Dirty War

Starring:Gavin Abbott, Joanne Adams, Shamshad Akhtar, Dean Ashton, Paul Antony-Barber, Kameal Nisha Bisnauthsingh, Louise Breckon-Richards, Keir Charles, Josh Cole, Zoe Conway, Joanna Croll, Craig Crosbie, Fuman Dar, Louise Delamere, Tony Dolan, Gregory Donaldson, Houda Echouafni, Essam Edriss, William El Gardi, Tim Faraday
Director: Daniel Percival
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

There's no mistaking the 1968 mood of Play Dirty: this cynical war movie could only have been made during the disillusioned Vietnam era, despite its WWII subject. Michael Caine plays a British captain in North Africa, tapped to lead a suicidal mission across the desert to destroy a German fuel depot. He's got a scurvy band of mercenaries to help him (this was a year after The Dirty Dozen, so keep that in mind), although most of the time they seem indifferent to both the job and Caine's survival. Nigel Davenport plays Caine's black-hearted yet lethally competent assistant, possibly the most nihilistic character on the side of the good guys in any war movie. Large patches of the film play without dialogue, including a grueling sequence in which vehicles are winched up the side of a hill, but somehow this adds to the grim, fatalistic atmosphere. The hard edge suits the style of director Andre De Toth, veteran maker of many a B-picture (this was his next-to-last effort). Caine plays it repressed and close to the vest, the better to contrast with Davenport's Mephistophelian soldier of fortune. Oh, and the ending--well, you'll want to stick around for the ending. It was 1968, after all. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Old Classic, Finally on DVD.......2007-06-14

This movie by the way, was filmed in Panavision, incorrectly described on Amazon as having a full screen 1:33:1 ratio, when in reality has been released in it's original widescreen 1:85:1 ratio. It's a classic WWII British Long Range Patrol action movie set in the North African Lybian dessert, where the Italian and German Afrika Corp troops are the bad guys. Excellent color with crisp clean restored print. RECOMMEND HIGHLY for serious WWII movie fans!!!!!!!

Great WWII adventure, even better ending.......2007-02-13

Play Dirty is an excellent WWII movie set in Africa that is in the mold of Tobruk and The Rat Patrol. British Colonel Masters is head of a less than elite group of commandos who has come under the wrath of his superiors. With one last chance to save his skin, Masters organizes a raid deep behind German lines to blow up a crucial German fuel depot. But part of the agreement of the mission is that a British officer or engineer with some knowledge on the subject lead Masters' commandos. Cue Captain Douglas, who immediately clashes with his second in command, Capt. Cyril Leech. Along with six convict-commandos (think Dirty Dozen), Douglas and Leech set across the African desert to blow up the fuel depot. They go up against murdering gypsies, horrific conditions, patrolling Germans, each other, and even their commanders back at headquarters. The movie builds slowly, but still entertaining, to a climax that has to be one of the biggest surprise/shocks ever made. You won't be disappointed. As well, plenty of tense, exciting action scenes, beautiful cinematography, and that fantastic ending make for a great WWII adventure.

In a subdued but still very strong performance, Michael Caine plays Capt. Douglas, the unwilling leader of the group of convict commandos trying to blow up the crucial German fuel depot. He clashes with Capt. Cyril Leech(a great part for Nigel Davenport) the possible double agent who may be working for the Germans as well. The tension over command and strategy between Caine and Davenport drives the movie's plot and is what makes the movie all hold together. Nigel Green, Harry Andrews and Patrick Jordan are good in small parts as the different level of commanders who have control over the mission. Green is especially good as Col. Masters. The rest of the convict-commandos, who don't have much to do in the way of lines, include Aly Ben Ayed as Sadok, Enrique Avila as Kafkarides, Mohsen Ben Abdallah and Mohammed Kouka as Hassan and Assine, the two homosexual desert guides, Takis Emmanuel as Kostos Manou, and Scott Miller as Boudesh. The special features, if there are any, for the upcoming dvd release, April 27th, haven't been released, but I'd be happy to just get widescreen presentation and a trailer. Of course, I'd love to see some interviews with Caine, but that's probably wishful thinking. So for a relatively little known WWII action movie with great performances from Caine and Davenport along with one of the best shocker endings ever, check out Play Dirty!

The Dirty Half Dozen.......2006-06-24

This film was released in 1968. Michael Caine is an oil company executive in civvy street who has been commisioned only to handle fuel deliveries at ports in N. Africa in WWII. If you liked the Dirty Dozen you will love this film. This film is real. The "officers" are great character actors you have seen in many British films. The uniforms, weapons and equipment are correct. Scenes of the desert are so real you feel the heat. The mission is real. The ending is a stunner. This film was made in Panavision, see it in that mode.

World War II Collection - Battlefront Europe (The Big Red One Two-Disc Special Edition / The Dirty Dozen / Battle of the Bulge / Battleground / Where Eagles Dare)

Average customer rating:

WWII Collection Battle Front Europe
War Movies
GREAT ADVENTURE
Thrilling War Films

World War II Collection - Battlefront Europe (The Big Red One Two-Disc Special Edition / The Dirty Dozen / Battle of the Bulge / Battleground / Where Eagles Dare)
Starring: Wwii Collection
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

World War II Collection (The Thin Red Line/Patton/Tora! Tora! Tora!/The Longest Day)
WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)
WW II 60th Anniversary Collection (Das Boot/Anzio/Caine Mutiny/Dead Men's Secrets) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)
The Bridge at Remagen
Midway (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B0007TKNLK
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Description

The Battle of the Bulge: Nazi Panzer forces stage a last-ditch Belgian front offensive that could turn the tide of WWII. Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw and Robert Ryan in the spectacular recreation of a crucial campaign.

Battleground: Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this remarkable war film, nominated for six Oscars(R) (including Best Picture) about courageous American G.I.s caught up in the battle at Bastogne.

The Big Red One Special Edition: "The real glory of war," Samuel Fuller said, "is surviving." A decorated combatant with the famed U.S. First Infantry in WWII, Fuller survived. His 1980 film version of his war experiences did not...until now. Working with 70,000 feet of vault materials and Fuller's shooting script, critic/filmmaker Richard Schickel heads a reconstruction that adds over 40 minutes and transforms a truncated but admired war film into an epic masterwork. Lee Marvin, in a richly layered performance now revealed as one of his finest, stars as the sergeant of peach-fuzzed riflemen fighting from North Africa to Normandy and across Europe. The film is the squad's combat diary, war as it's fought and sweated and bled, and, maybe, survived.

The Dirty Dozen: Twelve jailbirds will earn their freedom...if they survive a suicide mission against the Nazi brass. Tough-as-nails Lee Marvin leads a nothing-to-lose convict squad of Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker and more in the all-time action trendsetter. Where Eagles

Dare: The mission is clear. Get in. Get the general. Get out. Commandos charged with freeing a U.S. general from an Alpine fortress should also be told to trust nothing - including the search-and-rescue orders just issued. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood go Where Eagles Dare in this twisty World War II thriller written by action master Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra) and directed by Brian G. Hutton (Kelly's Heroes). Known for fiery dramatic roles, Burton ventures into the realm of movie pyrotechnics with dynamic efficiency. And Eastwood's cool-fire presence heightens one searing action sequence after another. The film became Eastwood's then-largest hit and its studio's #1 moneymaker of the year.

Customer Reviews:

WWII Collection Battle Front Europe.......2007-05-18

5 of my favorite WWII movies in one package. Super!

War Movies.......2006-11-11

Three of this collection are movies I have wanted for many years, and to get them in one collection is my reason for acquiring the set. Battleground is the story of a small group of doughboys stuck in the Argonne, basically surrounded by Germans, and their fight for survival. Where Eagles Dare is about a group of highly trained soldiers trying to destroy a fortress in the Alps controlled by the Germans; however, a mole and high ranking officer overseeing the operation want the group to fail. The Dirty Dozen is a war classic about criminals given a respite to carry out a basically suicide mission against a host of high ranking German officers

GREAT ADVENTURE .......2006-08-04

I have watched a lot of WWII DVDs and found that these movies while hollywoodized to an extent are pretty accurate. These movies will entertain you completely!!! This is a great group of war films and I enjoyed each and every one of them thouroughly!!! Cant beat the price either!!

Thrilling War Films.......2006-07-26

I recently purchased this DVD European War collection and I'm enjoying these wonderful war films at a price that's so affordable it must be seen to believe. This World War II DVD Collection-European Warfare includes 5 outstanding War epics that were received by the movie-going public as fascinating with a great story line and many action-packed scenes that most critics moved to give these films a thumbs up. It's difficult to point out which film ranks the best. You can choose any 5 exciting war epics, my favorites "The Dirty Dozen" and "Where Eagles Dare" were given 3-1/2 - 4 Stars. The picture transfer on all 5 are crisp and clear and the sound is remarkably full-bodied stereo. Five stars for a great collection of War films that can be watched over and over again.

Average customer rating:

Dirty War is realistic portrayal
Film Dirty War
required viewing
The chaos that would be even with the best laid plans
Ties with "Threads" as the best and and most frightening film ever made

Dirty War
Starring: Gavin Abbott , Joanne Adams , Shamshad Akhtar , Dean Ashton , and Paul Antony-Barber
Director: Daniel Percival
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Disaster Films | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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The Grid
Point of Origin
Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
Sleeper Cell
World Trade Center (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0007R4SXQ
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

Dirty War takes a Traffick-like approach to its subject matter: the dirty bomb or RDD (Radiation Dispersal Device). In other words, the goal of this HBO/BBC co-production is realism, not soap opera. Just as Traffick (the miniseries, not the movie) took a global look at the drug war, Dirty War takes a comprehensive look at a terrorist attack. It begins with a London-based drill before moving on to the making of several dirty bombs by Islamic fundamentalists (portrayals counterbalanced by Muslim characters presented in a more positive light). The action continues to alternate between any number of groups, including politicians, the press, and the general public. When the terror cell detonates a bomb in the city center, the movie tracks the aftermath, including the interrogation of a suspect. Dirty War lacks Traffick's scope, but it does boast some of the excitement of 24 and certainly provides ample food for thought. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Fanatical terrorists are planning to launch a nuclear attack with a "dirty bomb," a homemade radioactive device, in the heart of London. From Scotland Yard's central command to a Muslim undercover detective, local authorities are operating on high alert while government agents scour the city desperately searching for the source of the threat. Every minute counts in this action-suspense thriller that addresses the question: How prepared are we for the unthinkable?

Customer Reviews:

Dirty War is realistic portrayal.......2007-05-07

Dirty War subtly depicts the delicate balance any government would face between attempts to prepare versus reality - you can't be fully prepared for something like a dirty bomb exploding in a major city. The mass decontamination scene was fairly accurate (your birthday suit and a fire hose; some people not hearing about no eating drinking or smoking until after decon too late) as was the training exercise and the reality gap beweeen the prime minister (local government)and the fire department. For use to depict to non-professional emergency responder personnel the overall complexities and harsh reality being faced daily by government and firefighters/paramedics/etc., this is an excellent movie. It ends with saying how many thousands of years it would be before that section of London would be inhabitable - a sobering thought.

Film Dirty War.......2007-03-09

The film is very realistic, but slowly develops, very good insight into what probably will be a likely scenario for londons future. The true reality though will probably be much more chaotic, still very worth seeing as it might make some of us wake up and be more prepared.

required viewing.......2007-03-06

This is a superb and intelligent film which gives you a look at your future.

The commentary is almost as interesting as the movie. One interesting nugget is the following contradiction: the filmmakers say repeatedly that only 3% of Muslims are terrorists (a claim which is highly dubious). Then, later they quote their English Muslim sources as saying that "their communities are full of people like this" (the terrorists portrayed in the film). If there are only 3%, how can their community be full of them?

The film also shows how easy it is to smuggle radioactive material from the Middle East into England--not "possible." Easy!

Another irony is that the filmmakers gush about how wonderful "multiculturalism" is, blissfully unaware that their own film demonstrates one of the consequences of multiculturalism.

Generally, they don't reveal any tactical information that isn't easily available on the Internet, but in one discussion of how the terrorists communicate with each other, they do. What they don't realize is that such methods show that the terrorists know exactly which methods of communication are being monitored by the government. How do they know such things without inside information?

Finally, at some point, Western governments are going to have to make some tough choices. For instance, even if only 3% of Muslims are terrorists, it is still true that if you deport 100% of your Muslims, you get rid of the 3% who are terrorists. But even though all the other methods have failed miserably to get rid of the terrorists, such an option is regarded as unthinkable.

But consider: Which is worse, (a) to have 300,000 people killed by a dirty bomb and incur billions of dollars of damage or (b) to deport all your Muslims?

It's this tough question that Western governments are going to have to ask eventually or else go down to defeat, because the counter-terrorist experts all agree a dirty bomb will eventually get through.

Note: the HBO DVD puts five minutes of advertisements at the beginning of the film which you can't skip over, can't fast-forward over and can't get out of buy pressing the MENU keys. Start the DVD five minutes before you intend to sit down to watch it.

The chaos that would be even with the best laid plans.......2006-05-15

This is a very well done film, and one I strongly recommend seeing. It shows a very realistic portrayal of an attack, the motivations and planning behind it, and the chaos that comes from the response, despite the best made plans and attempts at preparation. The subtext of the crowds reactions and response to the bomb, the politicians inability to deal with the practicalities of the situation, and the economic devastation that follows even a small attack are messages that should be seen. Definitely worth a rental or a purchase.

Ties with "Threads" as the best and and most frightening film ever made.......2006-02-20

It's a hard title to find, but - alongside "Threads" - it is, in my view, the most informative film ever made concerning what could happen to planet earth and all aboard her, if the human ability to rationalise does not supercede outdated and overactive human survival drives. If, as often seems likely, the demise of earth occurs in the near future and after a relatively short period of human domination, the chances are the cause will be our precocious development of nuclear weapons allied with a willingness to utilize aforementioned. This film shows what will or would be the kind of bland, deadly, tragic and suicidal trajectory we would be subject to as some of us complain while others cheer our way into oblivion. It is everything "The Day After" is not. Unfortunately, we need to wake up and smell the fear. Must-see viewing for politicians, concerned citizens, dictators and religous fanatics from all around the wonderful blue and white orb we have been lucky enough (through evolutionary accident) to have been entrusted with. I hope that watching films like this will help us to pass onto our children the abilty to see the earth for the precious rescource it is; and that "Dirty Bomb" and "Threads" encourage us to attempt to inculcate in our children an awareness of what will otherwise be the inescapable consequences of human weakness if we do not invest our collective energies and determination in human hope and love, ingenuity and strength.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant, Powerful, and Funny.

Funny Dirty Little War
Starring: Federico Luppi , Héctor Bidonde , Víctor Laplace , Héctor Canosa , and Maria Balmayor
Director: Héctor Olivera
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005Y718
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant, Powerful, and Funny........2002-12-13

This movie made me truly appreciate the power of Latin-American cinema. It depicts the tragicomic reality behind the mentality of absolute power and paranoia. Fantastic performance by Federico Luppi as a human being, combating the mindset of a dictatorship. Please support this new company by purchasing this DVD (or others), as Condor Media / Vanguard is beginning to distribute previously hard-to-find or undeservedly little-known-yet-powerful Latin American films in the U.S.

WARNING: This DVD is not high quality. It appears as though they've simply taken a copy of the VHS and made a DVD of it. Also, it is not widescreen (it IS PAN-AND-SCAN), and the subtitles are not removable. I know, you're thinking, 'well, then, what's the point of owning the DVD.' Well, at this point, you should be thinking THIS MIGHT BE YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THIS PHENOMENAL MOVIE. That's that. enjoy. an additional (more professional?) review:

"Made in 1983, this satirical action movie from Argentina gets my vote for the most politically courageous exploitation movie ever made. It's a rule of thumb that colossal state-sponsored atrocities are better treated as comedies than tragedies--in the movies, at least. Writer/director Hector Olivera hits the right note from the outset, as a small-town mayor--slandered, mysteriously, as somehow not quite peronista enough--is besieged by the full force of the polity, including tanks, bazookas, and the mobilization of the executive branch's publicists. Before you know it, this bumptious little fable has morphed into a socialist version of Assault on Precinct 13. The clincher to Funny Dirty is that Olivera keeps the tone between narrowly monitored borders: The movie seems to wander somewhere between your basic shattered-glass action flick and the Strangelovian surreal. And in the last act, when the siege ends and the dirty work begins, the film packs a solid wallop to the stomach. Incredible as it seems, Funny Dirty was made while the generals were still in power; the sheer effrontery of Olivera and his cast puts our homegrown dissident cinema to shame." (Matthew Wilder)

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