'Hornet's Nest' with 'Rock' Hudson

[Feliks, Moderator]

Anyone ever seen this 1970 flick? Its an interesting quandary. Hudson plays an American commando dropped-behind-lines in Italy, but the rest of his team is killed on the drop. He needs support to carry out assignment, so he liasons with a group of Italian guerrillas. Trouble is, they're all kids. Children.

Hudson's got to destroy an important dam. But the moral issues are more interesting than the pragmatic aspects of the action plot. Hot babe Sylva Koscina co-stars.

Directed by the legendary Phil Karlsen (Kansas City Confidential, Phenix City Story)

[Doubledf99.99]

Have seen it a few times, last summer it was on guite a bit..

[Feliks, Moderator]

ah yah Double. How about 'Cross of Iron'? The source novel is available on Goodreads

[Doubledf99.99]

The book and movie The Cross of Iron, and some of my favorites high on my list..

[Feliks, Moderator]

Peckinpaugh loved stories like that. What an ornery cuss!

[Michael]

Never heard of "Hornet's Nest," but it sounds pretty good. I'll look it up.

[Doubledf99.99]

They dont make'em like those old directors anymore..
Cross of Iron is one of those movies that I can watch at anytime..must of seen it a dozen times..
You know you were in for something different with the opening sequence.. the music with the kids singing, then a few notes of this heavy dark something bad is on the horizon motif..

[Feliks, Moderator]

Yah Double. You could almost always trust Peckinpaugh no matter what project he turned his hand to. He just had a feel for the right way.

[Feliks, Moderator]

hey Mike

Well, no I can't really say 'Hornet's Nest' is a great flick. Its definitely a lesser-breed. There's many other finer WWII flicks I'd steer you to first. But nevertheless, HN has a nice flourish or two. Something slick about it, in a minor way.

[Michael]

Feliks wrote: "hey Mike

Well, no I can't really say 'Hornet's Nest' is a great flick. Its definitely a lesser-breed. There's many other finer WWII flicks I'd steer you to first. But nevertheless, HN has a nice f..."

Got it. I assumed that Hornet is probably a B-movie, but I'm game for anything I've never seen before, good or bad.

[Doubledf99.99]

It is entertaining and has a feel it was made in Spain or Italy..

[Doubledf99.99]

One movie that played in our theatre every summer when I was a kid, and I never missed was, "No Man Is An Island", takes place in Japanese held Philippines..

[Michael]

Here's another Rock Hudson WWII flick that I've heard of, but have never seen: "Tobruk"

Any opinions on this movie?

[Feliks, Moderator]

Oh, skip that one. Its awful. In an annoying way.

Try 'Play Dirty' (Michael Caine) or, 'Ice Cold in Alex' or even 'Sahara' instead! Same setting, but so much better.

[Michael]

Is that "Sahara" with Bogart? I've seen that one a couple of times. Love it.

[Feliks, Moderator]

yalp. But I believe it is based on John Ford's "The Lost Patrol" starring Victor McLaglen, an even finer movie. There's a bit of muddle about the origins of 'Sahara'; I've seen some accounts reckon it an original movie while other sources do not.