Fighting On Film - The War Movie Podcast!

This week we discuss Robert Aldrich's 1956 war drama 'Attack!'. With powerful performances from Jack Palace, Eddie Albert, and Lee Marvin, Attack! Is a masterful character piece exploring cowardice, corruption, and hatred against the backdrop of the Battle of the Bulge. Our Patreon supporters voted for 1956's Attack! on this month's 'Patreon Pick' vote! Follow us on Twitter  @FightingOnFilm  and o...

This week we had the pleasure of speaking to a young independent filmmaker - Toby Kearton. Toby has written, directed and produced a number of short films often exploring complex themes. Some of his most interesting work explores the war movie genre, The Little Picture , The Dust Child , Hidden Wounds and his upcoming short Kamerad . We discussed his films, the challenges of independent filmmaking...

Lace up your desert boots, load that Vickers K magazine and start up the jeep this week we review the entire first series of the BBC's ' SAS: Rogue Heroes' . Charting the formative operations of the world famous SAS, the new series written by Steven Knight, directed by Tom Shankland and staring Connor Swindells, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Allen, Sofia Boutella and Dominic West, gives us a rip-roaring,...

To help celebrate hitting the 100 episode milestone we called on you - our amazing listeners - to ‘Ask Us Anything’ and you didn't disappoint! In this very special episode we chat about the future, our favourite episodes and answer questions about everything from our favourite non-war films to why Chewy didn't get a medal at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope ... Thank you for supporting  Fighting O...

Join us this week as we discuss the brand new adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's seminal anti-war novel - All Quiet on the Western Front . We discuss the bold changes and stark approach this new adaptation takes. Directed by Edward Berger the film gives a visceral and utilitarian take on Remarque's novel sacrificing character development to convey the same anti-war message. Follow us on Twitter ...

This week we are very excited to bring you our first thoughts on the BBC's brand new series from Steven Knight charting the formation of the Special Air Service - SAS Rogue Heroes . We were kindly invited down to a press screening to see the first episode of the series and to speak to members of the cast and production team. We bring you our first thoughts on the new show! Follow us on Twitter  @F...

This week we cover our first Disney film with 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks . The late Angela Lansbury stars in this fantasy-war film set in the August of 1940. Three cockney evacuees are transported into a world of magic by Egalentine Price, an apprentice witch who wants to use her magic to aid the war effort. This film has possibly the best depiction of the make up of the British and Commonwea...

Our show-and-tell format is back, and this week we talk TV with Channel 4's recent cyber-warfare drama 'The Undeclared War' and 'Tour of Duty' from CBS in 1987. Matt talks through the highlights of Peter Kominsky's drama that pits Simon Pegg as the head of GCHQ as they attempt to stop a cyber attack on the UK. Robbie gives his view on the first few episodes of the Vietnam war series 'Tour of Duty'...

We welcome back Historian Peter Caddick-Adams back to show to cover 1969s 'The Bridge at Remagen' that pits George Segal against Robert Vaughn as they battle for the bridge! Directed by John Guillermin and produced by David L. Wolper, the production of the film is just as eventful as the action on screen as the filming was interrupted by the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.  A war...

This week we examine the 1959 Korean War movie 'Pork Chop Hill', it was chosen by our fantastic Patreon supporters in this month's Patreon Pick, you can join the supporting cast for as little as £2.50 and have your say each month (just one of the perks we have on offer)! Pork Chop Hill sees Gregory Peck lead a company of US soldiers in one of the final battles of the Korean War. Directed by Oscar...

This week we cover John Woo's ' Windtalkers ' the big budget MGM-backed blockbuster that famously flopped at the box office being panned by critics at the time of release in 2002.  Starring Nic Cage and Christian Slater as USMC sergeants tasked with looking after Navajo Codetalkers played by Adam Beach and Roger Willie, during the battle of Saipan in 1944. Despite its huge scale and attention to d...

This week we take a look at 'Wolves of War' a new British war film starring Ed Westwick, Matt Willis & Rupert Graves. The plot sees a crack Commando team sent behind German lines in 1945 to rescue a nuclear scientist from captivity. Featuring impressive set pieces for a film of its size and some great performances from the cast.  The film harkens back to the Commando bookesque B-Movies of the 1950...

This week we return to the works of Hammer Films with their first foray into the war movie genre with 'The Steel Bayonet'. Leo Genn leads a Company of battle-weary troops as they are ordered to defend an artillery observation post in Tunisia in 1943.  The film features many top British actors of the period along with some good depictions of the PIAT and Bren Guns. Join us as we take a look at this...

This week we cover 'The Rebels of PT-218' from the infamous 'Asylum' Film studio known for their mockbusters and cult b-movies. The film charts the tale of a US Liberty ship tasked with taking on a German gun battery holding up the allied invasion of Italy in 1943, yes you read that right.  Pulling from recent hits such as 'Greyhound' and other memorable naval films such as 'The Caine Mutiny' PT-2...

We turn to the archives of the SSVC this week as we talk about 3 of our favorite British Army training films and Documentaries from the 'Services Sound and Vision Corporation' who produced thousands of these films for the armed forces from the early 80s into the 90s. We talk through 'Operation Biting', 'Fighting Patrol', and 'SBS Oil Safe'.  Later in the episode, we read out replies from one of ou...

We hit the beaches and make a dash for the sea wall this week as we talk Normandy on Film with Paul Woodadge of WW2TV . Paul is a historian and battlefield guide who lives and works in Normandy and is the perfect guest for this run through some cinematic depictions of D-Day on screen. We cover early attempts such as 1956's Screaming Eagles right through to 1998's Saving Private Ryan .  Do these fi...

We delve into the FoF vault this week and talk to David Carson MBE about his role as military advisor on 'The Unbroken line'.  A British Army promotional film that charts the Army from the Battle of Blenheim to the BAOR era. The episode was originally hosted on Robbie's YouTube Channel and can also be found there for viewing. Follow us on Twitter  @FightingOnFilm  and on  Facebook . For more check...

On this weeks episode we look back at Samuel Fuller's 'Merrill's Marauders' which shows the often gruelling conditions that the men of the 5307th Composite Unit went though in the Jungles of Burma in World War Two. We are joined by historian Gavin Mortimer who has extensively researched the Marauders and was even able to speak to veterans of the unit and shared with us how they felt about the film...

We we're thrilled to be invited back to We Have Ways of Making You Talk 's festival to put on our FoF War Movie Quiz. It was great to see old friends and new faces and speak to lots of FoF listeners. The festival had some amazing speakers and some exceptionally cool kit on display - everything from a Matilda I to an early M3 Lee tank which had been used as a range target! In this episode we not on...

This week we continue our series speaking to experts about interesting bits of kit featured in war films. This week we're joined by Vickers Machine Gun expert Rich Fisher, of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association, to talk about an iconic British weapon which is represented in many classic films! We talk about our favourite screen appearances of the Vickers and some that perpetuate myths...

Join us for the another edition of our  Show & Tell  series were we discuss films and programs we’ve been watching recently. In this edition we talk about 2002’s  Dog Soldiers  (sure to feature in a full length episode in the future) a horror movie following a besieged group of British squaddies and 1955's Jump Into Hell , an early, interesting depiction of the Battle of Diem Bien Phu. Follow us o...

This week we delve into the secretive world of the Navy SEALs with a classic of the Special Forces movie sub-genre. 1990's 'Navy SEALs' was positioned as a summer blockbuster but failed to launch despite some decent performances and good action set pieces. The film was directed by Lewis Teague and stars Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Rick Rossovich, Cyril O'Reilly, Bill Paxto...

This week we brave the North Atlantic, dodge marauding U-Boats and endure the biting cold to discuss 2020's ' Greyhound '. Directed by Aaron Schneider with a screenplay from the film's lead, Tom Hanks, Greyhound is an adaptation of C.S. Forester's 1955 novel  The Good Shepherd . The film also stars Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, and Elisabeth Shue. Follow us on Twitter  @FightingOnFilm  and on  Faceb...

We're thrilled to be joined by legendary British stuntman and stunt coordinator Jim Dowdall! Jim has worked in film for over 40 years as an armourer, stuntman, stunt co-ordinator and a supporting actor. He's had an incredible career which began with the likes of ‘The Dirty Dozen’, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ 'The Eagle Has Landed' and includes half a dozen Star Wars and James Bond films, and other war fil...

This week in a change of pace Fighting On Film moves into new territory discussing a documentary film for the first time. We were very pleased to be joined by historian, producer and historical consultant Steve Darlow who helped make Lancaster, the new documentary about the Lancaster bomber and the men who flew them during the war. The documentary comes from the team who produced 2018's Spitfire a...