The Holcroft Covenant

Starring:Mario Adorf, Anthony Andrews, Michael Balfour, Hugo Bower, Andrew Bradford, Michael Caine, Keith Edwards, Bernard Hepton, Alexander Kerst, Michel Lonsdale, Richard MÃ¼nch, Lilli Palmer, AndrÃ© Penvern, Carl Rigg, Shane Rimmer
Studio: Westlake Budget
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Probably the worst Ludlum film adaptation I've seen
Robert Ludlum brought to life
what a stinker!
Enlightening and Relevant to Today
Huh?

The Holcroft Covenant
Starring: Michael Caine , Anthony Andrews , Victoria Tennant , Lilli Palmer , and Mario Adorf
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Whistle Blower
Blue Ice
Billion Dollar Brain
Funeral in Berlin
A Shock to the System

ASIN: 0792840445
Release Date: 1999-02-23

Amazon.com

The 1980s weren't too kind to John Frankenheimer, but this film stands out as a top-notch spy thriller. A Nazi pact to steal a fortune from the Third Reich to aid Holocaust survivors results in a bizarre inheritance 40 years later, with architect Michael Caine having to come to terms with his father's past and the terrifying prospects of a Fourth Reich. The whole thing becomes a metaphor for a witches' covenant. It's exciting and well-paced and full of precious little moments (though Caine and Victoria Tennant fall short of being interesting characters). Supporting actors Mario Adorf, Michael Lonsdale, and Bernard Hepton really shine. The film was based on Robert Ludlum's bestseller and coscripted by George Axelrod (The Manchurian Candidate). Terrific audio commentary by the director provides valuable insight--for instance, allowing Lonsdale to carry a long exposition scene through his commanding presence. --Bill Desowitz

Description

Michael Caine (The Ipcress File) and legendary director John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin) team up for an explosive action/thriller jam-packed with heart-stopping suspense and international intrigue. Based on the best-selling novel by Robert Ludlum (and scripted by George Axelrod, Edward Anhalt and John Hopkins), the adventure unfolds "with a crispness that suggests acid etching a nightmare on glass" (Los Angeles Times). Noel Holcroft (Caine) is a New York architect who receives an unexpected inheritance from his ex-Nazi father: $40 billion in funds stolen from the Third Reich, now intended to aid Holocaust survivors. But as Holcroft delves into the treasure's mysterious history, he is thrust into a pulse-pounding adventure in which he alone stands in the way of a plan that is moving inexorably toward its terrifying conclusion: the rise of an all-powerful Fourth Reich!

Customer Reviews:

Probably the worst Ludlum film adaptation I've seen.......2007-05-29

I rented "Holcroft Covenant." If you are a Ludlum junkie and you've got to see the film, I don't suggest a purchase until you have seen the film.

Robert Ludlum brought to life.......2007-02-06

At the end of WWII a German General and two of his cohorts plan a covenant with a great deal of funding. They drink to their children and a better world.

Michael Caine of "The Ipcress File" (1965) fame is once again caught in a web of mystery as he must fathom the meaning of the Covenant and who if any are the good guys among all those trying to help him sign and activate the Covenant

The film is well paced and you get wrapped up in the story. The only drawback is that the music and special sound effects are extremely loud and they people are almost mumbling.

what a stinker!.......2006-07-25

Absolutely awful musical score (vintage Japanese sci fi screeches - by composer Stanislas, never to be heard from again) sets the mood for a poorly written, terribly acted movie that no doubt cost a bundle, had a good cast and great locations, but man they couldn't have ruined this one any more than they did!

Just goes to show that even the bigger stars need any work some years, but I bet this stinker set Caine's and Tenant's career reps back at least a decade. If you insist on watching this one, be sure to be prepared to self-medicate early into the show. Don't worry, you won't miss a bit of plot - what there is of it.

Enlightening and Relevant to Today.......2005-03-20

Michael Caine always can anchor a spy flick, and this is no exception. While the plot is a trifle flat, and a couple of the supporting actors (Victoria Tennent) are stretched beyond their abilities, the cinemagraphic techniques and direction by John Frankenheimer are superb. Several elements, particularly the outdoor angles from crowded streets and the icy violin sound effects echo back to the great spy movies of the post-war era and lend an almost Hitchcock-esque eeriness to the film. And when the climax finally reveals the implications of the plot, even the dense can see the relevance to comtemporary events.

Hard to believe this timely film is nearly 20 years old.

Huh?.......2005-01-17

I can't figure out which was worse - the acting, the dialogue, the direction or the plot. I rented the movie thinking...."OK, a post WW2 spy thriller with Nazi intrigue starring Michael Caine and directed by John F. How could it be anything but spine-tingling?".
Jeesh, what a mistake.

Believe or not, Caine is capable of giving a bad performance. And this was it. He just seems lost in this train wreck. However, he was Olivier compared the rest of the cast. Veronica Tennant shows why her career lasted months! All the others were caricatures of stereotypes (that Orchestra Conductor better be slinging hash somewhere now, because acting was not his forte).

And the dialogue! Caine is supposed to be a "foreign born American citizen". He, of course, has as thick an English accent as in every other movie, indicating he was brought up on the Isle. When Veronica Tennant tells him "the umbrella is in the boot", she has to explain that boot means trunk in England! Gawd, are we all idiots?!?

The plot?!? Don't even get me started... It's absolutely asinine. Our bumbling everyman is caught up in some meandering travelogue which is supposed to pass for international high-stakes intrigue. What a snorefest.
What were they thinking?

Nah, they weren't. Pass on this one folks.

Average customer rating:

Robert Ludlum brought to life

Holcroft Covenant
Starring: Mario Adorf , Anthony Andrews , Michael Balfour , Hugo Bower , and Andrew Bradford
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00067Z2BE
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Robert Ludlum brought to life.......2007-03-27

Average customer rating:

The Holcroft Covenant
Starring: Mario Adorf , Anthony Andrews , Michael Balfour , Hugo Bower , and Andrew Bradford
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Westlake Budget
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0009NZ314
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Average customer rating:

Crappy DVD Transfer

The Holcroft Covenant
Starring: Mario Adorf , Anthony Andrews , Michael Balfour , Hugo Bower , and Andrew Bradford
Director: John Frankenheimer
Manufacturer: Legacy Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0007CILSE
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Customer Reviews:

Crappy DVD Transfer.......2005-05-02

OK, so I wasn't really paying attention when I pre-ordered this movie. I was surprised when I checked the invoice and noticed that the movie cost about 5 USD. However, it is fair to say that even at five dollars this DVD is grossly overpriced.

Why? Because this looks like the worst kind of 4th generation bootleg VHS transfer. The video is crap and the audio is worse. This is, without a doubt, the worst DVD in my library (and it won't be there long). I actually checked the packaging to see if in fact this was a studio release.

If you are an afficianado of Mexican bootleg DVD's then this is for you. Otherwise, ZERO STARS .(...)

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians - Vol. 3

Sharpe's Mission

League Cup Final 1967 - Queen's Park Rangers Vs West Bromwic

DVD: Mad Monster Party

Captain Pugwash - Stuttering Starfish