List of Movies, TV, documentaries, etc (ArmA)

[Snake Man]

There was previous List of Movies, TV, documentaries, etc topic in the OFP forum, so I decided to open an updated version of that topic here. Who knows, maybe third generation topic emerges on ArmA 2 area lateron hehe.

This topics first post is updated for all the good/famous/etc Vietnam War tv, movie or documentary materials. While we cannot directly get historical data from movies and such, at least it gives us nice NAM mood and perhaps some mission ideas or such. Of course documentaries with real footage are then stuff what we can use to improve VTE directly.

Feel free to post corrections to the list or your favourite NAM video title(s). It would be great to have this grow a long list of NAM tv/movie/video material.

Here we go.

Movies

Platoon
Movie. Its pretty well known and good NAM movie. imdb link here


Full Metal Jacket
Hardcore NAM movie, starts from USMC boot camp and goes to Vietnam from there. imdb link here


Tour of Duty
TV series from 1987, amazingly good to give that dirty jungle NAM feeling. Three seasons, total of 58 episodes. imdb link here.


Apocalypse Now
Old movie, quite good, kind of sicko movie but still good NAM stuff. In this movie they say that well knows "I love the smell of napalm in the morning.". imdb link here


We Were Soldiers
New pure Vietnam fighting movie, can relate to OFP VTE greatly because the fighting is the historical Ia Drang valley Landing Zone X-Ray combat. As this is new movie, you get excellent DTS sounds and picture quality. Very enjoyable movie with good compat scenes and lots of it. imdb link here


Good Morning, Vietnam
Famous Robin Williams more or less comedy movie from the war. The legendary shout "goood moooorning Vietnaaaam!" should be familiar with everyone.
imdb link here


Casualties of War
A bit sentimental girlie movie in my taste, ie too much crybaby shit. But still, a NAM movie and thats what were listing here. imdb link here


Hamburger Hill
I have personally seen this movie when I was like 12, dont much remember except it has alot of combat in it. imdb link here


Bat 21
"Lt. Col. Iceal "Ham" Hambleton is a weapons countermeasures expert and when his aircraft is shot over enemy territory the Air Force very much wants to get him back." Imdb link.


Dead Presidents
There is Vietnam action in this movie, but its very small part and I'd say rather weak action. Imdb link.


Rescue Dawn
2006 movie about US pilot getting shot down and taken POW by the NVA/VC. Pretty bad ass treatment in horrible conditions for him. "A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War." Imdb link.


The Green Berets
1968 John Wayne Vietnam movie. What I liked about this movie is that as its filmed in '68 so you dont have to worry about proper vehicle/equipment casting, you dont have to hide blackhawks from the background etc, what you see is the real thing as it was filmed actually when the war was still raging. On the movie action side of things, what can you expect from '68 movie heh, there was no crap just nice war action pretty much all around. "Col. Mike Kirby picks two teams of crack Green Berets for a mission in South Vietnam. First off is to build and control a camp that is trying to be taken by the enemy the second mission is to kidnap a North Vietnamese General" Imdb link.


Heaven & Earth
Oliver Stone film. "The final movie in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy follows the true story of a Vietnamese village girl who survives a life of suffering and hardship during and after the Vietnam war." Imdb link.


Sword of Honour
"Sword of Honour was an Australian miniseries which was made in 1986 and aired on Channel Seven. Four 100-minute episodes were made. The series was about two young men who are trying to get over the horrors of the Vietnam War."
wikipedia link.


The Odd Angry Shot
is an Australian movie based on Australian soldiers and their experiences during the Vietnam War. It follows the departure and tour of duty of an Australian Special Air Service Regiment reconnaissance team and avoids much of the political comment on Australia’s involvement in Vietnam; a theme that became more popular in the 1980’s when Hollywood began to explore the rights and wrongs of the Vietnam War.
Although the cap badges and berets worn in the film are correct for SASR, the missions and training are not representative of the SASR role in Vietnam, but match more closely those of the conventional light infantry of the Royal Australian Regiment, several battalions of whom also served in Vietnam.


How Sleep the Brave
A very early movie, in fact 1981.. A squad of young fresh American soldiers are sent to Vietnam. Immediately upon their arrival, they are sent on a very hazardous mission into the jungle losing a couple of them on the way. As soon as they return to camp they have no time to rest and are sent out again on a long jaunt to destroy a V.C. village. After destroying the village they embark on the journey back to camp


A Bright Shinhing Lie
Based on a true story, the story of Paul Van, the one american who actually knew how to win the war.



Documentary


Battlefield Vietnam
Documentary series by PBS, has like 12 episodes 45mins each. Very good details on the major battles fought in the war. Check imdb here.


Inside the Vietnam War
National Geographic Documentary with very good video quality and video footage, the map references arent that "accurate" or cool as in battlefield vietnam, but still good stuff. Somewhat repeat after battlefield vietnam though, but highly recommended for clear and crisp video footage from Ia Drang battle for example, has some cruesome images in there. National Geographic link.


Vietnam's Unseen War
National Geographic documentary. National Geographic link.


Another Vietnam
National Geographic documentary. National Geographic link.


The Ten Thousand Day War
Documentary. "A comprehensive history of the American stage of the Vietnam War." Imdb link.


Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
Documentary kind of, real war footage. imdb link here


Hearts and Minds
Documentary sob story. imdb link here


Secrets of War, Vietnam: Alpha Strike
Somewhat "macho clishe" stuff in my taste, but still has real war footage. Has interview with that Randy Cunningham about when he downed a North Vietnamese MiG.


Battleplan
This tv documentary series includes I believe 18 episodes, not all of them contain Vietnam material. A little bit boring/annoying to watch as it mixes up different era comparisons, lets say assault in WWII, Vietnam and in Operation Iraq Freedom. Check details from wikipedia battleplan.


Little Dieter Needs to Fly
Documentary of US pilot getting shot down over Laos. This is the documentary from 1997 which later was made a movie "Rescue Dawn" in 2006. "In 1966, Dieter Dengler was shot down over Laos, captured, and, down to 85 pounds, escaped. Barefoot, surviving monsoons, leeches, and machete-wielding villagers, he was rescued. Now, near 60, living on Mt. Tamalpais, Dengler tells his story: a German lad surviving Allied bombings in World War II, postwar poverty, apprenticed to a smith, beaten regularly. At 18, he emigrates and peels potatoes in the U.S. Air Force. He leaves for California and college, then enlistment in the Navy to learn to fly. A quiet man of sorrows tells his story: war, capture, harrowing conditions, escape, and miraculous rescue. Where did he find the strength; how does he now live with his memories?" Imdb link.


National Geographic Helicopter Wars Vietnam Firefight
Good color footage of Huey's in Vietnam. The whole documentary/episode is about Huey and Huey only. It tells a story where two hueys extracted lot of people under a firefight. Recreated scenes with some mixed war era and present time footage of hueys.


CBS News Vietnam War
This is CBS news real footage, mostly on black and white format, I believe its titled "The Vietnam War with Walter Cronkite" or something like that. Didn't found imdb entry for it. Its 12 part series, seems to be 1hour per episode. Apr 2011 it appeared on torrent sites, so just use google for "cbs news vietnam war torrent" and you will get hits.

[NeF]

apocalypse now "quite" good??
It's a masterchief, as well for the scenario, feeling, ambiance, sounds, acting of actors,etc.
Only some small details hurt as the 30rds mags lol

[Frantz]

... As long it is not camoed us patton tanks used to simulate german WW2 tanks ...

Thanks for the list mate !

[Mickd]

Rescue Dawn
2006 movie about US pilot getting shot down and taken POW by the NVA/VC. Pretty bad ass treatment in horrible conditions for him. "A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War." Imdb link.

There is also a documentry made about this particular case called 'Little Dieter Wants to Fly'. Interesting fact is the pilot was actually German who moved to the states after WWII. This film is terrible compared to teh documentry.

[Snake Man]

Thanks Mickd, that info was added to the first post in the growing list of movies/documentaries. Thank you for posting.

[Snake Man]

I just watched The Green Berets (1968) for the first time. I updated the the movie description to the first post as shown below.

The Green Berets
1968 John Wayne Vietnam movie. What I liked about this movie is that as its filmed in '68 so you dont have to worry about proper vehicle/equipment casting, you dont have to hide blackhawks from the background etc, what you see is the real thing as it was filmed actually when the war was still raging. On the movie action side of things, what can you expect from '68 movie heh, there was no crap just nice war action pretty much all around. "Col. Mike Kirby picks two teams of crack Green Berets for a mission in South Vietnam. First off is to build and control a camp that is trying to be taken by the enemy the second mission is to kidnap a North Vietnamese General" Imdb link.

Oh and while I was at it, I updated bat 21 and dead presidents infos.

Bat 21
"Lt. Col. Iceal "Ham" Hambleton is a weapons countermeasures expert and when his aircraft is shot over enemy territory the Air Force very much wants to get him back." Imdb link.


Dead Presidents
There is Vietnam action in this movie, but its very small part and I'd say rather weak action. Imdb link.

[Snake Man]

Thanks for SonarMB for the info, I have now updated the movies list:

Sword of Honour
"Sword of Honour was an Australian miniseries which was made in 1986 and aired on Channel Seven. Four 100-minute episodes were made. The series was about two young men who are trying to get over the horrors of the Vietnam War."
wikipedia link.

[SonarMB]

The Odd Angry Shot is an Australian movie based on Australian soldiers and their experiences during the Vietnam War. It follows the departure and tour of duty of an Australian Special Air Service Regiment reconnaissance team and avoids much of the political comment on Australia’s involvement in Vietnam; a theme that became more popular in the 1980’s when Hollywood began to explore the rights and wrongs of the Vietnam War.
Although the capbadges and berets worn in the film are correct for SASR, the missions and training are not representative of the SASR role in Vietnam, but match more closely those of the conventional light infantry of the Royal Australian Regiment, several battalions of whom also served in Vietnam.

A very early movie, in fact 1981 "How Sleep the Brave"..A squad of young fresh American soldiers are sent to Vietnam. Immediately upon their arrival, they are sent on a very hazardous mission into the jungle losing a couple of them on the way. As soon as they return to camp they have no time to rest and are sent out again on a long jaunt to destroy a V.C. village. After destroying the village they embark on the journey back to camp

One more Australian production is Vietnam (TV series) starred a young (hubba hubba) Nicole Kidman.

And a personal Favorite, which is based on a true story, "A Bright Shinhing Lie" the story of Paul Van, the one american who actually knew how to win the war.

[Snake Man]

Thanks man, first post updated.

[SonarMB]

"A Bright Shining Lie is also a book.http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Shining-Li ... 0679724141 Paul Van read and understood Benard Fall's book "Street Without Joy" which chronicals the French debacle in Indo-China. Others to have read SWJ were then LtCol Hal Moore of the 1/7th Cav aka Air Cav( of Ira Drang Valley fame), and Australian LTCOL Ted Serong who commanded the first of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam(AATTV , The AATV remains the highest awarded unit of the Australian Army with Victoria Cross (VC) 4
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) 2
Order of the British Empire (OBE) 3
Member of the British Empire (MBE) 6
Military Cross (MC) 6
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) 20
Military Medal (MM) 16
British Empire Medal (BEM) 4
Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) 49
Queens Commendation 4

[Snake Man]

Just posted this on the first post:

National Geographic Helicopter Wars Vietnam Firefight
Good color footage of Huey's in Vietnam. The whole documentary/episode is about Huey and Huey only. It tells a story where two hueys extracted lot of people under a firefight. Recreated scenes with some mixed war era and present time footage of hueys.