Heres one of the most surprisingly good films Ive ever seen on IFC. Normally the Independent Film Channel has a penchant for showing unusual or obscure films that arent really independent in the true sensethis film happens to be one of them. The Dogs of War (released by United Artists) is a 1980 war film based upon the novel of the same namer by Frederick Forsyth, directed by John Irvin. It stars Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger as part of a small, international unit of mercenary soldiers privately hired to depose President Kimba of a fictional "Republic of Zangaro", in Africa, so that a British tycoon can gain mining access to a huge platinum deposit. This movie was filmed on location in Belize. The Dogs of War title is a phrase from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar (1599), which uses the line Cry, 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war (line 270, scene 1, Act III). Christopher Walken had just come off of the great success of The Deer Hunter in 1978, and he delivers a wonder performance in this film, playing the main mercenary that scouts out and eventually pulls together a team to go into this fictitious country to help overthrow one govt. to install another one. Tom Berenger is also equally as good, in one of his earlier rolls. Youll also notice that several of the mercenary supporting cast just happen to be important stars in another great action film of the 1980s (and probably of all time).Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this film, youll see Paul Freeman as Dr ...
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Just found this – I’m in the middle of reading the book – I had Michael Caine in my head playing the Walken character?!
I’m going to finish the book first but will definitley come back to this.
BTW its a corking read.
Never read a Frederick Forsyth book b4 but its exeptionally detailed. Like a guide book to organising your own Coup de Grace!!!
Far superior to the Rambo silliness of the 1980s
@kurtsteinner Thay was yaphet koto, dick
@21stcenturyfilmdocs
great movie,i’ve watched this maybe over 20 years ago and never could find it anywhere,thanks!
Your are doing a favor to a lot of people for posting these movies. Its hard enough tring to find these classics. You saved me a lot of time thanks.
hey man, do you know of any other good mercenary films on youtube that would be good, already seen theif, have seen this like 4 times, love it, watching it again
The bad black president who dies in the end was the villan in 007 Live and Let Die (with Roger Moore).
I think the good black president was the imprisoned president in Wild Geese (Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris and Hardy Kruger, etc) in which he dies on the plane to Rhodesia…..very good acting by both men.
The bad black president who dies in the end was the villan in 007 Live and Let Die with Roger Moore…..
The good black president, I think, came out in Wild Geese (Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Kruger, etc) in which he plays a roll of an imprisoned president but dies on the plane to Rhodesia……very good acting for both of them.
One of Christopher Walkens best performances.
One of the toughest movie characters ever. Clint and Arnold and all the rest had nothing on Walken’s Jamie Shannon.
@911sheeple
Sorry, I’m not tolerating that kind of racist commentary on this channel…you’re blocked
I havent seen this in ages. Thanx for posting this. Walken gives a great performance.
What is the music playing on the cargo boat before the Angolans get on board?
OH DEAR
@21stcenturyfilmdocs
Well, since you ask, i’ll tell you what i think. First, “bootlegging” implies an operation for profit or personal gain, which is clearly not what you’re doing here. This, in my experienced opinion, would qualify as “Fair Use” under current copyright laws. Second, the suggestion of quoting sources was merely to help you avoid embarrassment in the future. However, gauging by your reply, that doesn’t seem to be a concern for you either. I mean, really . . .
This film Ripped off The Wild Geese (1978)
@systemtree
Thanks…but seeing as how this is a bootleg film, do you really think I’m all that concerned about plagarism? I mean really…
Never heard of this movie before I saw it here & I thought I had seen most war movies out there. Thanks a lot for posting.
Voice track is slightly out of synch. Other than that, great part one.
alot of clever folk out there… reasuring
Great upload! I’d never even heard of this film until seeing it here. Brought back memories, i had the same chess computer Walken is playing back when this movie came out in 1980.
By the way, you really should credit sources you quote. Before the second paragraph in your description, you should add “From Wikipedia:” and then give the URL to that entry after the third paragraph. I’m not saying you were intentionally plagiarizing, but it could appear that way.
On to Part 2!
great movie, thanks for posting. excellent quality.
The best post Vietnam war flick.Forsythe’s
books are very detailed and very inciteful (
his most endearing writing quality), however, this movie sacrifices some of this,but not to it’s detrement.Casting was excellent(especially Shannon).
good solid war flick thanks
It follows Frederick Forsyths’ style very well, not 100% like the book, but very close. A very non-Rambo film, intelligent, with not very much fat in it, very tight.
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