War Films - Then and Now

[Chopper]

The Telemark movie was wildly inaccurate, not bad tho. Memphis Belle was good too. Did I mention the Desert Rats? another cracker.

dark Blue world is one of my fave from the last 10 years. Seriously tho, Band of Brothers is mind boggling and The Pacific isn't far behind. Better than nearly ever war film I've ever seen.

One I also like, tho a bit odd, is 3 Kings.

[action-figure-supplies]

Ooh yeah By Dawn's Early Light is awesome. Powers Boothe is really good in that. May have to see if I can get that on dvd. I think that and Firefox are my favourite cold war movies.

My graphic design teacher from art school was an extra in Memphis Belle as they shot parts of it near Grimsby. I think he even made it into the final film working in a field or something.

[Quickfire]

Nice trip down memory lane here ... even "By Dawn's Early Light", that's when Boothe is a B52 pilot or similar and ends up in an existential quandry somewhere over the Pacific? Saw it once on the bee-bee-cee. Won't watch again but twas like "Al Gore goes to Neutron-War Ragnarok".

I guess the one's I like the most in a jumbled order are

Apocalypse Now
Merrill's Marauders
Battle of Algiers
Das Boot
Full Metal Jacket
Patrouille de Choc
Patton
The Deer Hunter
Black Hawk Down
The Master & Commander
The One That Got Away
The English Patient
Doctor Zhivago
Battle of Britain
Tora, Tora, Snora
Platoon
Attack!
Three Kings
The Longest Day
A Bridge Too Far
The Dogs of War
The Beast of War
Afganskiy Izlom
Dambusters
Mosquito Squadron
633 Squadron
The Battle of the Bulge
For Whom the Bells Toll
Syriana
Heat
Alexander (DVD version)
Firefox!
The Day of the Jackal

There's a US movie about the Korean War that is good too - about two pilots - one gets shot down, color movie from the 50s, anyone remember? My memory is locked in the eternal saturday afternoon BBC2 matinee dungeon c. 1988.

Jarhead - bit of a classic, compare it with Black Hawk Down, the banality of war is laid bare, war is about 99% boredom and 1% terror etc. Just doesn't make for rewatching. Whereas the "American Eagle Down" anticipates the entire third Iraq War in all its "kill tv" infamy.

As for Saving Private Mupp - an armourer I worked with went to see it back in the day, came back saying the .50 Cal pitch was incorrect, too high and out of sync - gave me a reason to never watch the usual cloying sentimental spoon-feeder "I'll patronise you and you'll thank me for it" Spielberg post-1990 tripe. And I've stuck to that decision. BoB nevertheless hits the spot. Looking forward to the Pacific.

On which note, and probably to Spielberg's chagrin, John Ford made some great documentaries, Battle of Midway and Omaha Beach. He was there (in the Patton sense) about 10 feet from Robert Capa with his Leica, but Omaha was suppressed, the original reels are now missing from DC too.

His old draft-dodging protege John Wayne didn't do much while ole' thick ear was out making the documentaries, so "The Green Berets" was his contribution to being a great American in the 60s. In a moment of significance to the MW generation you see the original version of the AC-130 Spectre lighting up 100s of Viet Cong too.

Anyone who likes a Bridge too Far should watch the doc "Theirs is the Glory".

[Sundance]

John Wayne wasn't a draft dodger, he was actually too old for the draft being 34 at the time of Pearl Harbour and then put off enlisting as he was making movies. the studios also requested his enlistment be defered.

he did later admit to regretting not serving, some put this rgret as the foremost reason for his later 'super-patriot' nature - he was basically over-compensating.

[Chopper]

As for Saving Private Mupp - an armourer I worked with went to see it back in the day, came back saying the .50 Cal pitch was incorrect, too high and out of sync - gave me a reason to never watch the usual cloying sentimental spoon-feeder "I'll patronise you and you'll thank me for it" Spielberg post-1990 tripe. And I've stuck to that decision. BoB nevertheless hits the spot. Looking forward to the Pacific.

Fully agree Schnelfuer. Did you wonder how the sniper could poke a bullet thru the other snipers scope in rainy conditions with an Oxy filled scope in 1944? No nitrogen filled scopes in them days, boyo. The scope would have fogged and he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn door. I seem to recall a story from Vietnam where that did occur tho. Right down the scope.

Anyone see The Hurt Locker or Men who stare at goats?

[Quickfire]

Fully agree Schnelfuer. Did you wonder how the sniper could poke a bullet thru the other snipers scope in rainy conditions with an Oxy filled scope in 1944? No nitrogen filled scopes in them days, boyo. The scope would have fogged and he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn door. I seem to recall a story from Vietnam where that did occur tho. Right down the scope.

Anyone see The Hurt Locker or Men who stare at goats?

Yeah as I never watched the movie I don't know that bit but obviously it's total bollox or total fluke, but as it's in a movie it's bollox. Back in BAF one kid once claimed on Captain Hurricane's letter page that their 8th Army footslogger grandad in Libya or Italy got a German bullet come down the breech of his Lee Enfield ....

Hurt Locker - that should indeed probably go on the list. Another I remembered is Ivan's Childhood by Tarkovsky, very raw Russian view of the last German days on the Ostfront, highly recommended. He also made the magisterial Ivan Rublev which is really about living through permanent war.

Not seen men who stare at goats yet but should do as remote viewing is a bit of a chuckle.

[Quickfire]

John Wayne wasn't a draft dodger, he was actually too old for the draft being 34 at the time of Pearl Harbour and then put off enlisting as he was making movies. the studios also requested his enlistment be defered.

he did later admit to regretting not serving, some put this rgret as the foremost reason for his later 'super-patriot' nature - he was basically over-compensating.

He certainly stalled a lot ... he got papers to sign-up (John Ford dropped a hint or two), then while Ford was getting bombed to scheiss on Midway Big John would write him letters like, "hey, my secretary will soon complete my papers and I'll see you out there one day old chap...", but, indeed, he certainly over-compensated thereafter.

[Double-Tap]

i have fond memories of bat 21 but havent seen it in years.

theres an old black+white film about gerries invadin an english village ala the eagle has landed but cant remember the name and it may already have been mentioned.

[Quickfire]

i have fond memories of bat 21 but havent seen it in years.

theres an old black+white film about gerries invadin an english village ala the eagle has landed but cant remember the name and it may already have been mentioned.

Bat 21! Good one. Reminds me there's Uncommon Valour too.

Anyone remember Operation Crossbow? George Peppard infiltrating the V3 site or whatever?

The village, think it's "Went the Day Well?". Script by Graham Greene and featuring the young .. er .. Thora Hird. It was propaganda to inspire the toiling subjects of the Commonwealth to ever greater things.

[Double-Tap]

thats the 1

cheers Quickie