Favourite War Movies

[MarkOttawa]

Dr. Strangelove one of the truly great movies--start of a post focusing on control of nukes in early 1960s:

"Dr. Strangelove" Not Stranger than Fact, Plus "Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner"

1) Further to this post,

US Air Force plans to nuke Leningrad from Goose Bay, Labrador, and Stephenville, Newfoundland, in summer 1950

excerpts from an article in the New Yorker:

Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was True
...

...

https://mark3ds.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/dr-strangelove-not-stranger-than-fact-plus-confessions-of-a-nuclear-war-planner/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

Some great recommendations here, I do enjoy a good war film. Here are some of my favourites:

Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004) - Most famous for the Hitler rant scene that has been immortalized through endless Youtube parodies, when I finally watched the actual film I fount it to be exceptional. The acting is top notch and it seemed to be a very realistic and "balanced" portrayal. I say balanced because I thought it seemed realistic -- portraying Hitler as a caricature/monster does no one any favours. Like it or not he was actually a human being.  Anyway, probably one of my favourite WW2 films although it is more of an intellectual thriller without much in the way of battle scenes.

Gods and Generals (2003) - Definitely my favourite War Between the States film. Epic battle scenes, great music and cinematography, excellent cast and performances. It gives a good mix of showing the political side as well as battles themselves. The critics hated it and viewed it as too pro-Confederate but I thought it gave a fair view of the different perspectives. It is a bit slower pace but I liked it.

Those are the two that really stand out for me. I have many others that I think are great but these are probably my current top two.

I took a chance on Defiance (2008) a few months ago ... my wife wanted to watch it because it takes place in Poland (she's Polish) and it stars Daniel Craig. I was a bit skeptical of Daniel Craig as a Jewish partisan, but was pleasantly surprised. The film did not portray the protagonists as spotless paragons of virtue, but gave a realistic look at people dealing with an impossible situation. I wouldn't put this as one of my top 10, but I mention it because my wife would put it among her top films and she is not a war film fan at all. I thought she'd be all about Katyn but she actually didn't like it that much.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I took a chance on Defiance (2008) a few months ago ... my wife wanted to watch it because it takes place in Poland (she's Polish) and it stars Daniel Craig. I was a bit skeptical of Daniel Craig as a Jewish partisan, but was pleasantly surprised. The film did not portray the protagonists as spotless paragons of virtue, but gave a realistic look at people dealing with an impossible situation. I wouldn't put this as one of my top 10, but I mention it because my wife would put it among her top films and she is not a war film fan at all. I thought she'd be all about Katyn but she actually didn't like it that much.

And it's also awesome because: 'Bush Wife'

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

Not a film per se, but I have enjoyed this amateur low budget production immensely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6MN9Nmn2U

Called "Dusty Faces" (Verstaubt sind die Gesichter), kind of like a German version of Band of Brothers.

 

[FJAG]

Gods and Generals (2003) - Definitely my favourite War Between the States film. Epic battle scenes, great music and cinematography, excellent cast and performances. It gives a good mix of showing the political side as well as battles themselves. The critics hated it and viewed it as too pro-Confederate but I thought it gave a fair view of the different perspectives. It is a bit slower pace but I liked it.

I presume you know, although that you didn't mention it, that "Gods and Generals" is the prequel to  Gettysburg (1993) (Based on the book "Killer Angels). Both were produced by Ted Turner and based on the books by Jeff Shaara and his dad Michael Shaara respectively. Jeff also wrote The Last Full Measure which completes the Civil War Trilogy and Gone for Soldiers which is a prequel to the whole series and follows the main Civil War characters during their service in the Mexican-American War of 1847 and of a whole hockey sock of other good books.

:cheers:

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

I presume you know, although that you didn't mention it, that "Gods and Generals" is the prequel to  Gettysburg (1993) (Based on the book "Killer Angels). Both were produced by Ted Turner and based on the books by Jeff Shaara and his dad Michael Shaara respectively. Jeff also wrote The Last Full Measure which completes the Civil War Trilogy and Gone for Soldiers which is a prequel to the whole series and follows the main Civil War characters during their service in the Mexican-American War of 1847 and of a whole hockey sock of other good books.

:cheers:

Yes, I definitely knew that ... although I wasn't actually aware of the prequel Gone for Soldiers.

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

Danger Close
movie about The Australian army in Vietnam.
it is on Prime.
cool side note it shows the FN and M 16  vs the AK 47 and SKS
interesting movie,  based on real events

 

[daftandbarmy]

Danger Close
movie about The Australian army in Vietnam.
it is on Prime.
cool side note it shows the FN and M 16  vs the AK 47 and SKS
interesting movie,  based on real events

It's about the Battle of Long Tan... well done those Kiwi gunners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gUSq7pxux4

 

[Cloud Cover]

Odd Angry Shot is a pretty good flick about Australia in Vietnam.

 

[Rifleman62]

Danger Close was very good movie. The Odd Angry Shot was the Australian SAS.

 

[FJAG]

Danger Close
movie about The Australian army in Vietnam.
it is on Prime.
cool side note it shows the FN and M 16  vs the AK 47 and SKS
interesting movie,  based on real events

Not to mention an L5 firing "shields off", "two-legs cranked".

:cheers:

 

[Blackadder1916]

Not to mention an L5 firing "shields off", "two-legs cranked".

:cheers:

Then this may give a little thrill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyOGmIiWmd4

 

[kkwd]

Then this may give a little thrill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyOGmIiWmd4

Looking at that video I saw a suggested video that includes what they call a hoversled. They came in 1 and 2 stretcher versions. Was that device actually used? I can't find much info on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH0NYK9Ldhk

 

[FJAG]

Then this may give a little thrill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyOGmIiWmd4

Yes, yes it did. Can't help it but I did like the little buggers.

Here's another video from Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeczuvX98kQ

:cheers:

 

[dangerboy]

As tonight is the anniversary of when 76 airmen escaped out of Stalag Luft III in 1944. I will be watching "The Great Escape". Even though they did change a lot of things, for example no Americans were in the camp at the time of the escape, they had been transferred prior to the escape, I still like the movie.

 

[FSTO]

Danger Close was very good movie. The Odd Angry Shot was the Australian SAS.

Finished watching it last night. Good movie. The Brigadier doesn’t come off looking so good.
So when does the Canadian movie on the Medak Pocket come out?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Finished watching it last night. Good movie. The Brigadier doesn’t come off looking so good.
So when does the Canadian movie on the Medak Pocket come out?

As long as there is a Liberal government in power? Never, I'm guessing

 

[FJAG]

As long as there is a Liberal government in power? Never, I'm guessing

Not sure that the Libs have any influence. It's the namby-pamby Canadian film industry,however, which will never make it (unless Paul Gross wants to relive his critical acclaim for Hyena Road  ;D)

:2c:

 

[lenaitch]

I just spent a cold and boring isolating afternoon watching 'Ike: Countdown to D-Day' starring Tom Selleck.  I think it was a made-for-TV movie.  It's probably my favourite of all his roles.  Interesting leadership dynamics dealing with some pretty large egos and incredible responsibility.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

One I've always liked to kill some time with was The Wild Geese.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G0xy-XdMqS4
Great cast, good action, fun, intrigue, drama and lots of shooting. Well put together. The cast all work well off each other.