Rides Special Edition

Studio: Bci Eclipse Company
Product Type: DVD

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Von Ryan's Express
Robson's film gives us the necessary thrills to be pleased...
One of Sinatra's best kept secrets
Not memorable, but worth watching
Exciting World War II Adventure Story With Frank Sinatra And Trevor Howard In Fine Form

Von Ryan's Express (Special Edition)
Starring: Frank Sinatra , Trevor Howard , Raffaella Carrà , Brad Dexter , and Sergio Fantoni
Director: Mark Robson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O78L1E
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com

Forget Indiana Jones. This 1965 high adventure stars Frank Sinatra as the leader of a mass escape from a World War II POW camp in Italy. That mission accomplished, Old Blue Eyes has sundry adventures camouflaging the freed men as German soldiers, trying to fool the Gestapo, and finally doing battle with enemy planes and ground troops while trying to get a hijacked train through a blocked tunnel. Sinatra is in great form and director Mark Robson handles the endless chain of action set-pieces with panache. A great pulse-quickener. --Tom Keogh

Description

When U.S. combat pilot Col. Joseph Ryan (Frank Sinatra) is captured by Nazis, he does what it takes to survive prison camp, including, by all appearances, befriend the enemy. Hence, his prison mates give Ryan the insulting nickname "Von Ryan." But in time, Ryan takes over from the commanding British officer (Trevor Howard) and masterminds commandeering a train to Switzerland ? with the Nazis in hot pursuit. It's all blazing action, hair-raising chases and spectacular Italian scenery in this Oscar(r) nominated* adventure that will blast you full speed ahead until its nail-biting finale!

Customer Reviews:

Von Ryan's Express.......2007-07-02

Gorgeously shot on location in Italy, Mark Robson's underrated 1965 war drama is clever, credible, and exceedingly suspenseful. The ensemble cast, including Sinatra as rugged Colonel Ryan and Trevor Howard as a rigid British officer, really clicks. Director Robson keeps the action brisk on this "Express," resulting in a breathless ride with a stunner of an ending.

Robson's film gives us the necessary thrills to be pleased..........2007-01-17

Sinatra is a cool American, whose P-38 is shot down over Italy in August 1943... The Allies were landing in Southern Italy, when Ryan is brought to an Italian prisoner of war camp...

Sensing that the end is underway, the Italians were trying to get out of the war, and the Nazis were trying to keep the Allies out and the Italians in...

A Fascist bully (Adolfo Celi) has ruled the POW camp, but with the collapse of Italian rule, he is thrown out...

The British prisoners - professional soldiers of the 9th Fusiliers, whose constant attempts to escape have led to half rations and the withholding of medicine - headed by a heated Major (Trevor Howard), are not in agreement with the unpopular pilot, Colonel Joseph Ryan... They think him insufficiently hostile to the Italians and have given an insulting 'von" to his name, insisting that he is in the wrong army...

The British get along with Ryan, however, when the escape is engineered... They seize a German train, and, impersonating German troops even as they evade German pursuers, try to make a run for it to the Swiss border... The viewers can forget about realism from that moment on... 'Von Ryan's Express' is pure adventure and courts no moral dilemmas in its story...

Director Mark Robson tries to combine the suspense of 'The Great Escape' with the exciting action of 'The Guns of Navarone,' and he's successful enough... The pace is quick... The Italian locations are attractive... The confrontations with German troops are well handled...

Ryan is a pragmatic character not unlike the far more tragic Col. Nicholson in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai.' As a colonel master-minding commando raids, he brings the film to a great climax on an Alpine viaduct...

With the exception of a strange and shocking scene where a sexy escapee is gunned down in the back, ' Von Ryan's Express' gives us the necessary thrills to be pleased...

One of Sinatra's best kept secrets.......2006-11-06

Von Ryan's Express is a fictitious gripping tale of brave men in a P.O.W. camp at the end of the war. It takes place in Italy, and with Trevour Howard (the epitomy of the upper class English soldier)as co star, this one is a winner. The twists and somewhat impossible actions that take place in this movie, love him or hate him, I believe this movie one of Sinatra's best, up there with "From Here to Eternity". Whilst the plot is to get all the P.O.W's out of Italy by taking over a train and getting it through the centre of Rome, some of the stunts used even this long ago, are spectacular. If you like this type of underdog movie, where the good guys have to overcome all the obsticles to beat the bad guys then this is the movie for you. Even though it all happened over 60 years ago I believe we can still gain great enjoyment out of a tale like this. It keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. Does it have a happy ending, mmm the twist is there right to the end so you will have to watch it to find out.

Not memorable, but worth watching.......2006-11-05

This movie always makes me think that Sinatra was better suited to acting than singing. Though even as an actor, I'd consider him more a good craftsman than an artist of rare gift. He delivers a sound, competant performance in a movie that, while not immortal by any means, keeps you interested and engaged throughout. His poignant death at the end brings this competant movie to a worthy end. It all adds up to a movie worth watching, but not necessarily worth owning.

Exciting World War II Adventure Story With Frank Sinatra And Trevor Howard In Fine Form.......2006-03-17

The classic 1965 war story "Von Ryan's Express", based on the successful novel by David Westheimer would have to be one of my favourite World War II movies combining as it does all the necessary elements essential in such a story compelling viewing. We are treated throughout the films running time to plenty of well staged action sequences, exciting "close calls", for the lead actors, excellent photography and special effects along with enough character development to make you care about the characters involved. Frank Sinatra once again proves that he was that rare creation; a singer who was also a most capable actor and in "Von Ryan's Express", he has one of his best roles as the American POW who orchestrates a daring escape plan from German occupied Italy by highjacking a train transporting prisoners to Germany. Teamed here with veteran British actor Trevor Howard the pair work superbly together creating alot of the inner conflict in the story as the pair, although on the same side, repeatedly lock horns over the best approach to take in their escape plan while developing a deep respect for each other in the process. War movies don't come much more exciting than this one and combined with some of the most breathtaking photography shot on location in Italy, you have the perfect combination for a thrilling edge of the seat viewing experience.

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Rides Special Edition

Manufacturer: Bci Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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