WAR MOVIES

What promises to be the definitive reference work on a popular genre falls well short of the mark. The author provides an introduction to his subject, followed by detailed entries to over 450 films, including year of release, director, major stars, plot description, and a rating system which awards four stars for the best films. Garland is certainly thorough; everything from All Quiet on the Western Front to Zulu is here, as well as a couple of ringers like Alice's Restaurant. The descriptions, however, aside from an occasional discussion of specific armaments, don't offer much new. And Garland misses an opportunity to be timely: There is no attempt to provide videocassette availability on the entries. Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film," Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.