Customer Reviews

War Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The "classics" in the WAR CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK must surely be the many contemporary documentaries included in this set. These chronicles of a war in progress are both American and foreign made-- the most unusual for Western eyes being those from the USSR. The theatrical films included here aren't blockbusters by any means, yet they should still have appeal to fans of the war genre.

The 1 to 10 rating for this box set was determined by accumulated pollng data located at a film resource website. Based on these numbers, the current average score for WAR CLASSICS is: 6.4.

The alphabetized program list that follows includes individual poll scores, country of origin (if other than USA), year of release and principal actors.

(6.7) The Adventures Of Tartu ("Sabotage Agent") (1943) - Robert Donat
(4.1) After Mein Kampf (1961-doc.)
(6.9) Appointment In Tokyo (1945-doc.)
(7.3) Attack In The Pacific (1944-doc.)
(6.9) Attack! The Battle For New Britain (1944-doc.)
(???) The Avenger (Yugo/Italy/France-1962) - Steeve Reeves
(7.9) The Battle Of Britain (1943-doc.) - d. Frank Capra
(7.3) The Battle Of China (1944-doc.) - d. Frank Capra
(7.4) The Battle Of Russia (doc.) 1943 - d. Frank Capra
(7.7) (The Battle Of) San Pietro (1945-doc.)
(6.3) The Big Lift (1950) - Montgomery Clift/Paul Douglas
(6.3) Blood On The Sun (1945) - James Cagney/Silvia Sidney
(5.4) The Bushwhackers (1952) - John Ireland/Wayne Morris
(4.7) Captain Scarlett (1953) - Richard Greene
(6.1) Combat America (1943-doc.) Clark Gable
(6.8) December 7th(, 1941) (1943-doc.) - d. John Ford
(7.5) Desert Victory (1943-doc.)
(4.0) The Devil's Cavaliers (Italy-1959) - Frank Latimore
(7.4) Divide And Conquer (1943-doc.)
(7.0) Eagle In A Cage (USA/UK/Yugo-1972) - John Gielgud/Ralph Richardson
(2.9) Escape From Angola (1976) - Stan Brock
(5.7) Flying Blind (1941) - Richard Arlen
(6.8) Go For Broke! (1951) - Van Johnson
(???) The Great Battle Of The Volga (USSR-1962-doc.)
(6.0) Gung Ho! ("The Story Of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders") (1943) - Randolph Scott/Noah Beery
(4.8) Hell In Normandy (Italy/France-1968) - Guy Madison
(5.9) Kansas Pacific (1953) - Sterling Haydn/Eve Miller
(???) The KGB Connections (1982-TV doc.)
(8.3) The Last Chance (Switz.-1945)
(6.9) (With The) Marines At Tarawa-Return To Guam (1944-doc.)
(4.5) The Mark Of The Hawk (1957) - Eartha Kitt/Sidney Poitier
(7.7) The Memphis Belle: A Story Of The Flying Fortress (1944-doc.) - d. William Wyler
(7.3) The Nazis Strike (1943-doc.) - d. Frank Capra
(6.7) Nuremberg Trials (USSR-1947-doc.)
(???) Payoff In The Pacific (1945-doc.)
(7.3) Prelude To War (1943-doc.) - d. Frank Capra
(3.4) The Proud And The Damned (1972) - Chuck Connors/Cesar Romero
(6.8) Report from The Aleutians (1943-doc.) - d. John Huston
(9.0) The Secret Life Of Adolf Hitler (1958-TV doc.)
(5.3) The Stilwell Road (1945-doc.)
(???) Submarine Warfare (1945-doc.) - n. Gene Kelly
(5.6) This Is The Army (1943) - George Murphy/Joan Leslie
(7.3) Three Came Home (1950) - Claudette Colbert/Patric Knowles
(7.7) Thunderbolt (1947-doc) - d. John Sturges/William Wyler
(7.7) To The Shores Of Iwo Jima (1945-doc.)
(5.7) The Torch (Mex./USA-1950) - Paulette Goddard/Gilbert Roland
(8.2) The True Glory (1945-doc.) - d. Garson Kanin
(7.0) Tunisian Victory (1944-doc.) - d. Frank Capra
(5.2) Warhead (1972) - David Janssen
(3.6) Yellowneck (1955) - Lin McCarthy

The movies and documentaries are:


Movies:
The Avenger
Yellowneck
Three Came Home
War Head
The Devil's Cavaliers
The Mark of the Hawk
Escape from Angola
The Proud and the Damned
The Torch Paulette
Hell in Normandy
The Adventures of Tartu
Captain Scarlett
The Last Chance
The Bushwackers
Kansas Pacific
Blood on the Sun
Flying Blind
Eagle in a Cage
The Big Lift
This Is the Army
Go For Broke
Gung Ho

Documentaries:
December 7, 1941
Divide and Conquer
Desert Victory
The Great Battle of the Volga
The Nazis Strike
Attack in the Pacific
Attack! The Battle for New Britain
After Mein Kampf
Lawrence Nuremberg Trials
The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler
The Battle of China
The Battle of Russia
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of San Pietro
Combat America
Prelude to War
Payoff in the Pacific
True Glory
Tunisian Victory
The KGB Connections
Report from the Aleutians
The Stilwell Road
Submarine Warfare
The Memphis Belle
Thunderbolt
To the Shores of Iwo Jima
Appointment in Tokyo
Marines at Tarawa-Return to Guam

There are about 6 another genre boxes from this studio and I have 4 of them, Most of them has Cheap and B movies with owful qualities that you cannot watch most of them although you can say that you have a Huge collection of classic movies!
But this box is different. It has 28 WWII documentaries plus 22 War movies which most of them have transfered in rather good quality and most of them are in color. this box really deserves something and you'll got an excellent collection.
The only other box except this one which worth to buy in these collections is "50 MOVIE MARTIAL ARTS CLASSICS" which there is surprisingly no sign on it on amazon.com
and there is a complain about the box, although this is a rather cheap DVD collection but it's not a good reason that the studio, sell it in an extremely weak paper box. If you buy it from amazon.com, you'll probably receive it undamaged but if you order it to a 3rd party seller, It will be highly possible that you receive a sealed but damaged box and it's not fault of the seller. such a weak box needs a hugh box that costs more than the price that amazon.com charge you for the shipping cost of an item! It was good if they packaged these collections with a better box.

Don't blame Amazon for the lack of title info; the distributor does not provide the titles in its sales copy, which Amazon has reproduced exactly. Considering the number of products here, it would take quite a hefty staff to do otherwise, and you can kiss Amazon's low prices goodbye!

The cover art of this set (which Amazon doesn't have at the moment) lists a few titles:

A Farewell To Arms
Against the Wind
Home of the Brave
Clouds Over Europe
The Big Lift
Anna Karenina
Hill Number One
This Is The Army
Sundown

We can safely assume that the rest of the titles are less well-known, but if it's true to the series there will be some unknown gems, and probably quite a few stinkers including some made-for-TV drek. It is also possible that one or more of the films named may not be the well-known version.

But the bottom line: $0.63 per movie. Do you really need to know more than that?

This is a decent blend of fact and fiction, not to mention the anti German/Japanese propaganda films of the early 1940s. Taking this all in to consideration, it is well worth the price I paid.

Documentaries: Most were made during WW2 so they were meant to bolster morale. So some details are missing. But they are fast paced with a lot of action and great film shots. They cover most areas of the war. Excellent value.

After Mein Kampf - British documentary made during WW2 mostly covers the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany and the Hitler Youth.

The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler - Some more info about Hitler.

The Nazis Strike - Events leading up to the invasion of Poland along with the military campaign of its fall.

Divide and Conquer - One of the better documentaries made during WW2 covers the fall of Denmark, Holland, the Netherlands, Norway and France.

The Battle of Britain - Propaganda film made during WW2, has a lot of action and is interesting. However, if you want a more realistic view of what actually happened and losses encored, you may want to get the movie Battle of Britain.

The Battle of Russia - This propaganda film by the US government has so many blatant lies and half truths that it is almost painful to watch. However, it is a good example why people should not fully trust the US government to tell them the truth.

The Great Battle of the Volga - Russian documentary of the WW2 battle of Stalingrad.

Submarine Warfare - Actually this contains 2 documentaries. The first is the capture of the German submarine U505 during WW2 by the Americans (now on display in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago). Second is the use of submarines by the US in the Pacific in WW2. Much of the second documentary was staged.

Combat America - Documentary of life of a US B17 squadron. The narration is a bit corny at times. But the film is OK.

The Memphis Belle - This documentary made during WW2 is about the first US bomber which completed 25 missions in Europe.

Thunderbolt - Shows what life and combat is like for a group of P47 fighter pilots in Italy during WW2. Slow paced.

Desert Victory - British WW2 documentary covering the battles from El Alamein to the attack on Tripoli in north Africa.

Tunisian Victory - Another good documentary. This time about the North African campaign from the time of the Torch landings until the final victory over the Axis. Well made, well paced. It was made in 1944 so it does not discuss Allied failures.

The Battle of San Pietro - Attack on a town in Italy during WW2.

True Glory - Documentary made in 1945 which summarizes the war in western Europe from the build up for D-Day until the final victory. Highlights major campaigns. Good, fast paced, but limited detail as it is only 81 minutes long.

Nuremberg Trials - War crimes trial after WW2.

Prelude to War - Documentary made during WW2 showing events that lead up to the war. A lot of it is propaganda

The Battle of China - Interesting documentary made during WW2 covering the first 12 years of the war between China and Japan. Discusses the major campaigns of Japan against China.

The Stilwell Road - Documentary focuses on the opening of the road from India to China during WW2 to keep supplies flowing to the Chinese troops. Covers both the combat for and construction of the road.

December 7, 1941 - Made during WW2, many facts were omitted for security reasons. The documentary also shows US Dauntless dive bombers painted up to look like Japanese Vals. However, is interesting and has a lot of action.

Report from the Aleutians - WW2 documentary setting up an air base in the Alaskan Aleutian islands.

Attack! The Battle for New Britain - This documentary covers the US attack on the island of New Britain in the Pacific. It covers the training, invasion, and combat of US forces during the attack. Contains some interesting jungle fighting footage. My favorite of the documentaries in the set.

Attack in the Pacific - Covers Pearl Harbor and Midway battles and island hopping campaign. Info more flawed that other documentaries.

Payoff in the Pacific - Good, fast paced documentary, made after WW2, summarizes the major US campaigns in the Pacific. Limited detail because it is only 77 minutes long.

To the Shores of Iwo Jima - This 41 min documentary, made during WW2, is actually 2 in one. The first part is about the battle of Iwo. The second is the invasion of Guadalcanal. Made to build up the moral of the people back home.

Appointment in Tokyo - This 55 minute documentary made just after WW2 mostly covers the re-conquest of the Philippines by the US.

Marines at Tarawa-Return to Guam - Short documentary with a quick summary of the 2 invasions.

The KGB Connections

Movies:
THE AVENGER
YELLOWNECK
THREE CAME HOME
WAR HEAD
THE DEVIL'S CAVALIER'S
THE MARK OF THE HAWK
ESCAPE FROM ANGOLA
THE PROUD AND THE DAMNED
THE TORCH PAULETTE
HELL IN NORMANDY
THE ADVENTURS OF TARTU
CAPTAIN SCARLETT
THE LAST CHANCE
THE BUSHWACKERS
KANSAS PACIFIC
BLOOD ON THE SUN - James Cagney is a reporter trying to expose the Japanese Tanaka plan to conquer China and the US.
FLYING BLIND - Not a war movie. Sappy movie about a pilot who captures a hijacker.
EAGLE IN A CAGE
THE BIG LIFT - Interesting film about the Berlin airlift after WW2. The story is of an airman who meets a lady in Berlin, shows what her life is like, and considers getting married.
THIS IS THE ARMY
GO FOR BROKE - So-so film about the US 442 battalion of Japanese Americans in WW2. Mostly stories about the men, not much combat and little about their famous combat history.
GUNG HO

The documentaries are awesome. Really. The movies are ok too but the Official stuff is awesome. There are Russian, German, and British films here and it is unbelievable. Really.

This collection is half movies and half documentaries.I really don't watch the movies but the documentaries are fantastic. Most of them are old dating back to '45. You get to see the perspective of the war as it happened. If you like history & ww2 this is a must have!!!

This was the 2nd boxed set of this type I've bought...and another great value. I have found the quality of these DVDs to be quite good...with no problems in playback what-so-ever. The transfers are just that....transfers...not restorations...but they look fine on my 19" TV.

So far I've found one totally unexpected gem. The Torch. Made by a Mexican director about some Mexican war.....just beautiful. Wonderfully composed and lit visuals with an engaging plot line.

Many of the films are actually quite good, with a few silly ones here and there, but for less than 50 cents per film.....this boxed set is an easy, and economical way to expand your collection and always be sure you will have a film for that rainy Saturday afternoon. Recommended.

If you are seeking excellent war movies, especially WWII vintage, this is NOT the set for you. The best - and only excellent movie in this collection (in my opinion) is "Three Came Home." I would rate the others (approximately 29 movies) ranging from 'Fair' to 'Good.' Almosat all of the real-life heart-wrenching psychological dramas ("The Best Years Of Our Lives," "13 Rue Madelasine," etc. etc.) are NOT found herein. John Wayne's efforts cannot be found herein. Approximate 1/3 are from WWII; 1/3 are US from other eras (4 Civil War, and 2 cover post WWII strife - for example "The Big Lift;" and the final 1/3 (or 7 movies) pertain to other countries (4 involve France, 2 include Africa, and 1 Mexican Robin Hood(lum) revolutionary type is in "The Torch" starring Paulette Goddard. Each movie averaged 1 hour and 40 minutes running time.

Do you like history retold in a documentary format? If you do, think very carefully about purchasing this collection. I consider "Victory At Sea" to be the best of any WWII documentaries. Yet, in at least one category, these documentaries outshine "Victory at Sea." The long range history of each of our allies is extensively covered. Our enemies goals and objectives are also included. Nuremberg Trials, and "The Secret Life of Adolph Hitler" are shown to give the viewer a more balanced viewpoint. Of course, what is missing, and may never be adequately answered is "why?" Are we really that far away (above?) the animal kingdom. What is 'MAN' really like, when the trappings of civilization is withdrawn? Have you ever seen people literally go crazy on New Year's Eve? Obviously the conditions and rationale are completely different. But it takes very little coaxing to return to our roots. There are nearly 30 wonderfully thought provoking documentaries. They each average a little less than 1 hour viewing time (actually 53 minutes). It is a wonderful thought provoking epic (epoch?), that should not be missed.