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DVD The Getaway (Deluxe Edition)
It's better than the 1994 remake starring Kim Basinger and husband Alec Baldwin, but this 1972 thriller relies too heavily on the low-key star power of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, and the stylish violence of director Sam Peckinpah, reduced here to a mechanical echo of his former glory. McQueen plays a bank robber whose wife (MacGraw) makes a deal with a Texas politician to have her husband released from prison in return for a percentage from their next big heist. But when the plan goes sour, the couple must flee to Mexico as fast as they can, with a variety of gun-wielding thugs on their trail. MacGraw was duly skewered at the time for her dubious acting ability, but the film still has a raw, unglamorous quality that lends a timeless spin to the familiar crooks-on-the-lam scenario. As always, Peckinpah rises to the occasion with some audacious scenes of action and suspense, including a memorable chase on a train that still grabs the viewer's attention. Not a great film, but a must for McQueen and Peckinpah fans. --Jeff Shannon
Most people think Bullett is Steve McQueen's best. I think The Getaway is much better. Well, no accounting for tastes, is there?
The Getaway is a gritty, realistic view of 'Doc' McCoy (Steve McQueen) as a professional bank robber. Released early from prison by virtue (or lack thereof) his wife, Carol (Ali McGraw), Doc immediately plans another hold up as part of the conditions of his release. During the course of events he meets several unsavory charactors who seem intent on his destruction. The highlight of the film is a shoot out in a southwestern hotel with machinegun toting gangsters and a vengeful Rudy (former bank job partner and all around not-nice guy). Steve is trying to make his getaway using a 12 guage as the door. The movie is directed by Sam Peckinpah -- need I say more?
The movie is low key, as Steve tends to be, but packs a punch in its realism. This could actually happen, one thinks. Several small plots underlie the main one of a getaway into Mexico w/ the stolen money. Steve turns in a outstanding performance as the anti-hero and has you cheering each time he eludes his pursuers once again.
Certainly a good evenings entertainment and well worth the investment if you collect movies (if you don't, just rent it from the local Blockbuster). This might be a bit violent for younger kids, but teens should take to it just fine.
--Highly Recommended--
~P~
One of the best action films from this era!
This review is for the 2005 Warner Brothers DVD.
The movie opens in a Texas prison where Doc McCoy (Steve McQueen) is doing time for armed robbery. He is denied parole and has to come to terms that the only way to get out early is to bribe a prison board member, Jack Beynon (Ben Johnson) by indulging him with sexual favors with McCoy's wife Carol (Ali McGraw). The dirty deed is done and McCoy is then paroled, but Beynon coerces Doc into doing one major bank job with a collection of other crooks that Beynon has assembled. This sets up a big heist with several twists and turns along the way for an action packed film.
I've seen just about all of McQueen's movies and this is my favorite. First, I like the opening scenes in a real Texas prison. The guards and other prisoners aren't actors - they are the real deal. This rest of the movie is shot in Texas also. I don't recall seeing a single scene that appeared to be made in a Hollywood backlot. The plot of this movie is original. It's more than just a bank robbery and car chases. There are a series of interesting confrontations and slick double-crosses that add a lot of pizzazz to the film. The street-smart character of Doc McCoy played by McQueen is what sets this apart from most action films. His uncanny knack of figuring out what's going on and eluding his advisories is what makes it an extra special movie. Ali McGraw is beautiful, but her acting is suspect at times. Sally Struthers gives a wonderful performance as a ditzy, yet too sympathetic hostage. Slim Pickens also does a stellar job as an older, but very spirited cowboy.
As for the DVD, the widescreen color presentation is near pristine. The stereo audio quality is excellent. There are plenty of commentary features on this DVD.
Movie: A-
DVD Quality: A-
"Don't get any blood on me...I hate blood."
Unpredictable, volatile, abrasive, and the only man Charlton Heston ever threaten on a set of a movie (Major Dundee)...I'm talking about `Bloody' Sam Peckinpah...love him or hate him, the man knew how to tell a story, one that could entertain not only the average film patron with loads of action and violence, but also the haughty, oft-times snobby film critics with his thoughtful and insightful characterizations...actually, I think these same, snobby critics actually got off secretly on being able to enjoy the more visceral elements of his films while still being able to tout them on a cerebral level...like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. But that's not to say Peckinpah's films were always critically accepted...I know his film Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) took a beating, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, in all its glorious dirty, sweaty, dust-caked, fly-ridden seediness...based on a novel by Jim Thompson (The Grifters) and adapted for the screen by Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs.), The Getaway (1972) stars Steve McQueen (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape), the man many believe to be the penultimate in machismo and cool, on and off the screen. Co-starring with McQueen is the very beautiful Ali MacGraw (Love Story, Convoy), who became so enamored with her co-star she actually left her husband at the time, movie producer Robert Evans, to be with McQueen, and thus gave up the opportunity to star in several high profile films like Chinatown (1974) and The Great Gatsby (1974)...yes, the lure of the McQueen is a strong one...also appearing is Peckinpah favorite Ben Johnson (Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, Junior Bonner), quintessential heavy Al Lettieri (The Godfather, Mr Majestyk), Sally Struthers (Five Easy Pieces), whose most recent work include the tearful pleas to feed the starving children (which would probably be a lot more effective if she wasn't so heavyset...there I said it), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Richard Bright (The Godfather), `Rub a Dub' Dub Taylor (The Wild Bunch), Jack `Howard Sprague' Dodson ("The Andy Griffith Show"), and Bo 'Knows' Hopkins (The Wild Bunch, White Lightning).
The film begins with scenes of a Texas prison, focusing on one inmate in particular, that of Carter 'Doc' McCoy (McQueen), who's in his fourth year a ten-year stretch for bank robbery. After being denied parole, Doc agrees to cut a deal with a politically powerful and corrupt individual named Jack Beynon (Johnson), who just happens to also be a member of the parole board (that's convenient). The deal involves, on being released from prison, that McCoy pull a bank job for Beynon, which he does, and while McCoy's meticulous planning nets the robbers a large amount of cash, things quickly fall apart as there's a couple of jokers in the deck (one of them being one of the men McCoy got saddled with by Beynon), and the double cross is in, but McCoy isn't going down without a struggle, and he's certainly not going back to the joint. Now McCoy and his wife Carol (MacGraw) must make their way to El Paso with the money, avoiding capture by the authorities (by this time McCoy's face is plastered all over the news), Beynon's trigger-happy goons, and one of the aforementioned jokers, all in a effort to make it safely across the border into Mexico.
While not my favorite Peckinpah film (I've always been partial to The Wild Bunch), The Getaway is still an excellent film with strong themes and just an all around entertaining story, assisted by superior cast. One thing I've noticed about Peckinpah is his ability to relate important aspects of story through visual means, carefully crafted shots and sequences, and make it look easy. A perfect example in this movie is the opening sequences with McQueen's character in prison. We learn much about him, and feel a sense of the frustration and oppressive nature of his incarceration on his mental well-being to where desperation finally pushes him to the point of doing something he would normally wouldn't in that of working for Beynon. Of course, this wouldn't have worked as well with out McQueen playing the role, as his presence is the strong point throughout the film. I've heard some comment of MacGraw's acting abilities (or lack of), but I think this was just a case of having to share the screen with McQueen, and who could complete with that? Not many...I think she did really well, avoiding some over dramatic pitfalls others would have succumbed to in the role...and then there's supporting cast and the sense they were truly hand picked for their roles, providing, complex, distinctive, and believable characters. I've also heard complaints about how the story drags at certain points, and the action sequences uneven and too short, but I'd disagree. I thought the strength was in the quiet moments before the storm, the pacing intentional, to allow for the audience to develop an understanding of the characters and see them not as two-dimensional constructs but living, breathing individuals willing to do what they have in order to get what they want...to me, the action sequences, while certainly a draw for me to this film, were a part of a much larger piece. There were a couple of really interesting aspects about this movie for me, one being that while Peckinpah's trademark usage of slow motions shots during the violent sequences is present, it seemed a little toned down from some of his other films, but that wasn't a bad thing. The 2nd aspect was the sort of upbeat ending, which was a real departure given that many of Peckinpah's films are permeated with fatalistic characters draw down inevitable paths of self-destruction. Some scenes to watch for...Steve McQueen going to town with a shotgun...oh yeah, kiss that squad car good-bye (quite a few cars were killed in the making of this film)...Steve McQueen slugging Sally Struthers in the mouth...hey, you can't have a Peckinpah film without a little misogyny, and while I would never advocate the use of violence against a woman, I doubt there'd be few who wouldn't agree that her highly annoying (and fairly sleazy) character was somewhat deserving...all in all this is a great film (much better than the 1994 Kim Bassinger/Alec Baldwin remake, in my opinion), with an exceptional script, acting, and direction, one that entertained me throughout, and reaffirms my belief of the possibilities of the cinema when in the hands of people who know (or knew) what they're doing...
The picture, presented in widescreen anamorphic (2.40:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions, looks sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital 1.0 audio comes through very well. The `Deluxe Edition', which is the one I have, has a few extra features in that of a commentary track with producer Nick Redman, and Peckinpah biographers/historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, and David Weddle. Also included is an original theatrical trailer, along with a `virtual' audio commentary track with Sam Peckinpah, Steve McQueen, and Ali MacGraw that consists of 1972 audio interview material from the three, spliced together and played over the film.
San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Peter Yates DVD Release Date: Released the 19 November 1997 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Sam Peckinpah knew he couldn't call a movie Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and get away with it. That's why he did it. When he undertook this nakedly personal project, in self-exile in Mexico, the director was a deeply bitter man out of favor with critics, the media, and the Hollywood establishment, which had just released his Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid in a mutilated version. "Bring Me the Head..." sounded like the parody title of an ultraviolent Sam Peckinpah movie, and he flung it in our faces just as his onscreen surrogate tosses the titular object at the camera.
Thing is, the movie is a masterpiece--raw, shocking, beautiful, and brave--in which Peckinpah confronts his enemies and his own demons. Warren Oates plays a gringo piano-player stuck in Mexico who... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Warren Oates - Isela Vega Director(s): Sam Peckinpah DVD Release Date: Released the 22 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Millionaire businessman Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is also a high-stakes thief; his latest caper is an elaborate heist at a Boston bank. Why does he do it? For the same reason he flies gliders, bets on golf strokes, and races dune buggies: he needs the thrill to feel alive. Insurance investigator Vicky Anderson (Faye Dunaway) gets her own thrills by busting crooks, and she's got Crown in her cross hairs. Naturally, these two will get it on, because they have a lot in common: they're not people, they're walking clothes racks. (McQueen looks like he'd rather be in jeans than Crown's natty three-piece suits.) The Thomas Crown Affair is a catalog of '60s conventions, from its clipped editing style to its photographic trickery (the inventive Haskell Wexler behind the camera) to its... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Steve McQueen - Faye Dunaway Director(s): Norman Jewison DVD Release Date: Released the 15 August 2001 This item is currently not available.
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Walker (Lee Marvin) strides through Los Angeles with the steel-eyed stare of a stone-cold killer, or perhaps a ghost. Betrayed by his wife and best friend, who gun him down point-blank and leave him for dead after a successful heist, Walker blasts his way up the criminal food chain in a quest for revenge. Did he survive the shooting or return from the grave, or is it all a dying dream? The question is left in the air in John Boorman's modern film noir, a brutal revenge thriller based on Richard Stark's novel The Hunter (remade by Brian Helgeland as Payback), set in the impersonal concrete and steel canyons of Los Angeles and eerily empty cells of Alcatraz. Walker kills without remorse, guided by shadowy "informant" Keenan Wynn, whose own agenda is carefully concealed, and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Lee Marvin - Angie Dickinson Director(s): John Boorman DVD Release Date: Released the 05 July 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Although there are some that will say that this movie is too contrived and predictable, I will say to them that this is a perfect example of good movie making that seems to have slipped away.
You don't have overdone special effects or gratuitous sex and violence, but a very good script with quality actors doing a very good job.
Yes, you have insinuated sex, such as the scene between Ann-Margret and Steve McQueen, but there was absolutely no nudity. Kind of like when radio used to make you use your imagination, whereas television and movies these days seem to resemble "chewing gum for the brain."
I was a young boy when I first saw this moving in 1965, and I never appreciated what a true sex symbol Ann-Margret really was. Man that woman was smoking... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Steve McQueen - Edward G. Robinson - Ann-Margret Director(s): Norman Jewison DVD Release Date: Released the 31 May 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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