The Battle for L.A.

Starring:Various Artists
Studio: Redline Ent
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

One of the best action movies ever made, in a cleaned-up print restoring crucial parts of the story. No cavalry ever rode in with more epochal impact than the Wild Bunch in the legendary opening scene. Their steel-eyed leader, Pike (William Holden), and his robbers in stolen army uniforms help an old lady across the street, and then spark a massacre led by Pike's old crony Thornton (Robert Ryan), sprung from jail to hunt down his old gang. In just a few minutes, Sam Peckinpah sets the scene--a dusty Texas town in 1913--sketches a dozen vividly individualized characters, and choreographs one of the most realistic, influential, brilliantly photographed shootouts under the pitiless sun. The cast is superb (even Ernest Borgnine!), the dialog crackling, the bitterly ambiguous moral of the story hard-earned. It's the deeper, dark flip side to 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Consider buying the letterbox Wild Bunch, the review collection Doing It Right, and the Peckinpah bio "If They Move... Kill 'Em!" --Tim Appelo

Description

Outlaws on the Mexican-U.S. frontier face the march of progress, the Mexican army and a gang of bounty hunters led by a former member while they plan a robbery of a U.S. army train. No one is innocent in this gritty tale of of desperation against changing times. Pump shotguns, machine guns and automobiles mix with horses and winchesters in this ultraviolent western.

Customer Reviews:

Bloody eye candy.......2007-07-03

This bloody extravaganza made Sam Peckinpah's reputation. A kind of fantasy of machismo set along the Texas-Mexico border around 1913--yes, very late for a Western--The Wild Bunch has thrilled adolescent boys and twentysomethings for almost four decades. The slowmo shots of horses falling awkwardly, of bodies squirting blood as they fall off of roof tops or cliffs, of tough hombres talking tough while they grab loose women and bottles of booze replete with numerous other bits of acrobatic mayhem amid some fantastic scenery makes this a non-cerebral feast for the eyes. The stars, William Holden (Pike Bishop), Ernest Borgnine (Dutch Engstrom), Robert Ryan (Deke Thornton), Edmund O'Brien (Freddie Sykes), etc. are first rate and on form. The plot is a variant of the old "one last job" story which begins with Pike's not-quite over-the-hill gang doing one last bank robbery.

Needless to say something goes wrong. Interspersed between the opening credits we see Pike's gang ride into town dressed as members of the US Army Calvary. On roof tops are some rascals and scallywags with rifles, missing teeth, and murderous gleams in their eyes. They are led by Deke Thornton, who it turns out is working for the railroad. What follows is a good old fashioned shoot 'em up of rather unlikely proportions as Pike's gang exists the bank with bags of loot, dodging and slinging bullets with abandon.

Turns out...well, no I won't say because I don't want to spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say, they need to do another job, this one a good old-fashioned train robbery with a few tricks and extras, like blowing up a bridge and running a locomotive at full throttle backwards. And then across the border into Mexico and some fun and games with Mexican generals, senoritas, banditos and such.

Been there, done that. But Peckinpah's colorful yarn has a few things you might not have seen before, and some of those things that you have seen, he did first and better. The Mexican color with a lot of authentic-looking extras doing authentic-looking Mexican activities was good. The fact that the Spanish spoken was not translated (and didn't need to be translated) was good. General Mapache (Emilio Fernandez) as the drunken, power-hungry warlord bandito was good. The kids feeding scorpions to the ants and then burning them was good. Edmund O'Brien as a degenerate Gabby Hayes kind of character was a hoot and a holler. But mostly this was about grim-faced men, toughened by long hours in saddle under the hot sun who, after decades of outlawing, finally ride gloriously into that last battle. Next stop: boot hill.

I watched the "original director's cut" that runs 145 minutes. At no time was my brain involved, but my eyes couldn't stop watching.

The Wild Bunch.......2007-07-02

Maverick director Sam Peckinpah released this blood-soaked western ballet in 1969, at the height of the Vietnam War, igniting protests over his graphic depiction of violence. Yet some images, like the opening sequence of children watching a nest of fire ants attack a scorpion, have a cruel poetic force. Boasting a powerhouse veteran cast and virtually non-stop action, this mesmerizing film is not for the squeamish, but fans of pure western action and gunplay should cherish this pounding, hard-edged film.

It's all been done before........2007-05-27

The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969)

I will readily admit that my confusion over the prominence of The Wild Bunch in the annals of film criticism probably stems from my having bought into the hype. When I hear people wax poetic about the movie, one thing always comes to the surface sooner or later--the previously unheard-of level of violence in the movie. Here I was expecting something... different; even the tamest giallo lords it over The Wild Bunch in terms of violence. Mario Bava was doing it years before. What makes Peckinpah's opus so special? Not the violence.

The other thing that seems to come up often is that Peckinpah's version of the west is decidedly different than that which had been offered before, but again I head back to Italy, and this time flog the dead horse of Sergio Leone, whose westerns were riddled with grey areas long before this.

Okay, so Peckinpah was the first guy to do it in America. And it got John Wayne pretty mad. (But, really, he was already mad at Clint Eastwood for the Leone movies.) But from every other standpoint--plot, characters, pacing, cinematography, direction--Peckinpah has done better. (The pinnacle came three years later with Straw Dogs.) It's not bad, but don't go into it expecting one of the greatest films of all time, or you're bound to be disappointed. ***

Not As Advertised-.......2007-04-20

For the third time in 10 years, I have purchased another copy of "The Wild Bunch". And for the third time in 10 years, I have been utterly disappointed. I don't know what all of these other reviewers watched in 1969, but what I watched was a much, much wilder bunch with much more grusome footage at the old Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas. Someone, apparently do gooders, had the film cut back to the bland piece of work that you see in this DVD. Someone should sue Warner Bros. for false advertising. I am still looking for the original film and would pay good money for it, if it even still exists. In the killings in the original film the bodies struck by bullets, immediately went to slow motion as a stream of blood shot from the bullet hole in the beginning murderous scene. There is only one brief shot of this type and the rest, a least a couple of dozen were cut out and are still cut out. Save your money, if you think your getting the original.

Much more than just a violent film..........2007-04-06

This is one of the greatest Westerns ever made. Most people talk about its violence level. The violence here is incredible, and it's still strong and potent today. It shocked the living hell out of everyone back in 1969. It made some people vomit because it was so intense. However, while I do like the shootouts of this film, it's the depth that the characters have that really make this film stand out for me. Some of the speeches Pike gives are quite good, stressing that you stand by a man, and if you don't, you're like some animal, you're finished. Pike and the Bunch lived by these words, and in the end, they died by these words. They lived in a time where your word and your honor meant something, and you lived by a certain code that you tried to stay true to. Nowadays, this kind of message is seen as old fashioned and made fun of mercilessly. It shouldn't be. Despite the Bunch being criminals, they retain their sense of dignity at the end. Even Robert Ryan, Pike's former friend who is now chasing the Bunch, has a dignity as well, keeping his word to the bastard railroad men. But when he's finished with the posse, he stays in Mexico with the locals instead of returning to the US. You don't hate Ryan for what he's doing, and Pike doesn't hate him either. They each just want to live, and they got a job to do. The ending is one of the more poignant and brutal endings ever filmed. The Bunch got their bounty, and are whooping it up with the local whores. Angel had made a deal with them to keep one case of guns for his village, and they agreed. They told the general Mapache that they lost it on the trail. Mapache didn't believe them and accused Angel of stealing it, so the Bunch let him keep it. While the Bunch are drinking and partying, they stop and realise what they have to do. They go back and rescue Angel, not because they have to, but because they need to. They didn't want to abandon their friend. They probably knew they would be killed, and they didn't give a damn about it. I find this extraordinarily moving and quite powerful. After a decade of smug "irony", things like dignity and honor are punchlines. I don't think they are, and I never will. I really like the message of brotherhood and honor here, and I think this is a masterpiece....

Average customer rating:

Interesting cowboy in a formula plot
My Heroes have always been Cowboys
Coming to Terms with Your Life
There Is Nothing "Electric" About This Movie!!!
Very Excellent, Very Timeless, and VERY Fun

The Electric Horseman
Starring: Robert Redford , Jane Fonda , Valerie Perrine , Willie Nelson , and John Saxon
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008CMSX
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Amazon.com essential video

When this picture came out in 1979, both Robert Redford and Jane Fonda were at the height of their stardom; in fact, this movie was so big, it took two studios (Columbia and Universal) to make it. Redford plays Sonny Steele, champion rodeo rider turned corporate spokesman (and perpetual drunk). When he discovers that another corporate asset, a racehorse, is just like him--dressed like a buffoon and doped up to the gills--he decides to liberate the animal. Redford's grumpy, wise, and funny performance demonstrates why he was (and is) such a big star (and why director Sydney Pollack made seven movies with him). Fonda is fine as the bright, ambitious, frightened TV reporter whose pursuit of a story pitches her headlong into love. The ending may seem anticlimatic (the big comedy chase comes in the middle of the film), but this is much more a romance story than a chase film. From the beginning, there's little doubt how the story will end (although even then, the movie throws us a little curve), but the movie compensates with sheer star power; Redford and Fonda are all that matter, and in this case they deliver, along with Willie Nelson's fine performance in a pivotal supporting role. --Geof Miller

Customer Reviews:

Interesting cowboy in a formula plot.......2007-02-26

Sonny Steele (Robert Redford), a former rodeo champion turned breakfast cereal shill, seizes an opportunity to salvage his self-respect by stealing a former champion racehorse that is being abused by a big conglomerate with the goal of releasing him into the wild. Jane Fonda plays the wily newswoman who tracks him down and--no surprise--falls in love with him. The best parts of the film come early on as we get to know Sonny and his world. Once he steals the horse, it's all Big Issues Hollywood Love Story, albeit very well-made. This star vehicle is built around Redford and Fonda, so your opinion of the film is bound to be colored by your appreciation of those stars. "Hanoi Jane" Fonda-hater holdouts beware!

My Heroes have always been Cowboys.......2007-01-17

Oh I had forgotten how much I loved all the performances in this film and Willie Nelson singing. The script is terrific and Robert Redford is definitely at his best in this film (as he is in Butch and Sundance.) When he is not playing a pretty boy, Redford really shows his acting chops. Seeing Fonda and Redford together in their prime (vs. Barefoot in the Park when they were young) is fantastic. Redford did all of his riding stunts and actually rode the horse through a casino with all its customers. Redford bought Rising Star after filming was over and owned the horse until Rising Star passed away 18 years later. Director Sydney Pollack is the voice you hear as Hallie's boss Les on the phone. You can find the Willie Nelson songs - Midnight Rider, My Heroes have always been Cowboys, and Mama don't let your Babies grow up to be Cowboys on the CD Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be) by Willie Nelson - for under $10. Only get the soundtrack if you are dying for the disco music.

Coming to Terms with Your Life.......2006-08-12

Redford plays Sonny Steele- a 5-time rodeo champion who has slowly slid into the drink and into a soulless role of playing the Ranch Breakfast Cereal Cowboy for Amp co- a company that cares little for anything else but an upcoming bank merger and the burgeoning bottom line.

Redford was returning from a 4-year hiatus from filmmaking and there were some who thought his star status would be suffering. He was also returning to the big budget and car chase blockbusters of the time. He came back with a punch with this one.

Some wrote off the release of this film as a commercial response to those times and the stylized filmmaking that have followed. And although it's true that The Electric Horseman has a lighter touch than most of what Redford and Pollack have produced together- there's still a charm, an earthiness and an honest study of a man redeeming himself from a situation that has sucked the soul from him. It also showcases a glimpse of Redford offering a character study (the Southern twang in Sonny's voice), and the fact that he was willing to look weathered and worn through the first half of Sonny's slide down.

Jane Fonda is the perfect compliment here (she and Redford worked well together twice before- first in Barefoot in the Park and then in Penn's The Chase). They have a real chemistry together and Pollack brought out the best of it here. She is properly self-serving as the newswoman on the prowl in the first half, and a woman who is awkwardly surprised in the second half.

What's really the joy here is it's a good tale of a man against the machine. When Redford steals the horse to save it, you realize he's saving the horse and his self-respect. I remember seeing the film in the theatre and when Sonny snaps in the elevator, rings the emergency button and then moves out to get the horse away from the Las Vegas freak show, the audience got behind it all the way. When Redford and Rising Star ran against the police pursuit- people actually cheered! It was an interesting thing to see- people feeling something in the movie theatre. And as Fonda (and the rest of the country) begin to realize what he's done and why, there's that feeling of the positive that lends to the comedic and commercial aspects of the film and the story line.

Redford and Fonda's trek across the country offer the characters (and the audience) a glimpse of who these characters really are, and both offer something interesting and different from the other roles they have played. You have a real sense that they're enjoying working with each other again- enjoying being older, wiser and sending a good message. They're having fun and you wind up having fun with them.

If you're looking for a film that offers a smile, some nice supporting performances (John Saxon and Willie Nelson) and a chance to see Redford and Fonda show some comedic chops and some tender moments, take a look or a second look at the Electric Horseman. I guarantee it's more than just a car chase experience.

There Is Nothing "Electric" About This Movie!!!.......2005-07-24

In this movie we see Sonny Steele played by Rober Redford who used to be a Rodeo Hero but now is a washed up drunken walking advertisement for Ranch Breakfast Cereal . Sonny gets tired of the easy demands of his new job and steals the company's horse from a Las Vegas Casino.Perhaps he preferred his old job where some bucking bronco would break his ribs.I have heard that some guys are "into pain". Then Sonny is persued by Hallie Martin , played by Jane Fonda and the two of them have the usual, typical and obligatory Hollywood sexual encounter in the wilderness. The horse in this movie is quite exceptional as he manages to be a pacer, a trotter and even a steeplechaser !!!Sadly horses such as these do not exist in Real Life.I can't figure out why Hallie and Sonny are attracted to each other and if anybody can enlighten me kindly write to me via my Email address. I give this movie 5 stars because I like Willie Nelson who has a small but vital part in this very disppointing movie.

Very Excellent, Very Timeless, and VERY Fun.......2005-05-05

"The Electric Horseman" is Top-Drawer Redford. No one, anywhere, could have played Sonny Steele with even a tenth of the talent and showmanship and precision and exquisite timing as does Redford. Only Redford can portray a character as simultaneously offbeat, comical, confused, thoughtful, simple, complex and sad as Sonny Steele. No one but Redford's Sonny Steele could so accurately embody the honest pathos dwelling in Willie Nelson's "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys".
And beneath Redford's sterling performance is even more Fun. The fun-loving, free-wheeling style of the Independent Westerner juxtaposed against the rigidly organized Selfishness and Arrogance of Corproate America's "elite" is deliciously appropo. The consistant making of the sorry newspaper bimbo (Jane Fonda) look exactly like what she was, or had become, is priceless. The swing from a simple man of real heart and real honor "just trying to get back to himself" to a clever cowboy with easily enough nerve to ride someone's million-dollar horse down the Vegas strip and disappear right under their upturned noses is a delightfiul display of "real" winning over "fake" - the "Little Guy" deftly pulling the plug on America's Corporate People-shredder - a sight most of this country can thoroughly and wildly applaud. No, it couldn't really happen - but Redford makes it absolutely Grand Fun to pretend it could. And anyway... maybe ... just maybe, it could. We can always Hope!

Average customer rating:

......NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!.....
OK Movieta
one of the top korean war movies ,and one of the best war movies ever
GREAT QUALITY
"Sick?!? In this war you're either healthy or dead."

Men in War
Starring: Robert Ryan , Aldo Ray , Robert Keith , Phillip Pine , and Nehemiah Persoff
Director: Anthony Mann
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
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ASIN: B000B7QCUE
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Customer Reviews:

......NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!............2007-04-20

I did not like hardly a thing about this war picture, Anthony Mann or no Anthony Mann [Director]...Robert Ryan was superb being in command of a motley squad of straggler/soldiers...even the macho Aldo Ray was a know-it-all who showed NO fear whatso ever [that included Army Officers also]...that's alot of claptrap...hip/hip/hooray for Hollywood...this stuff may have permeated US Army cadres in the field [ and in Hollywood studios] but it could never have happen with a US Marine squad of highly trained riflemen [13 Marines]...nary any semblence of discipline nor any sense of mission showed amongst the enlisted men in this drab Army movie...it was a foregone conclusion that most of them would be KIA by movies' end...I saw this movie in 1957; it never impressed me with what we,[I]saw and done in Korea with my Fleet Marine Force comrades in the field...many decades later, I review it with even more snickering hysterics...no way, GI...no way!!....Semper Fidelis....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

OK Movieta.......2007-04-01

Not an Oscar winner but OK for 90 minutes of
enter

one of the top korean war movies ,and one of the best war movies ever.......2006-06-06

this is a true overlooked masterpiece from anthony mann,and one of the finest war movies made!
1950,korea, a group of men is traped behind the lines after a retreat that goes bad. now they must make their way to a hill and the rest of their men,through the enemy lines and more traps and ambushes that you can shake a stick at. robert ryan,one of the best actors to ever grace the screen OWNS this movies as the leader of the group that is joined by a very good (maybe his best )aldo ray as a sgt. worried about his shell shocked colonel and can't stand ryan. the way they fight each other but still pull together to get "home" is the touchstone of this grim war tale that will keep you on pins till the end!! check it out!!!!!!!

GREAT QUALITY.......2006-02-08

The image and sound quality is great. It's hard to give better praise than the other reviewers. I would only add that none of solidiers portrayed fit into the stereotypes of the typical war movie. Also, Ryan and Ray give exceptional performances. Geneon [Pioneer]

"Sick?!? In this war you're either healthy or dead.".......2005-12-16

Korea. September 6, 1950. Lt. Benson (Robert Ryan) has one objective: to get what's left of his platoon out of this bloody mess alive. The rest of the army has retreated and Benson's platoon is now cut off from communication and surrounded by an unseen enemy that lurks in the trees and bushes. Benson keeps on trying to reach HQ by radio, but they get no answer. Because HQ no longer exist. Battalion doesn't exist. Regiment doesn't exist. Division doesn't exist. The USA doesn't exist. The only thing that's real to these doomed men is the hellish situation they're faced with. They know that they really don't have a chance of surviving, but they refuse to give up hope.

Their truck is busted, so they have to carry their own ammunition and supplies on their backs. But out of nowhere a U.S. jeep appears with two soldiers, one a shell-shocked colonel (Robert Keith), and the other a sergeant (Aldo Ray) who's dedicated to protecting his beloved colonel at all costs. Benson commandeers the jeep by force and uses it to haul the platoon's ammo, and the colonel and sergeant come along "for the ride." It isn't long before Benson realizes that the sergeant is an experienced combat veteran who seems to know all the tricks of the clever North Korean enemy, so he uses the sergeant to help him get his men back to American lines.

But when they come to their destination (after losing a few men to snipers, artillery, and landmines), Hill 465, they discover that it's no longer occupied by U.S. forces. Instead, the North Koreans are well entrenched and have several bunkers with multiple machine-guns. At this point, Benson has just 12 men left, and the only way to reach the American lines is to go straight through the entrenched Koreans. So he orders a suicidal frontal assault and throws everything he's got at the hill. Even the colonel and sergeant join in the assault, as it quickly becomes obvious that the only way they'll make it out alive is to work together to blow up the enemy bunkers.

1957`s "Men in War" was directed by Anthony Mann, a legendary director who could do wonders with a low budget. Already a master at film noir and psychological westerns, he also proved to be quite gifted at making a war movie. "Men in War" is very grim and has strong noir overtones. In fact, the Film Noir Bible ranks it as #55 in it's list of the most significant noir films of all time. The only thing I'd change is the ridiculous song that's played at the end, but otherwise this is a near-flawless classic, with great performances from Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray. Recently released at a bargain price from Geneon Entertainment, the picture quality is superb. The audio has some background noise in some places but is mostly excellent. Unfortunately, there are no bonus features, not even scene selection. There isn't even a menu. Still, at this low price I can't complain much. If you enjoy war movies then you'll definitely want to add this gem to your collection.

Average customer rating:

It might be one of the best war movies you never saw
Great story, bad acting and directing
Tough Hard Hitting WWII Drama
The Dark Battle
Not Bad If..

When Trumpets Fade
Starring: Ron Eldard , Zak Orth , Frank Whaley , Dylan Bruno , and Devon Gummersall
Director: John Irvin
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: 6305161941
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

First broadcast on HBO in June of 1998--shortly before the theatrical release of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan--this World War II drama offers an equally intimate and devastating study of combat and its tragic aftermath. Set in Germany during the closing days of the war, the film uses a little-known episode of U.S. military history--the bloody battle of the Hurtigen Forest--as the backdrop for the story of a battle-weary private (Ron Eldard) who is the only surviving member of his platoon. Despite his request for dismissal on the grounds of mental disability and shell-shock, he is considered a promising soldier by his superiors, promoted to sergeant, and assigned to command a fresh platoon of young, inexperienced soldiers. The cycle of war continues, and the film ends as it began--with one soldier carrying a mortally wounded comrade from a scene of devastating loss. A veteran of several war films, director John Irvin emphasizes the gritty, physically exhausting realities of combat with keen attention to detail on location in Hungary. This film is decidedly downbeat (don't look for any Spielbergian uplift here), but its depiction of warfare is undeniably powerful, earning praise for Irvin and HBO for tackling such an uncompromising project. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

It might be one of the best war movies you never saw.......2007-07-06

It doesn't take an economist to figure out that a business which loses money on over 80 percent of its projects is either in a highly speculative and risky field, or its management decisions are not very practical most of the time... or perhaps both. Case in point: Hollywood. Motion picture studio executives for the most part are still convinced that recognized names thrown on a marquis is the formula for a film's box office success. They still seem to think that if you put specific celebrities (it used to be just actors, but now those from the music industry are getting high billing in films) in a movie, that audience appeal is automatically to follow. It still occasionally works in the case of Julia Roberts, although that has more to do with the nature of the films' plots than the strength of her marginal charisma. Although Tom Cruise has had major successes, he has at least an equal number of box office disappointments, and the studios may finally be realizing the public is not as enamored with him as publicists and marketing campaigns would like them to believe. It took a decade of substantial flops for studios to rethink their bizarre notion that Whoopie Goldberg was at all a box office draw, in spite of unambiguous evidence to the contrary; Demi Moore also proved to be a similar example of getting paid 7 figures to make movies that nobody wants to see, though her popularity seemed a more effective disguise for her films' dismal ratio of cost to revenue. They also still measure their success in terms of agreements signed, regardless of the project's financial outcome. This might explain why those who promote and greenlight expensive failed projects still get promoted.

The main ticket-buying demographic consists of males roughly between 14 and 34, a group of citizens for the most part who don't give a crap about People Magazine or the vapid banalities rendered within. For me and many (if not most) other film enthusiasts, a film's story and plot is the initial draw (plus a good trailer doesn't hurt); as for rental movies, the reasons can be less geared towards the plot and more geared towards the wondrous aesthetic of bare female skin. In the war film WHEN TRUMPETS FADE, viewers get none of the latter aspect but a very commendable example of the former. It is an excellent story and screenplay with an engagingly ironic premise and an effective cast. The setting is the Hurtgen Forest, a short distance from the Belgian/German border. The battle over said real estate was a harrowing and bloody ordeal that inflicted significant casualties on the American troops, who expected a cakewalk following the ongoing German retreat in the wake of the allied liberation of France. Instead, the allies found the weary German troops consolidated in well-planned defensive positions from which they put forth determined and brutally effective resistance. The film actually closely follows the details of the battle (one of the longest in U.S. history).

In the movie, Ron Eldard stars as David Manning, the lone survivor of his platoon returning to the battalion HQ after a devastating battle and a harrowing incident which followed. Instead of a brief respite from the horrendous ordeal, Manning is not only put back into combat rotation, but is also assigned as a squad leader. Manning himself is an underachieving fatalistic malcontent without much interest or effort beyond his own self-preservation. The Company Commander (in an understated by not entirely ineffective portrayal by Martin Donovan) has no illusions about Manning's character, but comes to recognize an unappealing but practical truth: that Manning's experience (especially when compared to the inexperienced replacements who reinforce the mauled units) and his ability to stay alive are tantamount to making him the best candidate for the position (if for no other reason than by default). Manning continually asks for an exception from combat duty, which is always and immediately refused. Soon, he is assigned a squad to lead, which is reduced to a mere fire team after an unsuccessful attack by the battalion is savagely repelled by German artillery. Following this latest debacle, the Captain makes Manning a somewhat remarkable deal: if Manning will lead his 4-man fire team on a seemingly hopeless assault to destroy the German artillery positions, the Company Commander will classify Manning as unfit for combat via a Section 8.

Thus, what begins with a suicide mission which the Captain believes will rid him of Manning and the requests for removal from combat duty, spurs an increasing cycle of surprisingly heroic though self-serving actions by Manning that grow in daring and peril. Along the way in his Faustian bargain, Manning unintentionally displays the leadership, bravery, and heroism that he had no interest in possessing, even if the motives lack nobility. It is an intriguing question of the nature of heroism: is its essence defined by motive, or actions without regard to motive? As for the characters, there aren't many that are very easy to like in a conventional sense, though you end up rooting for some of them. Besides Manning's self-centeredness and disdain for authority, the Captain is an earnest but ineffectual commander, the new and unprepared (both in terms of training and psychology) platoon leader (Timothy Oliphant) utterly loses his nerve and mind after a disastrous attack, the Battalion Commander (marginal performance by Dwight Yoakum) is a rear echelon officer who reflects the upper chain of command's oblivion to the tactical realities of the battle. Eldard may not be the greatest actor ever born, but he nails the role and comes off as rather believable - which is or should be the goal of an actor in a film. Frank Whaley, Dylan Bruno, and Zak Orth all turn in solid performances respectively as a dedicated medic, a tough but jaded sergeant, and the brand new augmentee who transforms from being the platoon's biggest doofus to its most promising soldier through his harrowing experiences.

For fans of war movies, the budget is pretty modest (an HBO movie filmed in eastern Europe) with special effects and military props which might not be top of the line as well. But the violence and gore are frankly depicted, and the terror and tension are palpable (this is the movie which prepared me for the unprecedentedly violent Omaha Beach landing sequence in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN). There isn't much in the way of soppy sentimentality, though there is an argument that could be made for this film being one of the most realistic and best World War 2 films you never saw. It is one of my favorite films of all, though this gritty and dark effort doesn't fall into the category of "feel good movies". It's best to be in the right frame of mood for seeing it, though worth the time spent.

Great story, bad acting and directing.......2007-05-02

I disagree with others raving about this movie.....there is a reason it is not shown on HBO anymore and that is because the acting literally stinks. The director did a horrible job with a great storyline and the characters come across as non-believable. The flame thrower scene when they attack the gun emplacement was literally ridiculous.....I had to shut the sound off because of the idiotic forced screaming the guy was doing. Over all I found this movie very hard to get into, I felt like I was on the outside rather than immersed in the storyline and I LOVE war movies. Once again, great story but a lousy portrayal.

Tough Hard Hitting WWII Drama.......2007-04-06

Very well produced, written and acted, this film really surprised me as one of the better WWII movies I've seen. The battle in the Hurtgen Forest is captured in a very intense and realistic portrayal of men fighting for thier lives in almost surreal circumstances. My father was a veteran of this battle and I felt the movie did justice to what must have been a nightmare to the men involved.

The Dark Battle .......2006-11-11

The Hurtgen Forrest was probably the only stupid battle plan to come out of the ETO. There were other dumb plans, but this is the only stupid one. The history around the battle is worth reading up on before watching the movie.
The movie is well cast, well acted and reasonably well filmed. The direction is good in all places, outstanding in others.
Watch it and remember- they weren't fighting for Mom and apple pie- they were fighting for the guys in the trenches next to them, and to try, maybe succeed, to do an unwanted job.

Not Bad If.........2006-10-24

You can either watch this movie while flipping through your manual of authentic WWII gear and tactics to find the flaws -

Or you can imagine yourself as a very young man with 6 weeks of basic training shipped to Europe to face a still very deadly Nazi army.

This movie will get under your skin. And yes, give me three days of front line experience, hand me a flame thrower of any kind (fire hose or not) and tell me to destroy an artillery position and it is entirely realistic to assume that I will scream like an idiot and possibly wet myself in the process.

The first person point of view delivered by the script and cameras went way beyond most big screen war epics to bring me into the cold, damp fear of comabt.

If you're a WWII film buff - you know you're going to watch it. Just try to park the "wheel chair general" mentalilty and you'll come out alright.
Then tell me that the veteran German NCO leading the patrol in your front doesn't make you want to run home to mamma.

If you want the typical GI Joe genre - watch the old 40's and 50's war films. This picture has some good points to make. The bloody dog tags smeared on a Major's breast by a shocked American Lieutenant is worth the price of admission.

Average customer rating:

McQueen simmers just prior to serving in The Great Escape . . .
Bob Newhart (the radio operator) said it all
great wwii flick
Hell is for Heroes
mcqueen makes "heros" shine

Hell Is For Heroes
Starring: Steve McQueen , Bobby Darin , Fess Parker , Harry Guardino , and James Coburn
Director: Don Siegel
Manufacturer: Paramount
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The War Lover
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Nevada Smith
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Pork Chop Hill

ASIN: B00005ASGB
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com

Don Siegel brings his tough worldview and crisp, no-nonsense direction to this quintessential World War II drama of an undermanned American platoon in France holding off a German advance through sheer bluff and bravery. Steve McQueen is curt and surly as the insubordinate loner whose tactical skills and soldiering savvy make him indispensable to his new unit. His reputation precedes him, but commander Fess Parker is in no position to be choosy when he learns that his tired platoon will not be shipping home as rumored, but tossed into a ragged new offensive. Harry Guardino costars as the soulful Sarge; James Coburn is the slow-talking, forever-tinkering mechanic; Bobby Darin is the scavenger with a small fortune in trinkets; and Nick Adams is the Polish orphan and unit mascot. Bob Newhart makes his feature debut as a hopelessly lost typing clerk drafted into the undermanned unit and re-creates his nightclub shtick making phony phone calls near a Nazi listening post in the pillbox. Like Pork Chop Hill, this film is less a patriotic flag waver than a "war is hell" drama that frames the battle not in its tactical importance (which is negligible) but in its cost in human life. McQueen's taciturn performance as a ruthlessly effective soldier and Siegel's tough, lean direction make it a modest classic of the genre. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

McQueen simmers just prior to serving in The Great Escape . . ........2007-04-03

As you watch this movie, you'll appreciate the fact that Steve was very early in his feature film career and was probing the audience for the persona that he later found in "The Great Escape". His uneasy characterization of the soldier with an attitude in this release is not unlike that of the B-17 pilot he played in "The War Lover", also in 1962 (a film with probably the best B&W B-17 film footage you can buy). Flawed...yes, but a window into the process of developing the star persona we all came to appreciate. While it is true that the script was undergoing massive re-writes during filming (including Steve's insistence that the title be changed to include the word "Hell"), the film was adequately directed by Don Siegel, who would later become one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, including Eastwood's early, and arguably best works, such as "Dirty Harry".

And while Bob Newhart may not have enjoyed the filming (as most comedians find filmaking burdensome with the tediously slow shooting schedule and the lack of audience feedback hindering their rhythm), his phone gag was cleverly integrated into the story with hillarious results! Interestingly, one of Steve's best female friends (not lovers) in all of Hollywood would become none other than Suzanne Pleshette, who we all know starred as Newhart's wife in his very successful 70's TV show. While Newhart may have been an odd entry for a serious war movie, it is only Bobby Darin playing the joking GI salesman that seems totally out of place in this one (a singer in a war movie that doesn't sing and can't act?). You will, however, appreciate off-beat performances from James Coburn and Nick Adams (two of Steve's real-life party buddies) as well as Harry Guardino (who would later play Callahan's boss in "Dirty Harry"). You'll also take note that Fess Parker fits in well as the southern-speaking commanding officer in one of his few feature films, mid-way between his TV roles as Davy Crocket for Disney in the 50's and Daniel Boone for NBC in the 60's.

Another interesting note is that even though director Don Siegel had several run-ins with Steve during the making of this film, 9 years later Steve would be offered the role of Harry Callahan, long before Siegel would end up directing Eastwood in the role of "Dirty Harry". It seems that after the phenomenal success of "Bullitt" (#4 Box Office of 1968), Warner Brothers wanted Steve back, even though they were always at odds during the off-site San Francisco production of the film (after all, this was WB's first film that was shot completely on location...well beyond the watchfull eyes of the studio). As it turned out, Steve didn't want to do another cop movie, especially for Warner Brothers, so John Wayne was offered the role who turned it down due to the "rough" language (even though the Duke would bow to a similar Warner Brothers request 3 years later in the role of "McQ", which was originally titled "McQueen" with the hope of getting "McQ"ueen for this cop role in another seaside town, Seattle, driving another dark green muscle car, a Pontiac Trans Am). Before Eastwood was finally chosen for the San Francisco Detective Lieutenant (which just happened to be from the same police department and rank as Frank Bullitt), Frank Sinatra passed on the Callahan role too...maybe because this period of his carreer was already overly laden with detective parts (Tony Rome, The Detective, Lady in Cement).

By the way, Steve and Clint were both born in 1930, so Steve was 32 when he made this picture with the director that would later become Clint's mentor, Don Siegel. A year later, McQueen would become a major star as a result of his role in "The Great Escape", playing Virgil Hilts, "The Cooler King". One more tid-bit...John Sturges directed Steve in "Never So Few", "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape"...and would later direct Clint in "Joe Kidd" in 1972. As you can see, lots of top talent crossed paths during this production, so you'll find lots of pent-up energy in almost every frame, with everyone looking for that break-out performance that would transcend the early days of their careers.

Bob Newhart (the radio operator) said it all.......2007-03-08

I saw this movie one night on late night tv. could not make heads or tails of it. You would think it was a classic right, with McQueen et al? Big stars. There was this one comedy bit with Newhart on the phone trying to reach command that was funny, but very out of place.

Years later I saw Newhart on the Carson show, with Johnny, after he had made it big on two TV series. It was one of the great funny interviews as Newhart explained the worst professional experience of his life was the making of this movie, which he viewed as wretched, was a box office bomb and according to Newhart had no direction and no script!! They eventually ran out of money, spliced in some stock footage. Stopped filming and released it. so skip the movie, get the interview.

great wwii flick.......2006-11-10

lots of stars in this movie with a terrific comic relief scene involving
bob newhart as only he can be portrayed

Hell is for Heroes.......2006-07-05

Good story, good action, top rate acting. Not a blockbuster, but well done.

mcqueen makes "heros" shine.......2006-06-02

this gritty little war movie has mcqueen at his best as a soldier who is burning out and placed with a new company just as they retake the line near the end of the war. out maned and gunned, this small group must hold the line at all cost.
just a great little movie with a fine supporting cast,and great action scenes. try it you'll like it

National Geographic's The Battle for Midway

Average customer rating:

mother of all naval battles
Relive the pivotal battle in the pacific in WWII
A Nice Piece of Work
the quest for the U.S.S. Yorktown
Beautifully Done

National Geographic's The Battle for Midway
Starring: Peter Coyote , Bob Ballard , and John Ford
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
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ASIN: 0792299914
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

The man who found the Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard, took on the greatest technical challenge of his career when he traveled to the Pacific waters off Midway Island, site of a critical turning point of World War II, in search of the sunken aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown. This documentary not only details Ballard's challenge in finding the Yorktown, which rests three miles below the surface, a mile deeper than the Titanic, but also provides an intelligent and gripping narrative of the Battle of Midway, in which four Japanese carriers were also sent to the bottom in a furious day of fighting that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. On the expedition with Ballard are four veterans, two Japanese and two Americans, who had been involved in the decisive 1942 battle, and who are at times overwhelmed by emotion as Ballard looks for their old ships. The dogged search for a Japanese carrier is fruitless, but finally Ballard finds a debris field that leads him to the Yorktown. Ballard's remarkable underwater cameras scan the great carrier, which rests upright on the ocean floor, its antiaircraft guns still pointed skyward as if to ward off yet another furious Japanese attack. As one might expect from a National Geographic production, this documentary is both intelligently conceived and beautifully photographed. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

One thousand miles from anywhere lies a lonely outpost of coral and sea called Midway. It was here in 1942 where the U.S. and Japan fought one of the greatest naval battles of World War II that changed the course of history. And it is here again where Titanic discoverer Dr. Robert Ballard now leads a team of experts and four World War II veterans on the voyage of their lives. They're on a race against time to do the impossible: find at least one of the five downed aircraft carriers, including U.S.S. Yorktown, more than three miles underwater. Hear the heart-wrenching stories of four remarkable men and how each survived the war despite incredible odds. And join them as they pay their final respects to their fallen comrades in THE BATTLE FOR MIDWAY.

Customer Reviews:

mother of all naval battles.......2006-02-28

Unlike the guy below who said the US would have won the war 3 years later if Japanese had won Midway - based on historical reference and insights, had the Japanese Navy not made blunder after blunder in their attack plan at midway - they would have altered history in a way that would change our history and way of life.

5 minutes changed the course of the battle! Jpn Admiral Nagumo had his planes on the decks of the carriers warming up and getting ready to launch on all carriers for an attack on the US carriers....they were turned into the wind and would no doubt have destroyed the american carriers if launched...they needed 5 minutes - that's all to change history. fortunately for the americans the dive bombers hit the japn carriers with all these planes on the decks loaded with fuel and bombs and it was a shooting fish in a barrel at that moment in time....

Japan made 5 major mistakes that led to the defeat:
1. Did not anticipate the US Carriers by scouting for fleet prior to mission
2. Did not communicate effectively the dangers ahead and instead maintained radio silence not knonwing the americans knew exactly what was coming
3. Did not levy entire naval force together in one massive force - thereby increasing anti aircraft strength.
4. Did not have scout planes do their jobs in locating enemy dangers
5. Did not react quickly enough when american carriers were discovered - hesitated and wasted time switching from torpedos to bombs

Despite all these major mistakes, they were 5 minutes away from changing the world!

Had the Japn launched their some 150 aircraft to attack the carriers they would undoubtedly destroyed at least 2 of the carriers (only 8 planes destroyed one carrier in reality)...even if americans still sunk the 3 japn carriers...us would be left with practically nothing to defend hawaii and the pacific ocean....

Hence japan would push for negotiations to peace with the USA and keep all the territory they captured including all the natural resources oil and rubber..., the USA would not have been able to assist in the D Day landings thereby Germany would win there and we would have 3 super powers in the world as germany and japan probably would have destroyed russia in WWII....hitler would have taken over all of europe and gained enormous power and industrial might not to mention murding millions and implementing his racist and hatred philosophies...Japan would be ruled by military dictatorship and would have eventually taken over all of asia, including china, korea, and the entire southeast asia....meanwhile there would probably have been a world war III within 25 years between the 3 nations and their allies with thermo nuclear exchanges....imagine 5 minutes!

Had the USA lost their carriers and not accepted peace with Japan, then japan would have invaded Hawaii and California without any resistance and just shelled those areas with their battleships and aircraft carriers until the USA would have to surrender or risk having the entire west coast population decimated with casualties.....

Japan would have taken Hawaii by August of that year and invaded california by Oct.....the USA would not have been able to rebuild their aircraft carriers or fleets by then while Japan still had the armada of carriers (6 remaining even if they americans destroyed 3 in midway) they would just keep launching val's bombers over hawaii and california while the battleships just unloaded from miles away.....

scary thought - 5 minutes

Relive the pivotal battle in the pacific in WWII.......2006-01-18

Given that Japan had neither the population or industrial base to wage a successful war against the United States in the Pacific ocean, a determined United States would have eventually defeated the Japanese. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that the battle for Midway decided the war. However, there is no question that the American victory hastened the Japanese defeat. The best of the Japanese aerial forces were on their aircraft carriers that fought at Midway and most of them perished with the carriers. What is astonishing is that nearly all of the damage was inflicted by a few American planes and it took only 5 minutes for three Japanese carriers to be destroyed. Had the circumstances been reversed and the Japanese been successful, then it would have been years before the American forces would have been strong enough to make a comeback.
In this video, Dr. Robert Ballard, famous for seeking and finding the remains of famous sunken ships goes to the battle site in a search for the wrecks of the aircraft carriers sunk in the battle for Midway. Four veterans of that battle are on board his ship, two Japanese and two Americans. The video bounces back and forth between archival footage and an explanation of the battle and descriptions of how the search is going. The veterans are very moved by the experience as they relive the day when the advantage in the war shifted from the Japanese to the American side.
The search team experiences some difficulties with their robot probe, as it must descend to over three miles down. Eventually, they locate the remains of the American carrier U. S. S. Yorktown, although no other ship is found. This tape is an accurate recapitulation of how important that battle was and how brave all the pilots were. Most of them took off and did their duty even though they knew that the mission was very close to a suicide mission. I have even heard one historian refer to the American pilots as the first kamikaze pilots of the war. I thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson.

A Nice Piece of Work.......2005-07-02

The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the war in the Pacific. As such, the results of that battle affect us still today. Though most people would seldom ever even think of it that way, some of us do and a program like this one helps us to better identify with the events and their aftermath.

The actual subject of this program is an expedition by Dr. Robert Ballard of TITANIC fame. He leads an expedition to find the carriers that were sunk in the battle of Midway. He is particularly interested in the YORKTOWN of the US Navy and the KAGA of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The search for these ships is interesting enough in its own right but this program adds another level of interest. Four survivors from the battle, 2 American and 2 Japanese, are along for the ride. Throughout the program, these men offer their memories and reflections. This is interspersed with period footage. The effect is a quite good documentary about the battle of Midway with a marine archeological expedition thrown in for good measure.

The search for the ships is not without is own difficulties. The locations of the wrecks were not certain. The depth, over three miles, caused problems with the search equipment. This program helps to demonstrate how difficult finding a marine wreck can be. The results are not a foregone conclusion.

the quest for the U.S.S. Yorktown.......2004-04-18

Searching for the watery grave of the U.S.S. Yorktown, Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic as well as the Bismark, went deeper into the ocean than ever before to find the sunken aircraft carrier. Five U.S. (and four Japanese) carriers were destroyed near the outpost of Midway, and the recent footage for this expedition is contrasted with film from May and June of 1942; some of it is by director John Ford, who made two documentaries, one for the public called "The Battle of Midway", and for the families of the brave servicemen who never returned, "Torpedo Squadron", and this film includes several clips from them; they are in color, and of good quality, making it unusual WWII footage.

There are four veterans on Ballard's expedition, two from the U.S., and two from Japan, to witness the search, help pinpoint the location, and re-live their past. Over coffee and memorabilia, they "explore their own landscape of memory, and loss".
Produced and directed by Brian Breger and Peter Schnall, with music by Michael Whalen and narrated by Peter Coyote, total running time is 82 minutes.
Those who have watched the 1976 epic film "Midway", and are interested in the Pacific Theater of WWII, where some of the most tragic and dramatic events in world history took place, will find this film fascinating; it is an eerie, emotional testament to heroism, courage, and the agony of war.

Beautifully Done.......2002-04-09

National Geographic has always been known for the quality of its work in all fields, but in this particular show I believe they have gone beyond the expectations. I cannot begin to describe how happy I was to see this documentary the first time. It is divided into two sections that are intercut, one being on a ship with Dr. Ballard (Found the Titanic) looking for the Yorktown and the Japanese carriers sunk at Midway, and the other is a recreation of the actual Battle of Midway through historical footage. What is best about this particular work is it fairness to both sides. Within the historical sections of the video, it portrays both the Japanese and American sides in what I would call a fair and accurate light. No side is made up of monsters and no side is completely innocent. On the modern side of the story, it is wonderful to see the interactions between the Japanese and American veterans that are on the ship with Ballard during the search. It is an important reminder to us all that on both sides the people fighting on the ground were just that, people. They were young men fighting for their country. A particularly touching part of the episode is when the Americans join the Japanese veterans in asking the soul's of their fallen comrades to rest peacefully and offering them flowers brought from Japan. There are too many excellent points about this video to list here. I think anyone interested in World War II will love this episode.

Average customer rating:

Pollo Del Mar
My True Favorite Film
L.A. Story: Whimsical, Funny, and Pithy
Great Movie
Still a hoot!!!!

L.A. Story (15th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Steve Martin , Victoria Tennant , Richard E. Grant , Marilu Henner , and Sarah Jessica Parker
Director: Mick Jackson
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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All of Me
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ASIN: B000F3UAEI
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com essential video

Steve Martin wrote this film as a meditation on both love and Los Angeles (and then-wife Victoria Tennant). He plays a L.A. TV weatherman who finds himself conflicted about what to do with his life, both professionally and personally. As he works his way through a couple of relationships (including a very funny one with a frisky Sarah Jessica Parker, who talks him into colonic therapy), he discovers a L.A. freeway sign that gives him romantic advice. It helps him realize what he knows intuitively: that the British woman he is attracted to (Tennant) is the one he should pursue. A big cast (and lots of cameos) have fun with this witty (if slight) material and director Mick Jackson adds visual pizzazz. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Pollo Del Mar.......2007-03-22

I became entranced by this movie the first time I saw it. My wife and I both love this film on so many levels it's hard to describe. I also have a slight personal connection to this film and Steve Martin. In 1990, during the Gulf War I was stationed at a small airbase in Bahrain when Steve performed as part of the USO tour. He was ghastly ill but still managed to go see the "Tree of Life" in the desert. You'll recall he refers to that during the movie. As an aside it really is amazing, a tree growing in the middle of a desert and has been for several hundred years; but I digress.

It's a cliché, but I think I notice something new every time I watch this movie. I have no idea how long it was before I noticed that the name of the hotel they stayed in was "Pollo Del Mar" or "Chicken of the Sea"!

This is the ultimate love story that even guys will like. Please watch it. You'll thank me.

My True Favorite Film .......2007-02-15

Over the years I've had many discussions about film. I love masterpieces like Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Henry V, Richard III, Lawerance of Arabia, the Seven Samurai, Hiroshima Mon Amor, Bridge on the River Kwai, Gone with the Wind, Rope, Dances with Wolves, Braveheart, Pulp Fiction, Million Dollar Baby, Chaplin's Gold Rush, Horse Feathers, Lion in Winter, American Beauty, Schindler's List, Platoon, Unforgiven, El Mariachi, Godfather, Battleship Potemkin and Doctor Zhivago, but my true favorite film of all time is L.A. Story.

Every line, every scene, every shot and every concept is brilliant. It is not so much a great movie, as a collection of great scenes. But, on a level deeper than judgement, I simply love this movie.

The movie combines dry wit, absurdist situations, comic romance, urban fantasy and honest insights for a completely original film experience. It won no Academy Awards, nor is it likely to appear on any Film Institiute "All Time List," but even though I own four copies of this film (VHS, DVD, DVD 15th Anniversary Edition & iPod), if I come across it on cable I still have to watch. Watching this film has helped me get over setbacks and celebrate good times.

The best way I can explain the subtle brilliance of this movie is to paraphrase it. Let us assume that there is something I could say or do to make you watch this film. Now, let us assume that I have already done it.

L.A. Story: Whimsical, Funny, and Pithy.......2007-02-12

L.A. cares about you. Revelations from a road sign, a Stationary Bike Park, long, sustained booming sounds, earthquakes and heartaches and Valdi's balls. A magical love story, a mystical muse, and a commentary about the contempory madness that is sorta LA, this is a movie you don't want to miss. Steve Martin at his best (and he wrote it!).

Great Movie.......2007-01-05

Big fan of most of the actors in this film: Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant (see also movie All Of Me) Richard E. Grant, Marilu Henner, plus lots of good cameos and a very young Sara Jessica Parker as SanDeE*
Like how the movie seems to both take the plot seriously and still poke fun at itself. Great music, lots of Enya. Highly recommended.

Still a hoot!!!!.......2006-11-10

L.A.Story still packs a punch in its commentary on sex, romance, and a society focused on what you wear, who does your hair, and what could possibly be more important than how you take your coffee. Besides, the music is wonderful!

Average customer rating:

No Way Out
Not Film Noir but not bad.
Strong Dialogue & Characterizations Are Still Compelling Today.
No Way Out
No Way Out

No Way Out (Fox Film Noir)
Starring: Richard Widmark , Linda Darnell , Stephen McNally , Sidney Poitier , and Mildred Joanne Smith
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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House of Strangers (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B000CNE08S
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Description

Nominated for the 1950 Oscar® for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, this intense drama about racial hatred pulls no punches. When a white patient in a hospital dies under the care of a black intern (Sidney Poitier), the victim?s racist brother (Richard Widmark) seeks to destroy the doctor?s career. Although the hospital?s idealistic Chief Resident (Stephen McNally) tries to diffuse the escalating tension, the victim?s ex-wife (Linda Darnell) seems to go along with the vengeance-seeker?until she realizes she?s on the wrong side.

Customer Reviews:

No Way Out.......2007-06-26

A tense, hard-hitting social drama that earned an Oscar for Best Screenplay in 1950, Mankiewicz's pioneering film looks squarely at the ramifications of racial hostility while keeping audiences on the edge of their seat. Poitier is magnificent in his debut role, the epitome of coolheadedness and quiet self-regard, while Widmark seethes in a typically explosive role. Mankiewicz builds suspense inside and outside the hospital, and the effect is riveting. Keep an eye out for actors/civil-rights activists Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, playing Luther's brother and sister-in-law in a tandem debut. A potent powder keg of a film that hasn't lost its bite--or its relevance.

Not Film Noir but not bad........2007-05-18

Far too often DVDs of 1940s & 1950s films are labeled as being Film Noir only to help sell the product. Such is the case here. There is no way that "No Way Out" qualifies as "dark cinema," however, it still rates as a very good movie. Controversial when released, some of the drama seems forced at times but the story still entertains. The acting is first rate, especially by Sidney Poitier in his first role (and a starring one at that). Also making their debuts were Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee.

Strong Dialogue & Characterizations Are Still Compelling Today........2007-03-07

"No Way Out" raised the bar in the social conscience film trend a few years after "Crossfire" and "Gentlemen's Agreement" received multiple Oscar nominations for condemning anti-Jewish prejudice in America. This is an assuredly heavy-handed polemic on racism that nevertheless stands the test of time. Luther Brooks (Sidney Poitier) is a young black doctor who has resisted his family's pressure to go into private practice in order to get more experience at the county hospital. One fateful evening, he replaces a sick intern in the prison ward. The intensely racist Biddle Brothers, Ray (Richard Widmark) and Johnny, are brought in for treatment of gun shot wounds to the legs. But Johnny is confused, unresponsive, and clearly suffering from some neurological malady. When he dies during Dr. Brooks' attempt to diagnose him, Ray accuses Brooks of murdering his brother and determines to muster all the racial hatred in his neighborhood to avenge Johnny.

"No Way Out" is sometimes called "film noir", but I take issue with that classification, because this is not even a crime film. And Dr. Brooks, though trapped by unfortunate coincidences and events beyond his control, is too squeaky clean to be a noir protagonist. But I do think that the "noir" elements help "No Way Out" overcome its dated proselytizing and idealized conceptions of Dr. Brooks to remain truly compelling even 60 years after it was made. This was Sidney Poitier's first film, so he was not given billing above the titles in spite of his starring role. Richard Widmark and Linda Darnell are no less the stars of "No Way Out", though. They have the best lines and pivotal scenes. Richard Widmark took the role of racist Ray Biddle reluctantly, as he was leaning toward leading man roles at this point in his career. But Widmark played some of the most memorable villains in cinematic history. Vile, vicious, and supremely manipulative Ray Biddle is no exception. Widmark's ability to convey uncertainty and insecurity with just his eyes is extraordinary.

Linda Darnell plays Johnny Biddle's ex-wife Edie whom Dr. Brooks and the Chief Medical Resident (Stephen McNally) implore to convince Ray to allow an autopsy on his brother. In some sense, this is her film, as Edie is the character who has an arc. She's white trash from the rough Beaver Canal neighborhood who has moved only one step up and out, always in danger of succumbing to her roots. Darnell looks great and spouts some terrific hard-boiled dialogue. The dialogue in "No Way Out", co-written by Lesser Samuels and director Joseph Mankiewicz, vacillates between the hardened, cynical repartee of film noir and loaded speech that the actors struggle to deliver with credibility. There is more than one social ideology represented: The ideas that Edie can overcome her roots and that Ray is a product of his environment join the calls for racial equality. But the dialogue and characterizations of "No Way Out" are so compelling that we don't mind the lack of subtlety in the social message.

The DVD (20th Century Fox 2006): Bonus features include a "Publicity Gallery" of 15 b&w ads for the movie, a "Photo Gallery" of 44 production and publicity stills, 2 short "Fox Movietone News" segments, a theatrical trailer (2 1/2 min), and an audio commentary by film noir historian Eddie Muller. The "Fox Movietone News" segments are coverage of Linda Darnell selling tickets to the New York premiere of the move (30 sec) and of Richard Widmark imprinting his hands in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood (20 sec). Eddie Muller leaves more "air" in his commentary than usual so that we don't miss the dialogue that was so controversial in 1950. It's a good commentary that discusses actors, performances, and themes scene-by-scene but is not as packed with information as Muller's commentaries sometimes are. Subtitles are available for the film in English and Spanish.

No Way Out.......2007-01-13

That movie was horrible!!! Nowhere in the reviews did it inform the consumer that it was a film about such hatred!!!!! It should've said something like:

WARNING: The following movie contains ONE of the most offensive words spoken!!! And it was used 26 times!!!

This movie offered no redeeming value whatsoever. I hated it!!!!

No Way Out.......2006-05-30

There's nothing much subtle about NO WAY OUT. Two men, two brothers, are injured by the police while committing a petty crime. The men are transported to the prison ward of the county hospital, where one of the brothers dies while being treated by a young intern. The surviving brother vows mortal vengeance. The doctor needs the approval of a family member to conduct an autopsy to prove his competence and relieve his conscious.

It's a suitably sturdy set-up for what could have been an unspectacular urban melodrama. Trouble is NO WAY OUT is pretty spectacular. For starters, the young doctor is black and the surviving brother is a virulent racist. The talent behind the movie is, to put it mildly, impressive. It begins with the amazing producer Darryl Zanuck, the motor behind such thinking-person movies as The Grapes of Wrath & The Snake Pit, and who seemingly was incapable of making a bad movie. Joseph L. Mankiewicz wrote and directed this movie, and though nominated for an 1951 Oscar for Best Director lost out to himself when he won it for another, much different, classic, All About Eve.

Message movies have a tendency to collapse under their moral weightiness. NO WAY OUT is a movie with a social conscious, but it, for the most part, steers clear of the pulpit. Richard Widmark is perfectly cast as the racist Roy Biddle, who is quite possibly the most loathsome major character in film history. Sidney Poitier, in his first movie, brings just the right blend of intelligence and dignity to his part as the young physician under the gun. Rounding out this unusual triangle is Linda Darnell as the ex-wife of the dead brother.

NO WAY OUT is an uncomfortable movie to watch. Roy Biddle is a vocal racist, and he uses just about every ugly name in the book, loudly and often. There are some scenes of the Beaver Canal group, Biddle's cronies, preparing to attack the black part of town, that are nightmarish. Linda Darnell, the car-hop girl who thought she'd crawled away from Beaver Canal, comes across as an almost tragic figure. This is an intelligent, driving movie, with some scenes that might not be appropriate for young children. The Warner Brothers print is in very good condition, and, as always, the man who can name every actor in history, and has anecdotes to back him up, Eddie Muller's commentary track enhances the experience.

Average customer rating:

A Fantastic Movie
a 35 year old swede plays an insipid little 17 year old frenchie: quelle masterpiece!
A Classic Joan
inspiring!
The Maid who was sent from Heaven to support her failing France...

Joan of Arc
Starring: Ingrid Bergman , Francis L. Sullivan , J. Carrol Naish , Ward Bond , and Shepperd Strudwick
Director: Victor Fleming
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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