Favourite War films

[Lee Drennen]

Films
Dambusters - goes without saying really (though highly doubt that it'll be shown on mainstream tv now - due to the dogs name!)
Eagle has landed - though the dialect isn't there, so 'generic' area.
Great Escape

TV series - both comedies
Hogans Heroes ('60s/early 70s?)
M.A.S.H.

Dan. Don’t forget Baa Baa Black Sheep always loved that Series.

[Lee Drennen]

Flying Tigers
Midway
Saving Private Ryan
Born in the 4th of July
My favorite documentary is WWII in color I bet I watch that on Netflix twice a week.

[Mini Me]

Favorite Foreign language films: Downfall, Black Book, Das Boot Favorite Series: Band of Brothers, Pacific, Charit'e and Charit'e Goes to War.

[Airborne01]

Ah, how memories get stirred by this thread: TV sitcoms from the b/w era;' Bootsy and Snudge', and 'Get Some In'. I also recall 'The Hill' and 'Virgin Soldiers' - no action but almost social documentaries!

[Steve Jones]

How about The Train with Burt Lancaster. There is a great overhead shot of the engine driver Bull?? powering through the railway junction in the middle of an air raid. Great stuf

[Tim Marlow]

God Steve, you must be haunting my mind! I was just going to post that! A truly great and , to my mind, underrated film. Apparently the railway yard was real and was due for demolition. As I understand it, the film production paid for the demolition and blew it all up for the footage. To me it’s one of Lancasters best films. The con rod repair scene is totally believable. Papa Bull is one of the great film characters as well.....

[boatman]

WELL what about Pattern with Goerge C Scott
chris

[Steve-the-Duck]

So, only one mention of Went the Day Well so far? Just the context of when the film was made is enough for most people to go what the what!? The post mistress using the hatchet is probably one of the best 'this is what is necessary in these circumstances' scene

[GerryW]

Ah, how memories get stirred by this thread: TV sitcoms from the b/w era;' Bootsy and Snudge', and 'Get Some In'. I also recall 'The Hill' and 'Virgin Soldiers' - no action but almost social documentaries!

Think that 'Get some in' (Robert Lindsay) was more regarding National Service, rather than war - but comedy series just got to be good ol' dad's army and 'allo 'allo!

[Tim Marlow]

So, only one mention of Went the Day Well so far? Just the context of when the film was made is enough for most people to go what the what!? The post mistress using the hatchet is probably one of the best 'this is what is necessary in these circumstances' scene

Yep, that was Me I think. The forties and fifties were the heyday of British film making. No CGI or unnecessary special effects, just great storytelling!
Another from the era, “In which we serve!”, Illustrated perfectly the professionalism of those involved.

[Tim Marlow]

Think that 'Get some in' (Robert Lindsay) was more regarding National Service, rather than war - but comedy series just got to be good ol' dad's army and 'allo 'allo!

..and “It ain’t half hot mum”, which Croft always said was the closest they got to reality. Most of the scenes were taken from life.

[Dave Ward]

RE. Dambusters The recent showings of this film have been censored! The dog's name is removed, and Blackie substituted. There is going to be a remake of the Dambusters ( screenplay by Stephen Fry ), and the dogs' name is going to be Digger.................
Shades of Stalin & 1984 - altering history to suit your own ends.
Dave

[JayCee]

Moving back in time to the Spanish/American war. The Rough Riders starring Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favourites.
John.

[Airborne01]

Think that 'Get some in' (Robert Lindsay) was more regarding National Service, rather than war - but comedy series just got to be good ol' dad's army and 'allo 'allo!

Couldn't agree more Gerry; what you say is correct, both mentions involve the ludicrous aspects of National Service - painting stones white, polishing dustbins, stereotypical Officers and NCOs etc, etc. By way of ludicrous what would you consider the worst war film ever?

[Tim Marlow]

RE. Dambusters The recent showings of this film have been censored! The dog's name is removed, and Blackie substituted. There is going to be a remake of the Dambusters ( screenplay by Stephen Fry ), and the dogs' name is going to be Digger.................
Shades of Stalin & 1984 - altering history to suit your own ends.
Dave

True, but as I said before, the name now makes me uneasy so I’m not that worried. I don’t see a minor modification such as that as stalinist revisionism though. U 571 on the other hand is a complete rewrite of history and described as an affront to British sailors in parliament!
As to Fry writing a screenplay for it, well I’m worried about that. He doesn’t strike me as someone that has the required gravitas, but I’m willing to be proved wrong.