War Films

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The Desert Fox (1951)

Subtitled The Story of Rommel this is slightly misleading for whilst it is about Field Marshal Erwin Rommel it's not about his famed desert campaigns in North Africa and how he became the 'Desert Fox', it's basically about operation Valkyrie and the plot to remove Hitler from power.

James Mason is however excellent as Rommel in a beautifully acted movie and he comes across as a dedicated, dignified man and a highly respected soldier even though that was probably by the Allied forces rather than the bureaucrats who held power in Germany alongside his Fuhrer.

The Desert Fox is a short film, clocking in at under 85 minutes. It would have made for far superior viewing had it been at least double that length and taken into account in detail his time with the Africa Korps. As it is we are left with a sympathetic study of his final months.

How did you manage to come across this little number Dem?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

How did you manage to come across this little number Dem?

I've had it on dvd for years. Part of a two discer with The Desert Rats.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Desert-Fox-...3&s=dvd&sr=1-1

[MrBarlow]

Cheers for that

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Cheers for that

I've got the other two releases from the series too.

Sink the Bismark / The Enemy Below and D-Day The Sixth of June / The Young Lions.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've got the other two releases from the series too.

Sink the Bismark / The Enemy Below and D-Day The Sixth of June / The Young Lions.

The Enemy Below is a great film remember watching that with my grandfather

[Inspector Abberline]

For some reason I seem to have gone all fascist, I watched Valkyrie (2008) and Conspiracy (2001) for know other reason than it seemed too happen that way,one minute your perfectly normal next minute I'm goose stepping and planning to invade Poland (it's only fair they have all our car washes)..... Interesting they share quite a few of the same cast, including Kenneth Branagh, Kevin McNally and Ian McNeice , who are all excellent,in both...The difference being is Valkyrie deals with the over throw of Hitler and the SS by a group lead by Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg... Conspiracy deals with a meeting which took took place in 1942*Wannsee Conference .... Conspiracy was based on actual transcripts of the meeting and is pretty chilling in its mater of fact way they come to the Final Solution.... Neither film is a barrel of laughs for obvious reasons, (I've probably watched to many episodes of Allo Allo and Dad's Army,which accounts for my flippancy) .Valkyrie has more action, that said they could of tried harder (to kill Hitler that is) ,and Conspiracy is very matter of fact, and basically shows what a bunch of bastard's every body involved were...Both are superbly acted and both shine a light on a very little known part of history,I mean I grew up watching Kelly's Heroes and The Dirty Dozen,and it wasn't until I bought Dad the World at War series many years ago that I got the enormity of the Holocaust,this was well before the release of Schindler's List...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Von Ryan's Express (1965)

Classic WWII thriller in which Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard lead a band of prisoners in taking over a German military train heading from Italy to Berlin.

Gripping and occasionally funny in parts Von Ryan's Express is a great boys own war time adventure film making with Sinatra on top form, however the best lines go to Edward Mulhare (Best known from tv's Knight Rider) as the Allied chaplain who also speaks German when he impersonates a German commander.

Director Mark Robson, who directed four of Val Lewton's horror masterpieces in the the forties (And edited another three) proves as assured with action as he was with the supernatural and makes great use of the scenic Italian locations and a terrific Spanish one doubling for the Alps at the finale.

Speaking of the finale, it's action packed and tense with a final scene that's never forgotten.

[MrBarlow]

Hitler's S.S.: Portrait Of Evil. 1985.

Two brothers Helmut and Karl Hoffman who come of age at the start of Hitler's power and experience the dark side of war.

This was a good made for T.V.movie with Bill Nighy who plays Helmut who seems to agree with what decisions are being made during the war. John Shea plays Karl who speaks his mind and tries to help get a young boy away from the frontline. David Warner plays the ruthless and sarcastic commander who basically you are begging for him to meet some karma. From start to finish this was entertaining and only shows the side of Nazism from the German side from being political decisions made during war.

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[MrBarlow]

The Last Hunter. 1980.

During the Vietnam war, a American soldier is trapped behind enemy lines and his squad attempt a daring rescue mission.

Italian exploitation of Vietnam War with David Warbeck tasked to go and destroy a radio tower with photo journalist Tisa Farrow and become lost in the trek and captured. This has it's moments of gunfire, nudity, rape, and gore moments that can make non horror fans squeamish. This isn't the best war movie about Vietnam unlike Apocalypse Now that came out the year before but I still find it entertaining.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

The Last Hunter. 1980.

During the Vietnam war, a American soldier is trapped behind enemy lines and his squad attempt a daring rescue mission.

Italian exploitation of Vietnam War with David Warbeck tasked to go and destroy a radio tower with photo journalist Tisa Farrow and become lost in the trek and captured. This has it's moments of gunfire, nudity, rape, and gore moments that can make non horror fans squeamish. This isn't the best war movie about Vietnam unlike Apocalypse Now that came out the year before but I still find it entertaining.

That was on BBC1 last weekend. Looked amazing in HD. Managed to actually catch the Valkyries helicopter assault when flicking through channels. I have the Blu but i only watched the dvd earlier in the year so haven't got round to watching it.