I'm not even sure how to begin with (or end, or even put the stuff in the middle of) this review. On the one hand, Stalingrad is a stark depiction of what it must have been like during the battle of the same name. Full of vivid, graphic, and disturbing imagery, it paints a depressing picture, and rightly so. Not only in the production and effects, but the main characters, a squad of Germans, themselves get torn apart, inside and out, until the very end.

On the other hand, I found the film lacking in a few respects. The characters themselves don't seem to have much personality at all. The one exception might be the company Lieutenant, Witzland (Thomas Kretschmann.) He is the epitome of the man thrust into the heart of an evil situation, trying hopelessly to do the right thing, and it winds up the method of his destruction....

Yet another addition to the "all time best classic war movies" list, 1954's The Bridges at Toko-Ri stands as a shining example of quite possibly the perfect war movie. Well, maybe that's stretching it, but man, this is really hard to beat.

The film starts on board the aircraft carrier Savo Island in the middle of the Korean war. These carrier deck scenes are just truly incredible, as a near documentary of early navy jet aviation. The Navy provided extensive support and access for this film, and the Grumman F9F Panthers nearly steal the show. Nearly.

One pilot, Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden) has to ditch due to mechanical trouble, and is rescued from the cold and choppy waters of the North Pacific by Mike (Mickey Rooney) and Nestor (Earl Holliman). It's from here that his descent starts.

Stalingrad. The name conjures up many images, none of them pleasant. This 2003 three-part documentary explores the fiasco that was the Battle of Stalingrad, through interviews with survivors on both sides, reenactments, and still imagery. Produced in Germany, I was actually surprised how frank it was, and also on how apolitical it was. Neither side (the Nazis or the Russians) were portrayed as particularly "good" or "evil", but rather both armies got equal treatment. That is to say, only the terrible facts and the stories from those who were there, and how they remembered it.

For those wondering what I'm talking about, in 1942 the Nazis made a huge push into southwest Russia, heading for the oilfields on one front, and attempting to take the city bearing the name of Hitler's archenemy, Stalingrad. The fighting was intense and bloody, and the Germans spent the winter pinned down in "the Kessel", surrounded. It turned out to be the bloodiest winter of the war.

From the masterminds behind "The Pink Panther" (no not the cartoon!) Blake Edwards, and composer Henry Mancini, comes What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? A hilarious and irreverant picture that really doesn't have much to do with the war, or anyone's daddy, except to serve as a backdrop to some pretty damn funny comedy.

The "by-the-book" Captain Cash (Dick Shawn) is tasked with taking a small Italian village with his newly entrusted company led by Lt. Christian (James Coburn). What they find instead is an Italian company more than eager to surrender without a fight. On one condition: That they allow the festival they are currently celebrating to continue. Once its over, they will surrender peacefully.

"Whatever the Dirty Dozen did they do it dirtier!"

Well, I don't know about that. I do know that the Italian made 70's B-movie campfest Inglorious Bastards was surprisingly a lot of fun. This despite an obvious low-budget production, mediocre writing, and even more mediocre acting. Hey, this is late 70s cheese at its finest. I can see why Quentin Tarantino is looking at remaking this, its right up his alley. I suspect his will be even more cheesy, though, as he has a tendency to amplify this sort of thing... Anyway!

Our band of GI prisoners escape their transport in 1944 France. Led by the rogue Lt. Yeager (Bo Svenson), and featuring Fred Williamson (of Black Caesar, and MASH fame) as the cocky killer Canfield.... plus tagalongs Tony (Peter Hooten), the cleptomaniac Nick (Michael Pergolani), and the shell-shocked Berle (Jackie Basehart). From there they try to fight their way to Switzerland, and presumably freedom. Along the way they pick up an escaped German criminal-slash-escapee, Adolf (Raimund Harmstorf).

If I had to choose a word to describe 1969's The Bridge at Remagen, it would be *angry*. That's just the feeling I had coming away from this movie. Everyone in this movie is pissed off, all the time. But that doesn't necessarily make for a bad film.

The Germans have been ordered to destroy the bridge at Remagen rather than have it fall into enemy hands, however, General von Brock (Peter Van Eyck) orders Major Krueger (Robert Vaugn) to keep it open as long as possible, in order to give the retreating Germans a chance to escape.

Meanwhile, on the Allied side, Lt. Hartman (George Segal) and his squad, led by Sgt. Angelo (Ben Gazzara) are charged with preventing said destruction, and of course, all hell breaks loose.

Japan's Longest Day deals with the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. What makes this movie particularly interesting is the perspective, that of the Japanese. I didn't know what to expect from this film going in, and I have to say I was surprised, intrigued, educated, and even a bit entertained.

Based on the true events following the Allies' Potsdam Declaration, we witness the events in between that event, and the ground-breaking broadcast of the Emperor's voice over the radio, finally declaring the Japanese defeat.