The Movieforums Top 100 War Movies Countdown

AKA Popcorn Reviews

08-21-23

I wish I was better at decoding hints

KeyserCorleone

Registered User

08-21-23

Originally Posted by Sedai

The remake was revealed here.

Hence the dust-up in some of the subsequent thread pages. It's not on the first page yet, perhaps because they are trying to re-tabulate? I presume it will get swapped for the original soon, as I am guess pretty much everyone meant to list that version. Personally, I had no idea it was ever remade, simply because it's just a bad idea to do so.

I heard the remake was still very good, although predictably inferior, much like the reviews for Let Me In (IMO both the original and Let Me In are great movies).

Thief

Master of None

08-21-23

How many reveals we're getting today? Just curious.

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KeyserCorleone

Registered User

08-21-23

Originally Posted by Thief

How many reveals we're getting today? Just curious.

2 like usual. I only posted two hints.

08-21-23

#82 #82

50 points, 5 lists

The Train

Director

John Frankenheimer, 1964

Starring

Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Suzanne Flon

08-21-23

#81 #81

51 points, 5 lists

Kingdom of Heaven

Director

Ridley Scott, 2005

Starring

Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis

KeyserCorleone

Registered User

08-21-23

HINTS BREAKDOWN

82: Flip Track Mountain was a game I played with a lot as a little kid. I wanted something that just had the title as only one element of the whole page, even though the tracks take up a good chunk of the photo.

81: Yep, a reference to Ridley Scott and Heaven.

Originally Posted by Wyldesyde19

82. The Train
81. Kingdom of Heaven (sticking with it)

Wyldesyde guessed 81 in an earlier post, but no one got 82 before this post. So, based on my score system since our MoFo here guessed both first, Wyldesyde gets 5 points!

Miss Vicky

MoFo's Resident Bitch

08-21-23

I vaguely remember seeing Kingdom of Heaven at the theater and being pretty underwhelmed by it. My aversion to Orlando Bloom doesn’t help any. I haven’t seen The Train or Red Angel. No votes.

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Torgo

Mu-Tant

08-21-23

The Kingdom of Heaven director's cut is one of Ridley Scott's best. I'm glad it made the list, not to mention so high. I didn't see the theatrical cut, but the consensus is that the director's cut is a vast improvement. It is #24 on my list.

KeyserCorleone

Registered User

08-21-23

Originally Posted by Torgo

Really? That means I now have an obligation to keep an eye out for the director's edition. I have the original and I thought it was one of Ridley's worst, just barely above Robin Hood and G.I. Jane, and at least a half-star better than Exodus.

kgaard

Registered User

08-21-23

Have I seen I either of these? I have not. I have seen some movies in my life, I swear.

Thief

Master of None

08-21-23

The Train was a recent watch for me and it really made an impression in me. You can read my full review here, but this is an excerpt of what I wrote:

"What a pleasant surprise this film was. Not only does it manage to be both entertaining, intense, and thrilling, but there's also a certain depth to the two main characters that I really wasn't expecting from it. The film is full of masterfully staged setpieces and cracking action sequences. Director John Frankenheimer frequent use of pans and zooms, wide shots, long takes, and practical effects is amazing and effective. The whole production value of the film is top of the line.

But again, the film is so much more than great action setpieces. Frankenheimer neatly puts both lead characters � Labiche and von Waldheim � as "mirror opposites" as far as their determination goes, and the length that each of them will go to achieve their goals. There is a perfect contrast between them that goes down to the very last scene, which I found to be profound, tragic, and kick-ass at the same time, as weird as that might be."

I loved it. It was my #6.

I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven, but it's a film I've been reading/hearing a lot since its release. I remember it was mostly panned when it came out, but most people I know have said that the Director's Cut is a huge improvement over the Theatrical. Still, I haven't gotten around to it.

Seen: 9/20

My ballot:

Thief

Master of None

08-21-23

Originally Posted by KeyserCorleone

For what it's worth, Kingdom of Heaven's RT score (39%) is now the lowest in the whole countdown (I assume it applies to the Theatrical Cut). The next lowest is 15 points ahead at 54% (Enemy at the Gates)

Thief

Master of None

08-21-23

Stats: Pit Stop #2

Decade Breakdown

2020s = 0
2010s = 1
2000s = 4
1990s = 0
1980s = 1
1970s = 2
1960s = 5
1950s = 4
1940s = 2
1930s = 0
1920s = 1

A surge by the 1960s has put it ahead, while the 1950s and 2000s are not far behind.

Repeating Directors

None yet, but that will change.

War Breakdown

World War II = 11
Vietnam War = 2
Napoleonic Wars = 2
Rwandan Civil War = 1
War on Terror (Afghanistan) = 1
World War I = 1
Unnamed civil war = 1
Crusades = 1

For what it's worth, I didn't edit the previous pit-stop to reflect the changes coming from the mistake, but this one has all the corrections.

Siddon

Registered User

08-21-23

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I vaguely remember seeing Kingdom of Heaven at the theater and being pretty underwhelmed by it. My aversion to Orlando Bloom doesn�t help any. I haven�t seen The Train or Red Angel. No votes.

It's notorious for having a bad theatrical cut and incredible directors cut. As I get older I look back at these epics with much respect as modern films are too CGI focused.

Torgo

Mu-Tant

08-21-23

Originally Posted by KeyserCorleone

Many a fine critic and video essayist can also vouch to it being better if it's of any consolation. It should be readily available on DVD/Blu-Ray and you can rent it on Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc. It is quite long (3 hours and 15 minutes), but it's worth it.

cricket

Registered User

08-21-23

The Train is a good one and I've not seen Kingdom of Heaven. I think that leaves me at 15/20

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

08-21-23

Yahoo! Another from my list. The Train (1964) was my #21. This would've been one of my War Group Watch choices had more people joined in.

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

The Train (1964)
Director: John Frankenheimer

That lead photo of Burt Lancaster blasting on a machine gun doesn't do this intricate film justices. The Train is so much more than just action and danger, though it does have plenty of that and done up right too! At the heart of this film by renowned film maker John Frankenheimer is a true story of brave men who went against the odds, risking and losing their lives all for the sake of saving art. Yes this really happened and the film not only shows the thrills it gives us insights into just how hard it was for the French Resistances to operate. We learn that the Nazis take any act of sabotage by the French as treason and will round up innocent civilians and execute them in cold blood on the streets, so as to send a message to the population.

In the film we see the men and women of the resistances and learn of their bleak existences as freedom fighters. The main pay off is their master plan to stop the 'art train'.

I thought Burt Lancaster was well suited for the role he had just enough grit, with a lot of weariness in his face to be believable. By far one of the most visual impressive scenes is when he's high on a hill side running to catch the train so he can blow the tracks up. He must be a couple of hundred feet up on this very steep hillside when he does this running sliding all the way down the hill. Damn impressive and that's really Burt Lancaster doing the stunt. Before acting he had worked in a circus as an acrobat so I guess that's why he was able to pull this off.

French actress Jeanne Moreau was a nice addition as the local hotel owner who puts up Burt Lancaster in her hotel. Later she had a decision to make does she tell the Nazi's the truth about Lancaster sabotage or does she provide an alibi to save his neck?

Oh did I mention the real train crashes they staged for the movie! Impressive! you won't see that in a modern CG movie.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

08-21-23

Kingdom of Heaven apparently I've seen this and mostly liked it? I don't remember actually, I did find some of my old post about it. One sounded like I thought it was a good film but in the other post I panned it. Maybe both are true

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