52 replies to this topic

[Walter63a]

Well, I'll go first. I like Patton, U-571, Das Boot, A Bridge Too Far, Von Ryan's Express, and The Eagle Has Landed. I know there are many I have forgotten, and I'd like to add to my collection of WWII DVD's (drama or documentary). I have The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich(1968) and The Triumph of the Will. I would like to pick up The World AT War series. Any suggestions would be helpful to me and, probably, others! Regards, Walter

[brian]

b of b's
spr

[Walter63a]

Brian, could you use whole words, please. I don't like to guess. I assume that means Band of Brothers and Saving Private Private Ryan. I must be abbreviationally challenged this evening. Regards, Walter

[Whiskey Brother]

Band of Brothers is my favorite, but I also loved Kellys Heroes, Saving Private Ryan, and Enemy at the Gates.

[john]

I'll second (and third) all the previous, and then add:
Twelve O'clock High
Dirty Dozen
Great Escape (bike escape scene is unforgettable!!)
Guadalcanal Diary

and I'll leave lots of great titles for the next.....

john

[treborsnikwad]

Undoubtedly my most authentic made WW2 fave would be "Saving Private Ryan", followed close by the series "Band of Brothers", "The Longest Day", "Conspiracy"(Kenneth Branagh as Heydrich ???) , "The Pianist", "Pearl Harbor", "U-571", "Enemy at the Gates", "Hart's War" and "Windtalkers". Didn't think much of "The Thin Red Line"or "Midway"...pretty much all of the Duke's (John Wayne's) flicks are good Patriotic-All-American- Mom-and-Apple-Pie-Let's-Kill-Them-Dirty-B@$t@rd$-So-We-Can-Go-Home nostalgia flicks, although a little heavy on the schmaltz..."The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) was a particularly thoughtful piece...read all of Donald Burgett's Screaming Eagles series; all of Stephen Ambrose's WW2 works ("Citizen Soldiers" is most excellent); most all of William L. Shirer's WW2/Third Reich works; Gerald Astor's...the list goes on and on...I am always looking for a new book that explores the American fighting man's perspective (whether WW2, Korea or Vietnam) ..for you guys inclined to interstate travel, a visit to The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans is a MUST, and a trip to The National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, Georgia is highly enlightening...

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

"Five Fingers"
"Ice Cold In Alex"
"The Train"
"Where Eagles Dare"
"Crash Dive"

[M1A1savage]

The Winter War

[full auto 45]

I've watched the entire series at least 5 times now. Band of Brothers is the best/most realistic show about WWII you can find. Saving Private Ryan has a very realistic first 30-45 minutes and then gets to Hollywood for me. I still want to meet Major Winters. Just to say thank you.

[Ron Mills]

One neat thing about U-571 was to see Reisings ( I think I remember seeing 1 or 2 of the folding stock jobs...Model 60?). The prize line from that movie when they took over the U-boat: "Everything's in German!"

[Waffen Und Bier]

Kelly's Heroes (not very realistic, but fun)

The Great Escape

The Eagle Has Landed

Band of Brothers


Saving Private Ryan started with potential, but fell way short after Omaha Beach.

U-90210 was too Hollywood. I'm surprised they didn't have female crew members (a big tata'ed bimbo and a femanazi) and a fashionably effeminate, foppy, dandy crew member and a leftist pacifist crew member and a rabidly environmentalist crew member in it. I mean, other than rewriting history (IIRC the Brits captured Enigma prior to Pearl Harbour) and the crew selection and the ease in which they out foxed those mean old Germans......... At least Harvey Keitel didn't have his obligatory ass showing scene.

[MG08MAXIM]

O.k., My favorite WWII movies are (in no particular order)

Where eagles dare
The eagle has landed
Kelly's heroes
Bridge on the river Kwai
A bridge too far
Iron cross
Enemy at the gates
The longest day
Bataan
Back to Bataan
The fighting seebees
The great escape
Saving private Ryan
U-571
Too late the heroe
Stalag 17
Thats all I can think of now. There is one movie that I did not like that I hear alot of you guys did like which is Wind Talkers. I thought the acting was kinda hooky and there was too much Hollywood in it. I did like to see all of the Thompson's in it but even that couln't save the movie for me. Also, to prove to my wife that I'm not nuts, how many of you will put in one of your favorite war movies and breakdown one of your guns and clean it? I do it all of the time! Everyone have a great weekend!

[ODS9091]

BAND OF BROTHERS
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI

OH AND RON MODEL 55 (60 WAS A SEMI AUTO)

[Ron Mills]

I stand duly corrected. Merci beaucoup.

[New1]

C'mon guys....no one for "Devil's Brigade" lots-o-Thompson shots...or how about the HBO special "When trumpets fade" Pretty good but lots of foul language.

[MG08MAXIM]

Thats two I forgot!
Devils brigade and Von Ryan's express

[hawksnest]

I agree with each of you. Great choices. Each movie has its own memorable scenes. But you left out three really great war movies made in Germany, in German, with English subtitles (or you can select english and their mouths don't match their words). How about Stalingrad (the original in Black and White), Stalingrad (the second version in color)and the Bridge (in black and white). Lets not forget Stalag 17.

[ThompsonCrazy]

I like Kelly's Heroes for fun and
The Battle of the Bulge. Good Stuff.

[sten guy]

The Battle of the Bulge is a good movie in my opinion. I video tape WW2 veterans as a hobby and
one guy I interviewed went from North Africa to the battle of the bulge and was finally wounded there.
He received 5 silver stars and of course a Purple Heart.

[Gunner]

Hawksnest, wow! I can't believe you cited "The Bridge!" If we're talking about the same movie -- some German schoolboys "defend" a bridge at the close of WWII-- it's a real rarity. I saw it once, on TV, when I was a kid, and it seems to have never really played in the U.S. It came out in the 50's, when the U.S. probably wasn't ready for a film from the German point of view. Also, it was very anti-war, sort of an updated version of "All Quiet on the Western Front," the WWI classic. Interesting choice.