"Raiders of the Lost Ark" as a WW2 Film

Stoo

Well-known member
Unsure of what forum to put this in. General IJ Discussion or Films?:confused:

"Raiders" is an adventure/fantasy film set during the pre-WW2 era. In the years leading up to it's release,
that war was very prominent in cinema and, after 1981, the subject seemed to have suddenly disappeared
until 1990 with "Memphis Belle". (Even so, MB wasn't very popular so I can't recall how long it was until
the next one came out). The past 10 years has seen a resurgnece in WW2 stories to the big screen but,
man, the '80s and early '90s were scant.

1975 Midway
1976 The Eagle Has Landed
1976 Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV series)
1977 A Bridge Too Far
1978 Force 10 From Navarone (w/H.Ford!)
1979 Hanover Street (w/H.Ford!)
1980 The Final Countdown
1980 The Big Red One (w/M.Hamill)
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark (w/H.Ford!)
1990 Memphis Belle

What am I forgetting? I know "Raiders" isn't technically WW2 but the last half sometimes feels like one.;)
(Before ROTLA) The Final Countdown seems to be the only one with fantasy elements. Sci-fi became all the rage
after Star Wars but Apocalypse Now & Boys in Company C turned the focus of Hollywood war films on Vietnam.
(Not to mention that the genre had been milked enough, after 40 years.)

There might be more that are eluding me at the moment but I suppose my whole point is that "Raiders" and
"Crusade" may be the only 1980s Hollywood movies to feature World War II era Germans! What else is there?
 
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Stoo

Well-known member
Thanks guys.

I forgot completely about "1941". (Haven't seen it since it came out.)
"Das Boot" is not Hollywood.
"The Keep"! Yes, I did think of that one but forgot to mention it!(y)
 
Das Boot is still one of the greatest WW2 films ever made. The uncut 5 hour TV version is the best, edited for theatrical distribution worldwide.

The Keep was an excellent book but the film was laughably bad. The studio recut it. It's an incohesive mess with effects that look like a bad episode of 60's Star Trek. Michael Mann should have his directorial credit replaced with Alan Smithee.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Agent Spalko said:
Das Boot is still one of the greatest WW2 films ever made. The uncut 5 hour TV version is the best, edited for theatrical distribution worldwide.
Indeed, but it isn't Hollywood. Granted it was well-known in the early '80s so I suppose it's worthy of the list.;)
I have the full 5-hour version on VHS. It's way better.

Agent Spalko said:
The Keep was an excellent book but the film was laughably bad. The studio recut it. It's an incohesive mess with effects that look like a bad episode of 60's Star Trek. Michael Mann should have his directorial credit replaced with Alan Smithee.
Never read the book but...the film was pretty bad. It is interesting, though, for a WW2/fantasy story.
Alan Smithee? Well, this was before "Miami Vice". Maybe you can forgive him for using his own name?

Any more '80s WW2 movies?
 
There were a good deal of SS nazisploitation rapefantasy flicks in the 80s. Sure, they were at their prominence in the 70s... but they continued into the 80s.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
ResidentAlien said:
There were a good deal of SS nazisploitation rapefantasy flicks in the 80s. Sure, they were at their prominence in the 70s... but they continued into the 80s.
Yes, I know. I've seen 2 "Elsa" movies and they were garbage. (Not even in the so-bad-it's-good category.)
"rapefantasy"? Is that a term you coined yourself? I'm talking about Hollywood WW2 movies during the '80s,
not what you're talking about.:sick:
 
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Victory
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