Description

Nazi Panzer forces stage a last-ditch Belgian front offensive that could turn the tide of WWII. Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw and Robert Ryan in the spectacular recreation of a crucial campaign. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

A seemingly controversial film!
Judging from all the previous opinions written on this movie, it is obvious few see it in the same light.This movie, while highly Hollywoodized (is there such a word?) is entertaining and only remotely connected to any historical reality. There is a star-studded cast with heavyweights (all gone now, I believe) like Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, and Dana Andrews, among many others, and it is an interesting, and I found it to be, a very entertaining movie. I have owned this movie for many years on VHS and was disappointed for many of those years that it was unavailable on DVD.Why was it not available?Who cares now--it is finally out on DVD.If you don't like the movie, DVD won't change that, however.

This movie, with whatever faults (and it has many) you wish to attribute to it, is a must in any collection of war genre movies simply because of the stars and the insight it gives to movies made in 1965 while another, but realtively unpopular, war was going on. Even if you're not into war movies per se, I think it is enjoyable to watch.

If you are looking for a documentary on the history of The Battle Of the Bulge, this isn't it. As others more knowledgable than I have pointed out already, there are many inaccuracies, historically, with equipment, etc,etc.Most Hollywood movies are that way--Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, MacArthur, Patton--that's just a movie fact of life.I am sure only period films of actual combat would please some purests, so put that aside, it is worth a look soley as entertainment.In my opinion, a movie that generates this much controversy also generates curiosity as to why the controversy.See it, if you can, before buying and make up your own minds.

As comic book man would say..."Worst War Movie Ever!"
Mildly entertaining, this movie lacks in so many areas I don't know where to begin. I like to watch war movies to relive my days in the Army (I was in a tanker unit for awhile), and this movie just loses all realism and historical accuracy to the point that it resembles a circus. I saw it as a kid and liked it of course, and viewers who aren't so discerning might actually like it also, but watching it as an adult who has already watched the greatest war movies ever, I now have to give a thumbs down to this flick.
There are no unit patches on any of the soldiers whatsover. Obviously the studio must have had to cut costs somewhere. The German Tiger and Panther tanks suspiciously resemble American made tanks, the acting is so horrendous and hollywoodish, that I actually found myself rooting for the Nazis to kill them so I would no longer have to listen to their phony imitation of real soldiers over and over. Yes it was a big budget film and yes they did assemble a very all star cast, but did any of those actors ever spend 15 minutes trying to learn how actual soldiers act and talk? Actors are supposed to be believable in their roles, and this group just couldn't do it. They obviously didn't even know the right military expressions or jargon at all. Example: One of the generals making a call to HQ asks for "One hundred and fifty fives" (Howitzers), which to my knowledge has always been called one five fives (especially over a radio). Small error though it is, to me it's enough to remove any belivabilitythat the actor has ever spent a day in uniform.
The special effects are laughable, but you do have to remember the era in which this movie was filmed.High explosive tank rounds only cause a puff of smoke on enemy tanks followed by gasoline being lit on the turret.Dont expect to see turrets flying off as would be the case, oh and, soldiers don't bleed when shot either.
The end of the movie was so preposterous that I couldn't help but chuckling as Henry Fonda and Savalas rolled barrels of gasoline towards an entire column of German tanks and then tossed grenades at them and singlehandedly won the Battle of the Bulge.
This movie just seems like a sorry excuse to put Charles Bronson and Telly Savalas in other movie together to attempt to entertain the public.I'll stick to "Band Of Brothers", "When Trumpets Fade", "The Thin Red Line" or even "The Big Red One", when I need my WWII fix.

WW II Action Drama of the 1944 Ardennes Counter-Offensive
Warner Brother's 1965 epic war movie that portrays the German Ardennes Counter-Offensive in December of 1944 during WWII."Battle of the Bulge" depicts Adolf Hitler's gamble that committed three German armies to attack west to Antwerp, Belgium, and halt the Allies to force a negotiation for peace.Producer Milton Sperling and Director Ken Annakin created a movie of grand scale, but apparently chose big-screen action over historical precision to maximize box office revenue.Long relegated to infrequent television play and a chopped video tape edition, it returns on DVD restored for movie fans who like tanks and a screenplay that borders on camp by contemporary standards.

The movie depicts this historic battle through several fictional characters that eventually meet in a climatic battle that seals the Germans' fate.Henry Fonda is Lieutenant Colonel Dan Kiley, an American intelligence officer whose warnings of the coming attack fall on deaf ears.Robert Shaw is Colonel Hessler, the charismatic German Panzer (tank) commander who leads the armor spearhead towards Belgium.Charles Bronson is Major Wolinski, a tough American commander fighting the German onslaught to the last man.Telly Savalas is Sergeant Guffy, a jaded American tanker who is in the thick of the battle facing superior German tanks that relegate his to a tin can.James MacArther is Lieutenant Weaver, a slack infantry leader who survives a massacre of Allied prisoners by German soldiers.Sperling and Annakin appear to have chosen this simpler screenplay to create a few heroes who fight to overcome a seemingly invincible villain-forgoing a complex storyline as used in 20th Century Fox's 1962 "Longest Day."It works OK, certainly not on the level of "Band of Brothers," and lends a somewhat campy appeal for this 1960's action flick.

The movie does portray actual events with German paratroopers disguised as American soldiers who disrupt Allied operations, the Malmedy Massacre, and the siege of Bastogne.Their depictions contain a lot of artistic manipulation, and the relatively simple storyline faults the German defeat to depleted gasoline reserves-setting the stage for a climatic battle when Kiley, Guffy, and Weaver find themselves face-to-face with Hessler at a gasoline dump.Another gross oversight is a massive tank battle in the latter part of the movie that was apparently filmed during the spring-summer season in Spain-deplete of snow.

As long as viewers don't mind these faults-this is an entertaining movie.The M24 Chafee and M47 Patton tanks rented from the Spanish Army serve well as facsimiles for American Sherman and German Tiger tanks, and the live sets look great on the wide screen.Robert Shaw is the most charismatic in this feature and the Panzerlied chorus near the beginning of the movie is rousing.

I've always enjoyed this movie and I'm pleased with the DVD edition's restored imagery and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, particularly the restoration of footage that I've not seen in years.

A good transfer
I will not review the movie but the DVD. It's in Widescreen. No scenes have been cut. Every minute of the movie is on this DVD. It has the overture, intermission & exit music.I saw no pops or lines in the picture. The sound & pitcure quality of this 60s movie is as good as any DVD I have. I like the movie & wish all old movies on DVD were as well done as this DVD.

dump your VHS version
I'm not going to waste your time telling you about the movie, and how great it is.
The only thing I have to say is someone did something right for a change. Whoever put this one together gave you the full version as it was first shown.
My advice if you know and love this movie, this is the one to buy, and dump your VHS. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Longest Day is Hollywood's definitive D-day movie.More modern accounts such as Saving Private Ryan are morevividly realistic, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck's epic 1962 account isthe only one to attempt the daunting task of covering that fateful dayfrom all perspectives. From the German high command and front-lineofficers to the French Resistance and all the key Allied participants,the screenplay by Cornelius Ryan, based on his own authoritative book, is as factuallyaccurate as possible. The endless parade of stars (John Wayne, HenryFonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton, to name a few)makes for an uneasy mix of verisimilitude and Hollywood star-power,however, and the film falls a little flat for too much of its three-hour running time. But the set-piece battles are still spectacular, andif the landings on Omaha Beach lack the graphic gore of PrivateRyan they nonetheless show the sheer scale and audacity of theinvasion. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Comparisons are inevitable; they're also unhelpful
The comparisons are of course between THE LONGEST DAY and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. The only similarities are: both movies depict the allied landings at Normandy on D-Day, they are tributes to the servicemen of WWII, and most importantly, both are good movies. That said, general comparisons are unhelpful because the realism that made Spielberg's movie so memorable is totally absent from THE LONGEST DAY; for two very good reasons: (1) technically, the capability was unavailable in 1962 and (2) morally, that level of graphic violence would have been unacceptable. Also, Mr Zanuck, as director, did not want to make bloody messes of his numerous stars.

Realism aside, on its own merits THE LONGEST DAY is a tribute that has stood the test of time. The huge collection of stars (over 40) and the near 3 hour length qualifies it as epic. On an emotional level, it is a patriotic salute to the soldiers who went ashore. With a scope larger than Omaha beach, the focus is not exclusively American; the movie depicts the role of the British, and other allied troops, as well as the work of the French resistance. German dialogue is subtitled to add some realism. Perhaps the best aspect of the movie is that as an adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book of the same name, it is based on a historically accurate account of the battle.

For realism, patriotism, and a sentimental heroic story, only partially based on real events of D-Day, watch SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. For an old fashioned, "clean" war movie based on history with good acting (Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Curt Jurgens) watch THE LONGEST DAY. Better yet, view both, just don't spoil the experience with a lot of comparisons.

The Longest View
Unlike Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day was filmed to dramatize the true, unfolding story of the invasion of France beginning several days before the invasion, which was documented for all time by journalist Cornelius Ryan. Ryan did something few historians have successfully accomplished since the end of the war. He compiled thousands of interviews and wrote a realistic account of the invasion which reads like a suspense and action novel. The movie seeks to combine many characters taken from Ryan's book, and is therefore fiction as well as history, but it is masterfully done and is otherwise true to history. Stereotypes of incompetent German officers and troops, so common in film and television of the early 1960's was not a problem in this movie, nor is the graphic violence of Private Ryan observable. The true story is the focus of the movie, and it was made primarily for veterans who had seen the real violence and had fought tough, intellegent and brave Germans, and had no need to be reminded of those horrors. They did have a desire to see their sacrifices and trials acknowledged alongside the background of historical context. It is a gripping movie. A side note for those who might want to compare The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan. These should compliment each other, not be compared with each other. The audience for The Longest Day was primarily the veterans, their peers and children. The audience or Saving Private Ryan is primarily the grandchildren of the veterans, young people who are in the main, quite ignorant of history. There is no doubt that Saving Private Ryan is more accurate a portayal of historical American and German weapons and villages, but this was not even attempted in the Longest Day. If you will read The Longest Day before watching Saving Private Ryan, you will see that the sites and sounds remembered by many of the interviewed veterans who were at Omaha and Utah beaches somehow happened at the same time and place in Saving Private Ryan. That makes Saving Private Ryan as inaccurate for what it shows, as is The Longest Day, for what it doesn't show. Both movies are excellent, and both are moving.

IT HAS NOT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
Director Darryl F. Zanuck tried his best with the technical resources at his dispostition at the time and using the narrative standar for epic movies of that time. But watching this movie today is a really act of courage. It drags and drags, the three hours seem to never end. Also, even if they tried to give a view of the global situation, they failed miserably.

The movie is an endless sequence of shell and fire sounds, a really pain. I simply don't like the movie, although I understand what they tried to do.

Only a Partial View of D-Day and Operation Overlord
Although this film is certainly worth watching, the viewer who has little idea of what Operation Overlord was about won't learn very much about it. Of course, we see many examples of heroism, but so much was left out that one can easily get a distorted view of things.
(1) Contrary to the impression that the Hollywood movie industry gives, the Americans and British did not defeat Germany alone. Three-quarters of the strength of the German Wehrmacht was destroyed by the Soviet Union. I realize that this film was made a the height of the cold war, but still some mention should have been made of their contribution to victory.
(2) The most impressive part of Overlord were the meticulous preparations made. Some mention of it was made, but more of it should have been shown, such as the various special weapons and ships that were made to ease the assault on the fortified beaches. Archive film could have been easily procured to show the various devices used to clear mine fields and barbed wire.
Most crucial was the development of the "Mulberry" artificial ports.
(3) This film used several Germans as advisors such as Blumentritt who were in the Wehrmacht High Command. They use this film as a vehicle for pushing the now largely discredited line that "if only Hitler had let the Generals run the war, they would have won it for him", and the also the myth that they opposed Hitler and held nothing but contempt for him (von Rundstedt calls Hitler "that Bohemian Corporal" in the film). In reality they were all very loyal to him and they really strongly supported him and his criminal policies when they were winning the war.
(4) The importance of the deception campaign making the Germans think the assault will be at the Pas de Calais and not a Normandy was very important and continued even after the landing on D-Day to make the Germans think Normandy was just a diversion.
This was not mentioned. A whole "virtual army" was created with fake radio traffic opposite Calais. This could have been shown as well.
(5) Although I have nothing personal against the man, John Wayne is a very poor actor and I have no idea where he got his reputation as one of Hollywood's leading men!

The Longest Movie
I watched on June 6th 2004 "The Longest Day" to learn about D-Day June 6th in 1944. In general it was a painfully boring movie. I accomplished my goal of learning about D-Day, but it was at a cost of wasting about three hours of my life. It is my belief that this story could have been told in one and a half hours instead of three. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Authenic replicant aircraft top this 16:9 grand comedy DVD!!
1965 was the year of the big screen action race comedies with lots of stars, grand costumes, lavish sets and authentic classic vehicles. "The Great Race" a 1910 auto race from New York to Paris and the "Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines" a 1910 International Aircraft race from London to Paris.

What makes this 1965 Action Comedy so Grand is the attention to detail by Director Ken Annakin who had 6 replica flying machines built by real aero - engineers from the original blue prints and specifications. The accuracy of these replicants even proved the critical pilot weight limitations. They had to even substitute a female stunt pilot to fly the French mono - wing because the original pilot was a very small man. Now available for the first time on a spectacular panoramic 2.20:1 Aspect ratio. (Anamorphic WideScreen DVD (automatically adjusts picture to viewing tv size) with Dolby Surround Sound.) NOTE: THIS IS A FANTASTIC MOVIE TO WATCH ON WIDESCREEN 16:9 HDTV!!!!!

This film is 138 minutes and has many extras which include very detailed information and the history regarding all the 1910 vintage aircraft used in the film.

With an All-star 1960's International cast; Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Red Skelton, Gert Frobe, Jean-Pierre Cassal, Benny Hill, Alberto Sordi and Terry Thomas.

This is a magnificent movie and the ingenuity and comedy of 1910 flight is a delight to watch on the BIG SCREEN. Enjoy.

An airplane movie for the flight buff and general audience .
This is a marvelous film for people who love airplanes, but it also has much to recommend it for anyone in the family. It captures the romance of the pre-WWI era and takes an affectionate look at the pre-war planes as well. The story is set around a race from London to Paris, and is also a fractured take on the political and social situation of the period. Flyers from all over the world meet at an airfield set in the infield of a Brooklands style race track. The first half of the film introduces us to the somewhat caricatured but nevertheless engaging pilots from each major flying nation: the womanizing Frenchman, the stiff-backed Prussians, the rich and prolific Italian, the cowboy from Arizona, and several British types, most notably Sir Percy Ware-Armitage, played with black-hearted delight by Terry Thomas. The film boasts a whole gamut of great character actors like Gert Frobe, Robt. Morely and even Red Skelton. The flying sequences before and during the race combine slapstick comedy with truly awesome shots of the other stars of the film, the authentic reproductions of 1910 aircraft. I've loved this film since I saw it as a child, and my non-airplane daughter even counts it as one of her favorites. Highly recommended.

The best racing comedy of the 1960s.
This was yet another in a series of big-budget comedies that were so stuffed that had to include an intermission. (This 138 minute film has an intermission at the 79 minute mark, followed by a 6-minute Entr'acte, so that the second act is only 52 minutes.) It's also possibly the best one, along with IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, but where IAMMMMW was at times overlong and peopled with nasty characters, you can care about the people in TMMITFM. It's funnier-with much broader comedy than the other, and a careful sense of time and place. There are a few laggy romantic bIts, but Those Magnificent Men is a fine film well served by 20th Century Fox. Well recommended.

Jamie Teller

Absolutely gorgeous DVD of classic comedy!
This is truly a marvelous DVD transfer of the classic 1965 comedy that the whole family can enjoy. The image is breathtakingly sharp, capturing the amazing aerial photography of the classic early planes, the elaborate aerodrome set, and the delightful costume design; the sound, too, is top-notch, with the classic score and title tune bouncing along merrily. But what will keep you coming back is the laugh-out-loud comedy; sure, it's all based on stereotypes for each nationality, but some good-natured ribbing could help these days. Besides, funny is funny, and this movie is very, very funny, with riotous performances from Gert Frobe, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Terry-Thomas. You should try to see this on as big a screen as possible; pure cinematic joy!

Magnificent DVD
Finally! The 20th Century-Fox 1965 roadshow extravaganza comes to DVD. The movie looks marvelous in what must be a transfer from a restored 70mm print. On my 16X9 HDTV in progressive scan the images are quite stunning for a film of this vintage. The Dolby Digital 5.0 remastering of the original 6-track magnetic soundtrack is also a joy to the ears. This is an old-fashioned entertainment for the entire family. Thanks to its presentation on this new DVD the movie is once again a grand experience. The extras are extensive for such a moderately priced DVD too. Director Ken Annakin provides an interesting commentary track and appears in a new featurette. Somebody at Fox definately loves this movie, one that is a childhood favorite of mine. I saw it in its original release, and also in a 1969 reissue as part of a double feature with Fox's "Planet of the Apes." "The Perfect Mates" the ads said, "Apes and Men." Studios just don't don't do things like that anymore. Anyway, this DVD is a joy! ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Vault Disney DVD packed with extras for a low price
What a fantastic DVD this is. The Vault Disney series is wonderful, and I hope they give more films the same treatment soon. Not only is the film beautifully restored (in its original 2:35:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and with 5.1 THX surround sound), but the DVD itself is packed with delightful extras.

There's a documentary about making "Swiss Family Robinson" that is nearly 50 minutes long and contains interviews with Sir John Mills, James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk, and Kevin Corcoran. There's a commentary track with the latter three contributing comments about the film. There's an additional interview with MacArthur about his film work, the original theatrical trailer and television spots, radio spots, the entire story album that came out with the film, a Donald Duck cartoon, and more! If you like "Swiss Family Robinson," get this DVD -- even if you already have the VHS tape. It's worth it just to finally have a widescreen version of this family-friendly classic (the better to view the wonderful island vistas), even if you don't figure all of the wonderful extras into the bargain.

this LOADED dvd deserves more than 5 stars
I strongly reccommend! This has to be one of the most fun family films Walt Disney ever made. And the 2 disc DVD treatment that Disney gave this film is perfect. It is Widescreen first of all, maybe it is the first widescreen release outside of theatres ever done for the film. And what a diffenrence in makes in the beautiful island vistas of the film. The DVD transfer itself is well done, with lush colors, great image and depth, great sound, it just sparkles.

The movie was filmed on location on the tropical island of Tobago. While the production went way over budget, Walt did not get mad at the time since the film was worth it. Featuring loads of animals, comedy, action, suspense, pirates, and tropical scenery this was a hard adventure film to beat. And similar to the role the Nautilus filled in "20,000 Leagues Below the Sea", the treehouse becoems a star in it's own right. The invenetive home designed by the castaways from the ship salvage is incredible to behold. An audio commentary as an alternate track features comments from casr and crew.

The extras on this DVD are what really make it a treasure, and they are not all listed here at Amazon or even on the packaging. You have to hunt it down and get creative with your remote. So let me help by telling you what to look for if you buy this... For starters they have the original cartoon that was released with the movie, "Sea Salts" allowing you to see this with the kids the way that it is meant to be seen. There is a 2 minute "1960 Disney Studio Album", a montage of projects, attractions, shows, and films being made and released that year. Next we have 23 minutes from an old Walt Disney television episode titled "Escape to Paradise", that includes the parts of that episode that show the making of the film. Up next is original 1960 movie theatre trailers for the film, and 1960 televison spots. Then there are "Storyboard to Scene Comparisons"; a seperate "Storyboard Gallery"; and a 2 minute "Production Gallery" of photo stills from behind the scenes at location. Another gallery of production stills; "Biographies" on 8 principle actors; and "Concept Art" on the film design work.

A featurette titled "Adventure in the Making" was made just for this set, and at 49:00 minutes long it is very complete, with recent interviews of the original cast and crew. There is great behind the scenes footage in this piece, and the folks regale us with funny stories. Peter Elleshaw (matte artist), Ken Annakin (director), Danny Lee (special effects), and actors John Mills, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran are all here. ANOTHER short 4 minute featurette that was also made just for this set is "Swiss Family Treehouse" narrated by Hayley Mills, it is the pre-opening footage and the actual Opening Ceremony of the Swiss Family Robinson's Treehouse (now gone) at the Disneyland Park. Walt is really enjoying himself in this must see footage.

Included on the set is a very nice 12 minute interview with James MacArthur, who appeared in this film and 3 others for Disney along with a TV movie. This features great video as well. There is a "Pirates" music video of clips from Disney films, tv shows, cartoons, and the theme park to the tune of "Yo HO Yo HO A Pirates Life For Me". Another unusual feature has 20 minutes of excerpts from the 1940 non-disney version of the film.

The set has Audio Archives set to photos from the film, including 2 Interactive SOund Studios, 2 songs from the film, original 1960 radio spots, and the soundtrack of the original merchandise Storybook Album released on LP in 1960.

I really enjoyed this DVD, I wish all the really good classic Disney films got at least some of this kingly treatment. They are the best studio about protecting their old source material, archives, etc, and are in the best position to place intruiging extras with the movie. Thank YOU Disney for this compilation that really honors this gem of a film the way it should be!!!!

Good Movie.
This is a really good movie. Especially for little kids.... but hey, we're all little kids at heart, except for scrooge, but it's still a good movie. Both versions, new and old.

ALL AGES
This is a classic for all ages. We have watched the video over and over as a family and now need it in DVD. From my 3 yr. old niece, to my now teenage son, and my husband and I, and even my parents, it continues to draw us in. I believe its lure is that everyone can find a character to identify with, and long to prove their mettle on the island. I love introducing new generations to this tale.

Don't waste your time or money
Don't bother wasting your time or money on this movie. I don't care about the quality of the cinematography, the quality of the story is what is lacking. From the elmination of Jack, one of the Robinson children, to the blatant disregard for absolutely any speck of information from the book, this film will make you cringe in horror. Rather, go get the original book, and curl up with your family and read. It's a better use of your time than watching this garbage. It doesn't deserve the one star I was forced to give it. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Cheerful, Delightful version of Pippi
The setting of Pippi Longstocking's home is supposed to be Sweden, in this movie it's relocated to America. That was perhaps unfaithful to the books- but this version of Pippi manages to be sweet and endearing in spite of this.

I've read a lot of negative reviews of this movie- I'm not exactly sure how many people don't like this movie, but I happen to think it sweet and charming for people of all ages.

The performances by the actors in this manage to recreate magic in a different setting. Tami Erin gives a positively charming performance as a little girl- she manages to give Pippi the trademark innocence, oddness, and yet she manages to give Pippi a sort of beginning of wisdom as well. Tami conveys the hurt and pain as Pippi is aquainted with the realities of kids who are unloved, her friend Annika's father's dislike of her, and the gradual evaporation of the magic of her childhood. She manages to make Pippi human and accesible while still making her an enduring, endearing figure. Some people refer to her as ''spoiled brat'', but I think her reaction toward these adults was more her shock that her cheer could not please them. The adventures between her and Tommy and Annika were sweetly shown, and it can end in Pippi's understanding of what she's done.

I have seen the other versions of Pippi and Inger Neillson portrays Pippi as a strange, detached, though not charmless character- but she is in no way human or accessible.

The songs are cute too- they manage to show Pippi's enduring innocence, and her good-hearted spirit.

I would recommend this movie to people of all ages ready to see a new version of the sweet, charming Pippi- Tami Erin was a charming young actress, I don't know why she didn't persue acting after this.

Bad Acting Bad Directing
No charm, no plot, just bad acting. Give me the original Swedish movie versions any day.

What words can describe Pippi Longstocking?
Arrogant is a good one. Another is rascal. Other ones that fit rather well are show-stopper, shameless, unrepentent, metahuman, Goddess, and powerful almost to the point of being menacing but not quite. You need only fear her if your life depends on NOT having fun.
Oh, yeah. And she's probably older and smarter than she pretends to be, and she's definitely MUCH wiser.
All these things have made her one of my favorite fictional characters ever.
So why is it that in this movie, she is none of those amazing things?
As a child, I was a fairly poor individual, not at all like Pippi, but I did have a library card, and so I spent much time reading. Naturally, when this movie came out, I couldn't go to see it, however, I did read the book, and I was immediately swept up into a childhood crush on its main character that lasted for years and years.
At the age of 18 or so, I finally got the chance to see this movie, and I was apalled! This film makes a mockery of everything Pippi is.
For about 70% of the film, Pippi behaves completely out-of-character, and much of the rest of it is consumed by lousy characters who have no substance. Pippi does get to rough up a few people, but unlike in the books, she only does it to three bad guys that act like the Curly, Larry and Moe.
Additionally, this movie is plagued by the curse of having way too many unnecesary songs. It could have been so much better.
If you want to speak kindly of this movie, however, you won't be entirely without ammunition. It does contain a few scenes of pleasing metahuman powers, and several of Pippi being a brat which ALMOST threaten to drag the movie out of the gutter it made for itself.
If you still don't understand what I'm griping about, read all three Pippi books, then carefully review the scenes in the children's home. You should be able to tell quite easily that none of them should have happened, especially the one where Pippi flinches at the striking of a ruler, as opposed to her book incarnation, whose skin was about the consistency of a brick wall.
Long and short, as a movie, it's only marginally bad, but you definitely don't want to watch it because frankly, you're better off reading the books by about a billion times.

The Old Swedish Pippi Movies are Better!
I grew up watching the old Swedish Pippi movies on TV, they seemed to show them a lot on TV in the 70's and I remember watching this 80s remake with my nephews, I think we first saw it in a movie theater and then I remember them taping it off Showtime and watching it several times. It's good but not as good as the old Pippi movies and I noticed that some of the changes they made in this remake were changes in the personalities of Tommy, Annika and their parents. In the Swedish movies Tommy was the more willing partner to Pippi's schemes while Annika was the fussy whiney one and the father seemed to like Pippi while the fussy mother thought Pippi was a bad influence on her children and in this remake Annika was the more willing partner to Pippi's schemes, Tommy was the fussy whiney one, the mother seemed to like Pippi and the father was the fussy, uptight one who thought Pippi was a bad influence on his children. This movie has it's moments but just isn't as good as the Swedish movies.

What were they thinking?
I first saw this movie during its initial theatrical release in 1988. Even then, as a 5th-grader, I could tell from the opening scene that this movie would be a horrible disappointment. I was actually ashamed for that 15-year-old girl who tried to pass herself off as Pippi. In the books, Pippi was a quick-witted, harmless trouble-maker (who was, by the way, supposed to be 9 years old), but in this movie version she is a brainless ding-dong who instigates a countless number of harmful schemes. While trying to elude the truant/social worker, she selfishly convinces her two "best friends" to leave their parents and run away with her on a mindless "adventure." When Tommy and Annika begin to have second thoughts about leaving home, Pippi consoles them with a bar of chocolate to be shared by the three of them. The simpletons are actually cheered up by the offering, as if any kid would rather have one-third of a chocolate bar over a warm home-cooked meal. And just when I thought this movie couldn't get any worse, the characters actually begin to sing songs that sound like they were written by a 5-year-old contest winner. You'd think that the adults involved in the making of this movie would try as hard as possible to please young fans by staying true to the books, but while watching this heartless sacrilege unfold in the theater that day, I had the awful feeling that Astrid Lindgren (author of the Pippi books) had rolled over in his grave. ... Read more

Description

"Buckle your swash and jolly your roger for the ultimate musical comedy pirate adventure! Kristy McNichol (LITTLE DARLINGS) and Christopher Atkins (THE BLUE LAGOON) star as dreamy young lovers in this uproarious update of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, filled with virtuous maidens and shirtless cutthroats, savage swordplay and buried treasure, a dashing Pirate King (Ted Hamilton) and a modern Major General (Bill Kerr), plus plenty of pillaging, plundering, plank-walking fun! For years, fans have been clamoring for this infamous ’80s musical from the Oscar®-nominated director of THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1966). The wait is over: THE PIRATE MOVIE is now presented with a brand-new Widescreen Transfer, featuring a fascinating new Director’s Commentary and mixed in timber-shivering Dolby 5.1 Surround! " ... Read more

Reviews (154)

This Movie is Just So Cute!
The first time I watched The Pirate Movie was on TV and than on vhs. After my first time of watching the movie I was completely hooked and have been a fan ever since! This movie is cheesy but it's not a bad movie at all and is a very fun movie to watch. I recently got the DVD and though the widescreen transfer is nothing to brag about as it really doesn't look all that different from the fullscreen tape the quality of the film seems very nice and the colors look great! I still very much enjoyed watching this movie and I still liked the acting by Kristy Mcnichol and Christopher Atkins as Mabel and Fredric and by Ted Hamilton as the Pirate King and the songs, and jokes and spoofs of movies are also still good and I would recommend this movie to anyone who can enjoy a silly movie and I now wish they would reissue the movies soundtrack on CD. I have the soundtrack but it's an old two album vinyl record set and well, not only is it a little worn out but I can't play it anymore because the stylus on my record player turntable is broken so now that the movie has finally been put on DVD I hope the soundtrack will soon be put on CD! One complaint I have about the DVD is that it's a bare bones DVD and has hardly any extra features except the original theatrical trailer and commentary with the director. I would have liked them to have gotten Kristy Mcnichol, Christopher Atkins and Ted Hamilton to have provided commentary and/or interviews and deleted scenes and bloopers would have been nice too! At the end of the movie during the closing credits there is included an amusing blooper in which Kristy had been chewing on some gum and she is in the scene where Mabel is in the suit of armor and they just start filming the scene and Kristy realizes that she has forgotten to take the gum out of her mouth and it would have been good to see more outtakes like that!

80's camp and Anchor Bay wins again
Before it was rereleased on DVD, I had all but forgotten this movie. As a child, it kept me enthralled, and as an adult, it still has all the fun of a true 80's camp masterpiece. There were many of them in those days, and I'm glad that companies like Anchor Bay are still willing to invest in rereleasing cult films.

The Pirate Movie is loosely based on The Pirates Of Penzance, but don't think you'll find much similarity aside from general plot here. Taking place in some odd dream sequence, Kristy McNichol's character wishes to marry before her older sisters despite family custom. When she meets an x-pirate and is determined to marry him, all sorts of odd adventures and cheesy swashbuckling mayhem ensue in between bouts of raunchy humor and hilarious pop songs. The sexual humor is abundant, or even extreme at some times, but it's all in good fun.

Don't miss the Python-esque battle sequences in the climax. Pure classic!

Awesome!
This movie is so awesome!

Very happy that I now own The Pirate Movie on DVD!

The DVD hasn't got any extras but a trailer but I love it anyway because it's the movie that is more important to me and I love watching this in widescreen!

I recommend The Pirate Movie DVD to everybody!

I Loved It - I watched Twice The Day I Bought It.
I can remember when this film came out. I thought it was fun and different and weird and campy and completely ridiculous!

I loved it! The concept making a farce of the farce known as Gilbert & Sullivans PIRATES OF PENZANCE was brilliant. Ted hamilton does a greta job as the Pirate King and who could condem Christopher Atkins (The Blue Lagoon) and Kristy McNichols (Family) over campy romp with music and dance?

The brekaing of the "fourth wall" was the best part for me. I love it when they looked at or too the audience for support or reaction.

The Pirates were hysterical and the Major General and Chief Bobby were over the top - at their best! The music is hip and upbeat - refelctive of 1982 and the costumes were cleverly intertwined. It really looks like they all had a lot of fun!

The audio commentary is great and listening to the director, Ken Anakin (Long Day At The Beach) reminice about the shoot was great. I remember buying the Betaand Laser Disc copy of this. I even have the original RECORD soundtrack....

I wish there was a Making Of documentary on it or I wish Chis and Kristy could have done the commentary too! That would have been fun!

This is a fun, fabulous farce. Campy and filled with music and inside "sexual Innuendos", Star Wars jigs, Comic Banter and nonsensical gags. I loved it and you and the whole family will too.

Remember it was mad ein th 80's - so HAVE FUN WITH IT!4-1-05

excited to see The Pirate Movie?
i remember loving this movie as a child, and watching it over and over on HBO (probably many times at the theatre as well). i was very excited to see The Pirate Movie finally arriving on DVD. another chance at a glimpse of my childhood, but sadly this one just did not hold up over time (for me at least). most the jokes fall flat, there is alot of singing and "music video" sequences to fill time the time. the DVD itself is nothing to talk about, with homely looking menus and no features worth talking about. it may be worth a look purely for the sake of nostalgia; it will take you back, but just far enough to realize it is over. overall, i am sure you could get your fill of this one as a weekend rental. ... Read more

Description

ACADEMY AWARD® winner Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) heads an international cast as John Thornton in this adaptation of the classic novel by Jack London, famed author of The Sea Wolf and White Fang.Government mail carriers Thornton and Pete Smith (Raimund Harmstorf) take mail and supplies across the brutal Yukon wilderness from Skagway to Dawson City during the 1898 Klondike gold rush.An intelligent German Shepherd, Buck is stolen from his beloved owner in California and sold to John as a sled dog, whose loyalty to his new master is tested when John tries his own hand at prospecting.Praised by Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video Guide for its "striking...scenery," this 1972 version of the family adventure was shot in Norway by Ken Annakin (The Swiss Family Robinson, The Longest Day). ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Family-freindly" my butt!!
This movie was very poor. For one thing this is NOT family friendly. For example in one scene these dogs get mad and they attack each other and in the end of that scene one of the dogs WAS RIPPED APART AND WAS VERY BLOODY. Also my Mom says that a scene were cut. Also the music is horrible. Also there was one very stupid curse they called the dogs(very ironic) also if you know spanish you can get an easter egg from the song they sing. In a few scenes all of a sudden stuff is completely red.

such a shame
i was telling my wife of a film i had seen when i was a child that was both excellent and moving.......CALL OF THE WILD

so i sourced it from australia as the dvd is deleted in the uk.
i thought i had given my money to a con man who had sent me a pirate copy until i read reviews from other buyers.

never have i seen such a rough dvd with the most awful picture and sound quality. the film is also one of the most dissapointing i have seen and i am embarrassed that i admitted to my wife that it made me cry when i was a kid!!!
i can only presume that it was the trauma of sitting through such badly worked material that upset my childhood.....

do yourself a favour and buy white fang instead.

such a shame

poor quality
Sorry ragmuffin, for being honest, I thank you for your 1 nice email,
but object to your other 2 " not so nice email's "
I will give you 100% for very good delivery very quick to the uk...thank you.
picture cover on dvd was different to advertised on amazon. very weary on buying again on amazon.

Not worth it
My mom purchased the video for my viewing pleasure, but I wasn't pleased. The music in the beginning sounds sort of alienated, the picture quality is horrible, and you actually see dogs tearing apart an animal and leaving its blood everywhere! I could only watch twelve minutes before I decided that it was not worth it to watch. If you ever, for any reason, actually WANT to watch the movie, then I recommend you read the book first, because the book is MUCH better than the movie.

Only Charlton Heston could keep me watching a dog like this
It's never a good plan to make a film where the dog is named Buck and the star is called Chuck, but this film's got more problems than that. Silly acting, weak photography, and a mediocre script that only sparks when it turns violent and nasty. In Charlton Heston's thoughtful 'In the Arena' autobiography, he considers this film "a total failure". He may not know good politics, but he has enough taste and sense to avoid film debacles most actors of his age have lived off for decades. So if Chuck actually writes "please don't watch this", listen to the man. Or listen to Paramount Studios, which shelved this film after they saw it.

"The Call of the Wild" is not unwatchable, but it's bad enough, one of the worst movies in Heston's career. Place this on the Turkey shelf next to Heston's equally bad "The Awakening", a ridiculous 1980 Exorcist/Omen knockoff. I haven't read Jack London's book, but this movie seems, um, a very loose adaptation.

The extras in the Alaska town are played by an assortment of German/Italian/British/American/Spanish actors, mostly overdubbed. What gems they say: one jumps onto a bicycle and yells "Yippee! Yippeeeee!" (Note: "Yippee!" will never be acceptable in a Hollywood script, and is punishable if done in real-life.) Heston's human co-star runs into that same town, yelling "Hi! Hi! Hi!" like a stoner coming down from the mountain commune. If all of the movie was as corny as the townspeople, we might have had a comedy for the ages. Alas.

As amusing as the vomiting town drunkard was, it was Charlton Heston, always a powerful presence, who kept me watching. He looks a little grumpier than usual, perhaps he noticed that the many wolves in the film are actually hybrid dogs that don't look much like North American wolves. However, his scenes with Buck are touching, against all odds and logic. I never thought of actors having on-screen chemistry with animals, but Heston proves it does exist. Those scenes keep the film from being a complete waste of film stock, but there aren't nearly enough of them.

Still, this dull film contains one classic Chuck Heston line - words he was born to speak: "Mister, if you touch that dog again I'm gonna shoot ya!" Yippee! ... Read more

Amazon.com

An appealing cast of film veterans makes this 1977 action-adventure version of Alexandre Dumas's The Man In the Iron Mask particularly watchable. Lloyd Bridges co-stars as swordsman Aramis, one of several Musketeer tutors of young and brave Phillippe (Beau Bridges, Lloyd's son), who doesn't know he's the identical twin brother of King Louis XIV. Captured by Louis, his features briefly disguised by an uncomfortable iron mask, Phillippe is forced to play his villainous sibling in an assassination scenario designed to fool France into believing its mad emperor is dead. Phillippe, however, turns the tables, and with the aid of Aramis, Athos (Jose Ferrer), Porthos (Alan Hale Jr.), and D'Artagnan (Cornel Wilde), makes a bold attempt to take his country's destiny in hand. Also on view are Rex Harrison, Ursula Andress, and Olivia DeHavilland; the star wattage and attractive settings compensate somewhat for director Ken Annakin's stiff and unimaginative direction. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Why censor?
I have a copy of the full version of this movie on VHS and was looking forward to owning a copy on DVD. After receiving a copy of the DVD, I noticed the PG rating. To my dismay, I found that they had censored the 'juicy' parts of the movie. The 'juicy' parts actually portrayed the relationships between the King and his mistress and that between the future Queen and the King's twin brother. I did not find the 'juicy' parts to be offensive in any way but rather it contributed to the storyline as a whole. For censoring the movie, I give it 3 stars. However, I must commend the Studio for the quality of the transfer. The video quality is relatively good compared to the tape version but the audio quality in some parts of the DVD could be improved. I hope that the Studio will produce the full version in due course.

Sensored version
I like the movie but not the version offered by amazon.com. I watched the unrated version in Europe and it was much nicer and made sence. Here I watch a tape and get upset how conversations are cut in the middle just because of the nudity of Silvia Kristel or Ursula Anders. For example, when Louise de La Valliere comes to join the king in bed she gets undressed while they talk. End of the conversation is cut... Believe me, uncut version is not something restricted, it is not even close to be "too bad to show", I do not understand why it is so sensored here. I wish there were an original version to buy.

Old stars play old heroes
This is a fun little diversion for swashbuckling fans. D'Artagnan (Cornell Wilde), Aramis (Lloyd Bridges), Athos (Jose Ferrer), and Porthos (Alan Hale Jr.), prove they still have what it takes to be heroes as King Louis XIV (Beau Bridges) tries to eliminate his twin brother (Beau Bridges) and marry the infanta of Spain. The sword work is not quite as sharp as good Bob Anderson work or as excitingly realistic as William Hobbes, but there is plenty of it in a variety of creative scenarios. It is fun to watch the old actors Ferrer and Bridges work together as Hale tries to keep up and Wilde holds himself aloof. Ursula Andress adds camp appeal as the king's lover. Olivia de Havilland adds credibility in a cameo as the King's mother. There is also a good deal of political intrigue and mistaken identity to keep the story moving along.

Trivia: The role of Athos, here played by Jose Ferrer, is played in the recent "Man in the Iron Mask" by John Malkavich. There is another pair of historical sword-fighting movies set in France where these two actors play the same character. In "Joan of Arc" with Ingrid Bergman, Ferrer plays the Dauphin. The same role was played by Malkavich in "The Messenger: the story of Joan of Ark" with Milla Jovovich. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Family-freindly" my butt!!
This movie was very poor. For one thing this is NOT family friendly. For example in one scene these dogs get mad and they attack each other and in the end of that scene one of the dogs WAS RIPPED APART AND WAS VERY BLOODY. Also my Mom says that a scene were cut. Also the music is horrible. Also there was one very stupid curse they called the dogs(very ironic) also if you know spanish you can get an easter egg from the song they sing. In a few scenes all of a sudden stuff is completely red.

such a shame
i was telling my wife of a film i had seen when i was a child that was both excellent and moving.......CALL OF THE WILD

so i sourced it from australia as the dvd is deleted in the uk.
i thought i had given my money to a con man who had sent me a pirate copy until i read reviews from other buyers.

never have i seen such a rough dvd with the most awful picture and sound quality. the film is also one of the most dissapointing i have seen and i am embarrassed that i admitted to my wife that it made me cry when i was a kid!!!
i can only presume that it was the trauma of sitting through such badly worked material that upset my childhood.....

do yourself a favour and buy white fang instead.

such a shame

poor quality
Sorry ragmuffin, for being honest, I thank you for your 1 nice email,
but object to your other 2 " not so nice email's "
I will give you 100% for very good delivery very quick to the uk...thank you.
picture cover on dvd was different to advertised on amazon. very weary on buying again on amazon.

Not worth it
My mom purchased the video for my viewing pleasure, but I wasn't pleased. The music in the beginning sounds sort of alienated, the picture quality is horrible, and you actually see dogs tearing apart an animal and leaving its blood everywhere! I could only watch twelve minutes before I decided that it was not worth it to watch. If you ever, for any reason, actually WANT to watch the movie, then I recommend you read the book first, because the book is MUCH better than the movie.

Only Charlton Heston could keep me watching a dog like this
It's never a good plan to make a film where the dog is named Buck and the star is called Chuck, but this film's got more problems than that. Silly acting, weak photography, and a mediocre script that only sparks when it turns violent and nasty. In Charlton Heston's thoughtful 'In the Arena' autobiography, he considers this film "a total failure". He may not know good politics, but he has enough taste and sense to avoid film debacles most actors of his age have lived off for decades. So if Chuck actually writes "please don't watch this", listen to the man. Or listen to Paramount Studios, which shelved this film after they saw it.

"The Call of the Wild" is not unwatchable, but it's bad enough, one of the worst movies in Heston's career. Place this on the Turkey shelf next to Heston's equally bad "The Awakening", a ridiculous 1980 Exorcist/Omen knockoff. I haven't read Jack London's book, but this movie seems, um, a very loose adaptation.

The extras in the Alaska town are played by an assortment of German/Italian/British/American/Spanish actors, mostly overdubbed. What gems they say: one jumps onto a bicycle and yells "Yippee! Yippeeeee!" (Note: "Yippee!" will never be acceptable in a Hollywood script, and is punishable if done in real-life.) Heston's human co-star runs into that same town, yelling "Hi! Hi! Hi!" like a stoner coming down from the mountain commune. If all of the movie was as corny as the townspeople, we might have had a comedy for the ages. Alas.

As amusing as the vomiting town drunkard was, it was Charlton Heston, always a powerful presence, who kept me watching. He looks a little grumpier than usual, perhaps he noticed that the many wolves in the film are actually hybrid dogs that don't look much like North American wolves. However, his scenes with Buck are touching, against all odds and logic. I never thought of actors having on-screen chemistry with animals, but Heston proves it does exist. Those scenes keep the film from being a complete waste of film stock, but there aren't nearly enough of them.

Still, this dull film contains one classic Chuck Heston line - words he was born to speak: "Mister, if you touch that dog again I'm gonna shoot ya!" Yippee! ... Read more

Description

From a novel by Graham Greene, Rod Steiger plays an unscrupulous financier who has absconded to Mexico with company funds.A genius at improvisation, he evades the authorities and concocts a scheme whereby he will murder a man, dispose of the body and assume the dead man's identitie.He soon learns the dead man whose identity he assumed was an even more notorious fugitive from justice. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Film Noir Classic
Ken Annakin is one of the most widely traveled international directors in cinema annals, journeying to every continent to accept the kinds of creative challenges daring filmmakers, in the ranks of which he definitely resides, thrive upon. Among his celebrated triumphs are "The Longest Day," in which he directed the most difficult battle scenes of Darryl F. Zanuck's classic, "Swiss Family Robinson," one of the industry's all-time grossers,and "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," a brilliant spoof containing some of the most inventive scenes in aviation filmmaking, for which he and co-scenarist Jack Davies received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

"Across the Bridge," a great British film shot in Spain, on its 1957 release was heralded as a suspense classic along the lines of Carol Reed's "The Third Man" eight years earlier. Reed led the early chorus of praise for a film unique in its presentation that traces the degradation of a haughty, corrupt, and thoroughly arrogant international financier who sees his world of opulence destroyed piece by piece when, after being alerted that Scotland Yard is pursuing him on fraud charges, travels from New York to Texas and, ultimately, Mexico to elude authorities. Adapted from a Graham Greene story, the same celebrated British author who wrote the screenplay for "The Third Man," Annakin aided scenarists John Stafford and Guy Elmes in their effort to convert a short story into a full-fledged drama concentrating on the psychology of greed interspersed with the theme of alienation.

When Rod Steiger, who catapulted to international stardom portraying the hunted international financier, arrives in Mexico, he learns that Bernard Lee of Scotland Yard is nipping at his heels. International law temporarily prevents Lee from crossing the American border in Texas to apprehend the fugitive businessman, so Steiger plots to put more distance between himself and Lee. Standing in the way is local police chief Noel Willman, who frustrates Steiger repeatedly by spurning his offers to bribe his way out of town. Willman, who achieves sadistic delight by watching the once powerful, now helpless Steiger squirm, plays his trump card ruthlessly, compelling his victim to remain where he is, unable to secure passage out of town and frustrated by Lee from crossing into Texas.

The film scales a psychological crescendo when the once potent and arrogant international financier is reduced to sleeping in dusty culverts under the stars, with one friend left to him in the world. For once his money is of no benefit. Steiger's lone friend is a dog named Dolores, acquired as he was leaving the train in Texas after knocking its owner unconscious and stealing his identity. The identity switch ultimately backfires when Steiger learns that his victim, played by Bill Nagy, is wanted for the murder of the provincial governor of the border region to which Steiger has retreated in putting distance between himself and Scotland Yard.

While initially praised as a brilliantly conceived and executed suspense film, with subsequent development of the field of film noir "Across the Bridge" has secured a position of leading recognition as one of the greatest British productions in that genre, a worthy successor to Carol Reed's "The Third Man" eight years earlier. It it one of those rare films that totally captures emotions while seizing the imagination, with Rod Steiger achieving milestone dramatic results. ... Read more

Reviews (131)

Comparisons are inevitable; they're also unhelpful
The comparisons are of course between THE LONGEST DAY and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. The only similarities are: both movies depict the allied landings at Normandy on D-Day, they are tributes to the servicemen of WWII, and most importantly, both are good movies. That said, general comparisons are unhelpful because the realism that made Spielberg's movie so memorable is totally absent from THE LONGEST DAY; for two very good reasons: (1) technically, the capability was unavailable in 1962 and (2) morally, that level of graphic violence would have been unacceptable. Also, Mr Zanuck, as director, did not want to make bloody messes of his numerous stars.

Realism aside, on its own merits THE LONGEST DAY is a tribute that has stood the test of time. The huge collection of stars (over 40) and the near 3 hour length qualifies it as epic. On an emotional level, it is a patriotic salute to the soldiers who went ashore. With a scope larger than Omaha beach, the focus is not exclusively American; the movie depicts the role of the British, and other allied troops, as well as the work of the French resistance. German dialogue is subtitled to add some realism. Perhaps the best aspect of the movie is that as an adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book of the same name, it is based on a historically accurate account of the battle.

For realism, patriotism, and a sentimental heroic story, only partially based on real events of D-Day, watch SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. For an old fashioned, "clean" war movie based on history with good acting (Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Curt Jurgens) watch THE LONGEST DAY. Better yet, view both, just don't spoil the experience with a lot of comparisons.

The Longest View
Unlike Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day was filmed to dramatize the true, unfolding story of the invasion of France beginning several days before the invasion, which was documented for all time by journalist Cornelius Ryan. Ryan did something few historians have successfully accomplished since the end of the war. He compiled thousands of interviews and wrote a realistic account of the invasion which reads like a suspense and action novel. The movie seeks to combine many characters taken from Ryan's book, and is therefore fiction as well as history, but it is masterfully done and is otherwise true to history. Stereotypes of incompetent German officers and troops, so common in film and television of the early 1960's was not a problem in this movie, nor is the graphic violence of Private Ryan observable. The true story is the focus of the movie, and it was made primarily for veterans who had seen the real violence and had fought tough, intellegent and brave Germans, and had no need to be reminded of those horrors. They did have a desire to see their sacrifices and trials acknowledged alongside the background of historical context. It is a gripping movie. A side note for those who might want to compare The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan. These should compliment each other, not be compared with each other. The audience for The Longest Day was primarily the veterans, their peers and children. The audience or Saving Private Ryan is primarily the grandchildren of the veterans, young people who are in the main, quite ignorant of history. There is no doubt that Saving Private Ryan is more accurate a portayal of historical American and German weapons and villages, but this was not even attempted in the Longest Day. If you will read The Longest Day before watching Saving Private Ryan, you will see that the sites and sounds remembered by many of the interviewed veterans who were at Omaha and Utah beaches somehow happened at the same time and place in Saving Private Ryan. That makes Saving Private Ryan as inaccurate for what it shows, as is The Longest Day, for what it doesn't show. Both movies are excellent, and both are moving.

IT HAS NOT STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
Director Darryl F. Zanuck tried his best with the technical resources at his dispostition at the time and using the narrative standar for epic movies of that time. But watching this movie today is a really act of courage. It drags and drags, the three hours seem to never end. Also, even if they tried to give a view of the global situation, they failed miserably.

The movie is an endless sequence of shell and fire sounds, a really pain. I simply don't like the movie, although I understand what they tried to do.

Only a Partial View of D-Day and Operation Overlord
Although this film is certainly worth watching, the viewer who has little idea of what Operation Overlord was about won't learn very much about it. Of course, we see many examples of heroism, but so much was left out that one can easily get a distorted view of things.
(1) Contrary to the impression that the Hollywood movie industry gives, the Americans and British did not defeat Germany alone. Three-quarters of the strength of the German Wehrmacht was destroyed by the Soviet Union. I realize that this film was made a the height of the cold war, but still some mention should have been made of their contribution to victory.
(2) The most impressive part of Overlord were the meticulous preparations made. Some mention of it was made, but more of it should have been shown, such as the various special weapons and ships that were made to ease the assault on the fortified beaches. Archive film could have been easily procured to show the various devices used to clear mine fields and barbed wire.
Most crucial was the development of the "Mulberry" artificial ports.
(3) This film used several Germans as advisors such as Blumentritt who were in the Wehrmacht High Command. They use this film as a vehicle for pushing the now largely discredited line that "if only Hitler had let the Generals run the war, they would have won it for him", and the also the myth that they opposed Hitler and held nothing but contempt for him (von Rundstedt calls Hitler "that Bohemian Corporal" in the film). In reality they were all very loyal to him and they really strongly supported him and his criminal policies when they were winning the war.
(4) The importance of the deception campaign making the Germans think the assault will be at the Pas de Calais and not a Normandy was very important and continued even after the landing on D-Day to make the Germans think Normandy was just a diversion.
This was not mentioned. A whole "virtual army" was created with fake radio traffic opposite Calais. This could have been shown as well.
(5) Although I have nothing personal against the man, John Wayne is a very poor actor and I have no idea where he got his reputation as one of Hollywood's leading men!

The Longest Movie
I watched on June 6th 2004 "The Longest Day" to learn about D-Day June 6th in 1944. In general it was a painfully boring movie. I accomplished my goal of learning about D-Day, but it was at a cost of wasting about three hours of my life. It is my belief that this story could have been told in one and a half hours instead of three. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"Family-freindly" my butt!!
This movie was very poor. For one thing this is NOT family friendly. For example in one scene these dogs get mad and they attack each other and in the end of that scene one of the dogs WAS RIPPED APART AND WAS VERY BLOODY. Also my Mom says that a scene were cut. Also the music is horrible. Also there was one very stupid curse they called the dogs(very ironic) also if you know spanish you can get an easter egg from the song they sing. In a few scenes all of a sudden stuff is completely red.

such a shame
i was telling my wife of a film i had seen when i was a child that was both excellent and moving.......CALL OF THE WILD

so i sourced it from australia as the dvd is deleted in the uk.
i thought i had given my money to a con man who had sent me a pirate copy until i read reviews from other buyers.

never have i seen such a rough dvd with the most awful picture and sound quality. the film is also one of the most dissapointing i have seen and i am embarrassed that i admitted to my wife that it made me cry when i was a kid!!!
i can only presume that it was the trauma of sitting through such badly worked material that upset my childhood.....

do yourself a favour and buy white fang instead.

such a shame

poor quality
Sorry ragmuffin, for being honest, I thank you for your 1 nice email,
but object to your other 2 " not so nice email's "
I will give you 100% for very good delivery very quick to the uk...thank you.
picture cover on dvd was different to advertised on amazon. very weary on buying again on amazon.

Not worth it
My mom purchased the video for my viewing pleasure, but I wasn't pleased. The music in the beginning sounds sort of alienated, the picture quality is horrible, and you actually see dogs tearing apart an animal and leaving its blood everywhere! I could only watch twelve minutes before I decided that it was not worth it to watch. If you ever, for any reason, actually WANT to watch the movie, then I recommend you read the book first, because the book is MUCH better than the movie.

Only Charlton Heston could keep me watching a dog like this
It's never a good plan to make a film where the dog is named Buck and the star is called Chuck, but this film's got more problems than that. Silly acting, weak photography, and a mediocre script that only sparks when it turns violent and nasty. In Charlton Heston's thoughtful 'In the Arena' autobiography, he considers this film "a total failure". He may not know good politics, but he has enough taste and sense to avoid film debacles most actors of his age have lived off for decades. So if Chuck actually writes "please don't watch this", listen to the man. Or listen to Paramount Studios, which shelved this film after they saw it.

"The Call of the Wild" is not unwatchable, but it's bad enough, one of the worst movies in Heston's career. Place this on the Turkey shelf next to Heston's equally bad "The Awakening", a ridiculous 1980 Exorcist/Omen knockoff. I haven't read Jack London's book, but this movie seems, um, a very loose adaptation.

The extras in the Alaska town are played by an assortment of German/Italian/British/American/Spanish actors, mostly overdubbed. What gems they say: one jumps onto a bicycle and yells "Yippee! Yippeeeee!" (Note: "Yippee!" will never be acceptable in a Hollywood script, and is punishable if done in real-life.) Heston's human co-star runs into that same town, yelling "Hi! Hi! Hi!" like a stoner coming down from the mountain commune. If all of the movie was as corny as the townspeople, we might have had a comedy for the ages. Alas.

As amusing as the vomiting town drunkard was, it was Charlton Heston, always a powerful presence, who kept me watching. He looks a little grumpier than usual, perhaps he noticed that the many wolves in the film are actually hybrid dogs that don't look much like North American wolves. However, his scenes with Buck are touching, against all odds and logic. I never thought of actors having on-screen chemistry with animals, but Heston proves it does exist. Those scenes keep the film from being a complete waste of film stock, but there aren't nearly enough of them.

Still, this dull film contains one classic Chuck Heston line - words he was born to speak: "Mister, if you touch that dog again I'm gonna shoot ya!" Yippee! ... Read more