best war movie....

[OUAndy1807]

just sitting down to watch "Apocalypse Now". So far this week I have watched the following:
Plattoon
Sparticus
Full Metal Jacket
The Thin Red Line

What's your favorite war movie? My vote is for "Patton"

[Sooner_Bob]

What? No love for Saving Private Ryan or Blackhawk Down?

How about The Deer Hunter?

[sanantoniosooner]

mash

[StoopTroup]

Kelly's Heroes
12 O'Clock High
Patton
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler's List
Life is Beautiful

[Bama/OU]

Apocalypse Now is one of the best.

I'll also throw The Deer Hunter in there.

[StoopTroup]

Enemy at the Gate

[Skysooner]

I always liked The Guns of Navarone as unlikely as it was.

[Bama/OU]

Hamburger Hill

[KC//CRIMSON]

SPR is on TNT in five minutes.

[picasso]

Platoon was bs.

Full Metal Jacket was good until we find out it's a 12 year old girl sniping everyone from 300 yards.

Private Ryan was solid except for the use of middle aged fellas in place of kids for the most part.

Two of my fav's from William Wellman are: Battleground and The Story of G.I. Joe (Ernie Pyle).
I once saw a very cool one that I'd never heard of: Fixed Bayonets, old black and white about the Korean War.

Thin Red Line was poetic, great great flick.

[OUAndy1807]

here's my blockbuster online queue. The wife is not happy:
http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/1227/movielist2ab.jpg

[picasso]

Enemy at the Gate
pretty solid.

there's a DVD at a Barnes & Noble that I frequent called: Stalingrad, made in the early 80's I believe, German made I thinks, looks promising but the friggin thing is $35.00.

The Beast is also a favorite of mine.

[SicEmBaylor]

The problem with Enemy at the Gate is that I'm totally unsure of who to root for. Like a UT/aTm game.

[OUAndy1807]

the theme from Patton is a classic, and Charlie Don't Surf.

[sanantoniosooner]

U-571

[picasso]

The problem with Enemy at the Gate is that I'm totally unsure of who to root for. Like a UT/aTm game.
that's easy for me, Rachel Weisz.:D

[SoonerProphet]

A Bridge Too Far is pretty solid, plus the cast is pretty good. The Big Red One is a fave too, can't go wrong with Lee Marvin.

[picasso]

A Bridge Too Far is pretty solid, plus the cast is pretty good. The Big Red One is a fave too, can't go wrong with Lee Marvin.
Big Red One was good, and low budget.

[OklahomaTrombone]

the theme from Patton is a classic, and Charlie Don't Surf.


why do you love the A&M band?

[OUAndy1807]

they can march in straight lines and follow the leader.

[OUDoc]

No love for We Were Soldiers? I thought that was a hell of a cool movie.

[Sooner_Bob]

The Great Escape is always a must watch.

[SoonerProphet]

No love for We Were Soldiers? I thought that was a hell of a cool movie.

Great flick, gotta love Joe Galloway.

[Widescreen]

South Park, Bigger Longer and Uncut


Actually, I really liked SPR. Gave me a renewed appreciation for our veterans.

[BillyBall]

Apocalypse Now is a great flick, based on a GREAT book.

Not a movie per se but I really dug the series Band of Brothers on HBO.

[KC//CRIMSON]

I think I liked Apocalypse Now Redux better than the original.

[GDC]

Catch-22
Last of the Mohicans
Red Badge of Courage
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Big Red One
Sergeant York
To Hell and Back
Das Boot
Bridge Over the River Kwai
Glory
Zulu

[OUAndy1807]

yeah, band of brothers is the best.

[picasso]

Catch-22
Last of the Mohicans
Red Badge of Courage
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Big Red One
Sergeant York
To Hell and Back
Das Boot
Bridge Over the River Kwai
Glory
Zulu
Sergeant York is a classic. Gary Cooper was great. I used to have his accent down in that flick.

I thought We Were Soldiers was kinda cheesey, but that's just me.

[Okla-homey]

Here's the problem. You can't simply class them all as war movies. You gotta sub-classify them in to branch of service and period.

Accordingly, IMHO,

best war movie about WWII infanteers is SPR. 2d is Battleground

best submariner flick: Das Boot

Best war in the air flick? 12 O'clock High. 2d best is Flying Leathernecks

Best surface Navy flick? In Harms Way 2d best: Sink the Bismarck

Best Viet nam flick? They mostly all suck. They represent political statements more than the way it was. The only one worth mentioning is We Were Soldiers

Best colonial warfare flick? Zulu

Best early American war flick? Last of the Mohicans

Best Revy War flick? The Patriot

Best American Civil War flick? Gods and Generals

Best Indian wars flick? She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Best eastern-front WWII flick? Enemy at the Gate

Best potential war flick never made? A movie based on the largest and most desparate battle in the history of the planet, the WWII Battle of Kursk in Russia.

Best flick exposing the mind of a commander? MacArthur. Close second? Patton

Now, all that said, if I had to say, the best war flick period is an HBO series called Band of Brothers

[OklahomaTrombone]

You all are gonna make me want to re-watch Band of Brothers...and I just can't commit that much time right now...

[StoopTroup]

Best Indian War movie - Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman playing an Indian...lol ;)

[StoopTroup]

Lawrence of Arabia
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid
Doctor Zhivago
Sound of Music...lol

[sanantoniosooner]

Best Indian War movie - Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman playing an Indian...lol ;)
You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later.

[jk the sooner fan]

my favorites, in no particular order

Band of Brothers

Blackhawk Down - i actually made my company go watch this together, professional development if you will......a movie that our entire generation should all have to watch

The Longest Day

We Were Soldiers

Saving Private Ryan

Midway - cheesy but a great historical lesson on the entire battle

Gods and Generals - Glory would be a close 2d on civil war movies

[sanantoniosooner]

no love for the Patriot

[jk the sooner fan]

i liked the Patriot, but once you've seen one Mel Gibson war flick, you've sorta seem em all

good flick though

[proud gonzo]

the patriot, braveheart, and chicken run are the same damn movie.


not that i dislike any of them.

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

Anyone that has listed Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan are right. This should end the thread PERIOD!

;) j/k

[OUWxGuesser]

C'mon people... RED DAWN!

http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/dvds/images/reddawn.jpg

WOLVERINES!!!!!

[Scott D]

SPR breaks down to one thing....the opening sequence..everything else was turned into fluff.

Hell In The Pacific is still very high on my list of war movies.

[SicEmBaylor]

"1941"

[picasso]

I dunno, the final battle was pretty intense. when that Tiger was approaching them in the street. :eek:

[Kels]

A short list . . .

WWI: Paths Of Glory, Lawrence Of Arabia, Sergeant York, Gallipoli
WWII: Saving Private Ryan, Thin Red Line, Bridge On The River Kwai, Band Of Brothers
Korea: Pork Chop Hill, MASH, The Bridges At Toko-Ri, Men In War
Vietnam: Go Tell The Spartans, Platoon, 84 Charlie Mopic, Apocalypse Now
Gulf I: Three Kings
90s: Black Hawk Down

[SoonerWood]

Band Of Brothers is my favorite. But there are plenty that run a close second.

And if you haven't seen 'Downfall' give that a try

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

Band Of Brothers is my favorite. But there are plenty that run a close second.

And if you haven't seen 'Downfall' give that a try

Ahh yes Downfall was excellent. Spek to you

[soonerhubs]

Anyone like North and South?
Anything Mel Gibson does is great like The Patriot and We Were Soldiers.
For pure battle scenes (No matter how fake) I'd put "THe Return of the King" or "BraveHeart" up there.
Too many to pick from.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Braveheart and The Patriot, Guns of Navarrone, Enemy at the Gate. Easy for me to figure out who to root for in that one. The Ruskies were being attacked by the krauts. I usually root for the attackee.

[BoomerJack]

Two of my favorites are "Twelve O'Clock High" and "Memphis Belle" mostly because my dad flew on B-17's in the Eighth Air Force.

Another two are "Best Years of Our Lives" and "Coming Home". These aren't so much "war movies" with combat scenes, etc. but deal about the aftermath of war and its effects on participants and loved ones.

[BoomerJack]

Oh yeah, noone has mentioned "Casablanca" or "Gone With the Wind". Where would these fall into everyone's list?

[Sooner in Tampa]

What happen to the Green Berets and Sands of Iwo Jima? :(

[jk the sooner fan]

memphis belle is an excellent movie - good call.......and Sands of Iwo Jima, another great one

[picasso]

What happen to the Green Berets and Sands of Iwo Jima? :(
Green Berets is a joke. SOI was good IMO.

what was that Richard Pryor flick where he returns home from Vietnam? that was pretty frickin funny.

[OUAndy1807]

what about Stripes?

[fadada1]

big red one - luke skywalker landed at normandy???
bridge over the river qwai - obi wan in burma???
guns of navaronne - han solo in germany???
under the rainbow - pricess leah... i got nuthin'

[TheHumanAlphabet]

No one has mentioned the really best war movie EVAR!

In Harms Way

The next best is The Longest Day and then Saving Private Ryan

The next best one is one probably no one on this board has seen, Five Days in May starring Kurt Douglas as a Marine officer having to consider a constitutional crisis.

All, except Saving Private Ryan are in Black and White. Excellent film.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

guns of navaronne - han solo in germany???


He is not in THAT Guns of Navaronne, he is in the really bad knock-off sequel.

The real GoN was great with real actors and solid performances.

[fadada1]

He is not in THAT Guns of Navaronne, he is in the really bad knock-off sequel.

The real GoN was great with real actors and solid performances.
there was one???

seriously, there's another GofN??? not the one with apollo creed????

[jk the sooner fan]

yep, "return to navaronne"

[handcrafted]

Force Ten from Navarone - Harrison Ford, Carl Weathers, Robert Shaw. It was rated R but the theater mislabled it as PG, so my friend and I got in to see it at age 13. Barbara Bach and Richard Kiel are in it, too, right after they'd played agent XXX and Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me. The director, Guy Hamilton, did 4 James Bond films, but *not* The Spy Who Loved Me. Kinda weird.

But, yeah, it's cheesy. Best war movie is SPR, no contest. No. 2 is Battleground, no contest. No. 3 is Patton, no contest. After that, there are a lot of good ones. Props to Big Red One, Das Boot. Does Hunt for Red October count?

Oh, and I'll throw Schindler's List in there, too.

[fadada1]

Force Ten from Navarone - Han Solo.
:D
fixed.

thanks dude. i was having trouble with the "force ten" portion of the title.

[fadada1]

does starship troopers count??

how about robojox???

final countdown???

[Tear Down This Wall]

Dude. There's no better scene than the Sarge and the boy from the prison camp in The Big Red One. Best war movie of all-time - written and directed by a guy who fought in war and it doesn't try to make any type of political statement. Fuller's final statement, made by Pvt. Zab: "the real glory of war is surviving."

http://www.dvdtown.com/functions/displayimage.php?id=1134

http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/images/small/The-Big-Red-One-02_cmyk.jpg
You got him.

http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/shimages/film/bigredonelrg.jpg
We don't murder, we kill.

[swardboy]

WHAT? No 'Tora, Tora, Tora" love?!! Great actual footage of the Japs (yeah, that's right, I said "Japs") taking off from their carriers for the Pearl Harbor attack. Beautiful color. All those Zero's flying over Hawaii to the attack zone...passing a woman flight instructor and her student (actual occurrence). The Pearl Harbor commander watching the attack from his front yard. A spent shell hitting the commander later, and him saying, "IT would have been more merciful if it had killed me...", actual event. And best of all, Yamamoto before his deliriously happy stooges saying, "Gentlemen, we have awakened a sleeping tiger." Classic.

[Sooner in Tampa]

Boys in Company C!

[OKC Sooner]

WHAT? No 'Tora, Tora, Tora" love?!! Great actual footage of the Japs (yeah, that's right, I said "Japs") taking off from their carriers for the Pearl Harbor attack. Beautiful color. All those Zero's flying over Hawaii to the attack zone...passing a woman flight instructor and her student (actual occurrence). The Pearl Harbor commander watching the attack from his front yard. A spent shell hitting the commander later, and him saying, "IT would have been more merciful if it had killed me...", actual event. And best of all, Yamamoto before his deliriously happy stooges saying, "Gentlemen, we have awakened a sleeping tiger." Classic.

I think the quote was "I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." As it turns out, he couldn't have been more right.

My other favorite WWII quote is the one that notified the French resistance that D-Day was imminent... "The violins of Autumn wound my heart with a monotonous languor."

As I channel-surf, the two movies that always hook me in to watching till they finish are "The Longest Day" and "Patton". Speaking of Patton, I think George C. Scott absolutely owned that role. Question for ya... if Scott hadn't played Patton, what other actor would have done the best job?

http://www.corpsstories.com/Scott.jpg

[Harry Beanbag]

Speaking of Patton, I think George C. Scott absolutely owned that role. Question for ya... if Scott hadn't played Patton, what other actor would have done the best job?

http://www.corpsstories.com/Scott.jpg


Maybe Marlon Brando.

[OUAndy1807]

http://www.nndb.com/people/778/000023709/17.jpg
Rip Taylor

[OUAndy1807]

http://www.enflyer.com/app/file_root/632/Images/BEAincolor.jpg
or Bea Arthur

[SoonerWood]

http://www.irancartoon.com/Kruger/CHRISTOPHER-WALKEN.jpg

[handcrafted]

Maybe Marlon Brando.

I was gonna say Brando. Spek!

Also, swardboy, my bad on Tora Tora Tora! Excellent movie. Love the historical realism. But acting and script-wise, not in the top 5. It's too docu-drama-ish. Besides, I tend to rank movies where we get our asses kicked somewhat lower. :D

Oh, and before you go all "we got our asses kicked in SPR" on me, yes the individuals in that movie did take it up the schnozwanger, but we won the overall battle.

[StoopTroup]

Legends of the Fall
Bridge on the River Kwai
Caine Mutiny
Gallipoli
Run Silent, Run Deep
Windtalkers
Coming Home
The Hanoi Hilton
The Killing Fields
The Dirty Dozen
Heartbreak Ridge

Sorry if I repeated any...

Man there are so many others

When Hell Was in Session.

[Jerk]

There is a part in SPR that ruins it for me.

The sniper hillbilly dude takes his scope off his rifle to let his buddy use them as binoculars.

I'm sorry. That is just rediculous.

[picasso]

WHAT? No 'Tora, Tora, Tora" love?!! Great actual footage of the Japs (yeah, that's right, I said "Japs") taking off from their carriers for the Pearl Harbor attack. Beautiful color. All those Zero's flying over Hawaii to the attack zone...passing a woman flight instructor and her student (actual occurrence). The Pearl Harbor commander watching the attack from his front yard. A spent shell hitting the commander later, and him saying, "IT would have been more merciful if it had killed me...", actual event. And best of all, Yamamoto before his deliriously happy stooges saying, "Gentlemen, we have awakened a sleeping tiger." Classic.
well if you're going to mention that you have to throw in 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, that and Battleground made ole Van Jonhson a star. Just ask Uncle Leo, "what's with the glasses, who are you, Van Johnson?"

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

There is a part in SPR that ruins it for me.

The sniper hillbilly dude takes his scope off his rifle to let his buddy use them as binoculars.

I'm sorry. That is just rediculous.

That part ****es me off too, but think about it, we are still talking about that movie several years after it was made so obviously Spieldberg achieved what he was after in that scene.

[Salt City Sooner]

It's not an all-timer, but did anyone else like Rules of Engagement?

[OUAndy1807]

There is a part in SPR that ruins it for me.

The sniper hillbilly dude takes his scope off his rifle to let his buddy use them as binoculars.

I'm sorry. That is just rediculous.

exactly, everyone know binoculars must have 2 eyepieces, otherwise by definition they're not binoculars. I mean, come on.

[Sooner in Tampa]

It's not an all-timer, but did anyone else like Rules of Engagement?I enjoyed it...but I am a big Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson fan.

[Jerk]

exactly, everyone know binoculars must have 2 eyepieces, otherwise by definition they're not binoculars. I mean, come on.

nope, not it.

[SoonerStats]

It's not my favorite, but Mister Roberts is pretty good (didn't see it listed). And I can't believe it took so long for The Dirty Dozen to come up. The last 20 minutes or so of The Caine Mutiny are great drama (the whole movie is very good, but the love story could have been left out though and it still would have stood on its own). And speaking of leaving the love story out, the war sequences (and a few other non-love story parts) in Pearl Harbor are really good -- DVDs and their chapters save the day there -- although Kate Beckinsale is very easy to look at.

Band of Brothers is definitely worth the time investment. Got it for Christmas a couple of years ago.

And finally, Hamburger Hill is worth mentioning (unless I missed it). Again, not my favorite, but I'll never forget how emotionally -- and nearly physically -- drained me and my friends were when we left the theater.

And not that it matters, but has anyone noticed any of these older war films (say pre-1970) being rated G (?!?!) like The Green Berets, or not rated at all? You'd think that it wouldn't be that hard for the MPAA to generically slap at least a PG on ALL older war-based films, especially one where there's people being burned to death and someone being impaled on spikes, among other things.

[Harry Beanbag]

I remember an older movie, probably made in the '70s, with Richard Burton and Robert Mitchum called Breakthrough or something like that. I haven't seen it in like 20 years, but it was pretty good from what I can remember. It was set in post-D-Day western Europe. Burton was a German officer, Mitchum an American.

[GDC]

Yes, The Dirty Dozen for sure., also:

http://www.opsroom.org/images/artwork/wild-geese-movie.jpg

[SoonerWood]

Baa Baa Black Sheep!

if BoB counts, this should too!

[picasso]

Stats, you gotta delete Pearl Harbor from your post there. One of the worst war flicks of all time.
and for the record, one of the real U.S. pilots that made it in the air that day is from my home town of Hominy.

[SoonerStats]

Stats, you gotta delete Pearl Harbor from your post there. One of the worst war flicks of all time.

I'm just sayin' that the special effects of the attack are worth watching (especially if you've got a home theater setup), but even then you had to fight through some of the 'acting'. I'm definitely not putting it up there with any of the others.

Here's one of my favorites that I don't think I saw listed: Stalag 17

[SoonerStats]

I remember an older movie, probably made in the '70s, with Richard Burton and Robert Mitchum called Breakthrough or something like that. I haven't seen it in like 20 years, but it was pretty good from what I can remember. It was set in post-D-Day western Europe. Burton was a German officer, Mitchum an American.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078320/

[Harry Beanbag]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078320/


That's it. According to the comments, it wasn't as good as I thought it was. :O

[jreed13]

Full metal Jacket. The end

[XingTheRubicon]

All is Quiet on the Western Front

The Great Escape

[GDC]

Paths of Glory
Gallipoli

[MojoRisen]

These might be border line- good entertainment...

Glory
Top Gun
Taps
Officer and Gentleman - doesn't count I guess.

[bestj]

Stalag 17

http://reviews.dvdboard.de/pics/stalag17_2.jpg

http://www.cinescene.com/reviews/images/stalag1.jpg

[StoopTroup]

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/sage/images/gulf_war_movie.gif

[lexsooner]

Gheyest war movie: Stalag 17 - Full of overly theatrical American GIs who loved to act, sing, do impersonations, pile on each other during air raids, and dance with each other. William Holden's little assistant in Stalag 17 was like his prison punk and looked like a girl.

Best war movie: Saving Private Ryan. I have two friends whose fathers served in horrific combat in the European theatre during WWII, one was an infantryman who was involved in the actual D-Day landing.

One friend had a Dad who was a tanker who saw the worst of it, fighting under Patton at the disasterous Battle of Kassarin Pass, as well as the race through France and Germany during the later stages of the war. He survived the War and died many years before the movie was made, but when he was alive he did tell my friend there was very little of the talking and chatter among soldiers while on patrol you see in war movies. They were just young kids who were too scared to be chatting like in the movies.

Another friend took her Dad to see the movie in the last year of his life, and he sat there silently watching it. He was an Army infantryman who lived through the actual June 6, 1944, beach landings. Afterwards, he made the brief comment that it was very accurate, though he did not recall the amount of noise they simulated in the movie. That was all he said. My friend thought the movie probably brought out a lot of sadness and stirred deep feelings in him, but like all old soldiers who have been through the real thing, he felt those secrets should be voiced only among his brethren.

[picasso]

http://www.wwiilectureinstitute.com/films/stalingrad.jpg

[picasso]

http://www.wwiilectureinstitute.com/films/films03.htm

[StoopTroup]

http://www.cyber-cinema.com/gallery/Stripes.jpg

[picasso]

http://www.cyber-cinema.com/gallery/Stripes.jpg
"Dear Sammy, get well soon. Your friend, John."

[josh09]

i liked "We Were Soldiers"

[josh09]

or Saving Private Ryan

[critical_phil]

Heartbreak Ridge


the part where gunny harddick PT's them to death is pretty realistic. the rest of that movie is absolute bunk.

[picasso]

Heartbreak Ridge is a joke. My dad is a Marine and couldn't stand it.

[BudSooner]

Crap double post, sorry

[BudSooner]

Oh come on, nobody mentioned Bat 21?????
btw, I was watching that and after it was over the host said Iceal Hambleton(jesus I cannot spell today)passed away a couple years ago...damn good movie IMHO.

Siege of Firebase Gloria was another good one about Vietnam.
The Hanoi Hilton, now there is another must see.
To a lesser extent -Casualties of War, what was Marty McFly doing in 'Nam?
Flight of the Intruder-decent movie, with a great line "Fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history!"

Gettysburg-mom went to the little round top area the year before she passed away....when Chamberlain stands looking over the battlefield always gets to me.
Glory, nuff said....pretty emotional movie for me for some reason...Matthew Broderick at his best since Ferris Beuller.
The Tuskegee Airmen, Run silent run deep,PT 109 are others.
What was the name of the movie about John McCain?? oh man, that was a solid perfomance if there ever was one...i'm just surprised it was on TNT.

[homerSimpsonsBrain]

Oh come on, nobody mentioned Bat 21?????
btw, I was watching that and after it was over the host said Iceal Hambleton(jesus I cannot spell today)passed away a couple years ago...damn good movie IMHO.

Flight of the Intruder-decent movie, with a great line "Fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history!"


I saw both. I thought the books were MUCH better but they were both entertaining. I dont think I'd put them at the top of the list though.

[critical_phil]

http://www.wwiilectureinstitute.com/films/stalingrad.jpg


i took your recommendation and rented this.


it was good, i guess. it would have sucked to have been on either side of that fight.

not Das Boot good, but still good.

i give it 3 stars.

[SoonerBorn68]

No one's seen Saints & Soldiers? Great independent flick.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0373283/

[85Sooner]

Stats, you gotta delete Pearl Harbor from your post there. One of the worst war flicks of all time.
and for the record, one of the real U.S. pilots that made it in the air that day is from my home town of Hominy.


And is My BEst Friends Uncle. Your statement is true. I was calling BS until you mentioned the town. I have spent many a time discussing this with him over the years. Spek to you sir.

You forgot to mention that he did get one of the Jap mini subs.

[SoonerBorn68]

Speaking of Japanese, I watched a documentary tonight on Unit 731--Japan's biological warefare and human experimentation camp. The stuff they did to human beings would make Mengela blush.

[SoonerBorn68]

Oh, and I watched The Great Raid the other night. I thought it was spot on about the Japanese brutality toward American POW's. No sugar coating the truth.

[critical_phil]

No one's seen Saints & Soldiers? Great independent flick.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0373283/


it's been in my queue for a couple of months........


as for the great raid, i just saw it not too long ago. i thought it was excellent.

[picasso]

And is My BEst Friends Uncle. Your statement is true. I was calling BS until you mentioned the town. I have spent many a time discussing this with him over the years. Spek to you sir.

You forgot to mention that he did get one of the Jap mini subs.
my Dad is constantly reminding me of this.:)

and Phil, I guess i'm really partial to Stalingrad because of my fascination with the battle on the Eastern front. plus it was the German's version.

[SicEmBaylor]

my Dad is constantly reminding me of this.:)

and Phil, I guess i'm really partial to Stalingrad because of my fascination with the battle on the Eastern front. plus it was the German's version.

How does one know whom to root for in any movie involving the Eastern Front?

[picasso]

How does one know whom to root for in any movie involving the Eastern Front?
so true man.

[picasso]

Speaking of Japanese, I watched a documentary tonight on Unit 731--Japan's biological warefare and human experimentation camp. The stuff they did to human beings would make Mengela blush.
they also made the Nazis look like saints concerning POWs.

and agreed, Saints and Sinners is most excellent. good low bidget flick.

[william_brasky]

this one's purdy good.

http://www.petertangen.com/images/imageposters/inthearmynow.jpg

that pauly shore's got a real future ahead of himself.

[GDC]

it's been in my queue for a couple of months........


as for the great raid, i just saw it not too long ago. i thought it was excellent.

The Great Raid was good except for the fictionalized Hollywood love story with the nurse part.

[fadada1]

haven't seen "flight of the intruder" listed. pretty cool IMO.

also, "the lost battalion" with rick schroeder. excellent WWI movie!!! true story... rick schroeder's character (can't remember his name off hand) wins the big shiney medal that so few get.

[Harry Beanbag]

also, "the lost battalion" with rick schroeder. excellent WWI movie!!! true story... rick schroeder's character (can't remember his name off hand) wins the big shiney medal that so few get.


That was good. Schroeder played Major Whittlesey who committed suicide just three years later.

http://www.homestead.com/prosites-johnrcotter/lost_battalion.html

[OklahomaTuba]

Star Wars was pretty good.

[william_brasky]

1941

[GDC]

Watched Stalingrad based on picasso's recommendation, excellent movie.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

Private Ryan was solid except for the use of middle aged fellas in place of kids for the most part.

i think the average age of a combat soldier for ww2 was 27, so that may not be too much of a stretch.

band of brothers is the best. saving private ryan was very good also.

[Desert Sapper]

I think Saving Private Ryan captures the frantic moments of combat action in firefights, the dull but anticipating wait before the next firefight, and the realities of war much better than any other movie. It's hard to get people who have only seen movies to understand that explosions and bullets do terrible damage to the human body, unless they've seen that movie. Of course, if it were too close to reality, nobody would be able to sit through a movie and watch it (without gagging). But Saving Private Ryan comes close.

I don't watch many war movies anymore.

[picasso]

i think the average age of a combat soldier for ww2 was 27, so that may not be too much of a stretch.

band of brothers is the best. saving private ryan was very good also.
actually it was. I heard it from the mouth of former veterans. just look at the old farts riding in on the landing craft.
and Hanks wasn't quite 27 in that flick.:)

[critical_phil]

fyi if you're stuck w/ nothing to do this weekend.......

saints and soldiers on history channel in a little while followed by BOB marathon.

[Scott D]

why you not gonna mention the director's cut/extended edition of The Big Red One is available on DVD? :D

[Jeopardude]

Paths of Glory hasn't been mentioned enough. And the dialogue was by Okie Jim Thompson. See Kirk Douglas when he was great.

[Big Red Ron]

Windtalkers is under rated.

Patton and Dr. Stragelove are pretty under rated too.

[jk the sooner fan]

blackhawk down has to be on a top 5 list, but its not often considered because it was "just somalia"

saving private ryan is more about the meaning of sacrifice to me, while its realistic in its action scenes, the message is what should resonate loudest with most

[picasso]

blackhawk down has to be on a top 5 list, but its not often considered because it was "just somalia"

saving private ryan is more about the meaning of sacrifice to me, while its realistic in its action scenes, the message is what should resonate loudest with most
Blackhawk Down is a great flick. I thought all of the actors did an excellent job, especially Eric Bana.

Windtalkers was hard to watch. the battle scenes reminded me of bad 1970's TV series.

anyone ever hear of the tv series Combat? they show old reruns on the action movie channel. Vic Morrow(?) is the star, the dude who was killed in the filming of The Twilight Zone the Movie.

[King Crimson]

jean renoir's the Grand Illusion is a classic from 1937. check it out.

it's a great film, and the original basis for Hogan's Heroes and the Great Escape.

[booomer]

U-571



This is a good movie and so is Crimson Tide.



Other favorites:

Saving Private Ryan

Hotel Rawanda

Braveheart

The Patriot

Das Boot

Bridge On the River Kwai

Enemy At the Gates

Black Hawk Down

Courage Under Fire

[Big Red Ron]

To me the Patriot is the best.

One that hasn't been mentioned and I think certainly deserves a nod, is "Glory."

[StoopTroup]

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Those Ewoks were brutal killers.

[Big Red Ron]

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Those Ewoks were brutal killers.Nah, that was a western. ;)

[Scott D]

Nah, that was a western. ;)

A Spaghetti Western (cue music) :D

[JohnnyMack]

fyi if you're stuck w/ nothing to do this weekend.......

saints and soldiers on history channel in a little while followed by BOB marathon.

I found S&S to be quite bad. IMHO of course.

[Vaevictis]

Maybe not *THE* best, but no mention of "The Longest Day?"

EDIT: Ah hah, I see OKC Sooner mentioned it.

CLACK CLACK.

[noleamite]

Platoon

[tbl]

Platoon is one of the worst movies of all times, and definitely one of the worst war movies. It has no basis in reality and is just over the top with violence, purely for shock value. I was flipping through last night and stumbled upon the village scene where Charlie Sheen is shooting at the foot of 1 legged retarded guy, then Kevin Dillon bashes his brains in, all just for the fun of it. Ridiculous and sickening.

On the other hand, I'm watching Band of Brothers again as the History Channel is doing a marathon, and that is my hands down favorite. Great filmmaking. Great acting. Pretty accurate plotlines with what really happened. All around good stuff... and it's LONG. If it's good, I don't want it to end, and this series gives it to you. Fantastic.

Patton is great.
SPR is great.
Glory is great.
Many more... but Platoon is not even in the same universe.

[royalfan5]

I am watching Bridge on the River Kwai right now. I forgot how great of a movie this was. Movies like this just don't get made anymore.

[fadada1]

Platoon is one of the worst movies of all times, and definitely one of the worst war movies. It has no basis in reality and is just over the top with violence, purely for shock value. I was flipping through last night and stumbled upon the village scene where Charlie Sheen is shooting at the foot of 1 legged retarded guy, then Kevin Dillon bashes his brains in, all just for the fun of it. Ridiculous and sickening.

On the other hand, I'm watching Band of Brothers again as the History Channel is doing a marathon, and that is my hands down favorite. Great filmmaking. Great acting. Pretty accurate plotlines with what really happened. All around good stuff... and it's LONG. If it's good, I don't want it to end, and this series gives it to you. Fantastic.

Patton is great.
SPR is great.
Glory is great.
Many more... but Platoon is not even in the same universe.

wasn't platoon based on whatshisface's war experiences?

[Big Red Ron]

wasn't platoon based on whatshisface's war experiences?Didn't believe him then and don't believe him now. ;)

[picasso]

I think Stone worked in an Army office during the 'Nam.

They should make a movie based on this:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0743246136.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
That was one badass who fought the VC the way they fought us.

[King Crimson]

i thought platoon kind of sucked. i rented it an re-watched it about a year ago....and it's a pretty average film with a silly stock Jesus theme.....when Tom Berenger shoots Willem Defoe.

not a film but Micheal Herr's "Dispatches" is a good read.

there's also a Mcnamera interview thing out called "Fog of War" that's worth watching.

[Kels]

i thought platoon kind of sucked. i rented it an re-watched it about a year ago....and it's a pretty average film with a silly stock Jesus theme.....when Tom Berenger shoots Willem Defoe.

A guy I used to work for commanded a unit where one of his men murdered another in the platoon. They were rocketed everyday, drug use was prevalent, etc. The movie "Platoon" was realistic for him.

[Big Red Ron]

A guy I used to work for commanded a unit where one of his men murdered another in the platoon. They were rocketed everyday, drug use was prevalent, etc. The movie "Platoon" was realistic for him.I think it's pretty safe to say both of those things have been happening during wars for quite some time.

[jk the sooner fan]

we were soldiers is a pretty damn good war flick

[picasso]

A guy I used to work for commanded a unit where one of his men murdered another in the platoon. They were rocketed everyday, drug use was prevalent, etc. The movie "Platoon" was realistic for him.
for some yeah. one of my college bud's stepdad did time in prison for shooting two of his pfc's for repeatedly smoking weed on guard duty.
Stone made it seem like every outfit in Vietnam raped and murdered. Why do you think that movie ****ed so many veterans off?

[jk the sooner fan]

about 6 months before i left my job in the army, we picked up case from Veterans Affairs....seems a vietnam vet had applied for counseling for post traumatic stress disorder.....the request was denied for whatever reason, and in his appeal to the VA, he confesses to his role in the fragging murder of one of his sergeants...he names his co-conspirators, etc

so we pull the CID investigation from 1968 concerning this death, and while the investigation never named a subject, it corroborated everything the vet said in his 9 page letter....the investigation concluded that it was a homicide, but they couldnt pin it on any one member of the squad present

hopefully they've concluded their investigation and the US Atty's office is going to prosecute him.....will be interesting to see how they tell the family of the victim

[tbl]

I'm not saying bad things didn't happen over there, but I'm sure some of our boys in WW2 raped and murdered people as well. To say that they were a majority or even more than a few isolated incidents is ridiculous, yet that's what most Vietnam flicks would have you believe. I know the soldiers of Vietnam were of a different stock than the WW2 guys, but the slander they receive is unfair and totally untrue (for the vast majority).

[Kels]

I'm not trashing Vietnam vets, far from it.

Of course their were atrocities and laws broken by Americans in WW2. You cannot use the two as similar comparisons. Consider the scale of mobilization and combat across the globe during WW2, the type of warfare fought, and an enemy that was easy to distinguish from noncombatants. Also, consider the strong public support for the war, a media that had strict controls on its reporting (and supported the war wholeheartedly), and technology that did not allow the days events in the foxholes to be broadcast into our living rooms that evening. Access to illicit drugs was limited, and there were strong cultural taboos against it.

I had four uncles who were combat vets of WW2, and only one mentioned "questionable" activity while in the field. The Germans onced used women as human shields during an attack. My uncle and his men got some "liquid courage" and killed the women along with the Germans. Nasty business.

Vietnam was conducted on a much smaller scale, with no real "front" against an enemy that was hard to separate from civilians. There were more organized protests that captured the media's attention (the public majority still supported the war), an instrusive media with fewer controls while on the field, and technology that brought the war home in living color every evening over dinner. There was widespread access to illicit drugs, and a culture that was changing, becoming more acceptable of their use. Most importantly, it was a war that was mishandled, confusing to the troops in the field, and with a unclear winner in the end.

I have had multiple Vietnam vets tell me of situations of drug use, killing of civilians (who could tell a Gook from a peasant?), and even murder. My own father-in-law was making arrangements to have an officer fragged in-country for trying to courtmartial him while he was at Ft. Bliss. Thank God his conscience didn't let him go through with it. He told me there was a "system" for that sort of thing. Basically, you put in an order, pay the cash, etc . . .

I think Vietnam vets were horribly mistreated and Hollywood didn't help any (First Blood, anyone?). I had friends spit on in airports, too. At the end of the day, the events still happened, and there was an emotional and technological forum for the stories to be retold back home.

Acknowledging that reality is not taking pot-shots at Vietnam vets or making combat veterans of other wars lily-white by comparison. All of those men and women did the best they could with what they had, and I am thankful for their sacrifice.

[TexasLidig8r]

Kingdom of Heaven was vastly underrated.

[scotplum]

And if you haven't seen 'Downfall' give that a try


Agreed. A very interesting look at Hitler's final 10 days. I thought this movie was exceptional. Of course, if you don't like subtitles then this movie is not for you.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/

[critical_phil]

wow.


a scotplum sighting.......

[scotplum]

wow.


a scotplum sighting.......

You guys need to talk about something interesting before I join in. ;)