Douglas in this film too. Also, the actor who played his African second in command was the coolest guy ever.

[@getoffyourbassandletsfish7651]

Our two cats are sitting on my bed one watching this with me, I swear she taking notes!

[@johnreece5540]

Not only one of the most underrated films of the 1990's. The Ghost and The Darkness is one of the most underrated films of all time

[@Winter-The-Masquerade]

11:52 It honestly looks like the lion is going "Dude, Bad LUCK." Also, still more expressive then Disney's 2019 The Lion King.

[@pizzatime5264]

Its because they used real lions broham

[@playgt326]

Looks like scar.

[@unterdessen8822]

@@pizzatime5264 I'm not sure Spielberg's "Jaws" would have been much better with a real shark... I mean, the shark puppet IS very dated now, I have to admit that... you can see, that poor Bruce must have metal intestines. Then again, it's not that much in the movie and it doesn't bother me, that they didn't let Robert Shaw slip into a real great white's mouth ;-) I wholeheartedly agree, that Disney's awful live action reboots are trash. These stories simply don't translate well to a non-animated scenario. They're like "Cats" - a creepy, disgusting mindf**k.

[@JR-ju3kj]

Indeed.Patterson had nothing BUT bad luck throughout the movie with trying to kill those lions.

[@mk13ultra4th]

One of the movies that always creeped in the back of my head and I never really remembered if it was a nightmare, a cruel joke of my own mind or an actual product.

[@dirtypms]

"Remmington's Death" was an awesome track! It's worth noting that the sound editing was given an award.

[@williamreid5920]

I have been fascinated by this story since I first watched the movie, the Ghost & the Darkness. I was surprised by the negative reviews and encouraged by your's. I bought the book by Colonel Patterson which corroborated the facts in the movie. Dr. William Reid

[@ErinBujalski]

One of my favorite lines came from this movie that I've used in life. You don't take an untested rifle into battle!!!!!

[@iqMain]

The British with the L85/: I wonder who that could be

[@TheGosslings]

This was one of the best movies of the '90s. Truly a spectacular passion project that shows in every frame and second of film. History Buffs is my favorite KZbin channel. Every video is an excellent production that provides insights into our favorite movies. Even for a cinephile like me, I always learn something new. Thank you for doing this.

[@tammy6610]

Sadly as of 2019 slave trade is still going on in parts of Africa and middle eastern countries

[@BobHogenProductions]

@warystatue33 You do realize that the Arabs also conducted their own slave trade alongside the Europeans, right?

[@BobHogenProductions]

​@warystatue33 Although it didn't get worse, it simply didn't fully go away, my bad for not detecting the joke

[@marcelcostache2504]

@warystatue33 so the arab had slave trade almost 1000 years before europeans but its our fault?! way dont you talk about the fact that most african slaves under the arabs where castrated and 1 in every 3 died from bleeding. The European slave trade lasted 300 years the arab slave trade from 640 to 1980 ( mauritania was the last state to remove slavery in 1981!) so before insulting europeans GO LEARN HISTORY YOU MORON.

[@natarito2056]

I'm a slave to my cell phone lol

[@peterongan9655]

@LadyGaGa is hot Islam before islam practice slave even dated far away at roman time or even before it. But the worst thing is, most of the muslims in the middle east is still conduct it. That's why some country like Indonesia, reduce their workers to go to Saudi because most of the time they become slaves.

[@robstanton9215]

The Ghost and the Darkness is an all time favorite of mine! If you don’t come close to losing a grip on your kidneys through this at least four or five times you aren’t paying attention!! It puts an eerie feeling up my back every time I watch it. It reminds me that as a hunter of big game you can become the hunted and I have been hunted by mountain lions and bears. It is sure to keep you on your toes!!

[@terrykeever9422]

Many big game animals turn the tables on the hunters. I've read Cape Buffalo are very good at stalking. We think of the big cats but imagine a Cape Buffalo who wants you dead.

[@kudukilla]

@@terrykeever9422ith buffalo it depends. If it’s a a herd or even a solitary dugga boy and they hear, smell, or see you they’ll usually take off and run away. If it’s solitary male who’s been injured by a lion, a poacher’s bullet, or a hunter’s bad shot watch out. I’ve actually hunted and taken one. Also saw genuine wild lions. Also faced and took down a charging hippo.

[@whitecloak11]

How 4 guys with rifles missed that close in the trap is insane.

[@turtleinashirt]

Still my favorite movie. Love the whole thing. The critics can kiss my ass.

[@pratyushdam1]

i was very young when i saw this with my parents but years later i rediscovered it, it is seriously one of the best movie i have seen. and whoever i have recommended it to has thanked me for this masterpiece. but if rotten tomatoes has it lower than patriot then i am never trusting rotten tomatoes ever again

[@catkeys6911]

17:52 ..."the low scores due to the poor performances by Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas..." Correction: Those were both EXCELLENT performances. The low scores were just indicative of Rotten Tomatoes scoring system- the stuffy critics only gave it a 51% approval rating, but the audience score was 75% approval. Michael Douglas' performance, I thought, was particularly good. Douglas is a veritable chameleon, and can step into ANY kind of character and make a powerful performance out of it, and he does so in this movie.

[@michellemelville8979]

Yeah that comment had me scratching my head. The 2 of them brought their characters to life. Maybe they expected more Hollywood reactions to what was going on when the main person is staying within the confines of what the real person actually did?

[@LesA.R.6568]

"Yes, the devil has come to TSavo…...I am the devil."

[@guyhall9973]

@drew pedersen and that's being kind

[@TomyMcCoid]

I thought both were excellent,only off-putting thing was Kilmer’s accent

[@andrewblack2596]

Fuck those wine drinking cheese eating fucks.

[@swacfan100]

One of my favorite history movies as well. The story, the acting and YES that score was great. I loved this movie. Critics don't know everything.

[@tommyodonovan3883]

Val's *"Acting"* was his worst performance....That FAF Irish accent was unbearable.

[@veronicatorres5991]

@@tommyodonovan3883 oohh we got a critic

[@alioreo2451]

I can watch this movie again and again and it still terrifies me. I am no Val Kilmer fan but he did an amazing job in this film. This is truly a movie that should be considered a classic. Well shot, no pun intended, mostly great acting, beautiful scenery and a true story. What more could you ask for.

[@Tareltonlives]

I volunteer at Chicago's Field Museum, where the horrifying lions now reside. I enjoy this movie despite the frequent cliches-it's a great historical story and one of the better "killer animal" stories. And this film is beautiful,. and the lions one of our star attractions. Numbers are still debated: from 30 to 135 men were killed. Our mammal expert Bruce D. Patterson, (who is very friendly and open to questions) argues for the lower number, since their nitrogen isotopes show less than 24 people were actually eaten. Of course, killing for sport is not to be ruled out, and may account for the larger estimates. He also discovered that one of the lions had a tooth infection, an infection that would have made it difficult for the lion to kill large, difficult prey. To this very day, the lions in Tsavo are maneless.

[@teheyepatch]

I laughed at the narration at the end of the film. "When you lock eyes with them, you will be afraid." I couldn't help but thinking. "No I won't. I've seen them. They look adorable."

[@steverogers9664]

Just out of curiosity how could nitrogen isotopes in an animal's fur Point to how many people it's eating? Wouldn't it really depend on the size and weight of the person 3 skinny guys would equal one fat guy and so on. Don't understand the science behind this.

[@NinjaTyler]

Tareltonlives yes but those isotopes only account for what a few short months and not however long these lions hunted humans in full though

[@garyK.45ACP]

There is also the "windfall" argument. There is the theory that predators will often kill far more animals/people/prey than they can eat in one sitting when presented with the opportunity. The predator intends to eat all the prey killed, but will return later to eat the rest. An example is a weasel or fox that gets into a hen house and kills ALL the chickens. The farmer discovers this the next morning and claims the weasels or fox "kill for sport" , which, of course, they do not. Given a camp full of defenseless workers, the lions may kill more than they can eat when they have the opportunity.

[@Billybob-j7f]

Tareltonlives Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Pattersons’ hometown is about 1 hour drive from me.

[@PetersonZF]

I was always fascinated by the gruesome story of the man-eaters of Tsavo, ever since reading Willard Price's Lion Adventure as a kid. Awesome movie.

[@thestoicwhinger]

Yes! Now i remember where i first read about this story 😁 thanks

[@odellyim4695]

This film deserves a remake more focused on the horror, suspense element rather than just an action movie. Like imagine a ten minute tense scene only hearing the sounds of lions in total darkness.

[@KanishQQuotes]

They'll make it woke and rubbing "colonialism bad" every 2 minutes

[@tiernanwearen8096]

@@KanishQQuotes I hate to admit it but you're probably right

[@HermanMunster420]

@@KanishQQuotes nah, they'll make it epic there will be an epic battle between the tribes and the lions, then there will be explosions and the avengers will show up and it will be a trilogy of movies that are three hours long each. Also, if a bunch of foreign soldiers showed up in your town to "colonize" your street your have a problem with it. Be real.

[@pieterboelen2862]

I like how it's still an adventure movie as well. Any remake would lose the Jerry Goldsmith. They'd just turn it into a generic modern darkness-fest.

[@JSB-2Z-2K]

What are you talking about it does have suspense and horror. It was even labelled under horror in some places.

[@MissFlow]

Coincidentally I watched the movie yesterday after not seeing it in like 10 years or longer. I was surprised at how tense and cruel the movie could be. Building up and building up to events and the pasing is outstanding! Of course with movies based on historical events I always question how much of it is true and how much the director made up or filled in, but in this case I think he did a splendid job being as truthfull as possible. They had a lot of data to work with. The scenes that got to me were the part where Patterson was facing one of the lions and his gun failed him. The realisation, the "HOH SHIT I'M FUCKED" look in his eyes the moment he ears a click but no shot. And the lion looking straight at him with his face covered in blood. Haunting. The other scene was the nightmare where his wife and newborn visit and get mauled by one of the lions. I was like "THIS BETTER BE A DREAM". Of course it turns out it is, and at the end of the movie when she truely visits him and he takes a quick peek at the tall grass where the lion in the dream used to be, juuuuuussst to make sure.... Suspensefull even after the threat has been defeated. THAT is great film making!

[@laughingoutloud5742]

I agree this is one of my favourite movies of all time as well. The music always gets my blood pumping and wanting to go to Africa as well. This story is fascinating regardless of how many people the Lions devoured.

[@AstralDragoon]

This movie was utterly terrifying; far more than any "horror" movie I've wasted my time watching. I should probably buy it sometime...

[@troodon1096]

"Historical horror" really should be more of a genre than it is.

[@FlyingFocs]

It needs a freaking Blu-Ray release, if it hasn't already.

[@dontworrydon]

I've watched this a handful of times and I love the movie and think the acting is very good.

[@darediablo199]

Man, I just have to tell you that this is one of my favorite channels on KZbin. The care and love that you put into every video, coupled with the production value is outstanding.

[@heavierthanheaven88]

this was one of my all time favorite movies as a kid... probably seen it a hundred times on vhs... still in my top ten.

[@kyotokitsune]

As they say, Truth is stranger than fiction.

[@margraveofgadsden8997]

If they analyzed their hair to determine how many people they are in the last 3 months of their lives, and it came out as 11 and 24, then it isn’t implausible to suggest they could’ve eaten over 100 between them in one year.

[@parkerdyche9872]

And they were judging by every 35 pounds of meat eating human, most of the people in those camps were vegetarian and who’s to say the lions were eating all 35 pounds per person, because they get 11 and 24 people by the 35 pound scale, if they only ate a couple pounds per person you’re looking at 300+

[@thegeeksiderspodcast1520]

I think probably the reason they used lions with manes is because your average person would think they were female, and a major point in the movie is the lions are male. The audience would have been confused. Of course, they could have explained through dialogue that Tsavo lion don't have manes, but then you're getting into exposition and not moving the story forward.

[@jackchellew8441]

The Geeksiders Podcast No manes because of the thorns!

[@thegeeksiderspodcast1520]

@@jackchellew8441 Yeah. Real Tsavo lions have no manes, partly due to the thorns, and partly due to the heat. My comment was in regard to the lions they used in the film. I thought that would have been obvious.

[@garcalej]

Well there's that, and the possibility that Hollywood didn't have too many maneless male lions on hand to film these shots, at least none that were well-trained enough to avoid on set accidents. They had to go with what they had. And I doubt the trainers would have consented to shave them.

[@DTMCD92]

Easily in my Top 5..... I’ll never forget seeing the Lions of Tsavo for the first time on my 6th Grade Trip to Chicago!

[@trevscribbles]

I'd never even heard of this film, let alone the book, the legend, OR the actual factual occurrence! No idea how this slipped beneath the radar the last 20-odd years of my life. Looking forward to watching it.

[@michellemelville8979]

Hope you report back on how you found it

[@Dsturb85]

So how did you like it???

[@trevscribbles]

@@Dsturb85 ...inconclusive (I still haven't seen it 😅🤦‍♂️) I actually forgot about it AGAIN! Right, okay, this is happening, and I shall report back with my findings post haste

[@Dsturb85]

@@trevscribbles lol its available on Amazon prime with subscription if you have it. I just watched it again it is Superman the fear and dread is palpable the music and the sound effects are just awesome and the acting is great totally totally one of my favorite movies ever you absolutely need to check it out I promise you will not be disappointed.

[@trevscribbles]

@@michellemelville8979 Over one year later, I can finally say with all sincerity, that was a good film.

[@robertogonzales1956]

First saw this movie when it came out on video, thought it was awesome. At the end of the movie when they said the two lions were on display at the museum in Chicago, realizing this was a true story, made me rewind it and watch it again.

[@Casablumpkin01]

The Rotten Tomatoes score blows my mind as well; Mahina scanning the savanna and spying a lion's silhoutte still gets me.

[@michellemelville8979]

The part that gets me is the dream sequence. And then when she later arrives he remembers the dream and scans through the grass. And I remember critics saying how that sequence almost derails the movie....nah. it makes the movie.

[@mikerryan85]

Can’t believe Val & Michael’s performances were even questioned by critics. Remington’s entrance alone was badass!

[@KanishQQuotes]

I loved the casting in the movie

[@stevenantonio8830]

One of my favorite all time movies. It was cool to hear how historically accurate it is. Is the acting on the part of Kilmer and Douglas the greatest, no. But the cinematography more the makes up for it, as well as the supporting actors. I highly encourage anyone who loves Africa, animals, hunting, or adventure to watch it, fantastic film.

[@f1refall]

Interesting, I thought Kilmer gave an amazing performance - well outside his usual range, conveying a stuffy englishman of the victorian age so well. Perhaps the problem is its not a particularly likeable archetype?

[@johnnycage4019]

I agree

[@rachelbarrie5359]

I love the look on Patterson's face when they are burning the remains of Remington. I think Val did an excellent job (despite what happened to him in his personal life) at portraying Patterson as if to say 'Lets finish this, one of us will die'!!

[@josephdillard9907]

I don't see why an Englishman of the Victorian era should be an "unlikable" archetype. Other than a person just suffering from extreme anti white brainwashing, which is definitely common enough these days. Both this movie, and this KZbin video about the movie, have their fair share of anti white rhetoric.

[@caroletraynor8763]

Only upper class people were stuffy.

[@f1refall]

@@caroletraynor8763 and the middle class. Certainly not the working class, I agree

[@CynicalHistorian]

I watched this movie because of your review. It is surprising that it hasn't garnered as much attention. The whole mane-less thing makes sense given production constraints. Plus Americans would see them as lionesses and confuse the reference to lions. Something that bugged me about it though, in the first encounter with the man-eaters and protagonist, he had a clear line of sight. At that distance, and with that rifle, I could've shoot from the hip and hit my mark. It's amazing how accuracy only counts as a plot contrivance when they are good, but this is exactly the opposite. It's not a narrative problem, just a cinematic problem. Great movie though!

[@HistoryBuffs]

Haha wow! I'm so glad to hear you watched the movie because of my review. That's really cool to hear mate, thank you for saying that. Its not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but for some reason that film fires my imagination, just like those adventure books I used to read as a kid.Do you think you will review Ghost and the Darkness at some point? Speaking of which, I just wrote my script for Braveheart and its being edited now. Would love to hear your opinion on it if that's okay? Saw yours and thought it was pretty good. Glad to know that you also didn't like it lol

[@CynicalHistorian]

When I do episodes, it's often because I think there is inadequate stuff on KZbin already. On this movie, if I'm asked about it, I'm just going to point them towards yours. I'm not familiar enough with the historiography on this subject to warrant my own rendition anyways. I'm definitely looking forward to the Braveheart episode. Mine was rapid fire factoids, whereas you do slowburn overall reviews, so it'll definitely be interesting. Besides, that movie needs as much bashing as possible.

[@HistoryBuffs]

Haha well trust me there will be bashing! Had to do an extra long review just to cover as much as possible and still I couldn't cover them all

[@heretyk_1337]

The Cynical Historian- to your original point, made so long ago :) Have you ever met lion in real life? I went to zoo in Prague long time ago(i think i was 8, so... 20 years ago), and there was a group of lions behind reinforced glass in one place. Children, being assholes they always are, banged on the glass to make lions do something. And then male lion just got up... Let me tell you, they are freaking giant. No way in hell movie could even give you idea how big they are. And when 300 kilograms of muscles, claws and teeth is coming your way, even when you are safe, behind some barrier, something- i assume it was my heart at that moment- starts droping all the way to your colon, and your legs just feel like they are glued to the ground. He came close to window, and literally, like he just wanted to say "fuck off", casually roared. It makes you quiver inside. Guns, knives, spears, maces, flamethrowers or a tank. I could have bazooka in my hands at that moment, i wouldn`t even budge And the point about music, to anybody else- there are two movies, that have this one theme that i could listen all the time. One is "Ghost and Darkness" that was brought up in this reviev, other is "Last of the Mohicans"- when Unkas, Chingachgook, and Hawkeye chase after Magua`s band...

[@matthewstoddart3552]

The Cynical Historian I believe it wasn't the lion roar that deafened the syepos but the guns going off in a small wooden crate. That's why you should always wear hearing protection when shooting firearms.

[@DracoBrooklyn]

after talking with a friend about this and we watched this together, we were very impressed with the research and the enthusiasm about the story, and yes, it is very much the faithful version of the story. This was very much fun to watch, and it was very much enjoyable to the end. I look forward to more of these honestly.

[@mrwdpkr5851]

The book is awesome . It has other stories like the Bengal Tiger that hunted people as well .

[@victorcabanelas]

Just my opinion, but I couldn't finish the book. The part in which the movie's based is indeed awesome, but then I it got really boring. Then again, I started reading it when I was like 19, so maybe it was just me being a teenager. I think I still have it around somewhere, will see if I can give it another shot.

[@colabama]

@@victorcabanelas Hi Victor,parts of the book are not as exciting as others,I agree.But still,read it again,you will not regret it.

[@ktgequestrian4475]

@Kolby olson Jim Corbett's books are amazing

[@JR-ju3kj]

@Kolby olson Someone should make that story into a movie just like how the man-eating lions of Tsavo was turned into a movie. I know that there was a TV movie made for the story of the man-eating leopard but it should have a big-budget motion picture made based on it,just like The Ghost And The Darkness.

[@david.leikam]

I remember seeing this film in the theatres back in the day. I still enjoy it too!

[@degenerate3288]

When you loose your hearing from a lion roaring 15ft away but not a gun shooting 1ft away

[@degenerate3288]

@plaguelock Shut up

[@rachelarruda-decell7244]

I don't know. I know guns going off in an enclosed space can be loud, but have you ever been close to a roaring lion? One time when I was with my little niece at the zoo, we were walking by the big cat enclosures, but were not actually in front of them. Suddenly, we heard a low roar that seemed to vibrate in the ground and just got louder until it sounded like it was everywhere. My niece's eyes were wide as saucers. It was awesome but a little scary, even knowing they were in a secure enclosure. And that was just a hanging out on a boulder on Tuesday roar. But a I'm trapped and there's food I can't get to roar? I can see that taking out your hearing, easily.

[@darrellcovello7917]

Haha! If movies were realistic, you'd hear a lot more "WHAT??"

[@Harijohn4874]

Maybe it was both.

[@battleshipfleet]

not to mention it's backpowder in a closed space

[@rodrigorodgers3148]

I agree, one of the most underrated films ever made. Deserves a lot more love and appreciation.

[@PittsburghSportsFan43]

I've seen people dump on both Michael Douglas's and Val Kilmer's performances, and I really don't think the hate is justified. They were both good in this. Kilmer's accent didn't bother me and while Remington may not have been real, if you actually read the book by Patterson it seems like they took characteristics from a couple different people and just combined them into Remington. The only thing I didn't like was that Remington dies. I don't care if it was foreshadowed or predictable.

[@Divineheart7]

I loved this movie. It says at the beginning of the film that even the most fantastic parts of this film were true. Adds to the tension of the movie.

[@TomoInAMask]

If you want to hear more about this incident, I just came from a video about the lions of Tsavo by Bob Gymlan. He reads from the historical accounts of these two lions and their attacks, and it's incredible. The true story is just as good as the stories, and it's an amazing real story about nature taking a strong strike back against man.

[@bbaker4117]

DO BLACK HAWK DOWN NEXT!

[@jimmyjarrett939]

Fantastic idea, never thought of that but it would be really interesting to see how accurate it was. Good call mate

[@bbaker4117]

NurusTheSquid Yeah I heard there weren't firing real bullets either. Totally fake.

[@litorres4125]

+Khal Brogo yeah totally They weren't even using real soldiers either So inaccurate Smh

[@bbaker4117]

Dj Tapatio well actually, all the soldiers doing fast rope insertions and helo pilots were from the 75th Ranger Regiment and 160th SOAR. The little bird pilot who picks up the wounded Delta guy at the first crash sight is the actual pilot who did that in the real life back in 1993.

[@litorres4125]

Khal Brogo it's a joke

[@gilbertsimoneau2629]

This was an excellent movie I didn't know that the lions were mane-less

[@wolfchacer0139]

Me neither till I went downtown and saw the real deals at the Field Museum. They were huge compared to the ones used in the movie but looked more like female lionesses till I read those males were maneless which is the norm for Tsavo Lions. I always stop by them whenever we're there for some strange sick reason lol They fascinate me.

[@guanjun1178]

@@wolfchacer0139 Apparently the skins of those lions in the museum weren't preserved properly by Patterson, which caused the skins to shrink, so the lions in the museum are actually smaller than regular Tsavo lions. Tsavo lions regularly weigh more than 500 pounds, which is more than regular Savannah lions. They also have a slightly different cranial structure and of course, are maneless.

[@catalinsoare1261]

I remember when the movie was in the cinema. It had a major impact on me. I loved it. In my opinion, this is not about someone chasing some lions, it's a movie about friendship: the friendship between the 2 lions and the sadness I felt for the lion left behind. Truly a masterpiece!

[@mariakelly5]

10:35 When Val Kilmer describes the lion trap, it reminded me of the scene in Outlander when Jim Cavizel's character is explaining how the Moorwen trap will work.

[@thedonk2]

I read the books goddamn they are massive

[@jessieb1342]

This is truly one of my favorite movies. I honestly love everything about it. It doesn’t get near the respect it deserves.

[@paulsimmons5726]

After everything is said and done, this was a great adventure movie that borrowed a plot from real happenings. Obviously Hollywood felt like a man hunting two wild lions in Africa wouldn't be exciting enough for the audience so they turbocharged it. Since I've actually read Patterson's account, I can separate the two and I still thought it was a great movie!

[@dudeman5234]

Paul Simmons ,Patterson was a proud coward with no balls and useless fuck,anyone can shoot a gun

[@seanlamar29]

dude man how so

[@Tsiri09]

I agree. I've read Patterson's account- far more terrifying than the movie. The hides of two of the cats are at the Chicago History Museum (a place I want to visit) It's said that people have an uneasy feeling looking at them. There's also an account of an American that hunted and killed another Tsavo lion that was terrorizing a village- it's chilling.

[@paulsimmons5726]

@@dudeman5234 - Truly spoken like a person who's never been under extreme pressure. Patterson used only a mild 303 British round and unless you've ever hunted a man-killer to save lives, please don't criticize what needed to be done. Get off KZbin for a minute and get a life before you smack talk a real man who rose to the occasion. How many people have you saved at the possible cost of being eaten by a lion?

[@aprildannettegosa5381]

@@dudeman5234 Patterson saved an entire town

[@midnightwaves01]

It's intriguing that it doesn't come to their mind that the locals might retrieved their families remains from the cave after the lions were dead. Most of us regardless want that basic human dignity given to our loved ones. I hope they did a mass burial and funeral procession. As an after thought it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get the human remains out of the den to ensure its new occupants didn't develop a scent for humans as well. The original story was terrifying enough without imbelishing on the cave. I don't believe he lied. Also they didn't take into account the harsh elements destroying the bones. I love this movie too. Wish Michael Douglas would come back and do more movies. However I'm sure he's perfectly content with his treasure Catherine Zita Jones. 🙂

[@stefanaguinaldosoerensen2355]

By lord! This intro never fails to get me pumped up!