Wargaming in films

Started by Aart Brouwer, 14 December 2011, 11:07:06 PM

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Aart Brouwer

I thought we might have a thread about wargaming in films. Most members will have seen one film or another featuring wargaming, players or models. Let's see how far we get. Punters name the title, give a short storyline and if possible indicate at what point in the film the fun starts. If the film is available anywhere on the web, please link to (or mention) the url.

Here's for starters.

The film Callan, starring Edward Woodward as a shadowy government assassin, features a wargame between Callan/Woodward and his intended victim, the arms dealer Schneider. The battle is Gettysburg.

Fun starts at 1:24:00.

Cheers,
Aart
Sadly no longer with us - RIP (1958-2013)

"No, I do not have Orcs, Riders of Rohan, Dark Elves, Skaven, Kroot Mercenaries Battle Tech, HeroClix, Gangs of Mega-City One or many-horned f****** genetic-mechanoid arse-faced pigmen from the Purple Pustule of Tharg T bloody M." (Harry Pearson, Achtung Schweinehund!)

FierceKitty

The American arms dealer villian in The Living Daylights is playing Gettysburg as well when Bond interrupts him for a final shootout. Good movie, but plausibility issues; I can't imagine ever being sufficiently commited to my role as evil overlord to shoot an LMG in a room full of my miniatures! Or indeed to shoot at Timothy Dalton (if I ever crossed over....)
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

Have a look at the new 'Strawdogs' movie, part of teh plot line is he is a movie director, plotting a film about the Grain elevator at Satingrad, model terrain by Timecast!  :D
http://www.timecastmodels.co.uk/film/strawdogs2011/timecastst.html
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Techno

Not a film...
But do I remember an episode of Midsomer Murders that featured a plot revolving around a pair of gamers ?
If it wasn't MM, it was something very similar.

Cheers - Phil.

NTM

Quote from: Techno on 15 December 2011, 09:01:23 AM
Not a film...
But do I remember an episode of Midsomer Murders that featured a plot revolving around a pair of gamers ?
If it wasn't MM, it was something very similar.

Cheers - Phil.

Not sure about MM but there was definitely an episode of New Tricks that involved wargaming.

Aart Brouwer

Quote from: mad lemmey on 15 December 2011, 08:47:12 AM
[...] part of teh plot line is he is a movie director, plotting a film about the Grain elevator at Satingrad, model terrain by Timecast!  :D

Lucky b......!  ;)

Cheers,
Aart
Sadly no longer with us - RIP (1958-2013)

"No, I do not have Orcs, Riders of Rohan, Dark Elves, Skaven, Kroot Mercenaries Battle Tech, HeroClix, Gangs of Mega-City One or many-horned f****** genetic-mechanoid arse-faced pigmen from the Purple Pustule of Tharg T bloody M." (Harry Pearson, Achtung Schweinehund!)

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Quote from: Techno on 15 December 2011, 09:01:23 AM
Not a film...
But do I remember an episode of Midsomer Murders that featured a plot revolving around a pair of gamers ?
If it wasn't MM, it was something very similar.

Cheers - Phil.
There was a 'Waking teh Dead' where the protagonist was definitely painting a pre-painted Battlefront Jeep!
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

goat major

Elijah Wood and John Hurt in the Oxford Murders. I havent seen it though

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GavinP

I have GM. It's an interesting film, especially if you miss the start of it like I did.

FierceKitty

There's also an apisode of Columbo in which an alibi is based on someone's setting up a diorama with thousands of (again, ho hum) ACW figures.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

OldenBUA

Quote from: Aart Brouwer on 14 December 2011, 11:07:06 PM
I thought we might have a thread about wargaming in films. Most members will have seen one film or another featuring wargaming, players or models.

Do the scenes where a (retired) brigadier/general/etc (in full uniform, ofcourse) has a table full of terrain and figures also count? Invariably said person will then proceed with forcibly removing figures from the table by various means. Making sounds effects while doing so seems mandatory (BOOM BOOM DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA AAAAARGHH). I suppose that's the general public's view of wargaming anyway.
Water is indeed the essential ingredient of life, because without water you can't make coffee!

Aander lu bin óók lu.

Aart Brouwer

15 December 2011, 01:37:32 PM #11 Last Edit: 15 December 2011, 01:40:51 PM by Aart Brouwer
Quote from: goat major on 15 December 2011, 12:43:36 PM
Elijah Wood and John Hurt in the Oxford Murders. I havent seen it though.




I've seen it. That scene is only a few seconds long really. The Hurt character asks him to remove 'B Company' form the field, after which the action moves away from the wargaming table never to return to it again.

Cheers,
Aart
Sadly no longer with us - RIP (1958-2013)

"No, I do not have Orcs, Riders of Rohan, Dark Elves, Skaven, Kroot Mercenaries Battle Tech, HeroClix, Gangs of Mega-City One or many-horned f****** genetic-mechanoid arse-faced pigmen from the Purple Pustule of Tharg T bloody M." (Harry Pearson, Achtung Schweinehund!)

Kiwidave

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - I kid you not!

Near the end, Truly Scrumpscious' father (a retired gerenal) is playing toy solders with Professor Pott's grandfather (the general's former batman). Admittedly, the game involves lobbing assroted missiles at a load of figures, but it's toy soldiers in a movie! :)

Nosher

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Frank Carson

Leon

I've sat and daydreamed a few times about something along the lines of Jumanji, with wargaming instead, and the game comes alive, etc.  You could use a full variety of periods, from Ancient Rome, through Naps, to WWII, and could quite easily create a good film out of that premise I think.
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