Billy Wilder's "One, Two, Three" starring the great Jimmy Cagney! Correctly depicted life in occupied Berlin.
Posted on 03/14/2005 8:23:25 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
Spent the weekend watching back to back DVDs of John Le Carre's "Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy" & "Smiley's People", both starring the Great Sir Alec Guinness. I had not seen either in quite awhile and thought I would rent both to see again. What a tour de force for Guinness playing British Master Spy George Smiley. This really is what good drama is and I was on the edge of my seat watching both of these as Smiley is tracking his Arch Nemesis Karla of Moscow Center. Reminded me growing up of all the great spy films there was durng the Cold War. Now that the Cold War is over so many of the authors that entertained us have no common enemy to write about anymore that excites the imagination. Anyway those were two great spy films to watch.
The Manchurian Candidate, 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold' and of course 'Dr. Strangelove'.
I liked:
1. "Countdown To Looking Glass"
2. "Panic in the Year Zero"
3. "Strategic Air Command"
4. "Bomber B-52"
5. "On the Wings of Eagles"
6. "The Quiet Earth"
7. "The Beadford Incident"
Great spy movie:
Notorius
Year Zero and Quiet Earth are spy movies?
Fail Safe
Year Zero and Quiet Earth are Cold War movies? ;)
The Manchurian Candidate
Suddenly
The Ipcress File
Firefox
Ice Station Zebra
Dr No
Goldfinger
For Your Eyes Only
Topaz
The Whistle Blower
Spies Like Us
Billy Wilder's "One, Two, Three" starring the great Jimmy Cagney! Correctly depicted life in occupied Berlin.
Yuppers,
Panic in the Year Zero - 1963 Nuclear war aftermath, family of four with Ray Miland and Franky Avalon.
The Quiet Earth - Zac Hobson was the main character, scientist working on "Project Flashlight" - Big oops! (Filmed in New Zealand)
Our Man Flint
Ice Station Zebra
oh....you meant real spy movies....
"The Prisoner" -- "I am not a number, I am a free man!"
Not saying you're wrong, just making conversation. I wouldn't consider either a Cold War movie.
Not only does Quiet Earth have one of the coolest final shots in movies, it has a marvelous end title music cue. I'd say it's more metaphysical than Cold Warian. If that's a word.
I'd pick The President's Analyst
One,Two,Three is on my Alltime Worst Ever List. Stunningly unfunny. Don't watch it if you don't want to get a headache from NOT laughing.
Billy Wilder is one of the least dependable of classic era directors, capable of making classics and total junk.
Then I can safely assume you never lived in Berlin at any time from 1948-1989, because if you had you would have found it hilarious.
I think he's a case of someone who started out an entertainer, then bought all those reviews calling him an Artist. Not that popular novels can't be art; I just think LeCarre and others have fallen into the self-consciousness trap. His novels still get great reviews, but I've abandoned two of them from boredom and won't try again. I'll take Donald Westlake, thanks.
Ok I see where you are coming from. :-)
"Panic" was an aftermath nuke war movie
and "Quiet Earth" was indeed very strange. :-)
However, "Countdown to Looking Glass" was fabulous. Check it out on IMDB and who was in it. (Hint, on of the actors was "the" Newt Gingrich himself :-))
(I have that one on DVD)
Another I really liked, however it was not really cold war was the movie "The Disappearance Of Flight 412".
You can't write historical novels set in a past time? Since when was this law passed? No prequels? Nothing?
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