War Movie Buffs

[Matua]

Platoon
Hamburger Hill
Tropic Thunder

Maybe not the 3rd one.

I've never warmed to Apocalypse Now even though the Godfather is my best film of all time. Good memorable scenes but doesn't hang together for me.

I don't really rate the Deer Hunter, Kubrick is just not my director even though I find Full Metal Jacket one of his more watchable films.

TBH, last years Aussie flick Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan would actually be a good option for 3.

 

[Jim Rockford]

Platoon
Hamburger Hill
Tropic Thunder

Maybe not the 3rd one.

I've never warmed to Apocalypse Now even though the Godfather is my best film of all time. Good memorable scenes but doesn't hang together for me.

I don't really rate the Deer Hunter, Kubrick is just not my director even though I find Full Metal Jacket one of his more watchable films.

TBH, last years Aussie flick Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan would actually be a good option for 3.

Deer Hunter wasn't directed by Kubrick.It was Michael Cimino. Apocalypse Now is a lot more enjoyable if you have read the source novel(Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad)

 

[Wizardman]

I had a look at some critics lists this afternoon. Every single list I read had at least TWO of either Platoon, Full Metal Jacket or The Deer Hunter in its top three! That is some consensus there that those three are indeed the big three.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

2 of the best lesser known movies I have watched in the last 5 years we're
Hyena Road.
&
The Siege of Jadotville.

Firstly Hyena Road is a Canadian made sniper story from Afghanistan .
Sadly the release of American Sniper overshadowed this .
Still I thought this was a far better story .Extremely well made .
Goes into more detail of the struggle of finding out excatly who is the enemy .

the Siege of Jadotville is exceptional .
Shows A small budget movie can be brilliant without the CGI &
Hollywood hype .
It's also a true story
It's set in the 1960s & tells the story of 150 mostly inexperienced Irish infantry men sent to defend Jadotville in the Congo .
They are up against 3000 Congolese soldiers with the backing of French & Belguim mercenaries .
With no help from the UN they hold out for 5 days till they run out of everything .food ...ammo ..water .
Their commander was brilliant in defensive strategy & was the reason they did so very very well
If you havnt seen it ...go & watch .
I had never heard of this story until the movie .
But it's a piece of history the Irish can be very proud of .

 

[Jim Rockford]

Siege of Jadotville sounds very interesting. I'm just about to see if I can find it on the torrent sites.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

Siege of Jadotville sounds very interesting. I'm just about to see if I can find it on the torrent sites.

It was a Netflix movie .
Think it'd be def on torrent sites

 

[Jim Rockford]

It was a Netflix movie .
Think it'd be def on torrent sites

Just found it and there's plenty of seeds. Should be able to watch it tonight after the footy.

 

[Matua]

Deer Hunter wasn't directed by Kubrick.It was Michael Cimino. Apocalypse Now is a lot more enjoyable if you have read the source novel(Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad)

I think you missed a comma in there (which probably needs be a fullstop to avoid confusion) - I was referencing Kubrick for Full Metal Jacket only.

I've read Hear of Darkness, doesn't improve the movie for me - even then I don't dislike it, just don't love it like others do.

 

[Matua]

Siege of Jadotville sounds very interesting. I'm just about to see if I can find it on the torrent sites.

The good thing about it too, when you read about the real events the movie is pretty accurate.

 

[Jim Rockford]

The good thing about it too, when you read about the real events the movie is pretty accurate.

Thats great by me. I love to be educated while being entertained.

 

[Mark B]

Just found it and there's plenty of seeds. Should be able to watch it tonight after the footy.

Its not bad Jim. Not right up there but you should enjoy it.

 

[Mark B]

I think you missed a comma in there (which probably needs be a fullstop to avoid confusion) - I was referencing Kubrick for Full Metal Jacket only.

I've read Hear of Darkness, doesn't improve the movie for me - even then I don't dislike it, just don't love it like others do.

I like the production quality of both movies. That beach attack by the air infantry is brilliant cinema making. Same with Full Metal Jacket and the effort that went into the production of the combat scenes. But yeah, the stories are not for everyone.

 

[Parra]

For me, 1) Full Metal Jacket and 2) Apocalypse Now are clear cut. My third pick is not known anywhere near as much but it is pretty damn good in Casualties of War with Michael J Fox and Sean Penn

Casualties of War is gut wrenching. Pretty damn good is right.

 

[soc123_au]

I tend to agree with you about the casting of Michael J Fox. He was in a lot of light comedy movies and a teen idol at that time. My dad just could not cop his movies and think people had issues with accepting him in that role. In saying that, I thought he was fantastic. I'll look up 84 Charlie Mopic....I've never heard of it.

I posted a link to 84 Charlie Mopic on youtube earlier in the thread. It's hard to find anywhere else.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Lots of good ones mentioned.

But a few of my favourites.

Apocolypse Now. (The soundtrack alone)

Master and Commander

Enemy at the gates.

Behind enemy lines.

Gallipoli

Breaker Morant

Saving Private Ryan. (Obvious choice)

Platoon

Das Boot

Fury

Hamburger Hill

Full Metal Jacket

Three Kings

Tora Tora Tora

Top Gun

The Longest Day

Bridge over the River Kwai

Kelly’s Heroes

Stalag 13

 

[Captain Apollo]

One which is a good movie (even if it does contain some historical in-accurancies) is 1955's The Dam Busters. Based on the books Enemy Coast Ahead (1946) written by Guy Gibson (who lead the raids) and The Dam Busters (1951) by Paul Brickhill it tells the story of the planning an execution of the raids on the large dams in Germany in 1943. It is an entertaining film all up.

The movie was historically inaccurate as certain details of the mission (Operation Chastise in real life) were kept classified for more than 30 years after the end of the war E.g. the nature of the bomb depicted in the film is inaccurate), whilst others were changed for dramatic effect (e.g. some of the bureaucratic resistance that the film depicts Barnes Wallis encountering in developing the weapon used to destroy the dams).

 

[Jim Rockford]

One which is a good movie (even if it does contain some historical in-accurancies) is 1955's The Dam Busters. Based on the books Enemy Coast Ahead (1946) written by Guy Gibson (who lead the raids) and The Dam Busters (1951) by Paul Brickhill it tells the story of the planning an execution of the raids on the large dams in Germany in 1943. It is an entertaining film all up.

The movie was historically inaccurate as certain details of the mission (Operation Chastise in real life) were kept classified for more than 30 years after the end of the war E.g. the nature of the bomb depicted in the film is inaccurate), whilst others were changed for dramatic effect (e.g. some of the bureaucratic resistance that the film depicts Barnes Wallis encountering in developing the weapon used to destroy the dams).

Interesting to hear the bomb depicted was inaccurate. I always found that to be the most fascinating part of the movie. I'll have to go and do some research on it now.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

One which is a good movie (even if it does contain some historical in-accurancies) is 1955's The Dam Busters. Based on the books Enemy Coast Ahead (1946) written by Guy Gibson (who lead the raids) and The Dam Busters (1951) by Paul Brickhill it tells the story of the planning an execution of the raids on the large dams in Germany in 1943. It is an entertaining film all up.

The movie was historically inaccurate as certain details of the mission (Operation Chastise in real life) were kept classified for more than 30 years after the end of the war E.g. the nature of the bomb depicted in the film is inaccurate), whilst others were changed for dramatic effect (e.g. some of the bureaucratic resistance that the film depicts Barnes Wallis encountering in developing the weapon used to destroy the dams).

Saw a special yrs ago about the problems they encountered with the lead up to the raid .
Lives were lost in the development stage as they got plenty wrong with the flying height & when to release the bomb .
I'm not sure but I think a lot of the practice runs were in Canada or N America .
One plane went down due to being too low & the Dummy bomb bounced straight back up & crashed into the plane ..

Can't remember where I saw this Documentary but it was fascinating .

 

[Jim Rockford]

Saw a special yrs ago about the problems they encountered with the lead up to the raid .
Lives were lost in the development stage as they got plenty wrong with the flying height & when to release the bomb .
I'm not sure but I think a lot of the practice runs were in Canada or N America .
One plane went down due to being too low & the Dummy bomb bounced straight back up & crashed into the plane ..

Can't remember where I saw this Documentary but it was fascinating .

Be good if you could remember where you saw it, I would love to see it.

 

[kit66]

My top 3 would be Apocalypse Now, The Dirty Dozen and Platoon but I also really like The Big Red One with Lee Marvin, excellent war story.

Edit : I forgot Catch 22, terrific film and book.