Recommend Some Great Cold War films/media

[AcesandEights]

The topic about Red Dawn and a recently renewed interest in the Cold War got me wondering about what you all thought the best Cold War era films were. War, espionage, politics anything so long as it's Cold War oriented.

I'm very interested in this, as my own knowledge of films of this type is very limited. Of course, shorts, novels, historical works and other media would be a great insight, as well.

[Eagle Eye]

A film called S.S Hell Camp.

[DawnGirl27]

The Manchurian Candidate - a book made into a movie
Books by Tom Clancy and William F. Buckley, Jr.
On TV - Mission Impossible, Get Smart, and The Day After

[major jay]

A film called S.S Hell Camp.
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Cody]

Wheres EvilNed at?

[Skippy911sc]

FireFox

I loved this film!

[AcesandEights]

FireFox

I loved this film!

Ahhh, wow! I haven't seen Firefox in ages! Good call!

[Skippy911sc]

I saw a movie a looooong time ago and it was entertainging enough for me to recommend...I think it was called Bear Island...not sure if it is exactly a cold war movie but still good.

How about the Hunt for Red October
War Games... a Must SEE!
Dr. Strangelove...Who has not seen this?
Rocky 4...I think this was the Russian one... ;)
Thirteen Days...I liked it I really Liked it.
The package...if you like Hackman and Matt Dillon

[Danny]

Dr. Strangelove...Who has not seen this?


beat me to it dude.

[wayzim]

I saw a movie a looooong time ago and it was entertainging enough for me to recommend...I think it was called Bear Island...not sure if it is exactly a cold war movie but still good.

How about the Hunt for Red October
War Games... a Must SEE!
Dr. Strangelove...Who has not seen this?
Rocky 4...I think this was the Russian one... ;)
Thirteen Days...I liked it I really Liked it.
The package...if you like Hackman and Matt Dillon

Bear Island (79) was another adaption of an Alistair MacLean(Guns of Navarone, BreakHeart Pass ... etc ) with Vanessa Redgrave as a dupe who stumbles across a political plot instigated by Donald Sutherland.

A better america vs communist film is Ice Station Zebra(68)(also Alistair MacLean)where Rock Hudson commands a US sub on it's way to recover a fallen Soviet satellite at the North Pole. Also aboard is Patrick McGoohan as a British Secret Agent Man, Ernest Borgnine as a Soviet defector and Jim Brown as the head of a crack team of US Marines.

More an anti nuke film, but still kicktail cold war drama is the Bedford Incident. It's a Moby Dick style film where a US destroyer Captain, Richard Whitmark, relentlessly pursues a Soviet sub through ice capped waters. Sidney Poitier is also aboard as a journalist doing a write up on the dedicated commander.

For an unusual red scare/anti communist film, try a little movie called The Bamboo Saucer(68) about Soviets and Americans trying to find a downed UFO in Communist China.

A potential anti commie film, though denied by author Jack Finney, is the original Invasion of The Body Snatchers(56), where a sleepy American town to absorbed into an emotionless alien collective.

A rarely seen Sci-Fi film of note is The 27th Day(57), where a group of humans from different countries are given capsules by an alien which have the power to destroy their enemies. With War of the Worlds Gene Berry the gang of five(obscure commie reference. )disperse across the globe to become international fugitives.

As mentioned in the Red Dawn thread, an eighties mini series called Amerika depicts the nearly bloodless takeover of the USA with help from UN Peace Keepers, Ten years later the Soviets begin the breakup of America into different zones with the help of Robert Urich.

A Very Cold War TV Movie called World War III(82), stars Rock Hudson as the President who discovers that a crack Soviet military units is attempting to seize the Alaskan pipeline, with only David Soul and a band of Eskimo National Guardsmen standing in their way. Brian Keith is the Russian Leader caught between his starving people and a desire of peace. This was the last film for director Boris Sagal(Omega Man)who died in a helicopter accident.

Also, here's a link to Red Scare films and Propaganda movies.

enjoy.

http://www.lib.washington.edu/EXHIBITS/ALLPOWERS/film.html

Wayne Z.

[EvilNed]

Threads, of course. A BBC film from the 80's which portrays a horrifying future after the bombs fall. It was preceeded by The War Game, that came in 62 I think. Same "plot" in both of them, and same style. Documentary mixed with fiction.

If you can get ahold of it, the American miniseries Amerika, which is about life in a soviet controlled US.

[Eyebiter]

The Beast of War (1988) - Soviet tank crew lost in Afghanistan World War III (1982) - Soviet paratrooper attack on the Alaska Pipeline The Atomic Cafe (1982) is a great documentary with clips of vintage civil defense films. The Fourth Protocol (1987) Soviet agents in a plot to nuke a NATO airbase in England.

[BillyRay]

Finally saw Atomic Cafe, a documentary from 1982 about the early days of the Cold War/Nuclear Hysteria. It's a collection of clips from old educational, propaganda & training films. It is both frightening and hilarious.

A clip:

FVqZX3vfhDo

[EvilNed]

Atomic Café is great. I love that film, I've seen it many times.

Another recent favourite is "Trinity and Beyond" which is a documentary on the atomic arms race in the late 40's and early 50's.

[Eyebiter]

Turner Classic Movies has six cold war nuclear war movies on tonight

Fail-Safe

The Bedford Incident

The 49th Man

Seven Days to Noon

Split Second

Seven Days in May

[AcesandEights]

Good call! Thank you for the heads up, Eye :)

With regards to Atomic Cafe, I finally got to check it out in full a month or two back. Interesting, but trippy in a scary sort of way.

[shootemindehead]

Personally, I've always thought 'The Manchurian Candidate' was absolute bunkum.

However, if you really want to see an excellent cold war story, check out 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'. Probably the best cold war film ever made.

[Legion2213]

Seeing it hasn't been mentioned: Panic in the Year Zero (although it's technically a "cold war goes hot" film)

Oh, great shout on "World War III" I only saw that once when I was kid, but I loved it!