Description

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION, BEST DOCUMENTARY

It was the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Hitler and Nazi tyranny and the single most definable moment of the Allied victory in World War II. A pivotal point in history at which the future of the civilized world hung in the balance, it was the largest and most ambitious logistical undertaking attempted by humankind. It demonstrated, in General Eisenhower's words, "the incomparable power of an aroused democracy." The invasion of Europe at Normandy of June 6, 1944 by the Allied forces was an event the like of which the world will never see again. In "a kind of filmmaking miracle" (L.A. Times), D-DAY REMEMBERED combines footage and photographs from American, British and German archives with the voices of the people who participated in the planning and execution of the invasion to create a stunning and unforgettable portrait of "Operation Overlord." From paratroopers jumping off into the darkness, to the tremendous bombardment of key German positions, to the perilous! ! crossing of the English Channel and the landing of some 150,000 troops and 30,000 vehicles on the fortified beaches, D-DAY REMEMBERED presents a thrilling, inspiring and unromanticized account of the most significant military engagement of the 20th century. ... Read more

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Charles Guggenheim dedicated the last six months of his life finishing this film. This is a story about his fellow American infantrymen, who were captured during the Battle of the Bulge, then sent to a Nazi slave labor camp where many of them died. BERGA: SOLDIERS OF ANOTHER WAR is a documentary film about these American prisoners of war caught in the tragedy of the Holocaust. Until now, the story has remained untold, lost in the trauma of the second world war. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Shocking Story
This is a shocking story of American soldiers sent to a concentration camp. This is a powerful documentary of a little known episode in WWII. The film, however, is not the first to document the story. It actually was inspired by revelations about Berga in Mitchell Bard's 1994 book, Forgotten Victims: The Abandonment of Americans in Hitler's camps. ... Read more

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3 Great Movies on 1 DVD.Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

As usual, the Roan release is the one to have!
Roan has done a commendable job in restoring this movie, given that the first and last reels of 35mm fine grain were lost, and negatives had to be used for those reels. The picture, while technically widescreen, is a 1.66:1 ratio, so in viewing it on a 16x9 television, the viewer is either left with a slightly trimmed (top and bottom) full frame, or it can be viewed using the "zoom" function, sacrificing small amounts of information at the top and bottom. This is unfortunate, as viewing the movie in the latter manner, the picture appears somewhat soft. The picture is quite dark, until the last reel. However, grain and damage are minimal. Sound is probably the weak point of this release....however, I assume Roan did everything it could with the source materials that remained of the film. This is the only reason I leave them off the hook on this DVD.

If you're interested in seeing early Steve McQueen, this is a great place to start. I actually found him to be more similar in this movie to the persona he would become known for, than in his early role in "The Blob".

Recommended, but with hesitation.

Free Willy
Perhaps this film was a little corny. Maybe it has a sorta low budget look. I'll even admit that some of the character's, such as Ann, are not very convincing. But Dammit, it's funny! For instance, Willy. He's not a criminal, he's mentally handicapped. In 1960 this may have been Action, but 40 years later it's a Four Star Comedy in my eyes. Now go take a bath Willy!

The sordid world of the criminal
Steve McQueen always was involved in bending the law, both on the screen and in his private life. He was born in Missouri; this one takes place in Missouri, and it uses the same policemen in the cast that were there in the original robbery. One thing about McQueen is that he has actor friends that appear in several films with him. It is interesting to see all of them as they get older. If you watch this one a few times, you can appreciate that each of the robbers contributes a significant part to the whole that makes the robbery organized. But a more subtle question is: what did the group of robbers have that caused their downfall ? To contrast this one, early in McQueen's career, see "The Getaway" and "The Thomas Crown Affair." By then, McQueen has discovered that maybe a robbery can be successful !!

Early Steve McQueen Performance Barely Worth "Robbery"
The tagline to this film's advertisement boasts "Real as the Screaming Headlines! True as the Bullets that Wrote Them!" These lines promise more that the film can fulfill. In this "true crime" drama, the actual St. Louis policemen involved in the "Great St. Louis Bank Robbery" played the same roles they did on that fateful day, when three desperate men (plus the getaway driver) attempted the broad-daylight robbery of the Southwest Bank. A young Steve McQueen, very early in his film career, is George Fowler, the youngest of the hold-up men. His relationship with a partner's sister stood to endanger the whole plan, and hardened criminal John Egan (Crahan Denton) must make sure everything goes as planned. This created a tension between the men that may derail the job. This all sounds better than what is actually in the film. The low budget black & white look of the film can't even muster a semi-documentary feel to the "true-life" events. The actors all gave lackluster performances, either overplaying, underplaying, or just not playing. The addition of the "real-life" policemen added nothing to the proceedings: anyone could have portrayed them, for all the importance they play in the film. If anything, they may have posed the question of whether or not the situation was handled properly. McQueen is the only saving grace, playing George as a young man caught up in events beyond his control. McQueen worked hard, giving George a shot of teenage angst so popular at the time, and displayed a hint of the acting prowess that would serve him well in the better films to come. All in all, a "caper" film that, at once, seems very short (88 minutes), and too long. ... Read more