CNN – Back from Iraq War, and Alone

By Mike Scotti, Special to CNN Editor’s note: Mike Scotti served as a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, and is a founding board member of Reserve Aid, a military-themed, nonprofit charity. He is the founder of the Military Veterans Club at the NYU...

Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule – Review

THE COMPLEX AND CLARITY OR SEVERE CLEAR One could, I suppose, be forgiven for expecting that a documentary on the Iraq war composed entirely of video footage shot by soldiers directly involved in the long, slow roll toward Baghdad would more often than not resemble...

Marine Corps Times – “This Is Real”

“Armed with a Camcorder, a Marine penetrates the fog of war.” By Jon R. Anderson – Staff writer On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, visibility in the skies over New York City was unlimited — what some pilots call “severe clear.” It’s why the images of that day are so...

Boxoffice Magazine – Review

The complications of war and the conundrum of media but heads in Severe Clear by Sara Schieron A documentary made from footage taken during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Severe Clear offers a Marine level view of Operation Iraqi Freedom, but its first person account...

The Hollywood Reporter – Review

Bottom Line: The Iraq War, captured in visceral fashion by one of its combatants. By Frank Schreck Television journalists might have brought the Vietnam War into our living rooms, but it’s the soldiers who are providing the same service these days. “Severe Clear”...

Geeks of Doom – Review

Posted by The Movie God Hollywood has produced countless war films over the decades. From some of the earliest of wars shown in movies like Braveheart and Kingdom of Heaven, to more modern wars depicted in movies like Platoon, Black Hawk Down, Apocalypse Now, Full...

Dossier Journal – Review

Last Friday at the Angelika Film Center Severe Clear, Kristian Fraga’s incisive on-the-ground documentary of a U.S. Marine battalion during early phases of the Iraq War opened.  Working exclusively with First Lieutenant Mike Scotti’s first-person video footage and...

Awesome Entertainment – Review

Hollywood has created countless war films over the decades. Some of the earliest wars were shown in movies which were Braveheart, Kingdom of Heaven to more modern wars in Platoon, Apocalyse Now, Black Hack Down etc etc.. The list is endless. These movies have shown...

The New York Times – Review

A Marine Searches for Meaning in the Sands and ‘Steel Rain’ of Iraq By Stephen Holden “Here is the truth about being a Marine that you won’t find on the local news. We’re loud. We drink too much, fight too much and swear too much. Truth be told, our rifles are the...

Daily News – Review

A Marine documents his experiences in Iraq. by Elizabeth Weitzman With the exception of “The Hurt Locker,” the best pictures about the Iraq War have been documentaries.  Most fictional films simply can’t capture the immediacy of the experience the way a raw chronicle...