Comments on: 30 Essential Spy Films

By: Burgess

Burgess — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

Definitely should have included Austin Powers and a more worthy Bond movie.

By: Major Kalas

Major Kalas — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

Agree with Ed Behan. Alec Guines\’Smiley is joy to watch until today (Bernard Hepton and Ian Richardson too, actually)…and Gary Oldman should\’ve win the Oscar, period!

By: Ed Behan

Ed Behan — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

Well, we seem focused on movies here, but there were two classic mini-series done on British TV which showed up later on PBS that were quite worthwhile: The Alec Guinness versions of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "Smiley\’s People" from the Le Carre novels. Guinness nailed Smiley so well that Le Carre quit writing Smiley novels, saying that Smiley was "his bloke now. . ." As ringing an endorsement of the late great Alec Guinness as you could ask for.
More recently, there was the Worricker Trilogy written and directed by David Hare and starring Bill Nighy as world-weary but honorable MI-5 agent. An incredible supporting cast across the board.
And it\’s off topic as a spy novel, but John Frankenheimer\’s "The Train" was mentioned in your write up of "The Manchurian Candidate" and it\’s a neat and stirring epic of German skullduggery, the French resistance, art, and the class struggle. . .
and they wreck a bunch of trains real good.

By: Harry Caul

Harry Caul — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

Where Eagles Dare.

By: Michael Maloney

Michael Maloney — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

I have to respectfully disagree regarding the Jack Ryan movies – I think Clear and Present Danger is a smarter and more enjoyable movie than Patriot Games which just seems twee and clunky by comparison.

By: Kenny Ritchie

Kenny Ritchie — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000

The criminally underrated Spartan deserve to be on that list.

By: Ed Behan

Ed Behan — Mon, 23 May 2016 02:38:32 +0000

Hey, this isn\’t exactly a spy flick, but I recall seeing something on the Fleet circuit out in Taiwan in the mid-sixties that involved the Germans rounding up some 300 hostages after the resistance somewhere in occupied Europe assassinate a general with a bomb dropped from a clock tower. The perpetrator, the town doctor, is torn between the need to preserve cell security and his guilt at seeing the innocents lined up in the town square awaiting certain execution at a set time, and even more people turning themselves in as the bomber to cover for the resistance. At the climax, he is on his way to turn himself in and is gunned down by the resistance, fearful that he will be tortured and spill the beans on their cell when he is arrested. . . and immediately after that, the Germans mow down the hostages with machine guns. Black and white, European production with dubbed dialogue, and I think distributed by MGM. I thought it was called "The 300 Hostages" but I can\’t find that title anywhere. Anyone have any clues? It was a thriller with a dark side for sure.