War Movies - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly....

Well before the season gets going again and it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey it's the perfect time of year to re-watch those movies we've all seen a hundred (thousand) times before.

So what's your top and bottom 5 WW2 moives and why?

Top 5

1) Where Eagles Dare

Nothing true about it other than a damn good yarn and more plot twists than an episode of Hollyoaks. Love the Burton/Eastwood combination and just how much was filmed in Austria in the Winter bring a great atmospheric feel to the film.

2) The Dambusters

Always loved how it portrays the raid and all the Lancs they had flying in the movie makes it worth it just for that.

3) Bridge at Remagen

Sooo much armour! And the fact that during filming the Russians over the border thought the amassed tanks were a prelude to a NATO invasion so started to mobilise. the film crew had to down tools and reloacte production to avoid the Ruskies sending their armoour over the border!

4) Battle of Britain

During the filming the production company had enough aircraft operating to delcare it as the 35th largest Air Force in the world at that time, not a bad acheivment considering it was a film! I also think that using locations such as Duxford, Hawkinge and Biggin Hill to film was great as the battle was fought from those bases originally.

5) SPR

Just because nothing like it had been seen in a movie until this came along.


I don't really have a list of worst movies but Fury - for reasons already discussed on a seprate thread, the Boy in the Striped PJ's and War Horse

In no particular order!

Battleground (1949)
Apparently using extras from the real 101st. No better Battle of the Bulge movie to watch, especially if you are in Bastogne!

Stalag 17
William Holden- Prisoner of war movie, with a twist. Really good

Kellys Heroes
Fun fun fun!

Harts War
Bruce Willis- Prisoner of war caper. I like it, could watch again and again

36hours
Starring James Garner. Good story about a GI with knowledge of DDay plans whose drugged, and taken captive by the Germans who try to make him believe its 10 years after, and he has had re-occurring bouts of memory loss. They create an army hospital in the back woods of Germany...

Oh c'mon, Boy in the Striped PJ's was unique and sad

Cody

Surely 
Kellys Heroes. Funny
Longest day. First one seen
Kellys heroes funny
Where Eagles dare. Clint is ultra cool
5 graves to Cairo good story
Ice cold in  Alex great acting Gary
Voice of terror love the series
Where Eagles dare. Still funny.

Not seen it Cody, it's on the to watch list!

What about hell is for heroes? Cracking film in my opinion!

Paul we never made it through 36 hours at the AGM a few years back! It is a good story line though! Must get it on DVD myself!

messkit wrote:Oh c'mon, Boy in the Striped PJ's was unique and sad

Cody

It is sad but I thought the stroy was utter BS i.e. the boy would never be allowed that close to the outer wire without the guards shooting him - hence my objection to it. I understood what the writer was trying to do but I just didn't take to it.

If you want utter crap, watch War Horse, a story about a country bumpkin and his 'unatural love for a horse' - maybe he watched anaimal farm and though "I want some of that action..."

Well erm it's

A Bridge Too Far - spectacle and sheer size of the production.

Das Boot - I know it's the Germans but I still think it was pretty good.

Apocalyse Now - wacky story and lost it's way in the end but visually stunning.

The Bridge at Remagen - liked the characters and the whole feel of the movie.

Patton - my dad liked it and the music and passed it on to me.

Worst

Von Ryans Express....I mean come on!

Absolute worst

THE MONUMENTS MEN, took what should have been an interesting story mixed it all up and made no sense with poor acting.

Can't agree more about Monuments men. What a chance they had for a film but absolutely blew it!

Glad you mentioned 'Hell is for Heroes' Sam!

Worst 'war' film: 'D-Day: 6th June'. I remember rushing home from school and being so bitterly disapointed...

The 50s and 60s are the golden era for ww2 films in my opinion - some real classics as already mentioned. Also there are some late 40s gems that are not famous, but well worth looking out for (possibly on youtube) -as they really capture the period - such as:
They were not divided
Decision before Dawn
A walk in the sun
The story of GI Joe, etc.

How about the Lost Battalion (2001)? A few inaccuracies kit wise but not bad at all for a tv show special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyJwtC8kwJM

There's also the 1919 version floating around online somewhere

Cody