World Famous Comics: Dirty Harry (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Dirty Harry (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Maurice Argent, Joy Carlin, Tony Dario, Diane Darnell, Diana Davidson Directed By: Don Siegel Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Color, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Warner Home Video Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 03, 2008 Running Time: 102 minutes Theatrical Release Date: December 23, 1971
Product Description: Set in San Francisco in 1971 Dirty Harry is the gritty and suspenseful film that follows the story of Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) who earns the moniker ?Dirty Harry? for his reputation of handling the dirtiest homicidal cases. The City by the Bay faces the terror of a serial killer known as Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) who viciously snipes at innocent victims and demands ransom through notes left at the scene of the crime. Callahan is assigned to the case along with his newest partner Inspector Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni) to track down Scorpio and stop him. Using humiliation along with cat and mouse type games against Callahan Scorpio is put to the test by the cop with the very dirty attitude. Special Features ? New Commentary by Richard Schickel -- Filmmaker and Eastwood biographer Schickel examines the landmark film that revolutionized cinematic crime drama for all time. ? New Featurette The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry -- An examination of the influence and legacy of Dirty Harry. ? Featurette Dirty Harry: The Original -- Clint Eastwood and the film?s creators look back at the birth of the modern action hero: Dirty Harry. ? Featurette Dirty Harry?s Way -- A promotional short on the movie Dirty Harry focusing on the toughness of the movies? main characters. ? Interview Gallery -- Includes interviews with Patricia Clarkson Joel Cox Clint Eastwood Hal Holbrook Evan Kim John Milius Ted Post Andy Robinson Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Urich. ? 1993 TV Special Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso -- A look at the life and career of actor/director Clint Eastwood including scenes from his past film and television work and interviews with friends fellow actors and crew members who have worked with him over the years. ? Trailer GalleryRunning Time: 102 min.System Requirements:Running Time: 102 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/CRIME Rating: R UPC: 085391148272 Manufacturer No: 114827
Amazon.com essential video: Whether or not you can sympathize with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by star Clint Eastwood's longtime friend and directorial mentor, Don Siegel) is one hell of a cop thriller. The movie makes evocative use of its San Francisco locations as cop Harry Callahan (Eastwood) tracks the elusive "Scorpio killer" who has been terrorizing the city by the Bay. As the psychopath's trail grows hotter, Harry becomes increasingly impatient and intolerant of the frustrating obstacles (departmental red tape, individuals' civil rights) that he feels are keeping him from doing his job. A characteristically taut and tense piece of filmmaking from Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Escape from Alcatraz), it also remains a fascinating slice of American pop culture. It was a big hit (followed by four sequels) that obviously reflected--or exploited--the almost obsessive or paranoid fears and frustrations many Americans felt about crime in the streets. At a time when "law and order" was a familiar slogan for political candidates, Harry Callahan may have represented neither, but from his point of view his job was simple: stop criminals. To him that end justified any means he deemed necessary. --Jim Emerson
PURE 70'S NOSTALGIA Warner Brothers is going to "make the day" of Clint Eastwood fans everywhere on June 3rd when they release all five Dirty Harry films on special edition DVDs with all-new bonus features. With Eastwood in the starring role, Dirty Harry would one of the most influential films of the 1970s. This would usher in an era of gritty crime dramas and would open the door for such films as Shaft and Death Wish. Even John Wayne would put down his cowboy hat and play a Dirty Harry-style cop in McQ. Dirty Harry wasn't an action hero and it's almost impossible to think that the film could have been made today when there is so much reliance on over-the-top action and CGI special effects.
This film came along at a time during the Viet Nam-era when there was so much disillusionment in the country. Harry Callahan wasn't the action hero; he was the anti-hero, constantly at odds with authority including his police chief and the Mayor. We see almost nothing of Harry's personal life, almost as if he didn't exist outside of his job with the San Francisco PD. It's a clever touch by the writers and Director Don Siegel to show the obsessive drive of the character. Nothing mattered to Harry more than catching the bad guys no matter what it took.
Andrew Robinson turns in a memorable performance as a psychotic sniper dubbed Scorpio. After killing one girl, he demands a ransom from the city or he promises to kill again. The case is assigned to Callahan and in a bit that would be repeated through the film series, he is teamed with a new, young partner, this time Chico Sanchez (Rene Santoni). You know all you need to know about Callahan's character when he captures Scorpio but is forced to watch the prosecutor release him because Harry didn't give him his rights. Callahan wants to know who was looking out for the latest victim of Scorpio. This will set the table for Eastwood to deliver his famous, "Do you feel lucky punk" offer to Scoprio at the film's climax.
Nearly 40 years later Dirty Harry still holds up well. Eastwood is the model of cool. As a bank robbery interrupts his lunch at a diner, Callahan foils the robbery while still finishing off his hot dog! The film has a catchy, jazz soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin. You need only listen for a few moments to know you're watching one of those memorable cop films. Presented in letterbox format, Dirty Harry has never looked better. This is one of the most important films of the 1970s.
Extras
Clint Eastwood's biographer, Richard Schickel provides an all-new commentary on the film. While Schickel can be dry and goes several minutes without speaking, he offers some insightful views on the film.
Dirty Harry's Way is a 7:00 promotional piece produced in the 1970s which helped to hype the film and draws comparisons to film noir of the 1940s.
Dirty Harry the original is a 29:00 documentary from the 1990s and is hosted by the late Robert Urich who had a role in the second Dirty Harry film, Magnum Force.
The Long Shadow of Harry Callahan (25:00) is a new feature and takes a look at the roots of the 70's cop dramas as being urban westerns. Modern filmmakers and actors share their thoughts on the landmark film and how it has influenced their own work.
The Man from Malpaso is a 58:00 biography on Eastwood originally produced in 1993.
One of the best in '70s...with best presentation. It was unannounced before it's release, but this(and box set)Blu-ray version, as well as regular DVD, includes Japanese dub which is quite unusual....but off cause, great!
Japanese dub is featuring late Yasuo Yamada, whose performance is still well known for anime "Lupin 3rd", made his voice acting carrier bigger and contributed Eastwood's popularity in Japan for more than 30 years. Japanese baby boomer will definitely appreciate Warner's great effort.
As for the movie and disc..."Dirty Harry" is not dirty after all. This is one of the best presentation of American movie in '70s. Please buy it and see it for yourself. Highly recommended.
Great film, with original soundtrack? This review applies only to the 2008 DVD reissue.
Having a carefully-remastered edition of Dirty Harry is, if not joy, then at least a cautionary message to those who feel unlucky. The transfer preserves much of the grainy quality which seems to have been endemic to films of the late '60s and early '70s, while cleaning up the image in a non-intrusive manner. This was my first time to see the film in widescreen, so I cannot say if the 2.35:1 ratio is correct. However, I am almost sure that this film was initially released with a monaural soundtrack. For the 2008 reissue, the film's soundtrack has been re-routed into the now-ubiquitous 5.1 Dolby Surround format. This creates several problems. On the one hand, the sound drops in and out in an unpredictable manner on mono or stereo televisions. On the other, the assumption that every watcher would want to see Dirty Harry in full surround sound is a bit presumptuous. I would rather see the film in its remastered glory with the original soundtrack, which could have been no more than stereo. Using 5.1 surround sound only is a bit of technical elitism on the part of Warner Brothers. Still, this is a seminal film of the zeitgeist that was the Sixties as well as being the template for the "Bad Cop with a Heart of Gold" films which followed in its footsteps. This is the first, and by far the best. I only dock it one star in my pompous fashion for the manner in which the studio has imposed the 5.1 Dolby Surround sound on the buyers of the film in this latest incarnation.
Sign of the Times If you want to know what was on the minds of most Americans in the early 1970's then watch DIRTY HARRY and the Charles Bronson film DEATH WISH. Both deal with the rising tide of violent crime of that era and a yearning for swift and certain retribution. Both films cemented the careers of their stars -- ironically, Frank Sinatra had been slated to do DIRTY HARRY but an injury that kept him from being able to handle a .44 Magnum forced him to bow out. After all these years, it's hard to see anyone but Eastwood in the role.
Do You Feel Lucky - Punk? This new addition of "Dirty Harry" comes out with the other four movies. One can buy them separately are altogether in a box set. Yes, the first movie (Dirty Harry) is a two disc special addition. The extras are nice, but let us be honest: once watches Eastwood as Inspector Callahan, because in a world (especially in the 70s when it appeared "bad guys" had more rights than ever before), one man sought justice and sometimes that took him outside the law.
Second, the movie is clever. Eastwood sells it and his Dirty Harry is tough, rugged, but also one detects he actually cares in his own way. Andy Robinson is great as Scorpio. The one liners from Eastwood are delivered wonderfully. This movie not only spawns four more sequels, but other movies in the same vain such as "Death Wish" and "Lethal Weapon."
I am not going to rehash the story - instead, watch it for the witty dialogue, great scene staging, and Eastwood as a tough cop who is out to protect the innocent - and he does so in style.
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