What's Your worst war movie ever

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benpark
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by benpark »

Gods and Generals. Truly horrible. Turned it off 45 minutes in. The beards, the beards.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Hertston »


Oh, BTW if anyone wonders about the begining of the movie where the soldier fell off the helicopter and was the first casualty... Yes, he was the first casualty. What the movie changed was that in real life he just, FELL off the helicopter. Of course they had to spice it up, so the actual scene you see is a RPG flying towards the helicopter (never happened)... and due to quick reaction by our super alert american pilots, the helicopter was instantly maneuvered and.... maybe it was a 1000 to 1 shot but it worked, the rpg missed colliding with the Heli. Unfortuantly the solder lost his balance during the maneuvr and fell.

I guess realism doesnt sell enough for the american audience, or the US Forces didn't want any of their men to look TOO foolish. A viewer has to take these movies with a grain of sault.

I would think its more likely it was just for artistic reasons. The scene when the first Blackhawk gets hit would have far less impact on the audience if we had already seen one being shot at by an RPG - a hit later on would then be expected. The audience was being led into the belief, probably shared by the younger Rangers at least, that the Blackhawks were more-or-less invulnerable - and then shocked out of it.

Sure, with the title "Blackhawk Down" the audience would know on one level what would happen, but the visual 'reality' has a rather different effect on the mind.

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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by diesel7013 »

Well - as far as bad war movies - or the military in general...

I never saw combat ( seved but not shot at ) but my father was a Cobra pilot in 'Nam and he said this about "We were Soldiers" and "Thin Red Line" - those movies were very real for both he and my mother because my mom used to remember meeting with wives of men in my dad's unit who had died, and that brought back memories and the night fly in with the tracers and pinging on the helos was very realistic to my dad as well - flying combat missions at night...
Also - though "Thin" was slow - my dad relayed that he had alot of those feelings in 'Nam, remembering home, ect...

He thinks those movies had a very realistic portrayal of a soldiers life in combat - so - I have to support both movies myself...

And as for "Blackhawk Down" - I had a buddy I worked with who fought in Somalia during that battle - and HE said it was realist - so, even thought I served and was in "combat" exercies - I was never shot at - so I'm going by their word -

( Oh yea, no matter how bad, no John Wayne movie is allowed on this list!! )
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by diesel7013 »

And the movie ANNAPOLIS is an affront to Techumse (sp?)
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by DandricSturm »

ORIGINAL: diesel7013

Well - as far as bad war movies - or the military in general...

I never saw combat ( seved but not shot at ) but my father was a Cobra pilot in 'Nam and he said this about "We were Soldiers" and "Thin Red Line" - those movies were very real for both he and my mother because my mom used to remember meeting with wives of men in my dad's unit who had died, and that brought back memories and the night fly in with the tracers and pinging on the helos was very realistic to my dad as well - flying combat missions at night...
Also - though "Thin" was slow - my dad relayed that he had alot of those feelings in 'Nam, remembering home, ect...

He thinks those movies had a very realistic portrayal of a soldiers life in combat - so - I have to support both movies myself...

And as for "Blackhawk Down" - I had a buddy I worked with who fought in Somalia during that battle - and HE said it was realist - so, even thought I served and was in "combat" exercies - I was never shot at - so I'm going by their word -

( Oh yea, no matter how bad, no John Wayne movie is allowed on this list!! )

Hey! I flew Cobras too, also UH-1C/M. WORWAC class 68-517.

As to the movies, many I see mentioned here I don't even classify as war movies. Starship Troopers, a book I like, was a miserable movie but it's science fiction. I don't even think of it as a war movie.

P.S. Night missions. What I hated the most was the damn flares. You'd be flying along and all of a sudden a burned out flare hanging from a parachute would go right by. I only remember one mission with flares where everything worked out well.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by rhondabrwn »

ORIGINAL: benpark

Gods and Generals. Truly horrible. Turned it off 45 minutes in. The beards, the beards.

I could never get past Jeff Daniels looking 10 years older and 30 pounds heavier than in "Gettysburg" [:D]
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Tankerace »

I didn't mind Gods and Generals soo much (its no Gettsyburg or Glory). But I felt a better name for the movie would have been "Stonewall Jackson, with a sprinkle of Robert E. Lee and 20th Maine for good measure."
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by JudgeDredd »

I'll jump in here with Wind Talkers. The worst by 2000 miles...and closely followed by Pearl Harbor
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by rhondabrwn »

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

I didn't mind Gods and Generals soo much (its no Gettsyburg or Glory). But I felt a better name for the movie would have been "Stonewall Jackson, with a sprinkle of Robert E. Lee and 20th Maine for good measure."

Well, I showed both Gettysburg and Gods and Generals to my 8th grade Social Studies class and G&G kept them moderately interested (with a running historical commentary from me). They never forgot the scenes of the 20th Maine piling up bodies for protection and the sounds of bullets hitting dead flesh. It also graphically communicated the Union rout at Chancelorsville and the death of Jackson. As an educational aid, it served a purpose. I got pretty good test scores on the Civil War from the questions on Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, death of Jackson, Gettysburg, and Pickett's Charge.

Personally, I still found Gods and Generals to be a major disappointment as entertainement. Jeff Shaara just isn't as good a writer as his dad, Michael Shaara. To be fair, nothing tops Gettysburg for Civil War drama though.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by oi_you_nutter »

Gods and Generals, we almost walked out of the cinema at the intermission... it should have been called breads and bombast

The Patriot (the Mel Gibson film) was on cable again, after watching some if it I was willing Tavington AKA Tarleton (wonderfuly played by Jason Issacs) to kill Mel and Heath Ledger. It would be good to have a film about the American Revolution that was not so, we are good and they are bad.

Another Mel Gibson film, but from a generation ago, Gallipoli will always be one of my favorites, the camraderie and gallows humour of the characters still shines through. The sense of duty and resignation is almost overpowering when the next wave of the Light Horse are preparing to attack, after the first waves were mown down. This would be a great film for school kids to analyse.

Blackhawk Down. Great film, just to prove no plan survives contact with the enemy.

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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by ShermanM4 »

Well, I showed both Gettysburg and Gods and Generals to my 8th grade Social Studies class and G&G kept them moderately interested (with a running historical commentary from me). They never forgot the scenes of the 20th Maine piling up bodies for protection and the sounds of bullets hitting dead flesh. It also graphically communicated the Union rout at Chancelorsville and the death of Jackson. As an educational aid, it served a purpose. I got pretty good test scores on the Civil War from the questions on Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, death of Jackson, Gettysburg, and Pickett's Charge.

Personally, I still found Gods and Generals to be a major disappointment as entertainement. Jeff Shaara just isn't as good a writer as his dad, Michael Shaara. To be fair, nothing tops Gettysburg for Civil War drama though.

Well said! I think the biggest problem with Gods and Generals overall was the lack of focus. The focus was so broad!!! Lots talk about battles, then causes, then Jackson's sex life, then Chamberlain's distraught wife and poor teaching abilities, a discussion on slavery, etc... The actual battle scenes, especially Fredericksburg, were well done. I love the whole 45min. sequence of Fredericksburg. I thought it was well laid out, focused, dramatic, accurate, and had plenty of action. Whereas Gettysburg was perfect because its focus was limited in scope. It simply focused on the battle and both minor and major players in it with no less and no more.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Sarge »

ORIGINAL: oi_you_nutter

It would be good to have a film about the American Revolution that was not so, we are good and they are bad.


Revolution with Al Pacino

it's a tuff one to find though but worth the hunt [;)]

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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Agrippa »

I'll go along with you as far as the Fredericksburg scene. It was pretty well done. If it had not been for Fredericksburg, I think I might have walked out at intermission as well.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the extras. Egad, talk about breaches with realism!!! How many 300# flag bearers do you think they had in the Confederate Army? His jogging charge ruined an otherwise descent battle scene for me. The extras in general were awful.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Pippin »

I have a copy of Gods & Generals. Not worth the money, but sadly I only found out AFTER I had watched it. Though since I can not really remember stuff worth remembering, I think I will have to watch it a second time soon :P

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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by ShermanM4 »

I have a copy of Gods & Generals. Not worth the money, but sadly I only found out AFTER I had watched it. Though since I can not really remember stuff worth remembering, I think I will have to watch it a second time soon :P

Somebody bought it for me three Xmas's ago, and I watched it several times. I, really, tried to like it, but in the end, it was just not that good. Like I said, the Fredericksburg scene is really worth watching. Its about 45mins. from the initial planning with General Burnside to the withdrawl of the 20th Maine over the pontoon bridge.
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I liked that one. I thought the portrayel of the reluctance on the part of the colonists or Britsh Americans to fight was brought out nicely. I would not say that this reluctance was true for every one, but it was there for some. I also love the opnening battle scene in that movie. Especially because its the only military role Donald Sutherland truely played a serious part in. It does a descent job of showing that thin-red line move up to contact against the pitiful Yankee militia.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

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I thought that the "Battle of the Bulge" really sucked. Althought it had a memorable scence or two. I really enjoyed the combat scenes that looked like they were filmed in the High Desert of the Mojave rather than the snow covered forests and fields of Belgium. Most of the film has no historical basis. Put it simply, this film irritates me.

BTW, I loved the Thin Red Line. I agree with those who posted that it wasn't a war film. It's a film that was set in a war. Every time I see it, I just think it gets better and better.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by sictoat »

Hollywood makes more money in the U.S.A. Americans like to see American heros.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by rhondabrwn »

ORIGINAL: Agrippa

I'll go along with you as far as the Fredericksburg scene. It was pretty well done. If it had not been for Fredericksburg, I think I might have walked out at intermission as well.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the extras. Egad, talk about breaches with realism!!! How many 300# flag bearers do you think they had in the Confederate Army? His jogging charge ruined an otherwise descent battle scene for me. The extras in general were awful.

Yea, when I showed both Gods & Generals as well as Gettysburg in class, I made a point of pointing out that there would have been very few rotund, well fed, soldiers in the Confederate army by this point of the war. However, I'd rather have a 300 pound reenactor with authentic uniform and equipment who is scrupulously trying to be "real" than a hired extra who knows nothing about the period or the war. I really didn't let the "heavyweights" bother me after making sure my students knew that the Confederate army was woefully undersupplied and underequipped by this point of the war. It was the same way that we examined the varied assortment of uniforms on both sides at Bull Run and the confusion over flags. I have to say that Gods and Generals is not that bad as a classroom resource.

Someone else mentioned "Battle of the Bulge"... now that one I would NEVER show in a history class. There isn't anything in that movie of historical value!

Let me add another movie that is unfortunately banned from my class (after I had high hopes for it). I got a copy of "Dam Busters" which is quite authentic and full of great flying sequences. However, much to my dismay when I previewed it... it seems that the Squadron commander has a Black Labrador named "N*gg*r" (historical? maybe.) However, they beat it to death with constant "that's a good "N*gg*er""... "bring it here "N*gg*r"... and so forth ALL through the movie. On second thought, maybe I might show one scene just to make the point about racial attitudes in 1947 that would allow such an insensitive dialogue to be used, perhaps in conjunction with "The Tuskeegee Airmen" which I will be showing.

Yea, I'm being overly PC, but we've had an outbreak of the Junor High kids in my school picking up using the "N" word with each other as a taunt. We're trying to crack down on it. One of the nice discoveres here in Tsaile was the simple fact that the kids didn't go around constantly calling each other name and I hate to see them picking some of this stuff up from the Rap music they are all listening to. Talk about cultural pollution on the rez! [:(]
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by ShermanM4 »

I thought that the "Battle of the Bulge" really sucked. Althought it had a memorable scence or two. I really enjoyed the combat scenes that looked like they were filmed in the High Desert of the Mojave rather than the snow covered forests and fields of Belgium. Most of the film has no historical basis. Put it simply, this film irritates me.

BTW, I loved the Thin Red Line. I agree with those who posted that it wasn't a war film. It's a film that was set in a war. Every time I see it, I just think it gets better and better.

< Message edited by Zodiac -- 2/3/2006 9:21:42 PM >

I agree, its funny how Spain in the middle of summer looks nothing like the Ardennes region of France, Germany, and Belgium during record lows of the winter of '44-'45.
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RE: What's Your worst war movie ever

Post by Code Talker »

Many of the John Wayne movies suck, though they are obviously product of some other, bygone era, and should be viewed as such. (Some have oneliners usable as sigs too.)

I agree, but I have to still rank The Alamo (John Wayne's version) as my number one bad film. I know he made it to make America feel good about itself in a terrible time, but its simply awful.
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