1980s
War movies from the 1980′s
Top Gun (1986, Blu Ray)
If, like me, you were alive in 1986, and of movie-going age, you've seen Top Gun. Probably several times. You probably used a few of the one-liners at some point, whether you realized it or not. It was a pivotal blockbuster of the day, and I'd even say it has become a part of... »
Tour of Duty: Pilot (1987)
I just started watching the 1987 CBS TV show, "Tour of Duty" again, thanks to Netflix. I've only (re)seen the pilot, but man, even watching that again brought back some memories. I would have to say that this show is one of the things that made me a fan of the war movie genre.... »
Platoon (1986, Blu Ray)
I have to say, I was looking forward to seeing Oliver Stone's Platoon on Blu Ray for the first time. But you know what? It's still the same movie. My original review of Platoon as a film I think is still pretty much spot on. But after four-and-a-half years (has it been that long?... »
The Killing Fields (1984)
There are some movies which are just plain difficult to watch, but you really need to watch them anyway. 1984's The Killing Fields is one of those pictures. Towards the end of the Vietnam war, the US briefly attempted to expand the war into Cambodia, with disastrous results. The existing government was overthrown and... »
War Requiem (1989)
Take a beautiful piece of classical music, Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem", toss in a healthy dose of opera-ish direction and production, some fine actors, a lot of artistic vision, shake well, and throw in some preachy bits, and you've got War Requiem. Frankly, I wasn't sure what to expect from this. I'm not a... »
Radio Bikini (1988)
Radio Bikini is a short documentary that explores the "able" and "baker" nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946. Actually the movie is sort of a two-fold documentary. One part examines the "takeover" of the atoll by American forces and the subsequent "relocation" of the native peoples. Basically they fed them a bunch... »
84 Charlie MoPic (1989)
Well, I finally managed to, um, find a way to watch this in its entirety, and quite frankly its not quite as good as I remembered. But 84 Charlie MoPic is still a decent, little-known (and incredibly hard to come by) film about a squad during the Vietnam war, being "documented" by an army... »
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Born on the Fourth of July is Oliver Stone's second entry in his "Vietnam Trilogy" (Platoon, Heavan and Earth) and in my opinion, is the most powerful of the three. In fact, I would say it's even more relevant to today than any of them, and maybe that's why. While Platoon seems a bit... »
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985, TV)
The Dirty Dozen will live as one of the quintessential war movie classics. Its unique blend of action and humor, along with an incredible ensemble cast ensures it will always be on the top of any war movie list. Then there's the sequel, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission. Unfortunately everything that made the original... »
First Blood (1982)
Ah, the one that started it all, that introduced us to the now immortal character of John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), ex Green Beret turned ronin samurai, defender of freedom and justice wherever he's needed. Only in First Blood, he's not that man. Really you have to wonder where the entire "Rambo" persona came... »
