Here's the definition from the official site:

"A fanlisting is simply an online list of fans of a subject, such as a TV show, actor, or musician, that is created by an individual and open for fans from around the world to join. There are no costs, and the only requirements to join a fanlisting are your name and country." - TheFanlistings.Org

This fanlisting can be found under the Movies category.

If you're still unsure, go take a close look at the Fanlistings Network website or email me with any questions. :)

"In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has lead to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives." - SonyPictures.Com

Reading that, you probably wouldn't expect to see a movie any different to the hundreds of others Hollywood has released over the years, so it's pretty unfortunate that that synopsis appears on the back of every 'Black Hawk Down' DVD!

I'll readily admit that I was a victim of that badly summarised and publicised piece of propaganda when the movie was first released down under. I huffed and scoffed and mostly ignored the advertising because I was sure it would turn out to be like every other war movie I'd ever seen and never liked.

How wrong I was!

The first time I saw the movie was when it was aired on television, and boy was I in for a surprise. From the very start I was intrigued and moved by what they were trying to accomplish, not to mention the relative, hm... complacency is the word I'm looking for, in regards to their mission. I guess they had a strange sort of "famous last words" complex going on. Well, as usual, they were doomed from the beginning!

As the movie unfolds, we're introduced to a mix-bag of characters: the Delta Force soldiers and the American Rangers. Practically every one of them is given a unique story-line, but the movie never feels crowded, even while we're following the air-born teams and the ground teams almost simultaneously.

With those things said, it's obviously not to be forgotten that this movie is about the horror of war. The destruction and cruelty, the pain and loss.

The realisation of these things during the movie is keenly poignant and, coupling that with the stories of our soldiers is heartbreaking. For me, being a person who, depending on the movie itself, can be both easily affected and strangely detatched from sad or emotion-provoking movies, to feel so strongly about all of this is quite telling.

All in all, I'd say the success (though apparently that could be debated!) of the movie is a testament to the incredible line-up of actors portraying those captivating roles that I fell in love with so easily. And then, I suppose, that's a testament to good directing. ;)

If you'd like to know more, there are some other sites you can check out if you're interested! Hop over to the extras section to view some choice selections and other miscellaneous funstuffs. :)

At some stage in the future, I also hope to make a screencap gallery to put on the site!