Colin Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Sure we all want gorgeous scenery and moving music to show off the spectacular sensibilities of our home theater sound and movie systems to our dinner guests. But when the dishes are picked up, the wine glasses rinsed, a cold brew cracked and the feet up, what we really want is the pounding action and violence of a teeth-gritting war movie. We want “can’t take your eyes away” portrayals of glory, courage, pain and gore. We want sub-woofers to thump our chairs like mortar shells on Omaha beach, shake our walls like a firing range. We want to watch war movies. Here are my favorite, all-time best, “make no apologies, war is about killing” movies: Saving Private Ryan Schindler’s List Star Wars series Master and Commander U-571 Gladiator Starship Troopers Saints and Soldiers Hotel Rwanda Platoon Gallipoli Braveheart Atonement Apocalypse Now 'Breaker' Morant Flags of Our Fathers Matrix series Independence Day Glory Shaka Zulu The Postman Downfall Patton Tora! Tora! Tora! Black Hawk Down Troy Syriana Three Kings Munich Where Eagles Dare Zulu Gunga Din Force 10 From Navarone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. RF62 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 If I may add a couple of my favorites along with those you mentioned: The Hunt for Red October Crimson Tide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 One that I stumbled onto the other day, "Rules of Engagement" Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L Jackson, Anne Archer, Ben Kingsley... When I first saw it, I didn't realize it was done prior to 9-11 and I was flabbergasted on how they'd make a movie with a bunch of muslums attacking an American Embassy. At the end of the movie they give a trailer saying "George retired a year later & moved to the country", "Tom was court martialed for obstructing justice and is currently serving time in prison" and that kind of thing, suggesting to me that this was based on some true events. Watched it again a couple days later when my dad was in town and enjoyed it again (Tivo'ed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Ok you missed a really big one in my opinion. Its not one that you can sit down in one night and watch, but its well worth it to watch the whole thing, Band of Brothers. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expatmatt Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Maybe not exactly a war movie, but then neither is Gladiator (one of my favorites), check out Lord of War. "I prefer it my way" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Letters from Iwo Jima. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DU73 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Jarhead will have to be one of my favs.. though Starship Troopers always makes me laugh.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Full Metal Jacket Pearl Harbor Midway Hamburger Hill Empire of the Sun The English Patient Enemy at the Gates 1941 The Final Countdown Any Godzilla movie Forest Gump Das Boot Any Terminator movie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 Though I love The English Patient, Forest Gump and any Terminator/Predator movie, I did not consider them war movies as much as fight or battle movies. Not too sure about this though, but I think I had in mind a more traditional battlefield combat genre. This reminds me to add the thriller about the Dutch underground, Black Book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Heres my faves, including one not listed yet The Thin Red Line We were Soldiers once, and Young- - a true story of a unit that goes astray and into trouble in Vietnam, great book too! Platoon- another Vietnam epic- very grisly at points. A Bridge too Far - cast of dozens of top names in tale of bridge taking during Operation Market Garden WWII Dirty Dozen- another great cast WWII epic Private Ryan - an awkward story line, brilliantly played Full Metal Jacket- it's Kubrik- you can't go wrong U-571 Hunt for Red October- both with good story lines and blowing stuff up scenes Borderline (questionable due to being a bit too dramatic and artsy) Apocalypse Now- loved it but it's on the edge of believeability Atonement- loved it, but is it really mostly about war or is it a love story that takes place during wartime? Pearl Harbor- starring Ben Affleck as -who else- Ben Affleck- worst ever due to too much love story and not enough war: 1941 is a comedy Nothing Terminator is about war per se just violence, I want history, I want stories based on the real deal, but that's just me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelA Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Behind Enemy Lines- DTS version We Were Soldiers- DTS. Based on the real deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Just got Dr Strangelove on BD... awesome Guns of Navarone The Bedford Incident The Seven Samurai Paths of Glory Battleship Potemkin Triumph of the Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 guess i'm old fashioned--My is The Longest Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spocka Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Another all time classic: The Green Beret More decent war movies: Ken Wahl & Cheryl Ladd in Purple Hearts Lee Marvin & Robert Carradine in The Big Red One The all-star cast in Kelly's Heroes Lee Ermey & Wings Hauser in Siege at Firebase Gloria David Dudikoff in Platoon Leader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Maybe not exactly a war movie, but then neither is Gladiator (one of my favorites), check out Lord of War. "I prefer it my way" Lord of War is one of the funniest movies out there because of Nick Cage's narration. It funny right from the opening scene. Even though it was supposed to horrify viewers about illegal gun sales, it had the opposite effect on me. This is much like blaming papparazzi for the death of Princess Diana, when the the root cause was a spddeing drunk driver and the idiots who buy those rags that create the market to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Thump Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Saving Private Ryan Schindler’s List Star Wars series Master and Commander U-571 Gladiator Starship Troopers Saints and Soldiers Hotel Rwanda Platoon Gallipoli Braveheart Atonement Apocalypse Now 'Breaker' Morant Flags of Our Fathers Matrix series Independence Day Glory Shaka Zulu The Postman Downfall Patton Tora! Tora! Tora! Black Hawk Down Troy Syriana Three Kings Munich Where Eagles Dare Zulu Gunga Din Force 10 From Navarone Great List Colin I highlighted my favorites. To add to the list: Band of Bro's - I agree with CustomSteve Sniper The Patriot Shooter A Bridge Too Far - Just saw it again on Netflix streaming movies. Great deal $17 for all the Blue Rays you can order and send back (2 / viewing) but what I really discovered was that the Netflix instant viewing is great for old movies. You can rate your movies and view ratings of other viewers which helps you see more movies you may have overlooked. Good pic Michael! The Eagle Has Landed - The Jack Higgins books are even better than the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbucd Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Don't forget the Civil War movies. Glory and Gettysburg are two of my favorites. The cannon barrage before Pickets Charge in Gettysburg is a great work out for the sub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddvj Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 When you guys get the chance, check out The Hurt Locker. It is awesome! I also really liked Windtalkers, Patriot, and Dances With Wolves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DU73 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 watched Top Gun the other day on BluRay. tom cruise was in town, so i thought why not rent a tom cruise movie, not a big fan but i think he is a good actor, loved him as a protecting farther in war of the worlds.. very believable. anyway, Top Gun.. bluray... totally awesome.. totally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The other day I saw, believe it or not, a "feel good" war movie. "Joyeux Noel" is a 2005 French movie about World War I, when the forces in the trenches decided to call a truce for Christmas. It is based on many accumulated reports of actual events and people. For the HT enthusiasts, it does have some battle scenes and big explosions, but that is not the main story line. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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