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Posted

 ...in the Winter of 1969, an elite force of the US Army was sent on a top secret assignment in Southeast Vietnam. The objective: rescue Sgt. Four Leaf Tayback from a heavily guarded NVA Prison Camp. The mission was considered to be near suicide. Of the ten men sent, four returned. Of those four, three wrote books about what happened. Of those three, two were published. Of those two, just one got a movie deal. This is the story of the men who attempted to make that movie.

Posted (edited)

Sands of Iwo Jima, Destination Tokyo, Patton, The Deer Hunter. Dunkirk is a newer one but great cinema.

 

Definitely tons more.

Edited by GaryPinC
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Posted
3 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

For raw quality of film making, not necessarily in order, and treating HBO's miniseries "BAND OF BROTHERS" as a collective, long, film:

 

1) Apocalypse Now (One of top 5 best movies ever made IMO about any topic)

2) Band of Brothers (good in every way)

3) Die Brücke ("The Bridge" in English; 1959 German Classic)

4) Das Boot (pronounced "BOAT" just like in English; not "boot" like the thing you wear on your foot)

5) Der Untergang (DOWNFALL in English; phenomenal film)

6) Bridge on the River Kwai

7) Three Kings

? Kelly's Heroes

9) Mr. Roberts

 

 

For special effects that elevated the entire genre to a new height:

 

Saving Private Ryan

 

Very solid war movies you may not be familiar with and are worth a viewing:

 

1) When Trumpets Fade

2) A Midnight Clear

3) The Thin Red Line (1964 original and 1998 remake)

4) Beach Red

 

"Mr.Roberts" is wonderful, but I have a tough time classifying that as a war movie.

 

I only saw the 1998 version of "The Thin Red Line". Outstanding film, even though Terrence Malick can over do it with the imagery and poetry.

 

I'll agree with you on "Saving Private Ryan" on a special effects viewpoint. Although you have to include "Fury" on that too.

Posted

My standard for "good" is generally accuracy.  So, in no particular order:

  • Twelve O'Clock High: 70 years old, and still one of the best portrayals of the psychological effects of warfare.
  • The Caine Mutiny: one of Bogie's underrated performances, and an excellent study in unity of command.
  • Lawrence of Arabia: honestly, rather ponderous, but one of the most beautifully filmed movies you will ever see.
  • Tora Tora Tora: the use of different American and Japanese crews for their respective nationalities' scenes gives it an unusually balanced historical feel.
  • A Bridge Too Far: Oscar winner Richard Attenborough directing Oscar winners and nominees Sean Connery, Ryan O'Neal, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, James Caan, Maximilian Schell, Liv Ullman, Elliott Gould, Denholm Elilott, Robert Redford, and Lawrence freakin' Oliver.  You won't even see that many Oscar winners at the Oscars.
  • Das Boot: most realistic portrayal of submarine warfare in the German Navy in WWII you'll ever see.
  • Master and Commander: same as above, for Napoleonic naval warfare.  
  • We Were Soldiers: accurate portrayal of the Ia Drang Valley, accurate enough that it gave Vietnam vets flashbacks, and Joseph Galloway walked out of the screening because it was too close to reliving his nightmares.  Plus...Sam Elliott plays the Sargent Major role he was born to play.
  • Zulu: telling of the Battle of Rorke's Drift, so true to history the Zulu uThulwana impi in the movie is portrayed by...the actual uThulwana impi.  

Honorable mentions, for having phenomenal set-pieces:

  • Enemy at the Gates: a pedestrian movie, but the Russian reinforcements crossing the Volga into Stalingrad is a frighteningly accurate depiction of the *****-show that battle was.
  • Saving Private Ryan: though I consider the movie marred by Spielberg's standard practice of giving up before the movie's over and ending it with deus ex Jurrasica T-Rex swooping in and killing the velociraptors (or P-51 killing Germans - same difference), the opening 40 minutes is one of the most draw-dropping, attention-seizing battle set-pieces you'll ever see.

Honorable mention for worst ever: Pearl Harbor.  ***** you, Michael Bay.  ***** you hard, with each of the 700 sticks of dynamite you used to make seven of the most bull#### seconds of film I have ever seen.

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Posted

Anything with Philip Ahn playing an evil WW2 Japanese interrogator

 

we will discuss now your aircraft carriers.... some I believe to be of the Hornet variety?

 

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Figster said:

Might go to far back for some, but Battle of the Bulge was a good oldie. 

I liked it. But Google what Dwight said about the movie when it came out.  Pretty great.  

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Posted

Zulu 

 

Very good old film about the Battle of Rourke’s Drift. Takes a few liberties with the personalities but overall somewhat accurate (especially for 1964). Michael Caine’s first major role. Very good battle scenes, explanation of what happened and why, and somewhat respectful of the Zulu’s. 

 

Probably cant be remade but would be interesting what a modern film would be like. 

Posted (edited)

When I hear "war movie" I think WWII films, of which the following are my favorites, in no particular order:

 

Saving Private Ryan...classic movie, with the first half hour being a cinematic masterpiece

The Great Escape...just one of the best movies ever

Bridge on the River Kwai...William Holden yelling "Kill Him!!!" near the end one is one of the film's highlights

The Longest Day...stellar cast 

Patton...George C. Scott in his best role..."Rommel you magnificent bastard...I read your book!"

A Bridge Too Far...great soundtrack and cast

The Dirty Dozen...came to Netflix this month, and I watched it for what my wife claims is the 47th time

In Harm's Way...bad special effects, but a compelling story and cast

Guns of Navarone...good story, and Gregory Peck in a great role

 

Other honorable mentions: Tora, Tora, Tora; Midway; Inglorious Basterds; Battle of Britain; Is Paris Burning?; Twelve O'Clock High; Memphis Belle; Devil's Brigade; Sands of Iwo Jima; They Were Expendable; PT 109

WWII movies that need never to be seen again: Pearl Harbor; Battle of the Bulge...lots of potential but a horrible film

 

For some reason I can't really explain, I've never seen Das Boot.  Hope to see it sometime soon.

Edited by Ned Flanders
Posted
14 hours ago, DC Tom said:
  • Saving Private Ryan: though I consider the movie marred by Spielberg's standard practice of giving up before the movie's over and ending it with deus ex Jurrasica T-Rex swooping in and killing the velociraptors (or P-51 killing Germans - same difference)

LOL, great analogy!

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