Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/01/2010 Run time: 302 minutes Rating: Nr
Rating:  List Price: $ 24.98 Price: $ 18.80 Find More DVD Products |
(out of 6 reviews)
Review by Rockford Fan for Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
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Just finished watching “Kelly’s Heroes” – The film looks TERRIFIC, not like a NEW RELEASE, but for a film shot in 1968 it looks GREAT. It is in WIDE SCREEN – 1080p HIGH Definition 16×9 2.4:1 – bars on the top & the bottom.
I compared it to my standard def version, which actually looks quite good, and I couldn’t see much difference aspect ratio wise. The quality is good (like somebody took some WINDEX and cleaned the print – not a great upgrade, but I just had to have it – NO REGRETS, its a great movie. ( The second half of the movie LOOKS REALLY GOOD!!!)
I have never owned a copy of “Where Eagles Dare”. It’s an engaging WORLD WAR II thriller that looks GOOD – a little orange in some of the low light scenes – looks terrific in the brighter scenes as does “Kelly’s Heroes” . It’s fun to watch Richard Burton – GOOD MOVIE!!
Review by F. Hughes for Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
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Unfortunately for film purists, this version appears to do what a lot of Blu Ray discs do:crop the movie to fit your big screen TV. Both these movies were filmed in a 2.35:1 widescreen format, but this disc advertises 1.77:1, which means you lose the original composition the director intended. Better to go with the regular DVD version, which presents the film in the original aspect ratio. This is particularly recommended if you are using a projector, since projectors currently don’t pick up the subtleties of Blu Ray anyway.
Review by trebe for Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
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These two action-packed films from the late 60′s, set in World War II, featuring Clint Eastwood, make a terrific double feature. Packaging these MGM features together is a good value, and a great idea, as the films, both directed by Brian G. Hutton, kind of complement each other. Each is an epic, set in the European theater, involving a covert operation behind enemy lines. The missions however, are radically different, providing very contrasting views of the war.
A deadly serious espionage thriller, Where Eagles Dare (1968) features allied soldiers engaged in a top secret undercover mission, deep in the heart of the snow covered Bavarian Alps. Also quite serious, but with numerous humorous elements, Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is about a band of American soldiers making an unauthorized bid to steal Nazi gold. Eastwood became an international star, in Sergio Leone’s ‘Man with No Name’ spaghetti westerns, and interestingly, these films are the only ones (so far) that feature Eastwood as a participant in World War II.
Richard Burton was looking to do an action picture. Author Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra) was consulted, and Where Eagles Dare is what he came up with. The noted author not only produced another thrilling novel, but wrote his first screenplay as well.
Burton plays British Major John Smith, the leader of a group British soldiers, disguised as members of the Germany army, on a top secret mission. Also included in the group is Lt. Schaffer (Eastwood), an American. As Ron Goodwin’s magnificent theme builds in intensity, the film opens with the group aboard a plane, flying through a snowstorm, preparing to parachute drop at the Schloss Adler (The Castle of the Eagles), in Bavaria. The unique and picturesque fortress, built on the top of a mountain, is typically accessible only by cable car. Being held prisoner there, is General Carnaby, an American who must be rescued, before the Germans make him reveal vital secrets.
At 158 minutes, Where Eagles Dare is a long complicated journey. There are some slow spots, but the film builds to a furious, action-packed finish. With the help of Lt. Schaffer, and British agent Mary Elison (Mary Ure), Major Smith executes an elaborate scheme to obtain secret information. When it is time to take their leave, Lt. Schaffer displays his deadly fighting skills. There are many notable action scenes, including Smith’s battle on the roof on the top of a cablecar. Taking it on the run in a bus, the group engages in a frantic shootout with the pursuing Germans.
Including action sequences not present in the novel, adds to the film’s length, but makes for a more cinematic and spectacular result. It is commendable that the intricacies of MacLean’s story were not sacrificed, to shorten the movie. Both Burton and Eastwood bring guts and a ruthless toughness to their roles. Derren Nesbitt and Anton Diffring, are quite colorful as members of the German army. While Patrick Wymark and Michael Hordern, are deadly serious representatives of the British military. Horror queen Ingrid Pitt, appears as a very helpful barmaid. Featuring locations in Austria, the cinematography is dominated by snow covered settings.
Kelly’s Heroes presents a radically different view of the war. While second banana in Where Eagles Dare, Clint Eastwood is clearly the ringmaster in this wartime romp, that has a dynamite supporting cast. Eastwood is Kelly, the de facto leader of a group of American soldiers, who are often assigned the dirty grunt work. Their immediate commanding officer, Captain Maitland (Hal Buckley), is engaged in looting, so when Kelly and his group, learn about a cache of gold, they decide to do something for themselves, and go after it. The fact that the gold is located in bank behind enemy lines, in the French village of Clermont, does not deter Kelly. After convincing Big Joe (Telly Savalas) to join in the venture, Kelly gets intelligence reports and weapons from Crapgame (Don Rickles), and armored support from Oddball (Donald Sutherland) and his three Sherman tanks.
The complicity of various other units is required, and the coordination of these activities is part of the wacky fun. Kelly’s unauthorized operation comes to the attention of General Colt (Carroll O’Connor), who mistakenly believes that Kelly is spearheading an offensive. O’Connor is marvelous, playing it to the hilt. The light-hearted and chaotic tone of the mission, is counterbalanced by the danger posed by the German army, and matters become deadly serious as the group approaches their objective. The fighting at Clermont is tight, and tension filled. Featuring a tank battle between Sherman’s and German Tigers. In the end, it all comes down to money, and a business arrangement satisfactory to all is made.
Shot mainly in Yugoslavia, the film has a realistic look. At 144 minutes, this is another epic adventure, but it is paced so well, that it seems much shorter. The constant friction and banter throughout the film, between Crapgame, and Big Joe is hilarious. Don Rickles has never been better. Sutherland’s hippie influenced portrayal of Oddball is from the wrong era, but seems like an absolutely perfect fit here. Oddball’s relationship with his tank driver Moriarty (Gavin MacLeod) is another comic gem. Managing the madness is Kelly. Perfectly calm in a crisis, there isn’t a lot of depth to Eastwood’s character, just an unfailing determination not to fail. The film has a great cast, that also includes Jeff Morris, Dick Davalos, Stuart Margolin, Karl Otto Alberty, Len Lesser and David Hurst. Extremely well-written by Troy Kennedy Martin, the film has marvelous character development, with tons of classic lines. For a pure wartime caper film, with many terrific over the top performances, it is hard to top this hilarious masterpiece.
Warner Brothers previously released versions of these classics were both very good, and hopefully the image quality of the blu-ray editions will be an improvement. Particularly in the case of Where Eagles Dare, which because of the snow, has a heavy emphasis on white and arctic blue colors. Unfortunately, neither film had significant extras, or commentary tracks.
Review by tendays komyathy for Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
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In the spirit of “The Great Escape,” these films are simply good fun; films you can watch a number of times and then even when coming across them on cable watch yet again. On the list of the best war films made opinion will differ as to whether these selections merit inclusion, but that’s not the point of these films. Both are popular adventures that have become cult classics, or at least fan favorites. Consider this: “Stalag 17″ is a great film and is an all around impressive film. “The Great Escape, also a POW-set film is of a different style and perhaps pales slightly in comparison to “Stalag 17,” but I dare say that I have seen “The Great Escape” several more times than the former. Not much ‘happens’ in “The Great Escape” for seemingly a long time then the film explodes in action. When flipping channels should any fan of war films stumble upon this film I’d reckon that quite a few would linger to check out at least a scene or two of the film….before proceeding to watch it to the end! “Where Eagles Dare,” and especially “Kelly’s Heroes” are films of this sort. Tell me that “Kelly’s Heroes” will be on Thursday night at 10PM and most likely I will not chance to see any of it. But if I come across it on TV I am not likely to pass it by so fast. And if somebody else tries to change the channel a fan is likely to say, hey, wait a second, Telly Salvalas is about to—don’t change it yet! Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, and, of course, Clint Eastwood have some classic scenes in this film and that’s what makes the film much better than perhaps it appears to someone with an overly critical eye. If you haven’t seen it yet do give it a chance & see if you too wind up coming back to it next time you come across it. Cheers
Review by R. Smith for Kelly’s Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) [Blu-ray]
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I became a fan of Clint Eastwood and grew to respect his integrity as a film maker because I was lucky enough to see his early films before the bigger budget blockbusters. That talent and taste, if you will, was evident right from the beginning, starting with the ‘Man with no Name’ trilogy which concluded with undeniably the best ‘Western’ of all time, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Stolen by Eli Wallach’s performance and Sergio Leone’s inspired direction and that score!! You can’t sing it, repeat it or buy it other than with the film, but that brilliant riff which was actually used as an homage in Kelly’s Heroes is so memorable that you know it the second it begins. It has been copied and used many a time in films; proof that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery.
After the spaghetti westerns, there are a number that aren’t as well known but just as well done and entertaining. One of my favorites is “Coogan’s Bluff.” Please watch it just for Eastwood’s dry anachronistic character, a gentleman in the middle of the late-sixties New York City. It is hysterical and yet a great detective piece. Keep going with “Where Eagles Dare” or “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.” Consider that he did all these films while managing to do the first three Dirty Harry films is truly remarkable… I still haven’t gotten to my favorite, “Kelly’s Heroes.” Forget any apologies or qualifications about comedic efforts or in which genre it belongs, “Kelly’s Heroes” is one of the best war films of all time. No, that isn’t an exaggeration from a die hard fan. It is just a basic conclusion from reasonable people who love movies that entertain and don’t represent the celluloid product of a director’s narcissistic obsession: himself.
There are indeed some good war films, and the best tend to dramatize the brutality and insanity of war. So when one takes a different route and exposes the greed and profiteering that happen in all conflict, and does so in a humorous way, should that somehow disqualify yhe film from consideration as a great or artistic work? Watch Kelly’s Heroes again, or for the first time if you were one of those poor souls locked up in a Soviet Gulag in Siberia during the early seventies; which just so happened to be when they were all at full occupancy. Watch a movie that is beautifully produced with a score and cinematography that is nonpareil.
To such a beautifully looking and sounding work add Mr. Eastwood, Donald Sutherland in a hysterical performance as the anachronistic hippy tank commander, Telly Savalas as the perfectly cast master-seargent promoted to cat-hearder desperately trying to keep a misfit unit together, befuddled by Eastwood’s brilliant but treasonous leadership, and a plot that is as insane as it is believable. Who wouldn’t do what Kelley and his little band of heroic entrepreneurs did if given the same opportunity…
I’m not going to reveal any more of the story and spoil this movie for anyone who might have forgotten this gem of a film. If you ever find yourself stuck inside on a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, grab a big bowl and the whole box of microwave popcorn. While those molecules start getting excited, your’s should as well. That should give you enough energy to get the DVD and turn on the TV. As inspiration, we like to play ‘Beat the Microwave Clock’ in our house: Before the bag and popcorn acquire the color and consistency of charcoal, start the movie and while the endless, insanity-producing FBI warning and remote-disabling previews run on, sprint to the refrigerator, grab your beverage of choice, lots of paper towls and a big bowl. As rationalization for the buttery-flavored blends, you can subtract the calories you burn as you buzz through the house in ravenous anticipation. If you are really good or well-practiced, and the kitchen is on the same floor, you should be able to punch the microwave escape hatch before the buzzer sounds and you have to start looking for the step-stool so you can unplug all the smoke detectors…
The trick is remain calm and remember to grab the popcorn bag by the corners. Movies just aren’t as much fun when you have to watch them with bandages on your hands and ringing in your ears.
Even if you burn the popcorn and your hands, I promise you will quickly forget as you become immersed in what is simply a great and thrilling story. What I can’t guarantee is how your sides will feel after you spend the entire afternoon laughing…