Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Kelly's Heroes/Where Eagles Dare (Action Double Feature) (1 Viewer)

[chiefbrody]

Hi MattH,

I'm from Germany.

Has the blu ray a german soundtrack for both movies too?


Thanks for reply

 

[Douglas R]

Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic

Put me down for the crowd that has Kelly's Heroes as a classic and Where Eagles Dare as the below standard war film Richard Burton accepted for the money and because "his kids could go." And yet he still confessed he had to stay drunk just to get through it. (Hellraisers, a great book)

That's funny beacause I think exactly the opposite. For me, WHERE EAGLES DARE is a tremendously entertaining, fast paced, exciting war film (looked great in 70mm) but I found KELLY'S HEROES incredible disappointing, being too rambling and jokey for my tastes. I like war films to be essentially serious. Comedy war films (like comedy westerns) are a huge turn off for me. I'm not convinced that combining these films together is sensible because I don't think they necessarily appeal to the same viewers. The films may have the same star and director but that's about all they have in common. Fortunately the films are available as separate discs in Europe so I will be able to just get WHERE EAGLES DARE.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Douglas R





That's funny beacause I think exactly the opposite. For me, WHERE EAGLES DARE is a tremendously entertaining, fast paced, exciting war film (looked great in 70mm) but I found KELLY'S HEROES incredible disappointing, being too rambling and jokey for my tastes. I like war films to be essentially serious. Comedy war films (like comedy westerns) are a huge turn off for me. I'm not convinced that combining these films together is sensible because I don't think they necessarily appeal to the same viewers. The films may have the same star and director but that's about all they have in common. Fortunately the films are available as separate discs in Europe so I will be able to just get WHERE EAGLES DARE.

For collectors such as me, I'm very happy that both of these films with Eastwood are out on Blu-ray. If that's what it takes to get such catalog product out on store shelfs in this country then give me more such combinations.







Crawdaddy

 

[Edwin-S]

I think both of these films are good; however, I do think it odd that these particular films were paired together as a release since they are so diametrically opposite in terms of tone. WB packaged these with Clint Eastwood as common denominator. It would have made more sense to use Alistair Maclean as the common denominator and package "Where Eagles Dare" with "Ice Station Zebra".

 

[Mark B]

Originally Posted by Edwin-S

WB packaged these with Clint Eastwood as common denominator.

They also were directed by the same person, so that gives them a dual connection.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by chiefbrody

Hi MattH,

I'm from Germany.

Has the blu ray a german soundtrack for both movies too?


Thanks for reply

Hello!


Yes, both films have German soundtracks as an option. They also have German for the hearing impaired subtitles.


Welcome to Home Theater Forum!

 

[RobertR]

Geez, all these negative waves towards one movie or the other

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Edwin-S

I think both of these films are good; however, I do think it odd that these particular films were paired together as a release since they are so diametrically opposite in terms of tone. WB packaged these with Clint Eastwood as common denominator. It would have made more sense to use Alistair Maclean as the common denominator and package "Where Eagles Dare" with "Ice Station Zebra".

Something tells me that Warner thinks the name Eastwood would sell more video product than Maclean.




Crawdaddy

 

[chiefbrody]

Hi Matt,


many thanks for your fast and positive reply.

I've just ordered the BD.


Greetings from Germany

 

[Edwin-S]

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford




Something tells me that Warner thinks the name Eastwood would sell more video product than Maclean.




Crawdaddy

I don't doubt that was their thinking, but I don't buy movies based on personalities. I buy movies based on the story and I think "Ice Station Zebra" (another Alistair Maclean story) would have been a better match with "Where Eagles Dare" than to bundle it with a comedy just because Clint Eastwood was in it. Apparently, a lot of people don't share my criteria and think that the personality is more important than the story when deciding to purchase or watch a film. So be it. I'm not really complaining. I just thought pairing these two films up was incongruous from the point of view of story and tone.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Edwin-S





I don't doubt that was their thinking, but I don't buy movies based on personalities. I buy movies based on the story and I think "Ice Station Zebra" (another Alistair Maclean story) would have been a better match with "Where Eagles Dare" than to bundle it with a comedy just because Clint Eastwood was in it. Apparently, a lot of people don't share my criteria and think that the personality is more important than the story when deciding to purchase or watch a film. So be it. I'm not really complaining. I just thought pairing these two films up was incongruous from the point of view of story and tone.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of "Ice Station Zebra" so I'm very happy with this pairing.






Crawdaddy

 

[CraigF]

Did any of you notice any audio shrillness in approx. the first hour of Kelly's Heroes? I recall that from the DVD, which I watched just after this BD title was first announced. It seemed to clear up later, or maybe I just got used to it... Thanks.


I'll give a vote to WED. If it wasn't for the Sutherland character I'd rate KH a lot higher, I know it's a polarizing aspect of the film. But otherwise I like it fine, so might as well have the audio good... I have already watched 6 Eastwood BDs in ~ the last week, so will carry on...

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I'm just impressed that they managed to put two Clint Eastwood WWII films together. Think of the other possible combinations without this link.

 

[Robert Crawford]

After viewing the BRD of Where Eagles Dare with those great action sequences had the great Yakima Canutt as the second unit director.






Crawdaddy

 

[Worth]

As a fan of both films, I picked up this set yesterday and scanned through them. Heroes looks very good, but I'm a bit disappointed in the visual quality of Eagles. It's really dark - like watching a movie with with the projector bulb at half-power.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Worth

As a fan of both films, I picked up this set yesterday and scanned through them. Heroes looks very good, but I'm a bit disappointed in the visual quality of Eagles. It's really dark - like watching a movie with with the projector bulb at half-power.

I always thought Eagles was a dark film despite the snow in it.







Crawdaddy

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford


I always thought Eagles was a dark film despite the snow in it.

As I recall a lot of the film was shot "day for night" and had to be printed way down to compensate for all that snow and ice. I haven't actually watched the whole film in years (I'll probably look at my Blu Ray tonight after I finish watching Stagecoach with the commentary track) but I also recall it as being very dark every time I saw it - which included one time during the theatrical release. (BTW, according to the IMDB Stephen Speilberg called WED his favorite war movie when interviewed for a UK documentary on the top 100 war films, Lee Marvin turned down the Eastwood part because he'd already done The Dirty Dozen and didn't want to do another WWII action flick and Alistair McClean was commissioned to write the film as an original script, since most of his novels had already been filmed. He wrote in six weeks - writing the novel simultaneously, which is why the film seems unusually faithful to it.)


Regards,


Joe

 

[Robert Crawford]

Joe,

Quite a bit of the movie was shot "day for night".






Crawdaddy

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Isn't that what I said?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino

I was agreeing with you about "day for night".