 "One of the best in '70s...with best presentation." | 2008-07-05 |
| - Reviewed By nanook21th |
It was unannounced before it's release, but this(and box set)Blu-ray version, as well as regular DVD, includes Japanese dub which is quite unusual....but off cause, great!
Japanese dub is featuring late Yasuo Yamada, whose performance is still well known for anime "Lupin 3rd", made his voice acting carrier bigger and contributed Eastwood's popularity in Japan for more than 30 years. Japanese baby boomer will definitely appreciate Warner's great effort.
As for the movie and disc..."Dirty Harry" is not dirty after all. This is one of the best presentation of American movie in '70s. Please buy it and see it for yourself. Highly recommended. |
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 "Great film, with original soundtrack?" | 2008-07-04 |
| - Reviewed By twhusbands |
This review applies only to the 2008 DVD reissue.
Having a carefully-remastered edition of Dirty Harry is, if not joy, then at least a cautionary message to those who feel unlucky. The transfer preserves much of the grainy quality which seems to have been endemic to films of the late '60s and early '70s, while cleaning up the image in a non-intrusive manner. This was my first time to see the film in widescreen, so I cannot say if the 2.35:1 ratio is correct. However, I am almost sure that this film was initially released with a monaural soundtrack. For the 2008 reissue, the film's soundtrack has been re-routed into the now-ubiquitous 5.1 Dolby Surround format. This creates several problems. On the one hand, the sound drops in and out in an unpredictable manner on mono or stereo televisions. On the other, the assumption that every watcher would want to see Dirty Harry in full surround sound is a bit presumptuous. I would rather see the film in its remastered glory with the original soundtrack, which could have been no more than stereo. Using 5.1 surround sound only is a bit of technical elitism on the part of Warner Brothers. Still, this is a seminal film of the zeitgeist that was the Sixties as well as being the template for the "Bad Cop with a Heart of Gold" films which followed in its footsteps. This is the first, and by far the best. I only dock it one star in my pompous fashion for the manner in which the studio has imposed the 5.1 Dolby Surround sound on the buyers of the film in this latest incarnation. |
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| "Sign of the Times" | 2008-07-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3GD9BKIUT3I89 |
| If you want to know what was on the minds of most Americans in the early 1970's then watch DIRTY HARRY and the Charles Bronson film DEATH WISH. Both deal with the rising tide of violent crime of that era and a yearning for swift and certain retribution. Both films cemented the careers of their stars -- ironically, Frank Sinatra had been slated to do DIRTY HARRY but an injury that kept him from being able to handle a .44 Magnum forced him to bow out. After all these years, it's hard to see anyone but Eastwood in the role. |
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| "Do You Feel Lucky - Punk?" | 2008-07-02 |
| - Reviewed By herfurth@peoplepc.com |
This new addition of "Dirty Harry" comes out with the other four movies. One can buy them separately are altogether in a box set. Yes, the first movie (Dirty Harry) is a two disc special addition. The extras are nice, but let us be honest: once watches Eastwood as Inspector Callahan, because in a world (especially in the 70s when it appeared "bad guys" had more rights than ever before), one man sought justice and sometimes that took him outside the law.
Second, the movie is clever. Eastwood sells it and his Dirty Harry is tough, rugged, but also one detects he actually cares in his own way. Andy Robinson is great as Scorpio. The one liners from Eastwood are delivered wonderfully. This movie not only spawns four more sequels, but other movies in the same vain such as "Death Wish" and "Lethal Weapon."
I am not going to rehash the story - instead, watch it for the witty dialogue, great scene staging, and Eastwood as a tough cop who is out to protect the innocent - and he does so in style.
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| "Don Siegel's Masterpiece" | 2008-06-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8WZ4YFQB77HC |
Forget the caricature that developed with the sequels. This picture is a standalone classic of American film making that has move in common with The Conversation and Taxi Driver than it does with Lethal Weapon. And as an anti-heroic portait of a cop I think it holds up better than French Connection. It redefined the big-screen police thriller and - unless I'm forgeting something -- virtually invented the realistic serial killer genre.
Don Siegel's in the zone here -- this is his best film and it's never looked this good, partly because it's never looked this dim. The night scenes are restored to such lustrous blacks you have to sit up and pay attention. His work is completely thrilling and the portraits of both cop and killer he creates are filled with provactive ideas.
The film caught flak for suggesting that Harry was no better than a deranged vigilante -- as if the filmmakers didn't know that. The film opens with Scorpio stalking a victim and killing her long range. When Harry shows up he instinctively locates the killer's stalking place and we see him standing in the same spot looking at the scene of the crime within seconds. Note later as well that Harry will knowingly speak on behalf of the killer. ("You know she's dead, don't you?" "He won't stop killing. He likes it.") At those moments it's clear from Clint's face that he knows he and the killer have much in common. (It's also plain that Harry's a voyeur as we get scenes of him as an ignoble Peeping Tom.) The film seems to be saying that these two are remarkably similar and yet essentially different and for it's own good society had better understand the difference.
As iconic as Eastwood's performance here has become, I don't think the film would have the impact it has were it not for the astonishing performance of Andy Robinson. This is before Lawrence Sanders wrote The 1st Deadly Sin or Thomas Harris wrote Red Dragon. It has to be the first truly remorseless, psychotic, sadistic fiend in American pop culture. He's completely believable and there's no ironic wit or psychological justification. His performance is still terrifying, it hasn't dated at all and it stands as one of the great screen performances of all time. (He gets a great assist from Lalo's sensational score.)
The extras here are a little light on insight into the development and filming of this first film and instead provide a survey that covers the whole series. Schickel's commentary track is okay, but still has his patented air of snobbish condescension. He neglects to provide any insight into the film's curious religious symbolism -- the first three encounters between Harry and Scorpio involve crosses. Nor does he draw any connections between the film and the real Zodiac killer who obviously inspired much of the detail of the criminal and his crimes.
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| "New Dirty Harry DVD and Blu-ray releases due out on June 3rd, 2008" | 2008-03-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1K94LXX833JTT |
Warner Home Video has announced the details of new releases of all five Dirty Harry movies with new special features.
They will be available on standard DVD as a set in an Ultimate Collector's Edition, or separately in Special or Deluxe editions ("special" being superior to "deluxe" here--only Dirty Harry gets a 2-disc Special Edition, the others will all be on single discs, but all will have special features).
They'll also be on Blu-ray as a set in an Ultimate Collector's Edition, with only the Dirty Harry Special Edition available separately on Blu-ray. (They won't be available in HD, which Warner officially discontinues at the end of May.)
Assuming the transfers are good (the press release is vague about whether the standard DVD releases will be remastered), this looks like an excellent set of new releases. Whether those with older releases will want to upgrade will be a matter of personal preference, but I personally find the new commentaries and features very attractive.
Amazon hasn't posted pages yet to pre-order, except for the Blu-ray Dirty Harry release, but I'll post the links here when the pages appear.
Here are the special features for each film, contained in both the separate releases and the sets:
Dirty Harry Special Edition
-- new commentary by filmmaker and Eastwood associate/biographer Richard Schickel
-- new featurette "The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry," on the influence and legacy of Dirty Harry
-- "Dirty Harry: The Original," with Clint Eastwood and the film's creators looking back at the creation of the Dirty Harry character
-- "Dirty Harry's Way," a promotional short focusing on the toughness of the movie's main character
-- interview gallery, with Patricia Clarkson, Joel Cox, Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Evan Kim, John Milius, Ted Post, Andy Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Urich
-- "Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso," a 1993 TV program on his life and career, including scenes from his work and interviews with friends, fellow actors and crew members
-- trailer gallery: Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool
Magnum Force Deluxe Edition
-- new commentary by director and Magnum Force screenwriter John Milius ("in this gritty, entertaining commentary, legendary Hollywood screenwriter Milius discusses Eastwood, the world of Dirty Harry and the rugged resilience of crime drama in American cinema")
-- new featurette "A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry," with filmmakers, social scientists and authors on the politics and ethics of the Dirty Harry films
-- "The Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today"
-- trailer gallery
The Enforcer Deluxe Edition
-- new commentary by Enforcer director James Fargo
-- new featurette "The Business End: Violence in Cinema"
-- "Harry Callahan/Clint Eastwood: Something Special in Films"
-- trailer gallery
Sudden Impact Deluxe Edition
-- new commentary by filmmaker and Eastwood associate/biographer Richard Schickel
-- new featurette "The Evolution of Clint Eastwood," on the film in the context of Eastwood's career as a director
-- trailer gallery
The Dead Pool Deluxe Edition
-- new commentary by Dead Pool producer David Valdes and Dead Pool cinematographer Jack N. Green
-- new Featurette "The Craft of Dirty Harry," including the cinematography, editing, music, and production design of the Dirty Harry films
-- trailer gallery
The Ultimate editions will contain all of those features, plus some:
-- the feature-length documentary Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (which has been and is available separately)
-- 40+ page hardcover book
-- wallet with metal badge and removable ID card
-- five 5" x 7" lobby poster reproduction cards and an exclusive Ultimate Collector's Edition card
-- "Scorpio: Portrait of a Killer" 19" x 27" map of San Francisco detailing Harry's hunt for the killer in the first film
-- never-before-seen production correspondence
The standard DVD Ultimate edition will be on seven discs, the Blu-ray on five.
The art work for the new releases, along with quotes from the Warner press release, can be found at sites like dvdactive and dvdtimes by doing a web search for "dirty harry" plus "ultimate collector's edition" (Amazon doesn't allow external links). |
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| "Dirty Harry Blu-Ray!" | 2008-02-10 |
| - Reviewed By gmcrae6 |
| This is a great movie, in 2008 for some it may seem politically incorrect; but that's what makes it so good! |
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| "Usually the first is the best in a series" | 2008-01-06 |
| - Reviewed By kjpc12 |
And that is the case here although the 4 sequels are all pretty good. The movie is not a bloodbath filled with constant violence- it's more a suspense tale of the chase for a serial killer.
The writers, producers, and dircetor are trying to advance a point of view here and very successfully. They set their story in San Fransisco, probably the most liberal city in the US. The San Fran's DA consults the Univ. of CA at Berklee for legal advice- another icon of liberalism. The film asks if the criminals follow no laws, aren't we handcuffing our police to follow laws in their fight with these criminals? Like the "Death Wish" series, the "Dirty Harry" series not only enertains but got America to think about serious issues. Moreso than almost every other film, these movies helped shape the political and legal debate for years to come. 4.5 Stars. |
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| "Wow" | 2007-07-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2Z6BXEMDDLJ5Z |
| Plenty of people here have summarized what the film is about, so I won't. I'll try to add something original to the mix, so forgive me if I don't confine myself to describing the film's plot. The popularity of this film cannot be explained without a wider understanding of cultural conditions and sentiments at the time of its release. Dirty Harry, like Death Wish, was a bombshell, as it gave voice to how hundreds of thousands of people were feeling, sentiments people felt and may not have publicly expressed for fear of backlash from the PC movement. In a few sentences, the cultural circumstance referred to was a growing discontent with what was growingly considered to be misguided attempts to solve society's "problems." In the sixties the government gave itself the responsibility to "fix" many problems, from teenage pregnancy to poverty to drug use to discrimination to crime, with social "programs," judicial activism and new legislation. Ironically, ALL of these problems were already rapidly decreasing in the early sixties. Crime was HALF what it was in 1930, even if you don't control for the increase in the population!! Poverty was lessening each and every year. What happened after the social programs of the late sixties and the generation of the welfare state? Well, the crime rate literally exploded. So did teenage pregnancy. Poverty quadrupled. Another thing that happened was the rewriting of law to lessen the punishment of criminals to the result that even the criminals that were arrested and successfully prosecuted often ended right back out on the street in a matter of months to commit even more crimes. People were sick and tired of this crap. Some filmmakers new it, and tapped into this sentiment with wildly popular films like Death Wish, The Stone Killer, and Dirty Harry. An entire genre of "vendetta/revenge/let's take out the human garbage" films was born. Whatever happened to America's real roots, the cowboy? Well here he is, in 1970s San Fran. Harry Callihan is more than a character, he's a representation of a return to common sense, of someone flipping the bird to the higher than thou premption of common sense by lofty third party surrogate policy makers. He is the symbol of a public outcry to give me a break and cut the high minded BS. |
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| "AN ICON IS BORN OR IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED HARRY!" | 2007-07-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1ER6IYOMM8VCT |
| The 70's were a fun time! Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith and Kiss were born, they weren't censoring are beloved cartoons we grew up with and you could say something and it didn't offend some group of individuals. It also gave us a very important icon Dirty Harry! This self titled film is the first in a series of 5 films. One of the best pictures of it's kind. Clint is money baby as Harry, also Andy Robinson is to be commended for the terrific and convincing job he did as the Scorpion Killer! I believed this guy was a real sick cat! This is the one that started it all and should not be missed. The DVD transfer looked very good and there are some extra goodies on the disc. This ones for you CB! ;-) |
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