What is sorely missing from my DVD collection? (1 Viewer)

[Spitfrnd]

....I thought Force 10 from Navarone was so horrible as to be unwatchable. ....

Well that makes me happy you do not pick DVDs for me then. Likely you would feel the same. Actually, I watch most of mine in some rough cycle. Force 10, like Kelly's Heros, I watch more often than the majority.

 

[trooper]

Only just come back to this thread. You asked about A Hill in Korea. It's a story about a British patrol that gets cut off by the Koreans and take up position in an old temple on a hill. George Baker is a National Service officer, Harry Andrews as a marvellous regular sergeant, Stanley Baker as an evil stuttering corporal and a whole host of old time British character actors as the platoon. Cracking good film, loads of beleivable action and one of the few films with no love interest. Made in black and white but that's no distraction.

 

[Rutledge]

Well that makes me happy you do not pick DVDs for me then. Likely you would feel the same. Actually, I watch most of mine in some rough cycle. Force 10, like Kelly's Heros, I watch more often than the majority.

That is definitely why they make chocolate and vanilla....and strawberry....and butter pecan.....

To be fair, last time I tried to watch Force 10 I couldnt get thru the first 20 minutes. It just seemed so... dated. Perhaps all this reality tv has re-programmed me so I cant enjoy a good ole fashioned adventure yarn.

Im now a bit of rivet counter when it comes to movies. I like stories most when they are at least based on the truth. Unless something is obviously fantasy, like LOR or Batman. Even then, there should be "lessons" or real life takeaways. Otherwise, there is almost no situation from which the protagonist cant and wont escape. (now if the movie is purposely trying to be outrageous, and/or mock itself, thats different)

Recall the last Mission Impossilbe flick. One outrageous stunt was followed by another (zip lining across the tops of tall buildings). I appreciated the special affects craft, I guess, but it "took me out" of the movie, so that my Willing Suspension of Disbelief no longer functioned. From there all was lost.

PS: The most recent Indiana Jones is another example of going much too far with outrageous stunts/themes. It really became a farce of itself.

 

[GICOP]

Only just come back to this thread. You asked about A Hill in Korea. It's a story about a British patrol that gets cut off by the Koreans and take up position in an old temple on a hill. George Baker is a National Service officer, Harry Andrews as a marvellous regular sergeant, Stanley Baker as an evil stuttering corporal and a whole host of old time British character actors as the platoon. Cracking good film, loads of beleivable action and one of the few films with no love interest. Made in black and white but that's no distraction.

and Michael Caine, not a lot a people know that

Cheers

Martyn

 

[Rob]

Conspiracy
Dunkirk
1914-18 (docu series)
Great War (channel 4 Docu series)
Sea of Sand
Ice cold in Alex
Malta story
Horror in the East (docu series)
Battlefields (BBC Docu series)
Went the day well
Battlefield (tv series)
Line of Fire (History channel series)
Tanks (History channel series)
Regeneration
Bomber Harris
My Boy Jack
Great battles of the Great War (three part series;Somme,Passchendaele,Gallipoli)
Big Red 1

Rob

 

[lancer]

I must be slipping. John Ford has many classics. "They Were Expendable", "The Lost Patrol", his cavalry trio with the Duke. Also do not forget "Sands of Iwo Jima". -- lancer

 

[Spitfrnd]

That is definitely why they make chocolate and vanilla....and strawberry....and butter pecan.....

To be fair, last time I tried to watch Force 10 I couldnt get thru the first 20 minutes. It just seemed so... dated. Perhaps all this reality tv has re-programmed me so I cant enjoy a good ole fashioned adventure yarn.

Im now a bit of rivet counter when it comes to movies. I like stories most when they are at least based on the truth. Unless something is obviously fantasy, like LOR or Batman. Even then, there should be "lessons" or real life takeaways. Otherwise, there is almost no situation from which the protagonist cant and wont escape. (now if the movie is purposely trying to be outrageous, and/or mock itself, thats different)

Recall the last Mission Impossilbe flick. One outrageous stunt was followed by another (zip lining across the tops of tall buildings). I appreciated the special affects craft, I guess, but it "took me out" of the movie, so that my Willing Suspension of Disbelief no longer functioned. From there all was lost.

PS: The most recent Indiana Jones is another example of going much too far with outrageous stunts/themes. It really became a farce of itself.

There is no question that willing suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite to enjoy most movies, old and new. It can be a tricky thing to engage and some, like MI 3 exceed my tolerance as well. I felt the same about Windtalkers, which annoyed me for other reasons as well. I also agree with your observation on IJ 4, defined the weakest sister of the range. Conversely I am happy to extend it to Force 10, Kelly's Heroes and for different reasons, Apocalypse Now (which is somewhat of a pseudo mind altering experience). Frankly I like the irony, subtle humor and begrudging progression of mutual respect between the two major protagonists as much as anything about Force 10. Of course I must confess that I like seeing Shaw and Ford (especially in the earlier works) perform and the dam distruction scene is first rate. A bit of mocha almond fudge with cherry sauce I guess.

Returning to the recommended additions point, The Hunt for Red October (especially in Blu-ray) is a rather nice cold war piece.

 

[Rutledge]

/I felt the same about Windtalkers, which annoyed me for other reasons as well. /.

Bad acting perhaps? The fellow who played the american indian just didnt get it done, IMO.

/Of course I must confess that I like seeing Shaw and Ford (especially in the earlier works) /.

Robert Shaw is one of the great ones, no doubt. He'll be remembered mostly as Quint, of course, but he had other great roles. It was super that he and Ford were able to work together.

Maybe Ill suck it up and try Force 10 again. If I can just get thru that first 20 minutes....

Highly Recommend: The Great Raid, with Benjamin Bratt (2005). Not a great movie, but good, and a very true story.

 

[damian]

Ice Cold in Alex is a goodie
I am not sure if anyone here has mentioned it.

 

[The General]

A very interesting collection - and certainly a broad definition of "war movie" from western to medieval knights. Hollywood is appreciative and the rest of us are merely envious.

Ha ha.

I may have missed and you already have, but here a few suggestions:

Apocalypse Now - Redux (extended and "adult" version)

Have it.

Legends of the Fall

The girlfriend has it.

Open Range

Is that a comedy?

Predator (I aint go time to bleed!)

Got it.

Tropic Thunder (we all need comic relief on occassion)

Didn't last long at the cinemas here.

I thought Force 10 from Navarone was so horrible as to be unwatchable.

Roger that.

Also to avoid: Breakheart Pass

Roger that too.

Question: How often do you go back and watch any of these? I have found I rarely make the effort to re-watch a movie, no matter how much I enjoyed it. But that may just me be. That said, I still own over 50 DVDs

I have watched some of them 10 or more times.

 

[The General]

Not sure if any of these were on your list;

Stalingrad (1992 version, the 1958 version is beyond terrible)

Sounds good. Foreign film?

Battleground

Wasn't keen on it.

A Bridge too Far

Got it.

The brotherhood of war

What's this one about?

The Blue Max

Got that one too.

The Winter War

Is that a doco?

 

[The General]

Only just come back to this thread. You asked about A Hill in Korea. It's a story about a British patrol that gets cut off by the Koreans and take up position in an old temple on a hill. George Baker is a National Service officer, Harry Andrews as a marvellous regular sergeant, Stanley Baker as an evil stuttering corporal and a whole host of old time British character actors as the platoon. Cracking good film, loads of beleivable action and one of the few films with no love interest. Made in black and white but that's no distraction.

Thanks for that rundown trooper.

 

[Spitfrnd]

Open Range is a very gritty and realistic western with a final gunfight scene that is probably more realistic than any thing else done in the genre. It also has great acting by Robert Duval and a pretty good performance by Keven Costner. You haven't commented on it but I wouldn't be without Kelly's Heroes. BTW, when I mentioned MASH, I did mean the movie, the series was good but you can't beat the original.

 

[Warrior]

General,
Stalingrad (1992 version) is a German movie produced by the same company that did Das Boot; a terrific film, very good battle scenes, very well done IMO.

The Brotherhood of War is a Korean War film and is excellent; very, very good action scenes, the story is very good and sad at the same time, highly recommended.

The Winter War is about the Soviet invasion of Finland; a foreign film with excellent battle scenes and they nailed it with the equipment as well, early war soviet tanks especially...........

 

[UKReb]

On similar lines to The Brotherhood try Assembly-Chinese war movie takes place at the Wen river during the civil war of 1948. I recently got the blu-ray version and the action/soundtrack blew me out of my armchair.

Sunday Times reviewer (a respected critic) described it as the most impressive war film since SPR.

And Total Film a so-so UK Film mag said "makes Letters of Iwo Jima look like a postcard" I kinda liked that.

SPR is the yard stick every war movie will be judged against and this movie borrows a lot from it but it's darn impressive with a large slug of it's own poignancy.

Reb

 

[Warrior]

Spot on Reb; Assembly is a brilliant film..........

 

[Rutledge]

Ha ha.


The girlfriend has it.

Ouch!

I do find I re-watch the comedies more than suspense or action. Once the thrill is gone, I lose interest. But a funny bit, that I can see again and again and again.

Dont forget "The Great Raid". Open Range's final gun battle is a classic.

 

[maddadicus]

Sahara with Humprey Bogart ( WW2 desert action classic )and a little known Lion of the Desert with Anthony Quinn and Oliver Reed ( WW2 Arab vs Italians epic with great acting, lots of action and real old armored cars, tanks and lorries. )Firebase Gloria ( Vietnam cong vs U.S.fort...action,action,action )


Michael

 

[Spitfrnd]

Sahara with Humprey Bogart ( WW2 desert action classic )and a little known Lion of the Desert with Anthony Quinn and Oliver Reed ( WW2 Arab vs Italians epic with great acting, lots of action and real old armored cars, tanks and lorries. )Firebase Gloria ( Vietnam cong vs U.S.fort...action,action,action )


Michael

Sahara is a good addition Michael. I have that one and I missed mentioning it.

 

[Go for Broke]

"None but the Brave" with Frank Sinatra, about a platoon of marines fighting a platoon of Japanese on an overlooked island. Also the epic, "The Seven Samurai", a long movie, but the battle scenes are incredible.