the hurt locker | Bottlegate

I’ve been meaning to make this list for awhile now but since it’s Veteran’s Day I guess it’s fitting to discuss our favorite war movies. I know that war absolutely sucks, is awful and that Hollywood sensationalizes it, but I’m the first to admit I’m a sucker for a good war flick that really gets my blood flowing and patriotism going. Without further ado, here’s our top 10:

Honorable Mention

The Kingdom

Underrated movie starring Jamie Foxx. The last 30 minutes are about as intense as a movie can get.

Top 10

10. Jarhead

While this one doesn’t have many actual battle scenes in it, it shows the day to day lifestyle of a typical soldier in the middle east. I liked it because it’s not your normal war flick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T9EC3ZpPIw

9. Apocalypse Now

An older movie but it still holds up to the flicks of today. Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford… Yeah this movie had some star power.

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

8. Inglorious Basterds

Obviously not historically accurate but you’re left cheering at the end when Hitler is shot about 5,000 times then left to burn while the movie theater is on fire.

7. The Deer Hunter

I’ll always remember this movie as the first time I was introduced to the term “Russian Roulette” and the first time I saw Christopher Walken in a movie. Many scenes were filmed in Ohio too.

6. The Patriot

Back when Mel Gibson didn’t hate everyone and everything, he was the man. The Patriot will always be a timeless classic.

5. Zero Dark Thirty

Admittedly I’m not as high on ZDT as others are but I can’t deny it was a extremely well made movie. If you weren’t on the edge of your seat while they were going through Osama’s compound at the end then you probably don’t have a pulse either.

4. Saving Private Ryan

Confession time: I’ve never seen Saving Private Ryan from start to finish in one sitting. Collectively I’ve seen it a bunch of times, but one sitting? Nope. Still, it’s too good to ignore, and is at the top of most people’s lists.

3. The Hurt Locker

Won 6 awards at the 2010 Academy Awards while also walking away with Best Picture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxSDZc8etg

2. Lone Survivor

This is the one that resonated with me most. I read the book about two years before the movie came out and followed everything about Marcus Luttrell and his team until the movie. I saw it with my girlfriend and at the end I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater. I don’t think I said a word for about 15 minutes after it ended, it was that powerful. I’ve never felt that way after walking out of a movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP-uq-dHJi0

1. Full Metal Jacket

In my opinion, the GOAT. So many things stick out in my mind about this movie. From Gomer Pyle, Private Joker, “M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E,” John Wayne, Born To Kill… to bars of soap in a pillowcase, “This is my rifle, this is my gun,” and a foul mouth drill sergeant. Full Metal Jacket takes the top spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9f6JaaX7Wg