Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Hell Is for Heroes (1962)

Director: Don Siegel

Writers: Ricahrd Carr, Robert Pirosh

Composer: Leonard Rosenman

Starring: Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Bob Newhart, Nick Adams, Stephen Ferry, Mike Kellin, Simon Prescott, Joseph Hoover, Robert Phillips, Bill Mullikin, L.Q. Jones, Don Haggerty, Michele Montau

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The brutal realities that faced every G.I. during World War II

Plot: It's autumn 1944, and Nazi forces along the Siegfried Line have the numbers, the fortifications and the firepower to break through. And a handful of GIs have little more than a dogged determination and the ingenuity to fool the Germans into thinking they represent a great Allied Task Force. But can they make the ruse last until reinforcements finally arrive?



My rating: 9/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

This is one hell of a great war flick.  Great acting, cast, characters, story, action and tension.  I love how it focuses on one small moment from one small group of guys.  It's got more to say than some big budget blockbusters.  There's really not much more to say.  It really is one of the best WWII action pictures ever made.  Everything about this picture is top notch.  It's a serious picture and if there's one flaw it's having Bob Newhart doing essentially one of his stand-up routines on the phone.  The first time I saw this picture I thought it was awful to have that bit in there but I'm warming to it with every watch.  The Paramount DVD sports a great looking print and the sole extra is the theatrical trailer (both in anamorphic widescreen).  I'd like some extras beyond that but you take what you can get and this picture is a beaut. 




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