Warchild : Genre : W

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 117

Summary: Like "Sin City" before it, "300" brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler ("Beowulf and Grendel", "The Phantom of the Opera") radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of "The Lord of the Rings", Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralize the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae.
More engaging than "Troy", the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, "300" is also comparable to "Sin City" in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylized look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as "Sin City" was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead") and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, "300" delivers. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1930

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: War

Duration: 132

Summary: If a classic movie can be measured by the number of indelible images it burns into the collective imagination, then "All Quiet on the Western Front"'s status is undisputed. Since its release in 1930 (and Oscar win for best picture), this film's saga of German boys avidly signing up for World War I battle--and then learning the truth of war--has been acclaimed for its intensity, artistry, and grown-up approach. Director Lewis Milestone's technical expertise is already stunning in the great opening sequence, as a professor exhorts his students to volunteer for the glory of the Fatherland while troops march past the windows. Erich Maria Remarque's novel is faithfully followed, but Milestone's superbly composed frames make it physical: the first battle scene, with the camera prowling the trenches as they fill with death and chaos, was surely the "Saving Private Ryan" of its day. The cast is strong, with little-known Lew Ayres finding stardom in the lead (Ayres became a pacifist and conscientious objector during World War II; although he served in battle as a medic, the stance harmed his career). This DVD has no extras beyond a vintage re-release trailer and Robert Osborne's useful introduction, but the main draw is the excellent picture and sound quality of the print--the movie looks better than it has in years. Those indelible images are now clear enough to cut glass: Ayres' lonely look back at the disappearing troop truck; the blinded soldier who runs into enemy fire at night; the fine pair of boots wasted on a boy with an amputated leg; and the final, devastating seconds, arguably the defining cinematic image of war in the 20th century. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 106

Summary: "American Pastime" views a dark slice of American history--the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II--affectingly through the prism of the all-American game of baseball. The film shines the light of hope through some of the bleakest moments in the lives of the relocated families, as baseball becomes a way to cope with the unmanageable. The stars, especially Masatoshi Nakamura, Judy Ongg, and Leonardo Nam, give hushed, affecting performances, allowing the story almost to unfold around them. Gary Cole ("The West Wing") plays a minor-league player and guard at the internment camp Topaz, and pursues his own hopes of a major-league career against the near-nightmarish backdrop. Baseball has often been used as a metaphor in American film, but almost never as affectingly as in "American Pastime". The DVD's making-of featurette, "Go for Broke: Behind "American Pastime"," is in some ways even more moving than the film, since it features interviews with real survivors of the internment camps, including Topaz and Manzanar. Also interviewed are several Japanese American soldiers from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who courageously fought for America in World War II even as their family members and friends were detained in the camps. Cole says in the featurette, "America really wanted to sweep [the internment camps] under the rug"--but thanks to the film and the documentary, the real history can be illuminated. "--A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: War

Duration: 451

Summary: In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of "Apocalypse Now" as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made. It began as a John Milius screenplay, transposing Joseph Conrad's classic story "Heart of Darkness" into the horrors of the Vietnam War, following a battle-weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret upriver mission to find and execute the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has reverted to a state of murderous and mystical insanity. The journey is fraught with danger involving wartime action on epic and intimate scales. One measure of the film's awesome visceral impact is the number of sequences, images, and lines of dialogue that have literally burned themselves into our cinematic consciousness, from the Wagnerian strike of helicopter gunships on a Vietnamese village to the brutal murder of stowaways on a peasant sampan and the unflinching fearlessness of the surfing warrior Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who speaks lovingly of "the smell of napalm in the morning." Like Herzog's "Aguirre: The Wrath of God", this film is the product of genius cast into a pit of hell and emerging, phoenix-like, in triumph. Coppola's obsession (effectively detailed in the riveting documentary "Hearts of Darkness", directed by Coppola's wife, Eleanor) informs every scene and every frame, and the result is a film for the ages. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Huayi Brothers

Genre: War

Summary: War feasts upon death. Its greedy appetite carries away many a life on the battlefield, and soldiers must be ready to die at any time. Yet all these sacrifices can be given meaning and reason with honor. A weathered witness of war's insatiable appetite, Guzidi, Captain of the Ninth Company, will struggle his entire life to return honor to his forty six men and their self-sacrifice. The year 1948 witnessed the launching of the Huaihai Campaign during the Chinese Civil War. In one of Chinese history's deadliest battles, thousands from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Nationalist Army (KMT) fell in the battle that took place between Xuzhou and Bengdu. It was amid this bloody fight that Captain Guzidi led the Ninth Company infantry unit on a sniper mission. His orders were to fight the KMT Army until the retreat assembly call was sounded. Yet, after many long hours of painstaking resistance, Gu watched powerless as the ammunition ran out and the scant ranks of the Ninth Company grew sparser still. The men were falling one by one. On the brink of death, Lieutenant Jiao Dapeng, Gu's best partner, announced that he heard the call and asked Gu to retreat with the remaining soldiers. The dying man's words spread doubt within the remainder of the company, but Gu insisted that the bugle had not sounded and that they were to continue fighting at all costs. Not until later did Gu realize that all the neighboring troops had already left the field, and that his entire company had maybe died in vain because of his stubborn obedience. Blinded by anger and guilt, Gu marched straight into the enemy's trench. But his life was spared, and he had no choice but to shoulder the gargantuan weight of guilt and mystery that would burden the remainder of his life. A few days later, Gu woke up in a hospital. While among the KMT ranks, he had been wounded and captured by the PLA. He had lost his identity, and quickly learnt that without a survivor to vouch for them, the forty six men who had bravely sacrificed their lives under him had simply gone missing. Gu joined the infantry of the Liberation Army and painstakingly climbed up the lower rungs of the military ladder. Determined to prove the glorious death of his forty-six men, Gu embarks on a journey in search of those who hold the key to the mystery of the bugle call.

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Arts Alliance Amer

Genre: War

Duration: 118

Summary: Oliver Stone presents a beautiful and violent Thai film; the true story of a rural 18th century Siamese village that managed to battle an army of 100,000 invading Burmese soldiers to a standstill for five months. When Bang Rajan's fearless warrior chief (Chumporn Taephitak) is wounded in battle, the men of the village elect a mighty rogue fighter who has been making raids on Burmese supply lines, Chan (Jaran Ngamdee), to step in and guide them. Along with the village's sage Buddhist priest (Teerayuth Pratyabamrung), Chan inspires the villagers to new heights of courage. In between bouts of bloodshed there are some subplots. One concerns the wife (Bongkod Kongmalia) of one of the mightiest fighters, Nai In (Winai Kraibutr). She learns she's pregnant, and fears her husband will lose his fighting spirit if he finds out. In another, a young warrior named Muang (Atthakorn Suwannaraj) fights to impress the chief's warrior daughter (Soontree Maila-or). The camera prowls continually among the lush greenery of the Asian jungle, and the beautiful faces and bodies of its people, drawing the viewer deeply into the sense of community, time, and place. The battle scenes are intense, lengthy, and horrific. With its lush cinematography, haunting music, and ensemble of uniformly strong performances, BANG RAJAN deserves a place next to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BRAVEHEART in the pantheon of great historical films about war and sacrifice.

System Requirements:
Running Time 119 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Avex Entertainment

Genre: War

Duration: 146

Summary: In the early third century, the land of Wu is invaded by the warlord Cao Cao and his million soldiers. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. However, the Wu strategist Zhou Yu sees that Cao Cao's army is unused to battling on the sea, which may just give them a chance if they can exploit this weakness properly.

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Avex Entertainment

Genre: War

Summary:

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 127

Summary: In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent this occurrence, Hitler orders an all out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp. "The Battle of the Bulge" shows this conflict from the perspective of an American intelligence officer as well as from a German Panzer Commander.

Theatrical: 1956

Studio: Carlton Ent.

Genre: War

Duration: 119

Summary: Set during the early years of World War II, the War in the Atlantic. The Royal Navy was fighting a desperate battle to keep the convoy routes open to keep the British Isles supplied. One great danger was the surface raiders, huge cruisers called "pocket battleships" that slipped out of German waters just before war was declared. The "Bismarck", The "Scharnhorst", The "Gneissau" and The "Graf Spee" were supplied by tanker & could strike anywhere. This is the story of how 3 lightly armed cruisers with only 6 and 8 inch guns boldly took on a powerful pocket battleship armed with 11 inch guns. They should have been blown out of the water before they could fire a single shot but ...

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Deltamac (HK)

Genre: War

Duration: 133

Summary: Story centers on a battle during China's Warring States period, a series of civil wars, which spanned from the 5th to the 3th centuries B.C. Based on a popular Japanese manga, which was in turn based a Japanese novel inspired by Warring States history in China.

Muk gong

Theatrical: 1949

Studio: MGM

Genre: War

Duration: 118

Summary: We follow a band of American soldiers as they engage the Germans in a snowy, foggy winter near Bastogne in World War II. They're low on fuel, rations, and ammunition; the Germans are constantly encouraging their surrender via radio and leaflets, and most importantly, the pervasive thick fog makes movement and identification difficult and prevents their relief by Allied air support. This film focuses much more on the psychology and morale of the soldiers than on action footage and heroics.

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 113

Summary: The famous 1st Div. of the U.S. Army is the background for this World War II film. Marvin stars as an experienced sergeant with four teenagers in his squad. Combat period covers the landing in North Africa through the invasion of Europe.

Episodic retelling of the exploits of the American First Infantry Division during World War II, focusing on the squad's sergeant and four of the soldiers. They struggle to survive campaigns from North Africa in November, 1942, to Czechoslovakia in May, 1945, along the way participating in the invasion of Sicily and the D-Day invasion and freeing a lunatic asylum and a concentration camp.

"The Big Red One" was based on director/screenwriter Sam Fuller's personal experiences as a soldier in World War II. The Robert Carradine character is based directly on Fuller himself.<br><br>Film was first proposed as a project for John Wayne in the 1950s.<br><br>Title refers to the First Infantry Division, known as "The Big Red One" because of the red one which adorned its shoulder patch and helmet insignia. The symbol was designed by an artist in 1918 and incorporated the red piping from a German soldier's forage cap.<br><br>Additional cast: Charles Macauley (as General/Captain), Alain Doutey (Broban), Colin Gilbert (Dog Face POW), Joseph Clark (Shep), Ken Campbell (Lemchek), Doug Werner (Switolski), Perry Lang (Kaiser), Howard Delman (Smitty), Marthe Villalonga (Madame Marbaise), Giovanna Galetti (Woman in Sicilian Village), Gregori Buimistre (German), Shimon Barr (German Male Nurse), Matteo Zoffoli (Sicilian Boy), Avraham Ronai (German Field Marshal), and Galit Rotman (Pregnant Frenchwoman).<br><br>Additional crew: William Hankins (Props), Craig Corman (Production assistant), Roy Street (Stunt horseman), and Alan Weisman (Gunsmith).<br><br>"The Big Red One" originally ran 140 minutes, but was cut by the studio down to 113 minutes, with the director's apparent approval.<br><br>Color by Metrocolor. Prints by Technicolor. Titles by MGM.<br><br>Filmed on location, with Israel standing in for North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Scenes depicting the Rhine Valley were filmed in Ireland and featured Fuller's wife, Christa Lang, but were eventually cut from the film.<br><br>Rated BBFC AA by the British Board of Film Censors.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Kang Je-Kyu Film Co. Ltd.

Genre: War

Duration: 140

Summary: In 1950, in South Korea, shoe-shiner Jin-tae Lee and his 18-year-old old student brother, Jin-seok Lee, form a poor but happy family with their mother, Jin-tae's fiancé Young-shin Kim, and her young sisters. Jin-tae and his mother are tough workers, who sacrifice themselves to send Jin-seok to the university. When North Korea invades the South, the family escapes to a relative's house in the country, but along their journey, Jin-seok is forced to join the army to fight in the front, and Jin-tae enlists too to protect his young brother. The commander promises Jin-tae that if he gets a medal he would release his brother, and Jin-tae becomes the braver soldier in the company. Along the bloody war between brothers, the relationship of Jin-seok with his older brother deteriorates leading to a dramatic and tragic end.

Theatrical: 1970

Studio: Paramount

Genre: War

Duration: 121

Summary: Joseph Heller's novel was one of the seminal literary events of the 1960s, but Mike Nichols's film ultimately proved too literal in its attempt to bring Heller's fragmented fiction to the screen. Still, Nichols, who made this on the heels of "The Graduate", seemed the ideal candidate to tackle this Buck Henry adaptation. The story deals with bomber pilot Yossarian (Alan Arkin), who has flown enough missions to get out of World War II but can't because the number of missions needed for discharge keeps getting raised. The satire and absurdity of Heller's book get lost in Nichols's effort to give screen time to the members of his all-star cast, which includes Orson Welles, Jon Voight, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Richard Benjamin, and Martin Sheen, among others. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Tartan Video

Genre: War

Duration: 91

Summary:

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Kino Video

Genre: War

Duration: 146

Summary: A boy is unwillingly thrust into the atrocities of war in WWII Byelorussia, fighting for a hopelessly unequipped resistance movement against the ruthless German forces. Witnessing scenes of abject terror and accidentally surviving horrifying situations he loses his innocence and then his mind.

Theatrical: 1958

Studio: Mark VII Ltd.

Genre: War

Duration: 106

Summary: Jim Moore is a tough-as-nails Drill Instructor with a chip on his shoulder: Pvt. Owens, who isn't quite up to snuff. Sgt. Moore is convinced that "there's a man underneath that baby powder" and sets out to force the private to rise to the occasion. Instead, he drives Owens to bail out altogether. Things only get worse when the Captain steps in and gives Moore three days to make the a Marine out of the petrified private.

Theatrical: 1951

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: War

Duration: 88

Summary: This biopic follows Rommel's career after the Afrika Korps, including his work on the defenses of Fortress Europe as well as his part in the assassination attempt on Hitler, and his subsequent suicide.

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: MGM

Genre: War

Duration: 131

Summary: Dismissed in 1968 as a plodding rip-off of "The Dirty Dozen"--without that 1967 film's sardonic, antiestablishment satire--"The Devil's Brigade" now plays like a nostalgic last gasp of the sentimental World War II action genre. Celebrating the 1st Special Service Force (a commando-like unit formed to fight in Norway but ultimately deployed in Italy), this typically broad Andrew V. McLaglen production recounts the teaming of some miscreant GIs with "the handpicked best of the best-trained army in the world"--the Canadians--under a U.S. officer (William Holden) who had never commanded men in combat. The first hour, heavy on machismo and low comedy, depicts the unit's training at an abandoned base in Montana, with nonstop international rivalry until Yanks and Canadians bond in a lusty saloon brawl. After that, the Germans are easy meat. Holden is solid, as usual, and so is the widescreen work of veteran cameraman William H. Clothier, impeccably rendered on the DVD. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: CJ Entertainment

Genre: War

Duration: 134

Summary: Shin ge jeon-An historical, epic tale of Korea's creation of Singijeon, a variation of the Chinese fire arrow.

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 150

Summary: A model for dozens of action films to follow, this box-office hit from 1967 refined a die-hard formula that has become overly familiar, but it's rarely been handled better than it was in this action-packed World War II thriller. Lee Marvin is perfectly cast as a down-but-not-out army major who is offered a shot at personal and professional redemption. If he can successfully train and discipline a squad of army rejects, misfits, killers, prisoners, and psychopaths into a first-rate unit of specialized soldiers, they'll earn a second chance to make up for their woeful misdeeds. Of course, there's a catch: to obtain their pardons, Marvin's band of badmen must agree to a suicide mission that will parachute them into the danger zone of Nazi-occupied France. It's a hazardous path to glory, but the men have no other choice than to accept and regain their lost honor. What makes "The Dirty Dozen" special is its phenomenal cast including Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, George Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, Jim Brown, Clint Walker, Trini Lopez, Robert Ryan, and others. Cassavetes is the Oscar-nominated standout as one of Marvin's most rebellious yet heroic men, but it's the whole ensemble--combined with the hard-as-nails direction of Robert Aldrich--that makes this such a high-velocity crowd pleaser. The script by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller (from the novel by E.M. Nathanson) is strong enough to support the all-star lineup with ample humor and military grit, so if you're in need of a mainline jolt of testosterone, "The Dirty Dozen" is the movie for you. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: War

Duration: 96

Summary: He Never Fought A Battle He Couldn't Win

Academy Award®-nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero, ex-Green Beret John Rambo in the one that started it all! First Blood is an explosive action-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, powerful frame.

System Requirements:
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, and Brian Dennehy.
Directed By: Ted Kotcheff.
Running Time: 96 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2004 Lions Gate Entertainment.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Theatrical: 2006

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 90

Summary: While traveling to Morocco to initiate a food program of his own to help poor kids, the Dutch Martijn is kidnapped by a group of terrorists and his guide Gavin is executed in cold blood in front of him. Along the days, Martijn is tortured by a Muslin man and Aicha and looses four fingers. In the end, the truth about his travel is finally disclosed.

Theatrical: 1951

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: War

Duration: 92

Summary: The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsiblity.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 132

Summary: In 1945, the Marines attack twelve thousand Japaneses protecting the twenty square kilometers of the sacred Iwo Jima island in a very violent battle. When they reach the Mount Suribachi and six soldiers raise their flag on the top, the picture become a symbol in a post Great Depression America. The government brings the three survivors to America to raise funds of war, bringing hope to desolated people, and making the three men heroes of war. However, the traumatized trio has difficulties to deal with the image build by their superiors, sharing the heroism with their mates.

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 117

Summary: The story of an 18-year-old marine recruit named Private Joker - from his carnage-and-machismo boot camp to his climactic involvement in the heavy fighting in Hue during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Theatrical: 1968

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 131

Summary: A biography of one of the only beloved postwar figures of Japan's disastrous Pacific War. Toshiro Mifune (in one of his three portrayals of Admiral Yamamoto) stars as the common-sense soldier who knows the war is doomed, but gamely goes ahead and does the best with what he's given, until his plane is shot down over the Bougainvilleas.

Theatrical: 1937

Studio: Criterion

Genre: War

Duration: 114

Summary: During 1st WW, two French officers are captured. Captain De Boeldieu is an aristocrat while Lieutenant Marechal was a mechanic in civilian life. They meet other prisoners from various backgrounds, as Rosenthal, son of wealthy Jewish bankers. They are separated from Rosenthal before managing to escape. A few months later, they meet again in a fortress commanded by the aristocrat Van Rauffenstein. De Boeldieu strikes up a friendship with him but Marechal and Rosenthal still want to escape...

Theatrical: 1963

Studio: MGM

Genre: War

Duration: 172

Summary: The "Great Escape" image of Steve McQueen (as "The Cooler King") astride his motorcycle has entered silver-screen iconography, alongside Brando on his bike from "The Wild One". Based on a true story about a group of POWs who mount a daring breakout from a supposedly inescapable Nazi prison camp, this rousing and suspenseful WWII epic features an all-star cast, including James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, and David McCallum. The DVD also includes a 24-minute documentary about the making of the film. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Miramax

Genre: War

Duration: 133

Summary: Nearly three years after it was filmed, "The Great Raid" finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of "Saving Private Ryan", this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" and "Ghost Soldiers", it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl ("The Last Seduction"), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, "The Great Raid" has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: War

Duration: 130

Summary: Sergeant Tom Highway, a hardened, tough veteran of Korea and Vietnam returns to the United States for his last tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. He is assigned to training a recon unit. Their cool, trendy and 'hippy' approach to military life is a reminder to him that he is, in the words of his commanding officer, a major, "an anachronism" - useful only "in case of war". Conveniently, a war does arise (the invasion of Grenada in October, 1983) and successfully tests both his usefulness and the effectiveness of the new recruits.

Theatrical: 1962

Studio: Paramount

Genre: War

Duration: 89

Summary: Don Siegel brings his tough worldview and crisp, no-nonsense direction to this quintessential World War II drama of an undermanned American platoon in France holding off a German advance through sheer bluff and bravery. Steve McQueen is curt and surly as the insubordinate loner whose tactical skills and soldiering savvy make him indispensable to his new unit. His reputation precedes him, but commander Fess Parker is in no position to be choosy when he learns that his tired platoon will not be shipping home as rumored, but tossed into a ragged new offensive. Harry Guardino costars as the soulful Sarge; James Coburn is the slow-talking, forever-tinkering mechanic; Bobby Darin is the scavenger with a small fortune in trinkets; and Nick Adams is the Polish orphan and unit mascot. Bob Newhart makes his feature debut as a hopelessly lost typing clerk drafted into the undermanned unit and re-creates his nightclub shtick making phony phone calls near a Nazi listening post in the pillbox. Like "Pork Chop Hill", this film is less a patriotic flag waver than a "war is hell" drama that frames the battle not in its tactical importance (which is negligible) but in its cost in human life. McQueen's taciturn performance as a ruthlessly effective soldier and Siegel's tough, lean direction make it a modest classic of the genre. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: Dragon Movies

Genre: War

Duration: 131

Summary: I think I own over 1000 DVDs and this is the worst DVD I own.



This is a very interesting story from world war II. The movie tells of extreme heroism from all those involved in stopping the Germans from developing their nuclear capability. However, I can not recommend this DVD. The quality is soooo bad. The audio quality is so poor that they automatically put on english subtitles on the screen so you can decipher what the dialogue is.



I do not know who owns the rights to this movie, but it needs to be straighten out. Then hopefully a high quality DVD can be made properly and the story told without static and fuzzy image projection

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Beijing Gallop Horse Film & TV Production

Genre: War

Duration: 114

Summary: Directed by Jingle Ma (Butterfly Lovers), the historical action epic Mulan earned its place in the 2009 year-end lineup of Chinese blockbusters with its adrenaline-pumping war scenes and strong star power. After her turn as a willful warrior princess in Red Cliff, Vicki Zhao gender bends again as eponymous folk heroine Hua Mulan, the filial daughter who famously adopted male guise to take her elderly father's place in the battlefield. Defying her father's wishes, Mulan risks death to answer the conscription call in his stead. Faced with the dangers and heartaches of war, Mulan grows into a great warrior and general while working hard to keep her true identity a secret. The legend of Mulan has been adapted into numerous small and big screen productions including a Disney movie.

Aloys Chen, with whom Zhao paired in Painted Skin, plays the general who develops a strong camaraderie and ambiguous romance with Mulan. Hu Jun is charismatically over the top as the ruthless leader of the enemy army, and Jaycee Chan plays a free-spirited soldier. The unique supporting cast also includes Yu Rong Guang (Iron Monkey), CJ7 child actress Xu Jiao, Korean-American Mando-pop singer Nicky Lee, and Russian singer Vitas. Stephen Tung Wai provides the action direction for the film's impressive battle and combat scenes.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 88

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 121

Summary: In career Army officer Hank Deerfield's worldview, the American military exists to bring order to the world, and honor and dignity to every one of its soldiers. As played by Tommy Lee Jones, in a layered performance that will haunt the viewer long after the film is over, Deerfield wears the Army life like he does his standard-issue white T-shirts--unconsciously making a cheap motel bed with crisp inspection-ready corners. Yet if war is hell, the purgatory for the relatives of damaged soldiers can cause far more anguish, and Paul Haggis' quietly devastating "In the Valley of Elah" tells this story through Deerfield, who is desperately trying to piece together the fate of his adored son Mike, a soldier in Iraq.
Mike's company has returned from duty, but he is missing; Hank flies from Tennessee to Fort Rudd in the Southwest, to conduct his own investigation into the disappearance. There he meets a smart but put-upon police officer (Charlize Theron, glammed-down but still showing a bit too much sexy collarbone for a cop) who also smells something off in the Army's official story of the disappearance. The two form an unlikely team, but as a friend tells Deerfield early on, "You gotta trust somebody sometime, Hank," and Mike's vanishing is Hank's tipping point.
As Hank pieces together the horrifying story of Mike's fate, the incremental pain becomes etched in Jones' ragged features, and the camera captures all of it--far more powerfully than could a million words of reportage from the front lines. Theron's performance is also strong, and Susan Sarandon is moving if underutilized as Hank's grief-stricken wife, robbed of the simple nuclear family life she so wanted. "They shouldn't send heroes to places like Iraq," says one of Mike's buddies late in the film, and it's the viewers' collective sorrow--and the film's great achievement--to feel that at the deepest human level. --"A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: Films Concorde

Genre: War

Duration: 99

Summary: Set in Europe during WWII, a group of American soldiers are in the process of being shipped off to military prison for a variety of infractions, ranging from desertion to murder. While they're being transported, a German artillery attack hits the convoy, killing the MPs and enabling four of the prisoners to escape. The group decides their best bet is to head to neutral Switzerland where they can avoid the fighting and prison. As they make their way to what they think will be freedom, they end up volunteering for a commando mission to steal a V2 warhead for the French Underground. Somehow, the team must sneak into the most heavily guarded base in German territory, steal the Nazi's most precious military hardware, and bring it back to the allies without getting arrested again by their own side.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: War

Duration: 123

Summary: Based on Anthony Swofford's excellent memoir about his experiences as a Marine Sniper in Gulf War I, "Jarhead" is a war movie in which the waiting is a far greater factor upon the characters than the war itself, and the build up to combat is more drama than what combat is depicted. To some viewers hoping for typical movie action, this will seem like a cruel joke. But it's not. It's just the story as it was written, and if you liked the book, you will probably like the movie. If you didn't, then the movie won't change your mind.
The movie follows the trajectory of Swofford (played with thoughtful intensity by Jake Gyllenhaal) from wayward Marine recruit (he joined because he "got lost on the way to college") to skilled Marine sniper, and on into the desert in preparation for the attack on Iraq. No-nonsense, Marine-for-life Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx), the man who recruited Swofford and his spotter Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) into the sniper team, leads them in training, and in waiting where their lives are dominated by endless tension, pointless exercises in absurdity (like playing football in the scorching heat of the desert in their gas masks so it will look better for the media's TV cameras), more training, and constant anticipation of the moment to come when they'll finally get to kill. When the war does come, it moves too fast for Swofford's sniper team, and the one chance they get at a kill--to do the one thing they've trained so hard and waited so long for--eludes them, leaving them to wonder what was the point of all they had endured.
As directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"), the movie remains very loyal to the language and vision of the book, but it doesn't entirely work as the film needs something more than a literal translation to bring out its full potential. Mendes's stark and, at times, apocalyptic visuals add a lot and strike the right tone: wide shots of inky-black oil raining down on the vast, empty desert from flaming oil wells contrasted with close-ups of crude-soaked faces struggling through the mire vividly bring to life the meaning of the tagline "welcome to the suck." But much of the second half of the movie will probably leave some viewers feeling disappointed in the cinematic experience, while others might appreciate its microcosmic depiction of modern chaos and aimlessness. "Jarhead" is one of those examples where the book is better than the movie, but not for lack of trying. "--Dan Vancini"

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: World Entertainment

Genre: War

Duration: 111

Summary: I know that the title of this review may seem strange , but here is what I mean. More than an attack on war this story is an attack on what we sometimes do in the name of life. The doctors in the movie all think they are doing something great keeping this "living meat" alive to study, never even thinking that this "hunk of meat" might be a thinking living person. The story is really a horror of the first order as we learn that this "lump" is alive, thinking and knows that he is doomed and wants to die but they won't let him. This is a very good , but flawed film that should be seen. That said it is such a downer(the last shot is just heartbreaking) that to watch this one more than once a year(if that often) is to invite a nightmares of the worst kind. If you are unsettled by the thought of being left alive with just your mind and no way to do anything for yourself then maybe you should skip this one!!!!!!

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: War

Duration: 116

Summary: In 1914, World War I, the bloodiest war ever at that time in human history, was well under way. However on Christmas Eve, numerous sections of the Western Front called an informal, and unauthorized, truce where the various front-line soldiers of the conflict peacefully met each other in No Man's Land to share a precious pause in the carnage with a fleeting brotherhood. This film dramatizes one such section as the French, British and German sides partake in the unique event, even though they are aware that their superiors will not tolerate its occurrence.

Theatrical: 1970

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 143

Summary: This tongue-in-cheek 1970 variation on "The Dirty Dozen" looks less fresh than it did in the year of its release, but it still has some enjoyable moments. Clint Eastwood stars along with Donald Sutherland, Harry Dean Stanton, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor, and Gavin MacLeod in the story of American soldiers who try to steal gold behind enemy lines in World War II. Sutherland's hippie G.I. doesn't have the sardonic and timely appeal he did during the Vietnam War, but the film's irreverence and several of the performances are worth a visit. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Buena Vista

Genre: War

Duration: 126

Summary: From the producer of PEARL HARBOR and the director of TRAINING DAY, the Extended Director's Cut of KING ARTHUR explodes onto Blu-ray Disc® in a blaze of hard-hitting action and glory not seen in theaters. Prepare for unsurpassed thrills as history's greatest legend roars to life in this astonishing new format. Now the adventure is longer, grittier and more explicit in this valiant tale of Arthur (Clive Owen), Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), and the Knights Of The Roundtable. Behold the pageantry and power of every fierce battle in spectacular 1080p, while swords clash and fortresses are pounded in thunderous 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. Catapult your entertainment experience into another realm with Blu-ray™ High Definition!

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: War

Duration: 110

Summary: When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury quickly assembles an elite team and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing. Upon landing in the desert kingdom, however, Fleury and his team discover Saudi authorities suspicious and unwelcoming of American interlopers into what they consider a local matter. Hamstrung by protocol-and with the clock ticking on their five days-the FBI agents find their expertise worthless without the trust of their Saudi counterparts, who want to locate the terrorist in their homeland on their own terms. Fleury's crew finds a like-minded partner in Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi, who helps them navigate royal politics and unlock the secrets of the crime scene and the workings of an extremist cell bent on further destruction. With these unlikely allies sharing a propulsive commitment to crack the case, the team is led to the killer's front door in a blistering do-or-die confrontation. Now in a fight for their own lives, strangers united by one mission won't stop until justice is found in The Kingdom.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 122

Summary: "Flags of Our Fathers"
Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by "Million Dollar Baby" screenwriter Paul Haggis ("Jarhead" screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities--and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign - after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.
As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, "Flags of Our Fathers" evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. "Flags of Our Fathers" defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, "Letters from Iwo Jima", examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. "--Jeff Shannon"
On the DVDs
The two-disc special edition of "Flags of Our Fathers" offers a fine balance of behind-the-scenes production features and archival history. Disc 1 is entirely dedicated to Clint Eastwood's acclaimed wartime drama, paired with an abundance of special features on disc 2. First up is a three-minute introduction by Clint Eastwood, who explains his attraction to James Bradley's nonfiction bestseller, how he partnered with Steven Spielberg to coproduce this ambitious production, and the themes of wartime valor and misguided celebrity that he wished to illuminate. Next, author Bradley recalls the process of seeing his book translated to film (including interview clips with screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis) and his involvement with the production as an authoritative consultant. In the 20-minute featurette "Six Brave Men," the actors who played the celebrated Iwo Jima flag-raisers speak about their characters, how they fit into the history of Iwo Jima, and the responsibility of honoring their memories with historically accurate portrayals. "The Making of an Epic" is a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary covering all aspects of production, from the decision to film in Iceland (where black volcanic sand matched the barren beaches of Iwo Jima) to the individual contributions of key personnel, most notably cinematographer Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, costume designer Deborah Hopper, the late, great production designer Henry Bumstead, and Eastwood's longtime casting director, the late Phyllis Huffman. (The making-of feature is dedicated to Bumstead and Huffman, who both succumbed to cancer shortly after production was completed.) "Raising the Flag" (running a little over three minutes) focuses on the cast and crew's meticulous re-creation of the second Iwo Jima flag-raising, demonstrating the reverent care with which each soldier's movements were duplicated in exacting detail. "Looking into the Past" is a nearly 10-minute assembly of 1945 newsreel footage, showing many of the actual events that were dramatized in Eastwood's film, and demonstrating the impressive efforts that went into making Flags of Our Fathers as authentic as it could possibly be. The 15-minute "Visual Effects" featurette provides a detailed analysis of Digital Domain's diligent efforts to achieve convincing photo-realistic images in the film's epic-scale battle sequences, home-front bond rallies, and other sequences where CGI wizardry was required. The original theatrical trailer for "Flags of Our Fathers" is also included. "--Jeff Shannon"
"Letters from Iwo Jima"
Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film "Flags of Our Fathers". Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, "Letters" reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated "The Last Samurai" costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, "Letters from Iwo Jima" (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. "--Jeff Shannon"
On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of "Letters from Iwo Jima" is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of "Letters from Iwo Jima"," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to "Flags of Our Fathers", to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including "Flags" screenwriters Paul Haggis and "Letters" screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of "Letters", and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.
"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of "Letters" in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that "Letters from Iwo Jima" had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. "--Jeff Shannon"
On the bonus fifth disc is an A&E documentary "Heroes of Iwo Jima" from 2001 narrated by Gene Hackman, and "To the Shores of Iwo Jima," a 1945 short film that was Oscar-nominated for best documentary short.

Theatrical: 1945

Studio: Criterion

Genre: War

Duration: 163

Summary: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's first Technicolor masterpiece, "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" (1943), transcends its narrow wartime propaganda to portray in warm-hearted detail the life and loves of one extraordinary man. The film's clever narrative structure first presents us with the imposingly rotund General Clive Wynne-Candy (Roger Livesey in his greatest screen performance), a blustering old duffer who seems the epitome of stuffy, outmoded values. But traveling backwards 40 years we see a different man altogether: the young and dashing officer "Sugar" Candy. Through a series of affecting relationships with three women (all played to perfection by Deborah Kerr) and his touching lifelong friendship with a German officer (Anton Wallbrook), we see Candy's life unfold and come to understand how difficult it is for him to adapt his sense of military honor to modern notions of "total war." Notoriously, this is the film that Winston Churchill tried to have banned, and indeed its sympathetic portrayal of a German officer was contentious in 1943, though one suspects that Churchill's own blimpishness was a factor too. "--Mark Walker"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: A&E Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 100

Summary: The true World War I story of an American unit that was surrounded by German troops and pounded mercilessly for days (at times even by its own artillery) is vividly portrayed in this made-for-television film starring Rick Schroder. Playing a patrician New York City lawyer commissioned a major and sent into combat, Schroder commands a battalion composed of New York wiseacres as well as so-called "apple knockers" from the West. The plot is straightforward (and will be familiar to those who know World War I history), but the film rises above what could have been a clichéd telling of the story of Major Whittlesey and his heroic men. The action sequences, shot tightly with hand-held cameras, owe a debt to "Saving Private Ryan", and the surreal horror of World War I, in which armies killed with machine guns yet communicated by carrier pigeon, is conveyed very well. "--Robert J. McNamara"

Theatrical: 1955

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 122

Summary: Henry Fonda re-created his Broadway hit for this 1955 film that was mostly directed by Fonda's frequent collaborator, John Ford ("Young Mr. Lincoln", "My Darling Clementine")--an ailing Ford was replaced at some point by Mervyn LeRoy--and the results are exceptionally fine. A perfect cast, including James Cagney's irascible captain, William Powell's thoughtful physician, and Jack Lemmon's Oscar-winning Ensign Pulver, give Fonda the right boost to portray his ennui-burdened officer with dignity, self-effacing humor, and not a trace of self-pity. A wonderful film. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1958

Studio: Paul Gregory Productions

Genre: War

Duration: 131

Summary: In the Pacific during World War 2, the officers live a comfortable life with good food, good drink and good quarters. To them, war is a game which they know they will win and the common soldiers are the pawns on the board. When the campaign slows down, the Commander sends a squad to the top of a mountain behind enemy lines to report on the Japanese troop movements. The squad is commanded by a tough cynical Sergeant who takes no prisoners and even takes the gold from the teeth of the enemy dead. Before the mission starts, the lieutenant, who has had a cushy job due to a life of wealth and privilege, criticizes the Commander over his attitude towards the common soldier and is re-assigned to lead the squad. The veteran Sergeant wants to complete this mission as ordered, and he will do everything he can do to see that it is successful.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Picture This

Genre: War

Duration: 110

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 99

Summary:

Theatrical: 1970

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: War

Duration: 170

Summary: "Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Germany and the fall of the Third Reich. Side plots also speak of Patton's numerous faults such his temper and habit towards insubordination. Faults which would, eventually, lead to his being relieved as Occupation Commander of Germany.

Theatrical: 1959

Studio: MGM

Genre: War

Duration: 97

Summary: American GI's must retake a barren hill in Korea that has been overrun by Red Chinese troops. The ensuing battle becomes a meat grinder for American and Chinese alike. This story of a an actual battle is all grit.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Rogue Marble

Genre: War

Duration: 93

Summary: Vietnam veteran John Rambo has survived many harrowing ordeals in his lifetime and has since withdrawn into a simple and secluded existence in Bangkok, where he spends his time salvaging old PT boats and tanks for scrap metal. Even though he is looking to avoid trouble, trouble has a way of finding him. A group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been like a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. This is the time when medical assistance and general support from the Christian missionaries is needed most. After some consideration, and due to insistence from his mentor, former military man Ed Baumgartner, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they are ambushed by the sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. A portion of the villagers and missionaries are tortured and viciously murdered, while Tint and his men hold the remainder captive. News soon reaches the minister in charge of the mission and with the help of Ed Baumgartner he employs Rambo to lead a rescue effort. With five young and highly diverse mercenaries at his disposal, Rambo has to travel back up the river and liberate the survivors from the clutches of Major Tint in what may be one of his deadliest missions ever

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: War

Duration: 95

Summary: Come to think of it after seeing this sequel to the first movie FIRST BLOOD (based on the novel by David Morrell (wherein the character played by Sylvester Stallone- Johnny Rambo, a soldier who fought in vietnam is killed by the ending))- I find that it's not quite bad at all inspite of what the detractors would say.

Scripted by TITANIC movie mogul director/writer James Cameron - Stallone did more than to work out and really learn a lot of actual skills for his portrayal in this movie, but also came in volutarily for some personal touch of his for the script, and thus this flick which went co-scripted by Stallone himself, makes it a real well thought-out sequel to the previous movie.


This time picked from a prison camp by his superior played superiorly well by Richard Crenna, to take pictures of P.O.W.'s on a vietnamese war camp for evidence, Johnny Rambo is promised that upon the success of his mission -a presidential pardon shall be granted for his release, but Rambo did more than just that. However it turned out, he was framed to an abandon so as to set him up for failure on the mission by one of the superiors who are more concerned on covering his own butt than rescuing the Prisoners of War who are caught in Vietnam.

A lot of emotional juice are drawn regarding the matter concerned with the movie's plotline thematically, the concept purveyed in the movie regarding some validity in coming to love your country in spite of valid reasons there may be to hate it - is something thought provoking. And I'm yet to see how one could apply it personally into one's own system.

Anyhow, overall a good composure and budget is met in the movie with just the right amount and measure. I think, although not to top its predecessor- this sequel is decently good, it's quite alright.

AS FOR the sequel to this sequel RAMBO 3 -- I haven't seen it until recently, since the time when it first came out back in 1989, due to the many bad reviews it had received panned by the "critics' - when come to think of it, it ain't so bad either. On the third installment to the Rambo series, Stallone in the role of this one-man army hero, embarked on a personal mission to rescue Richard Crenna's character who's kidnapped as the hostage by russian terrorists who're operating a war against Afghanistan, shot under the great locales of Israel (rather)... the reason winds apparent why the movie is so panned its that the movie came out during in the time when Nancy Reagan (wife of the former US pres Ronald Reagan) is already making up some truce with the russians during the Gorbachev days and its reform - so needless to say (and yet I'd say it such), that the reason for its bad publicity is nothing short of being political. Actually based on the events of the Russian bombing in Afghanistan back in xmas of 1979 (d-day of my very own late grandmother as well), and its peculiar who would have known that shortly by the turn of the century, there are some connecton to this that such an event would cumulate to a yet another terrorist attack that would shatter the world by the 9/11 incident.

Welp, as for them so-called professional "critics" -- they're only getting paid for doing their reviews, so chances are if they'd promote something as 'that good' , that movie might not be that good at all, the reason why their "professional" opinions are hired is to give a boost of publicity for any soggy film, all for the interest of sales. Thus those critics rather should not be given credit but are best left ignored.

Theatrical: 1951

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Duration: 69

Summary: Plot centers around how a young recruit (Audie Murphy) faces the horrors of war. Character vascilates between wanting to fight and doubting his own courage. In midst of first bloody encounter, Youth runs away. After seeing dead and wounded, sense of shame leads him back to his unit, where he distinguishes himself in the next battle. Having overcome his fear of "the great Death" he knows e can face whatever comes. Somewhat sentimental "coming of age" tale was pet project of John Huston, who fought MGM over casting of Murphy and Bill Mauldin in lead roles.

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: Valkyrie Films

Genre: War

Duration: 114

Summary: It is the mid-1980s. From out of the sky, Soviet & Cuban troops begin landing on the football field of a Colorado high school. In seconds, the paratroops have attacked the school & sent a group of teenagers fleeing into the mountains. Armed only with hunting rifles, pistols & bows and arrows, the teens struggles to survive the bitter winter & Soviet KGB patrols hunting for them. Eventually trouble arises when they kill a group of Soviet soldiers on patrol in the highlands. Soon, they will wage their own guerrilla warfare against the invading Soviet troops....under the banner of 'Woverines'!

Theatrical: 2007

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 90

Summary: A montage of stories about U.S. soldiers fighting in the Iraq conflict, focusing on the modern forms of media covering the war.

Theatrical: 1945

Studio: Image

Genre: War

Duration: 102

Summary: One of the landmark films of the 1940s. The screenplay was written by Roberto Rossellini (with Federico Fellini and Sergio Amidei) while Rome was still occupied by German forces in 1943-44. Rossellini began filming in secret, using scavenged film stock without sound equipment, shortly before the city was liberated in June of 1944. Several key members of his creative team had been active in the Italian resistance movement. With its rough, documentary-style look, multi-layered narrative, the film captured the harsh and unforgiving textures of real life as few movies of its time had dared. It set the pace for Italian Neorealism as an influential postwar film style that combined outdoor light and location shooting with non-actors, a focus on simple stories of everyday life, and a concern for the poor and for social problems. It shows the lives of a group of people living in Rome during the Nazi occupation, after the Germans had declared it an "open city." Anna Magnani plays a woman in love with a member of a resistance group; in helping him, she risks not only her own life, but also that of her unborn child. Aldo Fabrizi plays a priest who aids the anti-Nazi cause and pays dearly for his activism. Marcello Pagliero is an outspoken communist who runs afoul of the Nazis. And Harry Feist plays a German officer who has taken an Italian lover, but whose affection for Romans does not run especially deep. While Roma, Città Aperta shows flashes of the melodramatic sentimentality that would mark much of Rossellini's later work, it still rings true as a chronicle of a city under siege and as the genesis of a powerful new film style whose influences include such later filmmakers, as John Cassavetes, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, and Spike Lee. ++++ DVD FEATURES: This officially licensed release from South Korea is All-Region NTSC Code 0 with 4:3 Full Screen display in Black & White and Dolby Digital Surround Sound in the ORIGINAL ITALIAN with English or Korean subtitles.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Excel Entertainment Group

Genre: War

Duration: 90

Summary: After surviving a massacre in Malmedy, a location behind the German army in Europe, four American soldiers with only one weapon rescue the British pilot Oberon Winley (Kirby Heyborn) in a tree and they move together, trying to reach the allied forces and save a great number of allied soldiers from a German attack with the information got by Winley in his flight. While marching, each soldier discloses inner secrets to the rest of the group.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: War

Duration: 116

Summary: After the abduction by the US military of an Islamic religious leader, New York City becomes the target of escalating terrorist attacks. Anthony Hubbard, the head of the FBI's Counter-Intelligence Task Force in New York, teams up with CIA operative Elise Kraft to hunt down the terrorist cells responsible for the attacks. As the bombings continue, the US government responds by declaring martial law, sending US troops, led by Gen. Devereaux, into the streets of New York City.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: War

Duration: 93

Summary:

Theatrical: 1953

Studio: Paramount

Genre: War

Duration: 120

Summary: Two worthy Academy Award® nominees from 1950's Sunset Boulevard - actor William Holden and director Billy Wilder - reteamed three years later for the gripping World War II drama, Stalag 17. The result was another Best Director nomination for Wilder (his fourth), and the elusive Best Actor Oscar® for Holden. Holden portrays the jaded, scheming Sergeant J.J. Sefton, a prisoner at the notorious German prison camp, who spends his days dreaming up rackets and trading with the Germans for special privileges. But when two prisoners are killed in an escape attempt, it becomes obvious that there is a spy among the prisoners. Is it Sefton? Famed producer/director Otto Preminger tackles a rare acting role as the camp's commandant; actor Robert Strauss won a Supporting Actor nomination for his role as "Animal." Here's Wilder's powerful, acclaimed film classic -- now packed with never-before-seen special features, including audio commentary and "behind-the-scenes" featurettes.

Theatrical: 1951

Studio: Eclipse

Genre: War

Duration: 85

Summary: He got himself into hot water with the FBI on The Steel Helmet, the first American movie to portray the Korean War.
The Steel Helmet With its low budget and high ambitions, Fuller's snarling Korean War film, an examination of race relations as well as a visceral plunge into battle, remains one of the director's most discussed and admired works.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio:

Genre: War

Duration: 117

Summary:

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: War

Duration: 121

Summary: Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician, Dr. Lena Kendricks. Dr. Kendricks, an American citizen by marriage, is tending to the victims of the ongoing civil war at a Catholic mission in a remote village. When Waters arrives, however, Dr. Kendricks refuses to leave unless he promises to help deliver the villagers to political asylum at the nearby border. If they are left behind, they will be at the mercy of the enormous rebel army. Waters is under strict orders from his commanding officer Captain Bill Rhodes to remain disengaged from the conflict. But as he and his men witness the brutality of the rebels first-hand, they are won over to Dr. Kendricks' cause and place their lives at risk by agreeing to escort the villagers on a perilous trek through the dense jungle. As they move through the countryside on foot, Waters' team, experts at evasion and concealment, are inexplicably and ferociously pursued by an army of rebels. They are confounded until they discover that, among the refugees, is the sole survivor of the country's previous ruling family, whom the rebels have been ordered to eliminate at all costs. Waters and his small band of soldiers must weigh the life of one man against their own and the refugees they feel obliged to protect.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: War

Duration: 170

Summary: In World War II, the outcome of the battle of Guadalcanal will strongly influence the Japanese's advance into the pacific. A group of young soldiers is brought in as a relief for the battle-weary Marine units. The exhausting fight for a key-positioned airfield that allows control over a 1000-mile radius puts the men of the Army Rifle company C-for-Charlie through hell. The horrors of war forms the soldiers into a tight-knit group, their emotions develop into bonds of love and even family. The reasons for this war get further away as the world for the men gets smaller and smaller until their fighting is for mere survival and the life of the other men with them.

Theatrical: 1955

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: War

Duration: 106

Summary: True-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Native of Texas, he was placed in charge of his many younger siblings on the death of his mother and decided to join the military at the age of 18 to provide for them. His many acts of bravery and heroism during the US military advance through Italy, France and into Germany earn him increasing rank and responsibility as well as the respect of his comrades in arms. Eventually he receives two dozen of the highest medals the US and France can bestow, culminating in the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Anchor Bay

Genre: War

Duration: 90

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Applause Pictures

Genre: War

Duration: 127

Summary: It's a heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi. The story was filmed by Zhang Che in 1973 as The Blood Brothers.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Film It Suda

Genre: War

Duration: 133

Summary: The film offers an utopian place in which soldiers from the two Koreas and the United States are intertwined in a happy-go-lucky fashion during the Korean War. In November 1950, when the war was at its peak, the U.S. pilot named Smith crashes in Dongmakgol, a small village in the eastern part of the country. And Lee Su-hwa (Jung Jae-young) and other North Korean soldiers end up staying at the village, while Pyo Hyun-chul (Shin Ha-kyun) and another South Korean soldier broke away from the troops led by a villager and come to Dongmakgol. Since Dongmakgol is located in such a remote area, the villagers do not have any idea about the war that is ravaging the entire peninsula. What's more, they "welcome" any stranger regardless of their nationality, which confuses both South and North Korean soldiers. And the story revolves around the changes that eventually engulf the soldiers of different identities. This fantasy movie about the Korean War is not only setting box office records for the year but also accomplish

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: Katzka-Jaffe

Genre: War

Duration: 126

Summary: Following the success of "The Deep", in which he costarred with Jacqueline Bisset's wet T-shirt, Nick Nolte gummed up the star-maker machinery by recasting himself from sex symbol to commanding character actor with this unrelentingly bleak, fatalistic post-Vietnam thriller based on Robert Stone's book "Dog Soldiers". Nolte gives a ferocious performance as Ray Hicks, a Nietzche-reading merchant marine who reluctantly agrees to carry into the United States two keys of heroin for his friend, John Converse (a superb Michael Moriarty), a disillusioned journalist. Ray and John are "way out of their league," as a corrupt narcotics agent (Anthony Zerbe) sends two goons (the late, great Ray Sharkey, and Richard Masur, cast against type as a scuzzy psychopath) to hijack the heroin. Ray is forced to go on the run with John's anguished, pill-popping wife (Tuesday Weld in one of her best performances). A buried treasure, this is the kind of intense and uncompromising film that Nolte appeared in later in his notoriously roller-coaster career. "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Tango Entertainment

Genre: War

Duration: 113

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 96

Summary: A wild college party in a remote cabin will go horribly wrong when Derek Cowley and his friends find themselves terrorized by a blood thirsty werewolf. While fighting for his life, Derek will discover a shocking and horrifying secret about the monster he must kill to survive. Featuring a clever, cunning, and sadistically funny breed of werewolf unlike you've ever seen, Big Bad Wolf is one sexy and terrifying horror film.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 94

Summary: Darkwolf, a half-breed hybrid werewolf, is terrorizing the streets of L.A. with evil plans to take over the world. Following on the bloody trail is strong yet sensitive L.A.P.D. detective Steve Turley (Ryan Alosio). Steve is part of a special investigative team that's tracking this very particular (and hairy) killer. It's up to him to destroy Darkwolf before he/it mates with a purebred, which will secure the future of the werewolf lineage. Meanwhile, Steve clues into the fact that his cute gal pal Josie (Samaire Armstrong) may be more than she seems as she starts going through a series of inexplicable "changes." Looking a lot like "Melrose Place" extras, the inspired and often nude cast do their very best to battle horrific dialogue, a nonsensical script, and a barely there budget. On the plus side, Tippi Hendren ("The Birds") has a small role. "Darkwolf" is half man, half beast, and pure schlock. "--Matt Wold"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Kismet Entertainment Group

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 105

Summary: A British Squad is sent on a training mission in the Highlands of Scotland against Special Operations squad. Ignoring the childish "campfire" stories heard about the area, they continue with their mission and come across the bloody remains of the Special Ops Squad, and a fierce howling is pitching the night sky... With two mortally wounded men, they make an escape, running into a zoologist by the name of Megan - who knows exactly what hunts them. What began as what they thought was a training mission turns into a battle for their lives against the most unlikely enemies they would have expected - werewolves.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 94

Summary: Okay,im gonna get straight to my tagline for this.The first original GINGER SNAPS is definitely the only good one off the trilogy.GINGER SNAPS BACK UNLEASED I thought was pretty weak and weird.GINGER SNAPS THE BEGINNING is just very odd and doesnt really make up with logic.Obviously this isnt Ginger and Bridgett from the other 2 films but they just happen to have the same name,look exactly the same,and bottom line its just a very odd approach to the series.I dont really understand why they would take the series this way.Its pretty bizarre.Other than that,the werewolves look the best in this one of the three films,and the storyline is pretty solid.I guess I would like this movie if I never saw the very first Ginger Snaps.I kinda like it,but in my opinion its not Ginger Snaps.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Maverick

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 88

Summary: this "movie" was just plain awful! i rented it because the cover and the title looked and sounded ridiculous. i enjoy "good, bad" movies. this was just atrocious! as for the other reviewer, if i had a relative in this "movie", i would never have told anyone, period!

Theatrical: 1958

Studio:

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 77

Summary: A college professor acquires a newly discovered specimen of a prehistoric fish. While examining the find he is accidentally exposed to it's blood, turning him into a murderous Neanderthal.

Theatrical: 1976

Studio: Producciones Jiménez Pons Hermanos

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 85

Summary: SANTO VS THE SHE-WOLVES, as the British DVD of this film is titled, is not at all what I expected. Granted I'm not familiar with the Santo films much beyond the deliriously entertaining SANTO VS. THE VAMPIRE
WOMEN. But based on that viewing experience what was expected was a bizarre low budget superhero story about a masked professional wrestler turned crimefighter battling supernatural monsters who just happen to use wrestling moves, broken up by eerily staged & deliciously atmospheric Gothic horror scenes where the cult of female werewolves engage in blasphemous ceremonial rites involving fetching young Mexican actresses. In other words something silly but with an edge to it that's quite entertaining for those with a taste for Gothic horror, in spite of the film's somewhat unfortunate reputation as a MST3K joke.While it does check off all of the above, this film is nasty, vicious, violent, surprisingly bloody, loud, cacophonous, frenetic, and surprisingly exploitational for a national hero's seasonal film outing.
The werewolf material is very creepy with only the low budget makeup effects taking away from the effect. There's also some unexpected partial nudity making this a sort of Mexican answer to the horror/exploitation films coming out of Europe at the time. Santo updated his formula to fit with the B movie circuit needs of the era, and the result is more of an outright horror film than the previous film, with the arena wrestling scenes actually worked into the
plot rather than just diversions to satisfy Santo's fans. The overall effect was actually very reminiscent of the Paul Naschy series of Waldemar Daninsky werewolf films, and the two heroes are actually physically similar enough to have perhaps created some confusion as to
whether they might be the same guys. Both of them make low budget Spanish language films mixing horror movie thrills with a stocky hero prone to physical action where they had to fight off a horde of vampire
babes or werewolf babes or some other supernatural threat involving plunging necklines

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 89

Summary: Multiple mutilated cadavers have been found in the forest. Precise surgical cuts mixed with savage gashes have the authorities perplexed and the villagers of Allariz frightened to enter the woods. An unknown traveling soap vendor, Manuel Romosanta, is captured and confesses to the murders using the victim's body fat to make his soap. The investigation digs deeper when he proclaims his innocence due to the curse of Licantropy -turning him into a werewolf

Theatrical: 1935

Studio:

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 75

Summary: While on a botanical expedition in Tibet Dr. Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull) is attacked in the dark by a strange animal. Returning to London, he finds himself turning nightly into a werewolf and terrorizing the city, with the only hope for curing his affliction a rare Asian flower.

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Shriek Show

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 100

Summary: Daniela, raped as agirl, channels her hatred toward men by summoning and becoming possessed by a deceased and vicious female werewolf ancestor. She lures victims by her charm, sexual drive and seduction before turning into a Wolf-woman to take her bloody revenge. Previously released in a truncated 70-minute version, we now proudly present the complete, fully uncut 115-minute version.

Theatrical: 1941

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Werewolf

Duration: 70

Summary: Upon the death of his brother, Larry Talbot returns from America to his ancestral home in Wales. He visits a gypsy camp with village girl Jenny Williams, who is attacked by Bela, a gypsy who has turned into a werewolf. Larry kills the werewolf but is bitten during the fight. Bela's mother tells him that this will cause him to become a werewolf at each full moon. Larry confesses his plight to his unbelieving father, Sir John, who then joins the villagers in a hunt for the wolf. Larry, transformed by the full moon, heads for the forest and a fateful meeting with both Sir John and Gwen.

Theatrical: 1948

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Western

Duration: 106

Summary: Three outlaws on the run discover a dying woman and her baby. They swear to bring the infant to safety across the desert, even at the risk of their own lives.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Relativity Media

Genre: Western

Duration: 117

Summary: Here's hoping James Mangold's big, raucous, and ultrabloody remake of "3:10 to Yuma" leads some moviegoers to check out Delmer Daves's beautifully lean, half-century-old original. That classic Western spun a tale of captured outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford)--deadly but disarmingly affable--and the small-time rancher and family man, Dan Evans (Van Heflin), desperate enough to accept the job of helping escort the badman to Yuma prison. Wade, knowing that his gang will be along at any moment to spring him, works at persuading the ultimately lone deputy to accept a bribe, turn his back on "duty," and go home safe and rich to his family. That the outlaw has come to admire his captor intriguingly complicates the suspense.
All of the above applies in the new "3:10", but it takes a lot more huffing and puffing to get Wade (Russell Crowe this time) and Evans (Christian Bale) into position for the showdown. Mostly, more is less. To Mangold's credit, his movie doesn't traffic in facile irony or postmodern detachment; it aims to be a straight-up Western and deliver the excitement and charisma the genre's fans are starved for. But recognizing that contemporary viewers might be out of touch with the bedrock simplicity and strength of the genre--not to mention its code of honor--Mangold has supplied both Evans and Wade with a plethora of backstory and "motivations." At the overblown action climax, the crossfire of personal agendas is almost as frenetic as the copious gunplay. (By that point the movie has killed more people than the Lincoln County War.)
Best thing about the remake is Russell Crowe's Ben Wade, a Scripture-quoting career villain with an artist's eye and a curiously principled sense of whom and when to murder. As his second-in-command, Ben Foster fairly pirouettes at every opportunity to commit mayhem, and Peter Fonda contributes a fierce portrait of an old Wade adversary turned bounty hunter for the Pinkerton detective agency. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1957

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Western

Duration: 92

Summary: This fine western opens with Van Heflin as a rancher whose family is suffering from the devastatingeffects of a long drought. Heflin needs $200 to build a well, then learns he can obtain the money as a reward for delivering Glenn Ford, a notorious outlaw now in the hands of the law, to the state prison in Yuma, Arizona. Though this will put Heflin in great personal danger, the peaceful man accepts the assignment, knowing what the money will mean to his family. Heflin and Ford hole up in a small hotel in another town while waiting for the train to Yuma. The outlaw begins toying with Heflin's mind, talking in a friendly manner about Heflin's job and financial situation. Playing psychologicalgames, Ford tries to convince Heflin to take $100,000 to look the other way while he escapes. Heflin finds himself in a quandary, desperately needing the money yet being bound by his word to carry out the job. Ford's gang, led by Jaeckel, discovers where their leader is hidden and sets out to rescue him. The town officials abandon Heflin rather than put themselves in danger, leaving the troubled rancher alone to face off with the outlaws. Ford ends up assisting Heflin, helping his captor on the 3:10 to Yuma, explaining, 'I owed you that.' Heflin has come through the ordeal, body and integrityintact, and, as if in answer to this baptism by fire, the skies burst forth with rain, putting an end to the drought.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Alpine Medien Productions

Genre: Western

Summary: Already taking a gamble settling in the uncharted west, the peaceful settlers of a town destined for railroad greatness suddenly find themselves being ruthlessly gunned down. With no law and order to be found, justice falls onto the shoulders of an elderly rancher and an accomplished, but retired, gunslinger.

Theatrical: 1945

Studio: Cinema Artists

Genre: Western

Duration: 90

Summary: Riding into Payneville, easy-going cowboy Melody Jones is mistaken by the townsfolk for notorious gunman Monte Jarrad. The real Jarrad is hiding out wounded on the ranch of childhood sweetheart Cherry. She has the idea of sending Jones off to decoy the pursuing posse, but once he's met Cherry, Jones has other plans.

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Western

Duration: 94

Summary: If you're looking for a showcase for emerging Hollywood talent, "American Outlaws" is just the ticket. Its handsome young stars, playing Jesse and Frank James and gang, crack wise as if they were in a contemporary high school locker room. Combining authentic costumes and sets with stunt work befitting a Jackie Chan comedy, accompanied by an "Old West" soundtrack that's anything but old and only marginally Western, the film yields a few enjoyable highlights. Seasoned genre buffs, however, will cringe at the movie's clash of visual qualities, as well as the dialogue, which, while not as heinous as that in "Maverick", is on par with "Young Guns" in terms of non-period flavor. It's not exactly a testament to the enduring potential of the authentic Western that was realized by Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven", made barely a decade before.
With all the light-hearted action and character interplay, it's hard to tell if director Les Mayfield ("Flubber") is taking the material seriously, but this much is certain: the Jesse James here (played with effortless appeal by "Tigerland" newcomer Colin Farrell) and his brother Frank (Gabriel Macht) have almost no connection to historical fact. Nor do their fellow farm-raised gang members, the Younger brothers Cole (Scott Caan), Bob (Will McCormack), and Jim (Gregory Smith). (And Jesse's fiancée, played by Ali Larter, looks like she dropped in from a Gap commercial.) The gang's post-Civil War battle against a ruthless railroad baron (Harris Yulin) and his Pinkerton henchman (Timothy Dalton) seems arbitrary, irrational (since farmers typically welcomed railroads, not fought them), and riddled with clichés, turning the movie's bloodless shootouts into another opportunity for pretty-boy preening. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: Vci Video

Genre: Western

Duration: 105

Summary:

Theatrical: 1954

Studio: Hecht-Lancaster Productions

Genre: Western

Duration: 91

Summary: Following the surrender of Geronimo, Massai, the last Apache warrior is captured and scheduled for transportation to a Florida reservation. Instead, he manages to escape and heads for his homeland to win back his girl and settle down to grow crops. His pursuers have other ideas though.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: New Line

Genre: Western

Duration: 114

Summary: "Appaloosa" combines the best of traditional and modern Westerns. Ed Harris, who directs as well as stars in the film, has created a great combination of the two perpectives in this adaptation of the Robert B. Parker (Spenser For Hire) novel.



Harris plays Virgil Cole, who with his partner Everett Hitch (played by Viggo Mortensen), roams the West as hired guns who come in and tame towns where lawlessness reigns. Such is the case in Appaloosa, which is run by rancher Randall Bragg, who killed the town marshal (an old friend of Cole's) and his two deputies. Cole and Hitch begin the cleanup process straightaway, but everything becomes complicated with the appearance in town of Allison French (played by Renee Zellweger), a young widow who captures the heart of crusty Cole and soon, the hardened lawman moves in her. But later, she comes on Hitch, setting the stage for issues of life, future, and loyalty to be explored while the lawmen deal with the woman and the wily Bragg, who has a few tricks up his sleeve.



The look, feel, and the tone feels very traditional, but the screenplay and action are more modern in their staging, which means the language is saltier, and the action faster, just as it would be in real life. Harris and Mortensen seem like they have been acting in Westerns their entire career. Zellweger hits the right notes as a woman who does what she has to do to survive.



This is a great film, and one that most Western fans should readily enjoy.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Western

Duration: 160

Summary:

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Ruddy Morgan Productions

Genre: Western

Duration: 99

Summary: Four former harlots try to leave the wild west (Colorado, to be exact) and head north to make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately someone from Cody's past won't let it happen that easily.

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Geneon

Genre: Western

Duration: 92

Summary: Robber Roy King loses his wife, Alicia, to revolutionary Montero. Despite their rivalry they collaborate in an attempt to rob the Mexican government of One Million dollars

Theatrical: 1946

Studio: RKO

Genre: Western

Duration: 97

Summary: After some gun play with a posse, the James Gang head for Quinto in a section of land which is not a part of America. Anyone there is beyond the law so the town is populated with outlaws. Next to arrive is Sheriff Rowley, following his brother whom the Gang have brought in injured. Rowley has no authority and gets on well enough with the James boys but is soon involved in other local goings-on, including a move to vote for annexation with Oklahoma which would allow the law well and truly in.

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Western

Duration: 106

Summary: "Bandolero!" peaks early, with a long, immensely satisfying opening half-hour in which cowpoke James Stewart saves his bank-robber brother (Dean Martin) from the hangman's noose... by strolling into town and masquerading as the hangman. As the brothers depart into Mexico, with a comely hostage (Raquel Welch) in tow, the action becomes more conventional. It's handsomely shot on eye-filling locations by outdoorsy veteran Andrew V. McLaglen (clever Jerry Goldsmith score, too). George Kennedy plays the lovelorn sheriff in pursuit, leading his half-hearted posse through bandito territory. Credibility suffers with Raquel's fabulous hair, which weathers kidnapping and life on the dusty trail with an unlikely sheen. Stewart and Martin, meanwhile, are too casual to allow the already-relaxed story to build up any real heat. For Western fans, the opening should make it worthwhile, even if it eventually becomes apparent why this one isn't considered a classic. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1950

Studio: Eclipse

Genre: Western

Duration: 97

Summary: The U.S. government recognizes land grants made when the West was under Spanish rule. This inspires James Reavis to forge a chain of historical evidence that makes a foundling girl the Baroness of Arizona. Reavis marries the girl and presses his claim to the entire Arizona territory.

Theatrical: 1941

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Western

Duration: 87

Summary: The setting is the Civil War and its aftermath. Belle's family has lost their land to Yankees. She marries Confederate guerilla leader Sam Starr and they continue activities against exploiters until she is shot riding to alert Sam to a trap. Highly romanticized and little connection with history.

Theatrical: 1952

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Western

Duration: 91

Summary: Besides being a terrific movie in its own right--and the second entry in a remarkable eight-film series teaming director Anthony Mann and star James Stewart--"Bend of the River" is also fascinating as a variation on one of the greatest Westerns. With or without anyone else's knowledge, screenwriter Borden Chase reworked scenes, character configurations, and much of the structure of "Red River", the screenplay of which he had cowritten (from his own novel) for director Howard Hawks six years earlier. Seeing what Hawks and Mann did with some of the same scenes--a spooky night skirmish with Indians, for instance--makes for a compelling lesson in the transformative power of directorial style.
Instead of Texas and the Chisholm Trail, "Bend of the River" is set in the Oregon river country, with a wagon train substituting for an epic cattle drive. Wagonmaster Stewart, a man with a secret past he's determined to redeem, rescues another, not-so-ex-renegade (Arthur Kennedy) from a lynching. Stewart finds Kennedy a powerful ally in a fight but ultimately has to face him as a mortal enemy--and to revert to his old savage ways in order to save his adopted community. Along the trail, they are variously companioned and/or menaced by the likes of slick gambler Rock Hudson (compare the Cherry Valance part in "Red River") and hard cases Harry (then Henry) Morgan, Royal Dano, and Jack Lambert. There's knockout scenery, as usual with Mann, and fight-to-the-death action as bracing as a plunge into an icy river. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1951

Studio: RKO

Genre: Western

Duration: 84

Summary: After the Civil War, Union Major Clanton captures survivors of Quantrill's Raiders, and gets them clemency at the cost of shooting a mob member. Convicted of murder by a kangaroo court, Clanton escapes and joins the former raiders in a gang devoted to robbing everything protected by the corrupt detective agency of his enemy Fowler; culminating in a personal showdown.