I had to think long and hard for this one because there are so many good ones. The three that stuck in my mind the most were Platoon, Hamburger Hill, and Top Gun. For shear Badassness and best one-liners I’m going with: TOP GUN

Tough choice, but I think I’m going to have to go with Zulu.

Tropic Thunder Or… We Were Soldiers.

@Scurvy Dude that was such a great movie! Hilarious.

I’m a lead farmer, mutha#$%*&! Best line ever.

I like these threads because I am guaranteed to get a list of movies that I haven’t seen before. @tybalt I haven’t seen zulu so it’s on my list. That’s why I love the Music thread, you guys have turned me on to some great music.

Glory is a great Civil War flick, too…

GLORY @Scurvy on the list.

Not really a movie but Band of Brothers is at the top of my list.

Rambo 2008

I have to say it…Hot Shots. But I’m into corny comedy. Serious war movies, I have to go with The Green Berets.

All that have been mentioned are great … but recent movies, “The Hurt Locker” is crazy good. And others on my list, not as recent - “Apocalypse Now”, “The Thin Red Line” and “Full Metal Jacket” … oh, and “Saving Private Ryan” are all fantastic. @joesnuffer - yeah, “Band of Brothers” counts to me!

The expendable 2 it has all the tuff guys not a war movie but lots of gun play. Special opps team for hire. Jean-Claude Van Damme plays the bad guy. Here is a link to watch . http://www.solarmovie.eu/watch-the-expendables-2-2012.html

@snuffbrant The book that Full Metal Jacket was based on, Gustav Hasford’s “The Short Timers”, makes that movie look like Mickey Mouse shit.

three kings then again I don’t really like military movies that much. :o

@TomStrasbourg … I had heard that … bout time I sought that book out. Thanks.

Hands down Apocalypse Now. Great movie all around. But there so many excellent ones out there though, usually will watch The Longest Day at least once a year.

@snuffbrant it’t out of print. I had to read it on the author’s website, but since that is no longer operating there is now a petition to the copyright holder to get that book and it’s even crazier sequel back in print. I signed it and I hope everyone who has ever read a good war book or wants to read the book Full Metal Jacket was based on will sign it too. http://www.petitiononline.com/gustavha/petition.html

Awesome posts everyone! Thanks for playing. Now I’m in search of a used copy of “The Short Timers”.

They are available but at a price: http://www.amazon.com/Short-timers-Gustav-Hasford/dp/0712608354/ref=sr\\_1\\_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348455533&sr=1-1&keywords=the+short+timers

All of yours are great movies, some of them master pieces, two more great films are Black hawk down and Paths of glory. If I have to get only one will be Full metal jacket !

Where Eagles Dare Based on a great novel, Clint Eastwood as a WWII commando, the lovely Mary Ure, and Richard Burton as a bad-ass Brit. Explosions. gondola rides, deception, and nonstop gunfights. Can’t go wrong!

Beau Geste (life in the French Foreign Legion and the mystery at Fort Zinderneuf) though I must say that the book was better than any movie rendition of the story. Actually a trilogy by P.C. Wren: Beau Geste, Beau Sabruer and Beau Ideal.

Lawrence of Arabia

Platoon hands down

Here are a few films : Bosnian civil war ----------------------- Pretty village pretty flame No man’s land WWII -------- Come and See Enemy at the Gates Downfall Soviet occupation of Afghanistan -–------------------------------------------ 7th Company

I would say “Saving Private Ryan” as one of my all time favorites. Then again, “Red Dawn” was pretty great, if not for being pretty awful.

@PotPoe Oh I forgot about Red Dawn. I have probably watched that movie a hundred times. A classic.

Yeah, and a remake is in the works. I think its North Koreans after us this time.

Saving Private Ryan, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds… I recently watched 3:10 to Yuma and I really enjoyed. There’s a scene where a guy shakes his snuffbox and takes a pinch… And has a Brazilian movie with very good military themed: Elite Squad. Is not my favorite, but Worth watching.

Down Periscope, only because it may be the perfect representation of life in the Navy

Down Periscope, only because it may be the perfect representation of life in the Navy

really?

@bob and @Cros - what about Das Boot? I’d want to add in some of the older films too. The Cruel Sea is excellent, as is a rather more obscure film called Play Dirty (1968) inspired by the antics of people like the LRDG and SAS in North Africa.

Full…Metal…Jacket, scumbag

never seen das boot. Though full metal jacket is an interesting movie.

@Gax1985 has a good list there, all my faves but it’s 9th Company, not 7th! Das Boot is superb too and of those stiff upper lip British war films 633 Squadron is my favourite. Of course Michael Collins must be mentioned, being one of few films about Irish War of Independence. Of American war films I have always like Sergeant York…

@AllanH I loved Michael Collins, but The Wind that Shakes the Barley was even better. Its not often a movie has me so emotionally moved.

@Xander Michael Collins is a great film, historically little unfair to Dev, but films are films and history is ‘wie es wirklich gewesen ist’ as we used to say in Academia. Yes, I agree, ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ is super emotional, little over the top IMO. There’s also a real camp classic about War of Independence and Civil War, namely ‘Shake Hands with the Devil’(1959), starring Michael Redgrave of all the people as Michael Collins and James Gagney as crazed Anti-treaty fanatic! Young Richard Harris also has a small part. Classic stuff.

@AllanH yes, I saw that one last year. They were very careful not to give names to the characters. They were merely based on historical characters. The “Collins-like” character I think they just kept calling him “the General.” I liked that film also, although it had a very dated feel to it particularly in the need in those days to have love interest side in every movie. Yes, campy, as you say. I have another one simply called The Treaty and its the same basic story as Michael Collins but focuses more on the actual treaty negotiations, which were kind of glossed over in the latter. I need to watch it again to remember if its actually a proper “war” film. I lent it to my neighbor 3 years ago, and he hasn’t returned it!

I must say that I also like: Das Boot and Lawrence of Arabia. My father would roll over in his grave if I said anything positive about Down Perescope (he was in the Silent Service.)

Operation Petticoat

Stalingrad is my favorite now that I think about it

There is not one military movie out there that tells the story of the military properly. So why not go for the real thing? The Danish made ‘Armadillo’. Excellent documovie.