NGC Recommendations for Great Guy movies

[Stormtruck2]

What!! No one mentioned "Blues Brothers"?  The greatest "musical" ever made.

Also Logan's Run, Down Periscope, and The Battle of Britain.

[jbell]

Another vote for. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

The Man Who Would Be King (my favorite of all time)
Lonely are the Brave
Hell in the Pacific
The Bobo  (this one is hard to find)

[Tom]

Was Grand Prix mentioned?

[T in NC]

Another favorite of mime "Sargent York". Which reminds how many of these movies Walter Brennan was in, so might as well add Judge Roy Beam to the list.

[Penderic]

The Rundown  ;-T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZYLAbX0fvc

[D Knaus]

"My Name is Nobody"
"My name is Trinity"
I haven't seen them in a while, but they were humorous.

[Jim Rich]

Lawrence of Arabia
 
Murphy's War (another great Peter O'Toole movie)

The Departed (a great one by Martin Scorcese with Jack Nicholson).

[Greenman]

for those of us hanging off the bottom of the world there is Stone.
the start is probably the best bit.

http://youtu.be/_OUZS94ZjpI


Dennis

[Gliderjohn]

A couple of more that came to mind:
 Run Silent, Run Deep.
 The Last Detail (Jack Nicholson)

GliderJohn

[Lannis]

for those of us hanging off the bottom of the world there is Stone.
the start is probably the best bit.

http://youtu.be/_OUZS94ZjpI


Dennis

Shades of Mad Max!   Did all Australian bad-bikers wear the same eye makeup and ride the same Kawasakis back in the 1970s?    Another era, that was ....

Lannis

[AJ Huff]

Interesting to see the differences in age vs. movie type, seems to be a
+60 group and an under 60 group and then a third smaller group with overlapping tastes. I mean all these old WWII movies? Boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me Dirty Dozen or Kelly's Heros

Best shoot 'em up ever made: Mean Guns

Also, did anyone mention The Highlander?

-AJ

[Rusty goose]

Good call on Highlander....

The Big Labowski is also a favorite

Anyone remeber The Last Race with Lee Majors and Burgess Merideth?

[screamday]

Army of Darkness!  ~;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-wU5RXw2o

 :D

 :+1

Also:

Unforgiven
Die Hard
Last Man Standing
Jack Reacher
Pulp Fiction
From Dusk Till Dawn
Kelly's Heros
High Plains Drifter

[jbell]

A couple of more that came to mind:
 Run Silent, Run Deep.
 The Last Detail (Jack Nicholson)

GliderJohn

You're a man after my own heart, John.  Also, not to forget, "Enemy Below" and "The Bedford Incident".

[segesta]

Just saw Tora! Tora! Tora! again last month, and its historical accuracy is a strike against it, in terms of entertainment. Most of the film is mid-level officers walking into an office and handing a teletype sheet to a scowling commanding officer. Repeat that for 2 hours, then an hour of some just-okay special effects during the attack itself. The Japanese sections of the film are a lot better than the English/American sections.

[Gliderjohn]

Another:
"The Final Countdown"

GliderJohn

[mojohand]

I don't see anything political in Tora, Tora, Tora. By any measure, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a brilliant military operation.

Patton, however, i take personal offense with. Given the context (Vietnam), the film definitely was slanted to make him appear like a bellicose, meglomaniacal bully. In fact, Patton was the most experienced, and certainly the most well read leader the Allies had on the Western Front. Depite his bluster, his method of fast attack and encirclement saved many more lives (on both sides) than the more conservative meatgrinder tactics of Bradley. Ask anyone who served under Patton and they absolutely knew it and would follow him anywhere. The Germans certainly took stock of this and considered him the only really serious professional soldier fielded by the Americans. Nevertheless, history has decided to demonize the "warlike" attitude of Patton. The movie has gon a long way to disparaging his legacy.

The biggest thing I hated about Patton was its use of American vehicles by the Germans. Now, Kelly's heroes uses real German tanks. Also, historians have talked about how well George C. Scott portrayed Patton's personality and character.

Oh, and WRT to Patton...my father and his cohorts hated him. "When Patton said, 'I'll get to Berlin even if it takes a jeepload of dogtags,'" my father would recall, "we knew those were our dogtags he was talking about." Not everyone was a Patton fan. Bill Mauldin captured the sentiment well, too:

[Penderic]

I believe that the German Tiger tank in Kelly's Heroes was actually a T34 Russian tank made up to look like a Tiger. T34 used diesel the Tiger used gasoline ... different smoke from the exhausts.

Has "Gladiator" been mentioned?
 

[cj750]

I believe that the German Tiger tank in Kelly's Heroes was actually a T34 Russian tank made up to look like a Tiger. T34 used diesel the Tiger used gasoline ... different smoke from the exhausts.

Correct! You win a cookie.

One of the things I like about Kelly's Heroes is that the producers went to great lengths for authenticity, despite the fanciful plot and characters. The "serious" WWII movies of the period, in contrast (Patton, Battle of the Bulge, etc.) are pretty awful in that regard, full of obviously post-war vehicles & uniforms, and use of locations that don't resemble their real life counterparts. I don't think a more realistic looking WWII movie was made until Saving Private Ryan, three decades later.

Anyway, to add to the thread, I'm going to mention More American Graffiti. Not nearly as well known as the first film, but stands on its own and is worth a watch.

[L.A.kevin]

I've never seen "Sorcerer" but will probably watch it since it made the "Man Film" list.

Looking up the Director for it, I read:

"Director William Friedkin initially wanted Steve McQueen to star in the film. McQueen accepted the part, but on one condition--he wanted a co-starring role for his then wife, Ali MacGraw. Friedkin would not accept his conditions, and McQueen dropped out of the film. Friedkin later went on record, regretting not accepting McQueen's conditions. He tried to get Clint Eastwood or Jack Nicholson, but neither wanted to travel at that time. He stated that casting Roy Scheider in the lead was the worst casting decision he has ever made. Although he felt Scheider is a good actor who did a great job, he is only interesting in a film as a "second or third banana, he's not a star."   "

Hmm.  I'm sure that there are Roy Scheider fans who might disagree ... !

Lannis

No, no, NO!

See the movie that this was based on, "The Wages of Fear" this is the most spine-tingling movie about trucks you'll ever see. Well, it's actually about a lot more than trucks, but you just have to see for yourself. This made the top 10 of AFI's most suspenseful movies.

Also, since we're talking movies: "I bought a Vampire Motorcycle" and "Psychomania" are classics of British motorcycle cinematic art.

Kevin

Kevin

[boatdetective]

The biggest thing I hated about Patton was its use of American vehicles by the Germans. Now, Kelly's heroes uses real German tanks. Also, historians have talked about how well George C. Scott portrayed Patton's personality and character.

Oh, and WRT to Patton...my father and his cohorts hated him. "When Patton said, 'I'll get to Berlin even if it takes a jeepload of dogtags,'" my father would recall, "we knew those were our dogtags he was talking about." Not everyone was a Patton fan. Bill Mauldin captured the sentiment well, too:

Based on actual casualties, Patton saved way more lives with his breakthrough tactics than the hesitant, indecisive Bradlee....but the press loved Brad's "aw shucks, I'm just doing my job" persona.  Patton blustered and fostered a crude, aggressive public image. Nevertheless, he was not just some nut who believed he was Alexander the Great reincarnated. He swept across France in a matter of weeks and was held up at the border of Germany for political reasons.  On hindsight, this was Eisenhower pandering to Montgomery's ego. Patton's gas and supplies went to Monty for Market Garden- which proved a stupendously bad plan.

In the end, Patton was crucified by reporters and the upper level brass caved to this pressure. As a result, the war in the West continued for another six months. We now know Patton would have been able to get to Berlin before Christmas.  Once again, given the tenor of the country in 1970, it's no surprise that Patton was portrayed as an egomaniacal clown.

It's interesting history- I'd recommend the Soul of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson.

[Dean Rose]

Based on actual casualties, Patton saved way more lives with his breakthrough tactics than the hesitant, indecisive Bradlee....but the press loved Brad's "aw shucks, I'm just doing my job" persona.  Patton blustered and fostered a crude, aggressive public image. Nevertheless, he was not just some nut who believed he was Alexander the Great reincarnated. He swept across France in a matter of weeks and was held up at the border of Germany for political reasons.  On hindsight, this was Eisenhower pandering to Montgomery's ego. Patton's gas and supplies went to Monty for Market Garden- which proved a stupendously bad plan.

In the end, Patton was crucified by reporters and the upper level brass caved to this pressure. As a result, the war in the West continued for another six months. We now know Patton would have been able to get to Berlin before Christmas.  Once again, given the tenor of the country in 1970, it's no surprise that Patton was portrayed as an egomaniacal clown.

It's interesting history- I'd recommend the Soul of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson.

https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hanson-battle.html

[redrider90]

Blue Velvet:      "Where's my Bourbon?..."  "Pabst Blue Ribbon!"  "Mommy!"

It's my favorite movie of all time, but I'm demented.

Jim,
It's supposed to be a role model for a 13 year old boy. I am not sure Dennis Hopper's character is a role model for a 13 year old unless you are reading him for a trip to the big house.   :D  ;D  :pop (tiny but mighty)

[screamday]

Jim,
It's supposed to be a role model for a 13 year old boy. I am not sure Dennis Hopper's character is a role model for a 13 year old unless you are reading him for a trip to the big house.   :D  ;D  :pop (tiny but mighty)

Well......I'm not sure "Scarface" or "Good Fellows" would fit the bill either.  :BEER: :)

[JoeB]

13 years old? I must apologize for my earlier suggestion for some porn. Focused on testosterone film festival and did not read on. Sorry.

[Xlratr]

Also, since we're talking movies: "I bought a Vampire Motorcycle"......

Kevin

Never heard of it, but sounds like fun.

Amazon suggested I might also like "Chopper Chicks in Zombietown" and "Surf Nazis must Die" :-O.   Hmmmm.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[redrider90]

Blue Velvet:      "Where's my Bourbon?..."  "Pabst Blue Ribbon!"  "Mommy!"

It's my favorite movie of all time, but I'm demented.

BTW this is one of my all time favs also Jim. So I'll join you on the demented list.  ~;  My wife was grossed out by it, poor dear. She is not a prude but I think the whole "mommy mommy" thing inhaling whatever it is, was too much for her.  :pop (tiny but mighty).

[Triple Jim]

Jim,
It's supposed to be a role model for a 13 year old boy. I am not sure Dennis Hopper's character is a role model for a 13 year old unless you are reading him for a trip to the big house.   :D  ;D  :pop (tiny but mighty)

Well, Dennis Hopper wouldn't be a roll model in Blue Velvet, but one might argue that Kyle MacLachlan could be.  My son was 13 or 14 when he saw it, and now he's a great kid who is a junior at NC State with a 4.0 average.  The reason I like it so much is Lynch's writing and direction.  It kept me on the edge of my seat most of the way through, alternating between laughing and terrified.  Sorry Greta didn't like it, but that's understandable, since it's obviously not for everyone.

Tiny but Mighty!

[blackcat]

An oddball because it is a somewhat normal film for David Lynch, is The Straight Story with Richard Farnsworth. Also, they just announced that another TV version of Twin Peaks will be released in 2016.

[Triple Jim]

Thanks Blackcat, just a couple days ago I was talking to my wife, wondering what David was up to, since he seemed pretty quiet after Inland Empire.  I hope he got the extreme stuff out of his system with that one.

Edit:  I had to look up The Straight Story because I didn't recognize the title, but yes, I enjoyed that one very much.