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Favourite war film?


Lenny

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  • Field Marshall

Ok, we've done it a few times on FB, but not in here..

What's your favourite war film?

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I don't really think I have a favorite. I watch a movie to be entertained, not be critical of the uniforms, tactics, weapons, or anything else. I will say, YES I very much enjoyed Band of Brothers, but that is not a movie, rather an excellent mini series. 

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Although I like all good war films, I think the early war films have some of the best acting and actors, bearing in mind that most of them served in the war, films like The Cruel Sea, We dive at Dawn,Ice cold in Alex, The purple Plain,The man who never was,I was Monty,s double, Dambusters, these are classics, good entertainment, and not all blood and gore

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Hello,

I won't say it's my favorite movie because there are many great ones, and while there are no battle scenes in it it is quite an excellent movie. It is called the Purple Heart, made in 1944 starring Dana Andrews, Richard Conte and Farley Granger among others.  It revolves around a bomber crew taken prisoner by the Japanese and their treatment while imprisoned during ww2.  It is what I would call a propaganda movie, no negative implication meant. Anyone that likes old movies from the 30's and 40's  I think will find it quite interesting.  The next movie I mention just might be my favorite movie or at least among my top 10, is called "Watch on the Rhine" with Betty Davis and Paul Lucas, he being a fighter in the underground against Nazism who comes to the states with his wife(Davis) and children to raise money to bring back to europe and fight against fascism.  Again, I would say this is a movie meant to instill patriotism and  rouse people to the fight against Nazism.  As I think about it I have to say there are quite a few movies from this era, including "The Mortal Storm" with Jimmy Stewart, and also a movie called "Foreign Correspondent" with George Sanders, Joel Mcrea and Larraine Day. I could mention quite a few more but for now end with those mentioned.  I have a fondness for movies from the 30's and 40's and while I like some of the modern day war movies I  don't think many  can hold a candle up to those produced during that era.  Just my opinion.  Davejb, I fully agree with you and the movies you mention, particularly "The Man who Never Was".
 

regards,

Duzig(Bill)

Edited by Duzig
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Yes COI is a great film with good actors but it gets a bit stupid at the end, another good film is Hell is for Heroes with Steve Mc Queen, graphic but pretty realistic, also Dunkirk with that old stalwart Sir John Mills, the beach scenes were pretty good albeit it was made in the 50s and special effects were not that great then, but the amount of extras involved was impressive and yet you hardly saw many Germans, We all know Bridge on the River Kwai , another excellent film with many fine actors, Percy Herbert who appears in many war movies was actually the technical advisor on the film as he was a Japanese POW and he also suggested the theme tune whistle, Colonel Bogey, Herbert died in 1992 after complications due to his time in captivity during the war in Changi, yet during his acting period he made 70 odd films mainly as a soldier and also in comedies, some of the best war movies were the ones he appeared in

 

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9 hours ago, DAK D said:

I have many favorites, but Cross of Iron is number one :)

D

James Coburn,what a brilliant part he portrayed ,been there seen it done it and didn't give a hoot 

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  • Field Marshall
13 hours ago, DAK D said:

I have many favorites, but Cross of Iron is number one :)

D

Great film.. :D

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  • Major General

The 1979 series.'Danger UXB' for me.

closely followed by 'Das Boot'

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For me there isn't any "one" favorite film. However, one that I don't tire of watching is the adaptation of "They Were Expendable".

The original B&W version, not the colorized Turner version. 

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  • Major General

Ice cold in Alex in the B & W category 

Cross of Iron in the modern classic category

Castle Keep in the kooky 1960's war film category

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Has anyone ever heard of the TV mini series 'The Heavy Water War' I think there's 6 episodes. I was thinking of checking it out but wanted an honest review first.

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27 minutes ago, HetzersGonnaHetz said:

Has anyone ever heard of the TV mini series 'The Heavy Water War' I think there's 6 episodes. I was thinking of checking it out but wanted an honest review first.

Watching it right now. Pretty good! 

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Just now, EA-Militaria.nl said:

Watching it right now. Pretty good! 

Sorted then, cheers EA, I'll be getting the box set off Amazon for my birthday.

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On 2/18/2016 at 13:04, Waffenamt said:

The 1979 series.'Danger UXB' for me.

closely followed by 'Das Boot'

Now your talking, I remember Danger UXB very well, although its not a film but was a terrific wartime series, I was in the police force at the time,I dont know if anyone remembers the episode when the team were confronted with German Butterfly bombs, basically a bomb cannister supported by a rod with four vanes that rotated like a helicopter rotor and drifted down to explode on contact. About a week after that was aired , some guy brought in one and just plonked it down on the police counter in front of me. he said that he had found it in his back garden. He was cutting down a large tree and half way up in a bough hidden from view there was this thing. He saw the episode of UXB and decided to bring it in. You can imagine what state my rectal passage was in while staring at this thing, we evacuated the station and closed the road outside until BDT arrived, according to them this was one of 11 that they had to deal with after the programme was seen, and it was,nt the last time that someone brought in an explosive device into the station in front of me!!!!!

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  • Major General

Jeeezus H christ! xD:o  I shouldnt laugh Dave.

Knowing me ,i would have had a quick squizz at the fuze type before i legged it(if it was a 70)

I will be doing a picture series shortly of each type of fuze and will show some of my collection.

Should jog a few memories for you pal lolxD

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  • Major General

Dave,Ive decided that your post is my fave one so far.. chuckling away here

 

The episode of which you speak on the series was 'Butterfly Winter' loosely based on the raid on Grimsby with SD-2 bomblets

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If you think that one was comical , heres another, A guy and his dog came into the station, he was carrying a cardboard box that had straw inside, seated neatly in the straw was a Mills 36 grenade, with no pin or spoon and the striker had gone down!!!!!!, he placed the box on the counter and said,"I let my dog out in a field near the main road , I saw him digging and then he came back with this in his mouth, I thought I,d better bring it in so no-one got hurt!!!!!!!!!"I was gobsmacked, I said " So you drove all the way from where it was found , through the town,and just decided to leave it with us" He looked a bit surprised. After he was gone it had to be moved so we drew lots to see who it would be, guess who got the job, I picked this damn thing up in the box and very carefully started to take it out the back to the garages, My sergeant was in front leading the way and keeping the doors open, when I got outside I looked back and saw all the office staff standing at the windows with their hands over their ears. It was put in the furthest garage and then it was taped off to await BDT.My Chief Inspector turned up without us knowing, went into the garage, pulled the tape down and was washing his motor, when one of the guys saw him and stated what had happened and that he had to get out of there, he ran out leaving his car there.BDT arrived a few hours later, took it away and found out that it was live!!!!, and the only thing stopping the striker going fully down was a piece of grit, It was exploded on marshes. We think it was discarded during a Home Guard exercise and was never looked for

 

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Guest Fred Karno's Army

For me it has to be 'A bridge too far'.

Not for accuracy in story or equipment,but in my opinion the last of the big budget war films,and the star studied cast,when actors were just that ;).

  The music score was fantastic,and the scene where they are boarding the C47s,and then taking off on the morning of the 17th still gives me goosebumps now !.

'da dar da dar da da........' :D

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No just plain idiot, and the only reason was the lot was fixed, because I opened my big mouth and told them that you,ve either got 4 or 7 seconds before it goes off, I did,nt take into account that the bloody thing might have no seconds left!!!!!!,,, until I was carrying it!!!!!

 

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