Films can become so iconic, with so many scenes burned into pop culture and cinematic legend, that its difficult to remember where it all came from initially. As you watch Apocalypse Now, you are soon reminded that this film is … Continue reading Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) Review
There is always a danger with a “classic” that it won’t live up to the hype. Luckily, there was no such danger with Casablanca which tells a perfect, quiet and unassuming war-time story (made more poignant by being shot and … Continue reading Casablanca (1942) Review
Full Metal Jacket is a movie of two halves. The first is an intense, engrossing look at the training the soldiers had to endure before being shipped over to Vietnam. The second half takes a clear look at some of … Continue reading Full Metal Jacket (1987) Review
It is a fine balancing act for any war film between overt-patriotism and stark realism. One can trump the other as you want the best representation for people who sacrificed for their country, particularly if the story you are telling … Continue reading Lone Survivor (2013) Review
Within the first ten minutes of 1917, the horrors of The First World War are laid out plainly and without any overt drama, and with it the success of the movie is demonstrated. 1917 is at it’s best when it … Continue reading 1917 (2019) Review
Paths of Glory is a unique WW1 movie in that it tells a tense, battlefield set story without the reliance on the realism of blood, gore and the visual horrors of war. Stanley Kubrick was directing Paths of Glory in the … Continue reading WW1 Month: Paths of Glory (1957) Review
There is a simplicity and honesty to Dunkirk that makes it so captivating. This was never going to be an easy movie to sell: Dunkirk is after all a failure on the part of the British and essentially a prolonged and … Continue reading Oscars 2018: Dunkirk (2017) Review
Dark humour is genre to itself and one that would lend itself well to war but when you examine the evidence, there are very few decent war comedies. The farcical nature of warfare and the often absurdity of fighting for your … Continue reading Can you make a good war comedy?
Back by popular demand! Episode 2 of the Views from the Sofa podcast is now available. This episode covers all things War! We talk about the best death scenes, the worst war comedy ever made, play “Brothers or Saving Ryan” and … Continue reading The Views from the Sofa Podcast – SofaPod 2: Saving Private Sofa!
I review a whole season rather than individual episodes, so there is a chance of spoilers. If you haven’t watched the whole season yet, stop reading now! The Pacific felt like Steven Spielberg’s attempt to create another World War 2 TV masterpiece. Band … Continue reading Spielberg on WW2: The Pacific (Mini-Series) TV Review
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