Long forgotten movie classics

redrumloa

redrumloa

Active Member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Messages
14,060
Reaction score
2,044
As I've stated a few times, I really don't like much of what Hollywood is pumping out these days. It is mostly paint by numbers boring films, and ultra-lazy reboots that are pale comparisons to the originals. I've been searching out old films that are forgotten classics. One I just watched which was quite good is called The Valley Of Gwangi.


Despite being from 1969, the special effects hold up very well. I actually find these stop motion practical effects to be more believable than most CGI nowadays. Except for a couple small complaints I have, I find it to be a smarter film that most of the garbage lately. If you like monster movies with old fashioned pacing, give this one a try. You can even watch it online for free HERE. If you do watch it, let me know what you think.

Any suggestions for old or ancient classic movies that are completely forgotten? I don't care what era, B&W, silent, whatever. Not a huge drama person, but if it's a good period piece I may even watch it. Horror, War or SciFi films get an extra thumbs up.
 
I thought I started a war movie thread once upon a time here, but I can't find it. Can anyone suggest a good war movie? I've been thinking about WW1 or American Civil War, but any gritty realistic war movie will do if it is an excellent movie. Yes I've seen Saving Private Ryan and Downfall(Der Untergang). I thought Band Of Brothers was a good TV series too. I've not seen as many WW1 or Civil War films.

Anyone?
 
redrumloa said:
I thought I started a war movie thread once upon a time here, but I can't find it. Can anyone suggest a good war movie? I've been thinking about WW1 or American Civil War, but any gritty realistic war movie will do if it is an excellent movie. Yes I've seen Saving Private Ryan and Downfall(Der Untergang). I thought Band Of Brothers was a good TV series too. I've not seen as many WW1 or Civil War films.

Anyone?
Click to expand...

WW2

"To Hell and Back"
To Hell And Back is a true-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Staring Audie Murphy as himself

"Big Red One"
semi-autobiographical story of a squad of sharpshooters trying not to die in The Big Red One.

"A Bridge too Far"
Operation Market Garden WWII

WWI

"All Quiet on the Western Front"
German soldier caught in trench warfare

"The Lost Battalion"
the Lost Battalion of World War I, which was cut off and surrounded by German forces in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1918.

Civil War

"Glory"

"Ironclads"

"The Red Badge of Courage"
 
metalman said:
WW2

"To Hell and Back"
To Hell And Back is a true-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Staring Audie Murphy as himself

"Big Red One"
semi-autobiographical story of a squad of sharpshooters trying not to die in The Big Red One.

"A Bridge too Far"
Operation Market Garden WWII
Click to expand...

I've seen The Big Red One and A Bridge Too Far. Both good movies and A Bridge Too Far in particular is a classic of the genre.
I'll try to check out To Hell And Back at some point.

Another WWII favourite of mine is Kelly's Heroes, worth watching for Donald Sutherland's character alone.
 
redrumloa said:
I thought I started a war movie thread once upon a time here, but I can't find it. Can anyone suggest a good war movie? I've been thinking about WW1 or American Civil War, but any gritty realistic war movie will do if it is an excellent movie. Yes I've seen Saving Private Ryan and Downfall(Der Untergang). I thought Band Of Brothers was a good TV series too. I've not seen as many WW1 or Civil War films.
Click to expand...

Well, not exactly a war movie. But if you really want a gritty, realistic depiction of what the 70's/80's WWIII would have been... There is nothing that tops the horror of Threads, if you were never subjected to it during your late childhood. Everyone should see it once. And once is plenty for a lifetime.
 
ilwrath said:
There is nothing that tops the horror of Threads, if you were never subjected to it during your late childhood. Everyone should see it once. And once is plenty for a lifetime.
Click to expand...

Whilst that's probably true, I've actually seen it three times. Once as a kid and twice as an adult. It still stands up reasonably well for a made-for-TV production.
I'll probably watch it again someday too as I'm a sucker for bleak, dystopian storylines.
 
ilwrath said:
Well, not exactly a war movie. But if you really want a gritty, realistic depiction of what the 70's/80's WWIII would have been... There is nothing that tops the horror of Threads, if you were never subjected to it during your late childhood. Everyone should see it once. And once is plenty for a lifetime.
Click to expand...

I've never seen it! Thanks for the heads up, it will probably be my next watch.
 
While not forgotten by our generation, probably forgotten by millennials is 2001: A Space Odyssey. I watched that again yesterday for the first time in probably 2 decades. I doubt millennials could handle it's snail slow pacing. It's a bit much for me at points, but I still love the film. I don't care how much money you throw at CGI, some of these scenes in it can't be replicated that way. The ending has always baffled me though. Sure I have theories in my head of what the meaning is supposed to mean, but it is so random it is just theories. Is that the way it was intended? Open for interpretation? HAL 9000 is still frightening.
 
Robert said:
Whilst that's probably true, I've actually seen it three times. Once as a kid and twice as an adult. It still stands up reasonably well for a made-for-TV production.
I'll probably watch it again someday too as I'm a sucker for bleak, dystopian storylines.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I like a dystopian story now and then. But ouch. 3 times, eh? I've actually seen it twice. Once in the late 80's... And once about 15 years ago, my friend and I watched it again. His wife had never seen it. She didn't believe it could be what we remembered. And, honestly, we both wanted to see if it was what we remembered, too. It delivered.

Again, like Red mentioned with some movies from that era... The pacing is all different from anything modern. It's a long, slow, inevitable trip. And for certain types of stories that works so well.
 
redrumloa said:
The ending has always baffled me though. Sure I have theories in my head of what the meaning is supposed to mean, but it is so random it is just theories. Is that the way it was intended? Open for interpretation?
Click to expand...

Even the book isn't explicit about the ending but it gives some potential clues that are not in the film. Well worth a read, as are the sequels, IMO.
 
Robert said:
I'll probably watch it again someday too as I'm a sucker for bleak, dystopian storylines.
Click to expand...

It sounds similar to the movie The Road. If you haven't seen it yet, you'd probably like it. It can be a hard watch more than once as it can show humanity as quite ugly. It was a direct to video movie so the effects aren't perfect, but it is a good movie.

 
I just got finished watching Threads, thanks for the heads up. Yeah, that film was much more dark and brutal than the American movie The Day After which came out a year earlier. I enjoyed it but as mentioned, it can be a hard watch! All out nuclear war wouldn't be pretty though!
 
While not "long lost", I also watched Dunkirk for the first time last week. I enjoyed it, even though some of the plot seemed to be taking liberties for dramatic effect. My friend was telling me Darkest Hour(2017) is an even better film and almost a companion film to Dunkirk.

Has anyone here seen Darkest Hour? Did you like it? I'll probably watch regardless, just curious.
 
Big up for Kelly's Heroes, I'll throw in The Battle of Britain, since it was both historically accurate and had just about every English actor in circulation at the time who could run walk or crawl starring in it.

I'll also add The Crow, simply because it's one of my favourite films of all times, as well as Dark City. In terms of war films... Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarone are two that stick out for me that I've not seen mentioned yet.

I know this is a bit OT, but if you're into old school style buddy cop movies like the original Lethal Weapon and also fantasy stuff, you might want to check out Bright on Netflix. I found it surprisingly well paced and it built a believable world.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top