War is hell. That is, except when presented on the silver screen, where war can be almost anything – dramatic, moving, artistic, harrowing, entertaining, enlightening, and just about any other “ing” you can think of. Perhaps no other genre in film has a longer, richer and more varied history than the war film. From the earliest days of cinema and at every stage of its development, the war film has been a mainstay, always popular, and often pushing the envelope of greatness.

With the skies over North America set to light up next week with colorful and bombastic explosions, we here at thought there could be no better time to pull our camo from the closet and charge into battle.

This week, goes to war!

We’ve been in the shit. We know what it’s like. We’ve unsheathed our swords with films like Alexander. We’ve hit the trenches with the superb Band Of Brothers, one of our favorite on-screen depictions of World War II. We’ve wept with sentimental favorites like The Fighting Sullivans, which offers heartbreak in a way that goes beyond bombs and bullets. And those are but a few we’ve featured.

You want war films? We’ve got ‘em.

In part as a celebration of the Fourth Of July, though really just as an excuse to shine a spotlight on films we love, will be celebrating war films all week long, giving you the lowdown on the guts, glory and gut-punching truth of some of cinema’s finest work in war. If you find that our focus is a little America-centric, well, it is. The Fourth Of July is a decidedly American holiday, after all. But even if you don’t wave the red, white and blue – and as you’ll see, this week will hardly be pep rally material – there will be a ton of cinematic greatness on display here.

We’re going to explore one of the darkest periods of American history when we tackle one of the best Civil War films ever to grace the screen. We’ll bring you a comprehensive look at a HUGE new release of one of the most heralded and controversial Vietnam films ever made. You’ll have an inside look at one of the military’s greatest and most eccentric leaders, who just happened to be the focal point for one of cinema’s most inspired war films and quite possibly the best biopic ever filmed. We’ll take you into the depths of a World War II submarine when we review an exciting and overlooked gem from the heyday of WWII movies. And we’ll show you the unvarnished, brutal reality of what war is really like through the eyes and ears of the only people truly qualified to speak on the subject – those who have been in the midst of war’s all-too-real hell.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. One of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films from the war era. Striking images of some iconic silver screen moments in a way you’ve never seen before. A trip through some major turning points in American history. Even a look at war films through the eyes of an aspiring film snob. We’re going to be looking at much, much more than just tanks and explosions. We’re going to examine the full scope of what great war cinema can be.

Get your sidearm and strap yourself in for a week-long look at some of the best views into the people, personalities and pictures of war that cinema has to offer. (Then grab your wallet, because you’ll want to add every film we spotlight this week to your collection; they’re all gems.) From the serious to the sublime, we’ll be covering all the bases.

Get your lazy ass in line, soldier. is going to war!