Comments on: The Dirty Dozen

By: Ron Davis

Ron Davis — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:14:50 +0000

Check out Eastern Condors, it’s like a HK version of DD.

By: dan

dan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:35:26 +0000

added it to my to-do list last night. got about an hour in before i realized it was 3am. saving the rest for tonight. so far i feel like smackin’ myself for waiting this long to check it out.

By: RRA

RRA — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:37:07 +0000

Yeah, also throw SHADOW CONSPIRACY in the manure too.

By: Mr. Subtlety

Mr. Subtlety — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:00:29 +0000

Caught me, I didn’t see BEERFEST because it looked like shite. I should have known Sutherland was a mark of quality. OK, how about THE PUPPET MASTERS? Now THAT was one big pile of shit.

By: RRA

RRA — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:04:24 +0000

Err, I….liked BEERFEST?

By: Mr. Subtlety

Mr. Subtlety — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:55:53 +0000

RRA – well, hell, they can’t ALL be zingers. Some days you wake up and make DON,T LOOK NOW, some days you wake up and make BEERFEST. It is the way of things.

By: Hugh K. David

Hugh K. David — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:35:11 +0000

Vern – I heard about the book when I was a student back around 1990, and searched second-hand shops for years, eventually finding a copy from the time of the film. I read it cover to cover, and I can honestly say that in some ways it’s better than the film – and god how I love the film. Even had the pleasure of seeing it in an actual film print at the National Film Theatre at the end of the 90s. The books is all about the picking of the prisoners, the training and the build-up to the mission; most of it is from the Marvin character’s PoV, but some sequences diverge – we follow one guy who breaks out of the training and goes travelling around England trying to sort out pieces from his past, only to have the major catch him as he resolves the issues. It’s very much a character-driven thing, but then the biggest shock is he dispenses with the mission in like the last chapter, just rips through the whole mission at high speed, basically tallying who dies, how and why, and then who survives. Nothing Hollywood would be happy with, even someone as edgy as Aldrich had to beef up the entertainment quotient.

And then there’s the sequel novel… with the Major parachuting into Korea, if memory serves.

By: RRA

RRA — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:47:53 +0000

telf – That theme will never escape anyone’s skull after they hear it. Fun Fact: Was Eastwood’s biggest box-office hit until I believe DIRTY HARRY some years later.

If you want to piss off a German, bring up DARE. For some reason*, they really really hate that movie. On the other hand, DARE is apparently a Christmas tradition in the UK. I guess they treasure Eastwood playing the second banana to Burton.

Mr. Subtlety – And don’t forget VIRUS! I’m surprised Vern hasn’t reviewed that forgettable super flop yet.

*=I guess Eastwood mowing down rows of Nazis, as the right course of action, doesn’t fly well there. Yet same country earlier this decade voted RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK as one of the greatest movies ever. Weird.

By: Mr. Subtlety

Mr. Subtlety — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:39:27 +0000

shit, I forgote KELLYS HEROS also has Donald Sutherland. M*A*S*H, KLUTE, DON’T LOOK NOW, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (best version, IMHO), MURDER BY DECREE…

all before 1980. Well done, Mr. Sutherland. Although perhaps my favortie Sutherland role is in the little-seen but fantastic CITIZEN X. It’s Stephen Rea’s show and he brings his A-game, which is already more than we deserve. But every time Sutherland is onscreen it just brings it up to 11. Add in Joss Ackland and Max Von Syndow to an already fascinating true story and what excuse do you have to NOT be watching it right now?

By: Vincento

Vincento — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:30:28 +0000

Perfect movie. Aldrich rules.