The Worst War Movie You've Ever Seen?

[CCB]

Editorial Reviews
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Otto Preminger's sprawling World War II drama packs a lot into its 165 minutes, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor (which Preminger re-creates in amazing detail)[uh, no he doesn't! CCB] and ending a couple of years later with America's return to the South Pacific in force. John Wayne and Kirk Douglas star as a career naval captain and his self-pitying commander in the peacetime navy who are thrust into battle when Pearl Harbor is bombed while they are on maneuvers. Minutes into WWII, they are already scapegoated and demoted by the embarrassed military brass. Wayne romances a WAVE nurse (Patricia Neal) and attempts a reconciliation with his estranged, spoiled son (Brandon de Wilde) while Douglas sinks into the bottle after the death of his cheating wife until the American fleet rebuilds and calls upon Wayne to lead one of the initial invasion forces. Henry Fonda makes a brief but commanding appearance as the fleet admiral. Burgess Meredith is a former writer turned witty commander, Dana Andrews a showy but indecisive admiral, and Stanley Holloway a genial Australian scout working with the American invasion forces. Tom Tryon and Paula Prentiss play newlyweds torn apart by the war, and also appearing are Franchot Tone, Carroll O'Conner, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Bruce Cabot, and Larry Hagman, among many, many more. Loyal Griggs's handsome black-and-white photography is topped only by Saul Bass's impressive closing credits sequence, a rising cascade of crashing waves and rough surf reportedly paced to mirror the dramatic rhythm of the film. [oh yeah, there is a cool model of the Yamato. It sinks John Wayne's cruiser. CCB]

[Bernard]

doesn't it end in some glorious cavalry charge in which horses are replaced by Destroyers ?

I think i saw that.
But i don't remenber it.

I'll trust you on this, i guess. I wont look at it anymore, might it be replayed on TV.

[Twotribes]

I liked in Harms way, it was a little silly at a couple points but all movies have dumb stuff in them. Overall it was ok to watch.

[Twotribes]

I have to ask... whats wrong with Blackhawk Down?

[Brigz]

Originally posted by Bernard
doesn't it end in some glorious cavalry charge in which horses are replaced by Destroyers ?

I think i saw that.
But i don't remenber it.

I'll trust you on this, i guess. I wont look at it anymore, might it be replayed on TV.

If I remember right, it was a Pt-boat charge with Robert Walker(?)playing one of the Admiral's son in one of the boats. I really didn't like the movie. I also didn't like the ship models used in the night scenes. They looked very cheap and sparse. Like unfinished models.

'In Harm's Way', 'Tora Tora Tora', and 'Midway' all seemed like the same movie to me. I really wasn't impressed with any of them. Too bad too, because I usually like naval movies. Can't think of one I really liked right now except of course 'Das Boot' and 'The Enemy Below'.

In another thread a few weeks ago I posted my worst liked war movie. It was 'Force Ten from Navaronne'. Just absolutely hated that movie. I really like Robert Shaw and Harrison Ford but hated the movie. God it was dumb.

There was also a b/w movie back in the late 50's or early 60's set in the Korean War where a platoon was holed up in some Budhist temple. The filming and sets were not very good but the story seemed to be well writen. Kind of had a slight 'anti-war' edge to it but was surprisingly good considering the obviously tight budget. Might have had Jack Palance in it.

One of my favorites is 'Hell is for Heroes' with Steve McQueen, Fes Parker, Nick Adams, Bob Newhart, and one of the all time greats, James Coburn. And, yes, I also have a warm spot for 'Sgt. York' and 'To Hell and Back'. Call me a sissy, but those two were good old movies.

[Raindog101]

Originally posted by Dave Briggs

There was also a b/w movie back in the late 50's or early 60's set in the Korean War where a platoon was holed up in some Budhist temple. The filming and sets were not very good but the story seemed to be well writen. Kind of had a slight 'anti-war' edge to it but was surprisingly good considering the obviously tight budget. Might have had Jack Palance in it.

I think this was "The Steel Helmet" It had the famous line "IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YA!" Gene Evans. Directed by Sam Fuller.

[Brigz]

Originally posted by Old Eagle101
I think this was "The Steel Helmet" It had the famous line "IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YA!" Gene Evans. Directed by Sam Fuller.

Could be da one. I'll have to see if it's in print. The more I think about it, the more interested I am in seeing it again. I seem to remember it was all done on a studio set, kinda like an old Playhouse 90 production. Does that ring a bell, Eagle?

[Brigz]

Originally posted by wulfir
The Bridges at Toki Ri (or something like that)....?

Wasn't that Alan Ladd flying Gruman F9F Panthers off a carrier in 'The Bridges at Toko Ri'?. I do remember Frank Lovejoy was in the movie but I seem to remember him as the flight officer or something like that. There are some surprisingly prophetic scenes reminiscent of a later war with carrier jets once again flying into the communist "North".

[Brigz]

Originally posted by Dave Briggs
Wasn't that Alan Ladd flying Gruman F9F Panthers off a carrier in 'The Bridges at Toko Ri'?. I do remember Frank Lovejoy was in the movie but I seem to remember him as the flight officer or something like that. There are some surprisingly prophetic scenes reminiscent of a later war with carrier jets once again flying into the communist "North".

I take that back. It was William Holden flying the Panther, and now I'm not so sure Frank Lovejoy was in that movie.

[wulfir]

Originally posted by Dave Briggs
Wasn't that Alan Ladd flying Gruman F9F Panthers off a carrier in 'The Bridges at Toko Ri'?. I do remember Frank Lovejoy was in the movie but I seem to remember him as the flight officer or something like that. There are some surprisingly prophetic scenes reminiscent of a later war with carrier jets once again flying into the communist "North".

Dave,
I saw the movie when I was ten yers old or so (quite a while ago ) ... I don't really remember much...

[Brigz]

Originally posted by wulfir
Dave,
I saw the movie when I was ten yers old or so (quite a while ago ) ... I don't really remember much...

That's about how old I was when the movie came out. I just saw it again about a year ago on one of the cable stations. Not a great movie, but not bad either.

[Raindog101]

Originally posted by Dave Briggs
Wasn't that Alan Ladd flying Gruman F9F Panthers off a carrier in 'The Bridges at Toko Ri'?. I do remember Frank Lovejoy was in the movie but I seem to remember him as the flight officer or something like that. There are some surprisingly prophetic scenes reminiscent of a later war with carrier jets once again flying into the communist "North".
___

I take that back. It was William Holden flying the Panther, and now I'm not so sure Frank Lovejoy was in that movie.
____________________

"The Bridges at Toko-Ri" had some rare combat flying footage of the Panther. Also had a fairly decent story, probably because it was written by James A. Michener who went on to write “Centennial”, “Texas”, “Alaska”, etc.

There are two politically incorrect movies that the younger guys might not have seen. “The Purple Heart” w/Dana Andrews. It’s about one B-25 from Doolittles Raiders crash landing in China and the crew being captured by the Japanese. EXTREMLY well done patriotic propaganda movie that will have you standing up and cheering. Every Japanese person in the film is portrayed as a stereotypical cartoon that is very unflattering.

“Pork Chop Hill” G. Peck 1959?. Seldom shown, brutal Korean War drama. Touches on cowardice of a US soldier. Unfortunately the soldier is black (Woody Strode?) and this is a no-no in PC America. Catch those two on video if you can, you’ll be pleased.

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Bought two dvds on boxing day.

Halls of Montezuma and Guadalcanal Diary.

They were not "great" any more so than they were "not great". They were made with a lot of stock war documentary type footage from WW2 of course. And I think they "look" great.

What I can not understand, is how film producers often ignore this treasure trove of visual material (documentaries).

Watched Force Ten From Navarone on tv a bit today as well (it was just on is all).
Noticed how the film maker panned the scene of the German armour finally crossing the bridge just before the big dam burst washes it away.
There was one spot where the director pointedly zoomed in on the running gear of a halftrack, showing the very obvious US halftrack running gear in the process.
I was left wondering, how come the director isolated a shot of that vehicle, which so clearly made it certain, this was NOT a "SPW anything" as well. He essentially ruined the efforts of the people that tried to dress up that vehicle in the guise of a German halftrack.

That part of the film clearly shows how some directors might as well be making pornos, if that is how little they understand the subject of their film.
I would think the person would want to intentionally avoid filming the details that blow the illusion.

The film series Band of Brothers for instance. You will note that some vehicles appear slightly wrong. But you need to get out your magnifying glass to understand that Jagdpanther is not 100% real.
It's because it isn't an original Jagdpanther. But you sure have to look damned close. Its not the film makers fault we shot up most of the originals leaving him a need to purchase home made versions eh.
But in that series, they have clearly taken all the efforts possible to fool us. At least I think they have.

In all of this my feeling is this, a bad movie is often one, where the director is more interested in "making a movie" than interested in "doing it right".
I have seen plenty of films, that had nothing to do with filming "technically accurate" scenes, but were still "good movies". Technically accurate" scenes will of course not automatically translate into "great movies".

But a "good" or "average" movie could occasionally easily have been a "great" movie, had the director simply tried to study what he was filming. There is a lot more to making a great movie, than great acting.

I can say, that hiring big names, will not make a great movie.
Battle of the Bulge had some big names, but people still cite it as one of the all time stinkers.

[Stefdragon]

Originally posted by wulfir
The Bridges at Toki Ri (or something like that)....?

BINGO!



I also liked "Gettysburg". It is actually the fairly faithful screen
adaption of a Pulitzer Prize winning novel: "The Killer Angels"
by Michael Shaara-Great Book...get the paperback.

"The best and most realistic historical novel about war I have ever read"-General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

(You guys on this forum might not have heard of him. He's actually still alive. hehe)

He led one of the most devastating and decisive armored BLITZKRIEGS in all of history.

[Noodleboy]

Originally posted by Old Eagle101
Wow, another Palance fan. One of Hollywood’s least used and most underrated actors. Right up there with my other favorite, Robert Mitchum. 2 other Palance movies of note “I Died a Thousand Times” a remake of Bogart’s “High Sierra” and the “The Big Knife”. One of the first movies about the sleazy and corrupt side of Hollywood.

“Attack” was the first war movie to explore cowardice, nepotism and military cover-ups. It was an anti-war movie to be sure, but I don’t think it was leftist. Just because it was a little more cerebral than most war films doesn’t make it leftist. LOL, “Attack” was never banned in the U.S. where did you hear that nonsense?

If you want to watch a lefty piece of trash war movie (Although well made with high production values) take in Carl Foreman’s “The Victors”…

Thanks, i'll make sure i catch those two. i was mistaken about the ban -it was just that the US Army refused to co-operate with the making of the movie.

[Stefdragon]

Originally posted by Frank W.
hey? did you see "no mans land" in the cinema or on vid/dvd ??
i haven´t heard before from it and it seems no one here knows this one....

Sorry 'bout taking so long to respond. This thread rips by so fast and so often that I didn't even see your post until just now.

I saw it on VHS. News about it caught my ear because I am of Croatian/Polish descent, strangely enough born back in Trieste, while my parents were American Dips over there and Belgrade.

It is apparently a Yugo Flick. It takes place in late 20th century Bosnia, on the front lines. It is very realistic in that even with all the Nationalities that appear in the movie, everyone is speaking their authentic language, without dubbing, but with subtitles.

It is not a big budget blockbuster! It is very well made, with excellent acting, and is one of the most powerful anti-war movies I have ever seen. If you dare to rent the tape, it will haunt you for quite a while.

A teaser in short...It's about a Bosnian soldier who ends up wounded and left for dead in a trench between the Serb/Bos lines. Two Serb soldiers are sent out to investigate. They place the seemingly dead Bos over a very nasty anti-personnel mine that flies up in the air and destroys all personnel within a number of meters. They do this because they figure the Bos's buddies will eventually come by to retrieve their comrade and....kaboom!
I'm sure it's against the Geneva Convention, but it really is just beginning because the poor Bos ISN'T DEAD, and there the story really unfolds!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[Bc2of5]

The best war movie I have seen so far was from Russia,I was able to get the TV-programm from the DDR and it was 89.Surprisingly it was not much propaganda in the film.The no-name actors made really an impression on me.An russion division went to the front in the last days of 42 to keep Manstein's troops away from Stalingrad.The Divison took defense position in the steppes,great landscape and they dig in.Then the spearhead appears on the horizont,ugly fighting,but not un-fair but the german soldiers and the russian soldiers look desperate and hope to came away with their live,i remember a poor guy throwing a molotov cocktail after a german tank,after he has rolled over him and his comrades:mad: Sadly I forget it's name during the last name 14 (oh god) years.

Das Boot send whole families to TV in the time.

The worst thing so far......We were soldiers was ridicilous and I remember an older film with 10 Us Soldiers killing after-----80 we had finished to count,stupid like Rambo II,take time and count his kills,not a bad performance for somebody who as acording to the movie 40(if I am right) kills in the Vietnam war:mad: .It's a crime.


A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!!!!!!

[Raindog101]

The worst thing so far......We were soldiers was ridicilous and I remember an older film with 10 Us Soldiers killing after-----80 we had finished to count,stupid like Rambo II,take time and count his kills,not a bad performance for somebody who as acording to the movie 40(if I am right) kills in the Vietnam war .It's a crime.

Uuuh pardon me?

[Bc2of5]

In the german translation,his Colonel is telling his deeds.....40 or so kills in Vietnam,in the whole war.....Japansese and German parents...blabla

later in the movie he will kill a lot more than in his whole time in Vietnam and this in one or two days.Bah.

[Frank W.]

Originally posted by Stefdragon
Sorry 'bout taking so long to respond. This thread rips by so fast and so often that I didn't even see your post until just now.

I saw it on VHS. News about it caught my ear because I am of Croatian/Polish descent, strangely enough born back in Trieste, while my parents were American Dips over there and Belgrade.

It is apparently a Yugo Flick. It takes place in late 20th century Bosnia, on the front lines. It is very realistic in that even with all the Nationalities that appear in the movie, everyone is speaking their authentic language, without dubbing, but with subtitles.

It is not a big budget blockbuster! It is very well made, with excellent acting, and is one of the most powerful anti-war movies I have ever seen. If you dare to rent the tape, it will haunt you for quite a while.

A teaser in short...It's about a Bosnian soldier who ends up wounded and left for dead in a trench between the Serb/Bos lines. Two Serb soldiers are sent out to investigate. They place the seemingly dead Bos over a very nasty anti-personnel mine that flies up in the air and destroys all personnel within a number of meters. They do this because they figure the Bos's buddies will eventually come by to retrieve their comrade and....kaboom!
I'm sure it's against the Geneva Convention, but it really is just beginning because the poor Bos ISN'T DEAD, and there the story really unfolds!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

hello

i checked it out and was quite impressed.

better than all newer movies like "we were soldiers"
or "windtalkers" at all. no war glorification or stupid
patriotism.

i like most actors in the movie even if quite unkonwn.

but a quite sad end...

here a tip from me apart from war movie : DARK CITY!!

dark science fiction/film noir! check it out....