Over time, there have been several upon several World War II and Vietnam films; some good, some not so good.  As the war on two fronts in the Middle East continues, we have seen a scattering of films here and there highlighting these new conflicts.  As time goes on, we will likely see more.  One such film that fills the current void and made it’s Blu-ray debut this week is The Hurt Locker.  In short, this picture follows an EOD team in Iraq.  What is an EOD team?  What do they do?  How dangerous is their occupation?  Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more. Read the full story

The Duke has made his way to Blu-ray.  The John Wayne classic The Green Berets recently hit store shelves on Blu-ray disc, which for many, was a long awaited arrival.  It’s a positive thing to see studios focusing not only on current films, but those from the past as well.  Let’s not waste any more time on an introduction and find out the verdict on John Wayne in 1080p! Read the full story

Air America is loosely based on Christopher Robbin’s non-fiction book, by the same name. It follows the CIA financed airline that transported supplies and weapons throughout the Vietnam war. The film detaches from the book and follows more along the lines of political satire and covers subjects such as the drug trade. Read the full story

Few stories are as profound as that of the diary that Anne Frank kept when she was 13 and 14 years old.  Anne was a Jewish girl hiding in the loft of a building with her family, trying to escape the persecution of the Nazis.  If you have been living in a cave for…well…forever, then let me just inform you that this is a true story that went on during World War II in Amsterdam, Holland.  It defines survival, family, fear and patience.  Read the full story

There is no question that Stanley Kubrick was a cinematic genius. He has created many amazing films with incredibly diverse subject matters such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange which have really stood up to the test of time, retaining their relevance decades after their release. For me, the best of Mr. Kubrick’s films remains Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a controversial and thought provoking film both upon its release in 1964 as well as today. Read the full story

Released in 2001 and partially based upon the book War of the Rats, tied in with the historical battle of Stalingrad in World War 2. While Jude Law’s character of Vasily Zaytsev is identified as a real person all other events of the film remain unconfirmed and have since almost become folklore. I find it hard to believe that Enemy at the Gates is 8 years old, and although it’s been a few years since I’ve seen it, every time since I watched it in the theater in 2001 it has seemed too deteriorated in quality and enjoy ability. Maybe that’s just me getting older and actual analyzing and comparing movies, or its appeal fading into a sea of like movies.  Regardless I look forward to watching Enemy at the Gates again, as I once considered it a great movie. Read the full story

Too good to be true. You hear an incredible story and think that is just too good to be true. That is what I thought when I read the history of the Bielski brothers and their heroic efforts to save the lives of 1,200 Jews during WWII in Belarus. Is this story really true I kept asking myself. Yes it is and it makes for a very fine film. Read the full story

I must admit, that I have not been a major fan of Spike Lee films. With him, it seems to be a hit or miss affair. While I really enjoyed Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and the very underrated Inside Man , I can’t really say that I enjoyed the rest of his films all that much. One can say without a doubt that Spike Lee has an edge to him that manifests itself in each of his films. It is because of that edge and my limited knowledge of James McBride’s book that forms the basis of this film, that I was surprised by the description of the film on the case accompanying this Blu-ray disc that it was a powerful and uplifting WW II epic. While it no doubt has some very powerful elements, uplifting is not a word that I would use to describe this film. Read the full story

Did you hear that gasp?  That’s me trying to catch a breath after watching Peter Berg’s The Kingdom.  What a ride!  I gave myself three words or less to describe this movie and that’s what I came up with.  From the very moment the film starts, we the viewers are strapped in as we watch a video collage with narration briefly describing the history of Saudi Arabia (known as ‘the kingdom’) up through its uneasy-at-best relationship with the United States.  Immediately I was thrust into a sense of urgency as the quick opening showed just how sensitive of a situation it is in the Middle East.  Read the full story

The United States Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and Marine Snipers.  These are some of the most highly trained and deadly soldiers ever to grace the planet (thank God they’re on our side).  In Jarhead, we see a story unfold around one of those classes, specifically a Marine sniper and his spotter.  For those unfamiliar with the term ‘jarhead,’ it is slang, if you will, designated for United States Marines.  Let me just put the disclaimer out there and say if you were never a Marine, don’t call one a jarhead.  It’s best to leave that term of endearment delivered by the Marines themselves, former and current.  Read the full story

I have to admit that when I heard Sly Stallone was coming out of retirement to make another Rambo flick I swear I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I mean who in their right mind at 60+ years old decides to revive a franchise based on a muscle bound action hero?? All I could picture was some old man with cane in hand fighting of gangs of old people at the local retirement home for the last piece of Jell-o…… Rambo: The Geriatric Adventure. With these low expectations I sat down for a viewing of the last Rambo flick Hollywood will ever make… Read the full story

It is very easy to compare a film like The Longest Day to a more current film in Saving Private Ryan. But where Saving Private Ryan only focused on how the Americans did things, The Longest Day went deeper. Based on the book of the same name written by Cornelius Ryan, The Longest Day is shown from 3 sides; the American/British, German and French. Read the full story

For anyone who has read my reviews know, I am not a big fan of the classics.

It is just the way I am. But when I received The Sand Pebbles to watch and review, my interest was definitely peaked given what I had heard about the film. This was my first opportunity to watch a film with famed actor Steve McQueen, as well as world renowned actor and narrator, Richard Attenborough. I was very excited to see what all the talk was about.

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Don’t you just miss the old days of the Cold War? Let’s be honest. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, there just haven’t been any interesting bad guys around anymore. Sure, there’s plenty of bad guys out there, more now than likely ever before. But these bad guys are just nasty and about as colorful as a 1 crayon box of crayolas. If you miss those old days, then Crimson Tide is the film for you. It’s one of those last looks back before an era disappears under the horizon never to be seen again. Read the full story

Since its limited theatrical release Rescue Dawn has caught my eye, mainly due to my curiosity regarding the Christian Bale, Steve Zhan combination but also because I?m a fan of the genre. Sure the Vietnam flick has been done a thousand times, but the fact that Rescue Dawn is based upon a real life account makes me feel better about it. Originally German director Werner Herzog made a documentary some ten years ago on the life of German-American U.S. Navy Pilot entitled Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Since then it has gained some notoriety and the compelling story of Dieter Dengler has made its way to the big screen staring arguably one of Hollywood?s finest, Christian Bale. Read the full story

Apparently, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Envall (Blue Collar Comedy Tour) made a movie. Who knew? No offense to their fans, but I’ve never quite appreciated their “comedy” so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to viewing this release. Before I’m called a biased yank, let me say I grew up in southern Tennessee and my family lives in Georgia. Also another bit of education: a “hillbilly” was originally a term used to describe a group of farmers who settled in lower Michigan. Guess where I spent my high-school years? So I think I’m quite qualified to make a judgement on this movie. So there you go. And guess what, this movie ain’t half bad neither. Read the full story

For those unfamiliar with Clint Eastwood’s recent massive undertaking, Letters from Iwo Jima is the companion film to Flags of our Fathers (see my previous review). What Eastwood has done is taken two different perspectives on the same battle: one from the soldiers responsible for raising the famous flag on Mt Suribachi, the other from the Japanese soldiers as they prepare and enter the battle themselves. Letters is the latter and possibly stronger film of the two.

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