Saints and Soldiers is by far the best war movie I've never heard of before.  Yes, it really is that good.  Starting off with a frank depiction of the Malmedy massacre of Allied soldiers by the Germans, Saints continues on into an incredible story of humanity and survival.  This tale is at the same time beautiful, and incredibly difficult to watch.

Every aspect of this film just blew me away, from the acting from a band of relative unknowns, the soundtrack, the camera work, the writing and the direction.  Sure there were a couple of moments I winced, but nobody's perfect, but this is really, really close.

In the UK-produced Outpost, we get to follow a mysterious band of mercenaries hired by an even more mysterious man into the forests of Eastern Europe. The mission? Well, he's not telling.

The group makes its way into the forest, and comes across a long overgrown bunker of some sort. They venture inside, and quickly realize that they're not on any ordinary mission.

This could be just plain hilarious... Looks like a Vietnam war movie send up, starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte and a bunch more. "Shit blows up." Gotta love it.



Check out the sparse (for now) official website: Tropic Thunder Website, and the IMDB Entry.

I love Laurel and Hardy.  I really do.  I mean how can you not?  During the 30's they were sort of a counterpoint and companion to the slapstick of the Three Stooges.

But in 1943's Air Raid Wardens, that original magic was pretty much gone.  They were both a few years older, and by this time were just going through the motions, and their "shtick" had already become somewhat dated, having been surpassed by more contemporary acts like Abbot and Costello.

The picture finds the two in their usual state of decrepitude.  Having gone belly up in several business ventures, they've started a bicycle shop.  But shortly after they get the patriotic itch and decide to join up with the war effort.

1998's The Thin Red Line takes us to Guadalcanal in the South Pacific.  Based on the novel of the same name by James Jones, its a long and arduous journey into...

...well I'm still trying to figure that out.  The Thin Red Line is a visual masterpiece, I will give you that.  But there is more here than a few pretty pictures and excellent camerawork, but I'll be damned if I have any sort of grasp on it.

There are a few separate plots going on here, the one we are shown at first is that of Private Witt (James Caviezel), who has gone AWOL to live among the natives.  He's discovered, and thrown back under the command of 1st Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn), who ships him off to be a stretcher bearer, as a disciplinary measure.

I can hear the groans now.  "No!! Not another submarine movie!!!"

But that's what we've got today.  In Enemy Hands takes us once again beneath the Atlantic during World War II.  This time, however, things are a little more complicated than kill-or-be-killed.

To be fair, In Enemy Hands starts off in typical sub-movie fashion, and for the most part follows through.  The goodbyes, the typical arguments between crew members, the distrust of the rookie captain, etc. etc.....

That is, until the USS Swordfish gets torpedoed, and the crew has to abandon ship.  Right into the hands of the awaiting U-429 and her crew.  What the Germans don't realize, and the Americans have only just discovered, is that they've been infected with a rather nasty strain of meningitis, and its highly contagious.

In 1993's Sniper, we travel to Central America to fight the good fight in the "war on drugs," er, I think.  No, actually we're playing CIA games to try and meddle in the affairs of nations.  Yeah, that's better.

Anyway, we find veteran expert sniper Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) sent off to eliminate the army general set to take over Panama, oh, and while you're there, Tom, why not take out any other targets of opportunity, like the evil druglord.