Reviews (12)

A Great Movie Adapted from a Great Book!!
I have been a Misty fan since my childhood and love all of Marguerite Henry's books. This is a great family film. This film is filled with timeless family values. A wonderful film for all ages. Filmed on location in Chincoteague and Assateague the scenery is beautiful. We hope to witness Pony Penning Day first hand next year and see the recently unveiled Misty statue on Chincoteague.

Paul and Maureen fall in love with The Phantom the first time they see her on Assateague Island. Their deceased father also loved The Phantom and the two children set their hearts on buying her after the pony roundup. The do all kinds of small jobs to raise [money] needed to purchase her.
When the roundup occurs it is discovered that The Phantom has a young foal which is quickly called Misty and the two decide they want to buy them both. I can't tell you any more without revealing the entire story so you will just have to watch the rest yourself to find out what happens. You will not be disappointed.

Play 'Misty' For Me
I loved this movie when I was a little girl, not so many years ago, but then, I was absolutely horse crazy at the time. I never quite understood, and I don't think I ever will, why the book and the film were both titled 'Misty' when the story is really all about her mother, The Phantom.

It was nice to see all the characters from the book brought to life, although I do agree with the reviewer who thought Grandpa was miscast; he seemed too young and looked more like the illustration for Tom, the raffleman instead. The one change I really enjoyed was that they made Maureen much more tomboyish and willing to stick up for herself; Wesley Dennis always drew her as this fragile-looking waif in a fluffy dress and the pigtailed flannel and denim clad girl we get seems much better suited to farm life. Slightly off-putting is the grandparent's backward thinking, which will seem outdated to modern audiences. At one point Grandma scolds the kids for not doing their chores and playing with the foals instead and I wanted to shake the woman. They've lost both their parents and you're mad they're outside playing? You should be glad they've found something to help them cope.

Still, this movie is about the horses and not the people and we get scads of great shots of herds galloping free along the beaches, racing other ponies with real kids clinging to their backs, and foals capering adorably. They found a very sweet and clever yearling to play Misty- at times she seems more like an adoring puppy than anything- and a fantastic looking pinto who plays the Pied Piper to wild-eyed perfection. They even found a pony with mismatched eyes to play Watch-Eye, which is a great little detail for those who loved the book.

Considering how old the film is, the quality of the tape is surprisingly good, there were only one or two times where a blip or a jump showed up on the TV and that might even just be the copy I have. This is a kiddie film, so don't expect the greatest, but if you're horse crazy, in the mood for some nostalgia or just need something to share with a younger audience that you won't find too mind-numbing, Misty fits the warm fuzzy bill.

Very Close To The Book
This movie was made in 1961, just four years after my family moved from Chincoteague. Many of the great town folk of Chincoteague are in the movie, including the barber that used to cut my hair when I was four, and gave me a penny for not crying.
I've seen the DVD version recently, almost 50 years since my last Pony Penning Day. It brought back so many memories of my childhood, and my favorite book at the time. It has a great message for children - set goals, work hard, and you will achieve - it also shows the love man has for God's great creatures. A great movie for kid's who love horses!!

MISTY
What a Lovely Film, we rented this for Christmas for my 11 year old daughter and we all enjoyed the movie. Very good filming and a very cute movie.

Mostly Faithful to the Book
Shot on location on Chincoteague and Assateague Island, this movie wisely sticks to the original souce material. Misty fans of all ages will want to see this movie so they can see the places mentioned in the book and watch a real Pony Penning Day roundup.

Both the book and movie characters were based on real people (and ponies). Misty was an equine celebrity with children all over America. After a storm nearly destroyed Chincoteague, the real Misty often appeared in theaters where this film was shown to raise money to rebuild the island.

Arthur O'Connell as Grandpa Beebe was a disappointment. He doesn't speak in the warm, grizzled ways like the character in the book and he doesn't even have a Southern accent.

The film was shot in CinamaScope and the video is formatted in pan-and-scan. There are many instances during the film where the cropped picture looks distorted because of this. If you really want to enjoy the beauty of this film, hold out for a widescreen version on DVD. It would be nice if future editions of this film also had a documentary about the real Misty and her life. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A hilariously campy piece of garbage
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better. The highlights has to be the scene in the bus station when Burton karate chops poor Cameron Mitchell nearly to death. The movie was so cheaply edited that you can clearly hear director Terrence Young yelling, "Cut, Cam! Get up! Cut!" They don't even bother to edit out the director's instructions. You will be laughing yourself into a choking fit during this lengthy bus station melee,

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

Truly disappointing!
Firstly, poor sound. Secondly, the film has been cut, heavily.
Let us hope that Paramount release it on DVD soon, as it is their film. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see this film then just buy the Paramount VHS tape- it's very good quality for picture & sound & it is UNCUT! Do not waste your money or time on this poor attempt at a DVD release!!!

"THE KLANSMAN" WAS A DISASTER
In the Spring of 1974 Director Terance Young and company came to Oroville, California to film the Klansman. The locals were excited to have a big studio film made in the small town. However, when it opened at the State Theatre in Oroville, there was widespread horror.

The film included a castration, an attempted rape and two rapes, plus a whole lot of racial comments and some god-awful acting. You would have thought that Richard Burton would have done well with his acting, but he was one of the worse. He was drunk and chasing an under-age girl for most of the shooting schedule and could not seem to handle the southern accent. (This may have been the incident that destroyed his and Liz Taylor's marriage.)

Lee Marvin, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana and a few others did well in their acting but the script shot them down. It was full of racial stereotypes that probably set back racial relations for the next 100 years. (This was OJ Simpson's first film.)

I was there in 1974 and saw a lot of the shooting of the movie. It's only redeeming value to me is the fact that it showed a lot of areas of Table Mountain, Cherokee, Oroville and Sugarloaf Mountain (75 miles north of Sacramento in Northern California).
The scenery is beautiful but the movie is awful.

There are many scenes that are unintentially funny because of the bad acting plus a hilarious scene where Richard Burton "slaps" Cameron Mitchell into a blood pulp. A Classic!

All in all a minor film but worth seeing if you want a laugh or two. Warning, the rape scene with Lola Falana is not for the faint of heart! Plus the castration scene makes ME grit my teeth!

Sad waste of two powerhouse talents
Richard Burton was one of the all-time great thespians and it's a travesty that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never honored him with an Oscar for any of his numerous nominations. Lee Marvin was a dynamic actor in his own right as well. Why they are wasting their time in this ugly, worthless (...) movie is anybody's guess.
Many films that incorporate a racist theme merit importance when they depict the horror and any subsequent violence that such bigotry and hatred derives. This film does nothing but present a shallow glimpse into the racial tensions stemming from the South (a common and unfortunate stereotype).
One interesting note: OJ Simpson made his film debut here as a radical "Black Panther"-type militant who murders white folks whenever he has a chance. (...)

Campy in the extreme!
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better.

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

FOR ALL OF YOU FANS CONSIDERING THIS MOVIE
THIS EXTREMELY GROSS AND GORY MOVIE STARS DONALD PLEASANCE AND CHRISTOPHER LEE!!!!!!

In 1892 eight men and four women were left for dead in a collapsed underground tunnel in London. There was only one survivor.

Finally, one man, having just seen his wife die with child, is left. He then gets [ticked] off and goes crazy, promting a bloody and violent tale of one man [ticked]off at the entire world.

The whole movie is complete with severing heads, drinking blood, sticking a stake clear through someone's chest, biting the heads off of rats, and many other fun events. The man continually drools long strands of saliva as he menaces and kills.

The movie looks like it obviously was made on a small budget, but, there are some beautiful set pieces that wholly capture the mood of the story.

The acting is generally good all around. Donald Pleasance, however, makes the film worth seeing, as he plays the role of a police inspector investigating the crimes in the subway. As for Christopher Lee...well he is good in his five plus minutes of screen time, hovever, his role is totally devoid of any importance to the storyline.

"Mind the Doors!" A forgetten classic finally released.
Here's a lost classic I never thought would see the light of day on DVD. Trapped underground in 1892 by a cave in, 8 men and 4 women survived by eating their dead. Their last decendent, a sore covered, plague infested cannibal and his pregnant dying mate have survived by picking off modern day London subway commuters. That's the premise of Raw Meat, Gary Sherman's directorial debut, which he also wrote. Sherman also went on to direct the Norman Rockwellian zombie film Dead and Buried which has greater reknown than Raw Meat. Although I never warmed up to the American lead actor, the cannibal, played by Hugh Armstrong, gives a performance regarded as both fearsome and tragic, Donald Pleasance as a police inspector is always fun and the make up effects are superb. The larder, stocked with rotting, half consumed corpses and the burial chamber where the cave in survivors have laid their dead to rest are especially impressive. I've had a terrible bootleg copy of this film for many years and it's nice to see it finally get the treatment it deserves.

"Mind the doors"
I stumbled over "Raw Meat," a.k.a "Death Line," quite by accident during a recent excursion aimed at discovering new to me horror movies. I amazingly had never heard of it before, surprising considering the film contains one of Donald Pleasence's hammier performances. I am a big fan of Pleasence in everything from his recurring role as Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" installments to hackneyed Italian cheapies like "Warrior of the Lost World." The Donald aside, none other than Gary Sherman of "Dead and Buried" fame directed this eerie little gem. While this picture is not nearly as good as "Dead and Buried," it is still worth a watch for horror fans who like something a bit different in their diet. Heck, Christopher Lee even turns up in a completely useless cameo part. How can you go wrong? You cannot, so get out there and pick this one up before it goes out of print. After you do that, go get "Dead and Buried." If you have a few misgivings about the movie because of the title-I know I did-do not worry. As far as I can tell, the moniker comes from a voiceover line in the cheesy trailer. Of course, "Death Line" as an attention grabber is not much better.

After a lengthy, psychedelically tinged opening sequence showing a properly dressed British bloke wandering in and out of nightclubs, we see this guy head down into the subway. It turns out he is quite the important fellow who works for MI5. A few minutes after a young lady robs him in the subway, American economics student Alex Campbell (David Ladd) and his British girlfriend Patricia Wilson (Sharon Gurney) stumble over the recumbent form of Manfred on the stairs leading out of the subway. Alex does not want to help the guy, claiming he is probably a drunken miscreant. Patricia, a kindhearted sort, insists on stopping. After reading his name off an identification card in his wallet, and discerning that he is probably not drunk, Patricia forces her boyfriend to tell a bobby about the body. When they go back to check, the body is not there. The cop shrugs the whole thing off and turns in what should be a mundane incident report. Once Inspector Calhoun (Donald Pleasence) and his put upon assistant hear about what happened, they launch an investigation. Too, Manfred is an important person fully deserving of an inquiry. Besides, Calhoun despises MI5 and hopes to raise that organization's ire by poking about in the case.

As he methodically investigates the case, Calhoun uncovers a weird story about the subway. Apparently, the authorities never properly investigated a cave-in back in the 1890s that killed a bunch of construction workers. Several laborers were missing after the disaster, but the company funding the venture went bankrupt and thus never answered disturbing questions about survivors possibly living in the tunnels. Oh dear. From this time on you just know what happened to Manfred. Just in case you are a bit thick in the brain department, Sherman shows us what happened to the secret service bureaucrat along with a few other unfortunate souls unlucky enough to wander off into dark subway tunnels. Miners did survive that accident and have lived in a sealed off section of the subway for nearly 100 years. The mortality rate under these conditions is high, thus meaning only two descendants of the workers now live underground. One is an ill woman carrying a child. Her husband (played by Hugh Armstrong) does not look that great either. He grunts a lot and looks like a cross between Gary Sinise's character in "Forrest Gump" and a member of Jethro Tull. In an effort to heal his sick lady, this guy goes out into the subway and preys on people. He not only dispatched Manfred in due haste, he also captures three construction workers after a gory fight. The conclusion is about what you would expect from a movie of this caliber.

"Raw Meat" is Donald Pleasence's film. All of the best scenes involve Inspector Calhoun bullying his underlings and Alex, raging, insulting people, and generally making a nuisance. You have to listen carefully to his character-a problem considering the rate of his speech, his accent, and the dodgy audio quality of the disc-to hear the gems he throws out on a regular basis. His confrontation with MI5 Agent Stratton-Villiers (Christopher Lee) is amusing, as are his exchanges with the mouthy Alex. I do not watch too many foreign films, but "Raw Meat" is the only film where I actually heard a British character ask for a "cuppa." If you tire of Pleasence's ham handed performance (and if you do, why are you watching this?), you can always laugh at Patricia's resemblence to Jane Fonda's character in "Klute," admire the gruesome gore effects, enjoy the atmospheric intensity of the abandoned tunnels, or try to figure out what "mind the doors" means. Yes sir, "Raw Meat" is an experience not to be missed by anyone who likes offbeat movies.

The only extra on the DVD is a trailer for the film. The picture quality looked sharp considering its age, with only a few speckles and a bit of grain interfering with the proceedings. The audio, as I already mentioned, is not the best for hearing the dialogue. You can't expect MGM to ramp this up from two channels to 5.1, but such things have happened to lesser movies in the rush to transfer everything ever filmed by man to DVD. I do not think "Raw Meat" qualifies as a cult classic even though it probably should. Donald Pleasence completists probably possess the greatest impetus to buy the disc, but admirers of the man should check it out as well.

RAW MEAT Not Too Well Done
1973's RAW MEAT (a.k.a. DEATH LINE) is the story of an aphasic brute, purported to be the progeny of workers accidentally trapped underground in 1892, who stalks the London subways after hours in search of other humans. But what he seeks is not companionship; he's shopping for groceries! After he brings home a high-ranking government official for dinner, the local authorities get involved, and they eventually raid the cannibal's underground lair and bring his gruesome dinner parties to a halt.

Directed by Gary Sherman--who would go on to direct the insipid DEAD & BURIED in 1981--this moody tale of subterranean cannibalism in modern-day London is an uneven mix of sardonic humor and ghoulish horror. The plot undulates back and forth between frightening and repugnant scenes of the cannibal's devilish doings down below and the fact-finding farce being carried out on the surface by the curmudgeonly constable and his bumbling bobbies. Of course, a skilled director or screenwriter can successfully fuse comedy and horror into an outstanding piece of cinema, as is evidenced by greats such as the whimsically droll ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), the delightful parody YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974), or the komically kampy KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988). But with RAW MEAT, it appears as if the filmmakers can't decide if they want to create a DRAMATIC horror film or a COMICAL one, and the result is a work that seems like two disparate films that have been intercut into one.

It's flawed, true, but RAW MEAT isn't without its good points. Gore hounds will prefer this film to other English horror of the period, such as those from the declining Hammer studios, as this film echoes more the sanguine sensibilities of grisly 1970s-era American films like THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974). And even though the comedic aspects of RAW MEAT don't fit well with its more ghoulish qualities, the performance of Donald Pleasence--best known to genre fans as Dr. Loomis in the HALLOWEEN films--in the role of the sardonic police inspector is hilariously excellent. Also notable is the brief cameo by Hammer horror great Christopher Lee, and those who follow British TV via PBS or BBC America will likely be delighted to spot a young Clive Swift, of the series KEEPING UP APPEARANCES, in a minor role.

The DVD from MGM offers an acceptable anamorphically enhanced digital transfer of RAW MEAT in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. However, there are some noticeable filmic artifacts like scratches and dust, as well some minor digital artifacts, and the dark or shaded areas in the underground sequences are sometimes murky. The disc's only bonus feature is the film's theatrical trailer, and it's in pretty rough shape.

It is ironic that a film depicting the goings-on below a modern Western city lacks cinematic depth. Yet in spite of its aesthetic shallowness, the previously obscure RAW MEAT has gained an inexplicable degree of cult status in recent years, and it therefore may be of minor interest to hard-core horror aficionados. Those with only occasional interest in the genre, however, are advised to steer clear.

Unique premise, ghoulish details
RAW MEAT [Death Line] (UK 1972): Trapped by falling masonry during construction of the London Underground, a group of Victorian workers have survived in the bowels of the earth for more than a century, breeding amongst themselves and cannibalizing the dead. A hundred years after their ordeal began, the last remaining descendant (Hugh Armstrong) finds his way back to the surface and begins to abduct people from station platforms in a desperate bid for food and companionship...

With its unique premise and uncompromising attention to grisly detail, Gary Sherman's directorial feature debut has gained something of a cult reputation over the years, and not without good reason. Dominated by Donald Pleasence's central performance as a cynical copper who treats everyone - innocent and guilty alike - with equal contempt, the film strikes a precarious balance between eccentricity and horror, reaching its emotional highpoint during scenes depicting Armstrong's ghoulish underground 'home', strewn with rotting corpses. Art direction (by Denis Gordon-Orr) and cinematography (by veteran Alex Thomson) are uniformly excellent, generating a vivid illusion of ancient decay, and the production benefits from atmospheric location work in abandoned train stations dating back to the Victorian era. Juvenile leads David Ladd and Sharon Gurney are a dreary pair, and they're completely overshadowed by Pleasence's crowd-pleasing theatrics, but the film survives by virtue of its distinctive plotline and extraordinary setting, and there's at least ONE good scare that will lift viewers right out of their seats! Casual observers may find the opening scenes a little heavy-going, but Ceri Jones' admirable screenplay describes a fascinating narrative arc, and horror fans will be gripped throughout. Christopher Lee exchanges fruity insults with Pleasence during a brief cameo appearance, shot in a couple of hours and intended solely for marquee value.

Picture quality on MGM's DVD is OK, though a little dark in places, and the soundtrack is strong. Sadly, the film has been issued under its American release title, rather than the original DEATH LINE, which is slightly annoying. The sole extra is a trailer, which plays up the movie's exploitation elements for all they're worth!

NB. The running time quoted below doesn't include the MGM logos which open and close the DVD print, which weren't part of the original film.

87m 13s
1.85:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
Mono 2.0
Optical mono [theatrical]
Optional English subtitles and closed captions
Region 1 ... Read more

Description

Proud rebel Alan Ladd doggedly wanders the land looking for a doctor who can cure his mute son. The warmth of a father's love and faith, the devotion of a boy for a dog, and the understanding of a strong woman (Olivia deHaviland) combine to make this a gr Year: 1958 Director: Michael Curtiz Starring:Alan Ladd, Olivia deHaviland, David Ladd ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Disney syle fare
I remember enjoying watching this on the Wonderful World of Disney as a child. A "boy meets dog, loses grandfather, finds new family" formula film. A couple of sad/scary moments, nicely smoothed over by the appearance of a parent/adult in the film.

A pleasant, if bland depiction of Flanders in 1900. Worth watching to see scenes of Antwerp in 1959 when it was filmed.

Out of print I believe, but may still be found in bargain bins. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A hilariously campy piece of garbage
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better. The highlights has to be the scene in the bus station when Burton karate chops poor Cameron Mitchell nearly to death. The movie was so cheaply edited that you can clearly hear director Terrence Young yelling, "Cut, Cam! Get up! Cut!" They don't even bother to edit out the director's instructions. You will be laughing yourself into a choking fit during this lengthy bus station melee,

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

Truly disappointing!
Firstly, poor sound. Secondly, the film has been cut, heavily.
Let us hope that Paramount release it on DVD soon, as it is their film. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see this film then just buy the Paramount VHS tape- it's very good quality for picture & sound & it is UNCUT! Do not waste your money or time on this poor attempt at a DVD release!!!

"THE KLANSMAN" WAS A DISASTER
In the Spring of 1974 Director Terance Young and company came to Oroville, California to film the Klansman. The locals were excited to have a big studio film made in the small town. However, when it opened at the State Theatre in Oroville, there was widespread horror.

The film included a castration, an attempted rape and two rapes, plus a whole lot of racial comments and some god-awful acting. You would have thought that Richard Burton would have done well with his acting, but he was one of the worse. He was drunk and chasing an under-age girl for most of the shooting schedule and could not seem to handle the southern accent. (This may have been the incident that destroyed his and Liz Taylor's marriage.)

Lee Marvin, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana and a few others did well in their acting but the script shot them down. It was full of racial stereotypes that probably set back racial relations for the next 100 years. (This was OJ Simpson's first film.)

I was there in 1974 and saw a lot of the shooting of the movie. It's only redeeming value to me is the fact that it showed a lot of areas of Table Mountain, Cherokee, Oroville and Sugarloaf Mountain (75 miles north of Sacramento in Northern California).
The scenery is beautiful but the movie is awful.

There are many scenes that are unintentially funny because of the bad acting plus a hilarious scene where Richard Burton "slaps" Cameron Mitchell into a blood pulp. A Classic!

All in all a minor film but worth seeing if you want a laugh or two. Warning, the rape scene with Lola Falana is not for the faint of heart! Plus the castration scene makes ME grit my teeth!

Sad waste of two powerhouse talents
Richard Burton was one of the all-time great thespians and it's a travesty that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never honored him with an Oscar for any of his numerous nominations. Lee Marvin was a dynamic actor in his own right as well. Why they are wasting their time in this ugly, worthless (...) movie is anybody's guess.
Many films that incorporate a racist theme merit importance when they depict the horror and any subsequent violence that such bigotry and hatred derives. This film does nothing but present a shallow glimpse into the racial tensions stemming from the South (a common and unfortunate stereotype).
One interesting note: OJ Simpson made his film debut here as a radical "Black Panther"-type militant who murders white folks whenever he has a chance. (...)

Campy in the extreme!
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better.

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Wild Geese
This is one of the best made and realistic mercenary action adventure movies ever made. The film depicts how it happens in the real world how mercenaries are hired to go on a mission but are then left out to dry after a deal is struck between the adversaries. They then have to improvise their way out from deep within enemy territory and they even have room for honor and idealism and payback. It reminds me of a modern version of the Magnificent Seven with similar star power with Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore and other good actors better known in the UK. I just wish it was available on video again. I would certainly purchase it and so would many other fans of quality action adventure.

It's the BEST WAR drama
The WILD GEESE demonstrated, unequivocally, that Officers are indeed GENTLEMEN. These men (Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Krooger, etc,) are extra-ordinary mercenaries, they have scruple. These bunch would not do just anything for money, they are on the side of good, and goodness saw them through all the dangers they faced in the jungle of South Africa when they were abandoned. It is not just a war about killing, but of killing evil dead in all its forms. There are many real life issues that touched the heart, and are so very well dramatized that every scene arrests a viewers attention. This movie has every emotion in it, humour, actions,espirit de corps, sorrow, losses, recovery of humanity and new understandings, etc. It started with Roger Moore refusing to be a cocaine pusher, to Richard Harris failing to fulfill his promises of a wonderful Christmas holiday to his only son because of a heart wrenching tragic event, to Hardy Krooger (a black hating South African)finding a new understanding of humanity and friendship in the black president Limbani they went to rescue. It ended by paying treachery in its own coin. Just when the doer proclaimed peace a sudden distruction landed on him. A clear lesson for discerning minds. It is a movie I have watched over and again many years ago, and still long to see it again. BRING IT OUT AGAIN, and "Shout at the Devil".Many would love it for Christmas. I am hoping it would come out in DVD version suitable for the USA viewers.

A Classic 70s Study in Moral Ambiguity
Murderers and mercenaries with conscience? The scene where Roger Moore forces a dope dealer to eat a bag of heroin is particularly disturbing. That, and the sacrificial ending, which I will not spoil.

I loved this film as a kid. This, and the excellent (and available) "The Dogs of War" are two of the best mercenary films ever produced.

As a fan of Burton, Harris and even Moore, I would love for somebody to finally release a region 1 version of this film on DVD. They've already done the telecine for region 2, so what's the hold-up?

Oh, and Hardy Kruger is great, too--as he was in "The Flight of the Phoenix."

PLEASE RELEASE THE REGION-1 DVD!!!

"THE WILD GEESE" Soar
Like everyone else who has discussed this extraordinary film, I implore the powers that be to please release it on dvd as soon as possible.

Burton, Harris and Moore are excellent...
I am truly a fan of great films and this is arguably my favorite. The synopsis has been given in previous reviews here so I will avoid a lengthy description...this is probably the best mercenery film made to date, and films like "Tears of the Sun" pale outlandishly in comparison. I encourage all to sign up on the waiting list to hopefully persuade the studio to release this on DVD. Hard to believe ALL the second rate sequels, which star none of the original cast, are readily available on either DVD or at least VHS and it is next to impossible to find a good used copy of this, which has been out of print for some time. My VHS copy is getting worn and I feverishly await the DVD release!! ... Read more