Hell Is For Heroes (1962) coming from Kino

[whiteberry]

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
Brand New 2022 HD Master – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Fine Grain!

Hell is for Heroes (1962) Starring Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, Bob Newhart, Nick Adams, Mike Kellin & L.Q. Jones – Shot by Harold Lipstein (None But the Brave) – Music by Leonard Rosenman (Barry Lyndon) – Screenplay by Robert Pirosh (Battleground) & Richard Carr (Too Late Blues) – Directed by Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Charlie Varrick, Escape from Alcatraz).

https://www.facebook.com/KinoLorberS...9012214488974/

Hell is for Heroes - Trailer - YouTube

[Dave Bannion]

Outstanding! One of Siegel’s masterpieces

[Jorvic]

Another very good Siegel film.

[AKORIS]

this is a good one... nice announcement!

[Burt Lancaster]

Finally! Glad it's a new master too.

We still need Siegel's The Shootist (1976) and Telefon (1977). Plus I'd love a UHD for Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Dirty Harry, I can see both happening actually.

[Burt Lancaster]

Now that I think about it, this is with Paramount, isn't Shootist as well? I wonder.....

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Burt Lancaster

Now that I think about it, this is with Paramount, isn't Shootist as well? I wonder.....

Kino mentioned they didn't have any Paramount John Wayne films, unless that later changed when they switched titles.

[Michael24]

This was exciting news to wake up to this morning!

[peruguy]

In the small cadre of actors who perform "Comedy Relief " in war flicks Bob Newhart hit it out of the park in this flick.
His #1 challenger IMO is Donald Sutherland who, while not as gifted comedy-wise as Newhart, has two classic entries in the genre. Pinkley & Oddball.
KELLY'S HEROES might be considered a comedy itself tho.
I guess I'll go with Newhart as Numero Uno, but probably a lot of older war movies I'm not taking into consideration.

[Jorvic]

Originally Posted by peruguy

In the small cadre of actors who perform "Comedy Relief " in war flicks Bob Newhart hit it out of the park in this flick.
His #1 challenger IMO is Donald Sutherland who, while not as gifted comedy-wise as Newhart, has two classic entries in the genre. Pinkley & Oddball.
KELLY'S HEROES might be considered a comedy itself tho.
I guess I'll go with Newhart as Numero Uno, but probably a lot of older war movies I'm not taking into consideration.

I agree that Sutherland is superb in both of those roles.

[Rzzzz]

When I first saw this, I was a expecting just another low budget war film (which it was, which pissed off McQueen who was furious at his agent). The film literally ended as it did because they ran out of money.

[Show spoiler]

From Wikipedia: Many of the cast were angry over the studio's budget restrictions, which resulted in phony looking props, malfunctioning firearms and the same German having to be killed three or four times. In the last battle scene, McQueen can be seen experiencing multiple failures firing the M3 Grease Gun. These malfunctions were due to problems with the blanks used.

McQueen was reportedly furious with his agent for having induced him to sign onto the film and not securing the fee that he had been promised up front and for passing on another movie that he wanted. Thus, his angry, detached "loner" look may not have been entirely due to his method acting. Columnist James Bacon visited the set and said that "Steve McQueen is his own worst enemy". Bobby Darin overheard the remark and replied, "Not while I'm still alive." Bob Newhart said that he had been offered the film a year previous and found that the script had changed when Steve McQueen came on board; Newhart believed the original script had been set to feature Darin as the main star of the film

McQueen and Siegel were continuously at odds during the production, with the two nearly coming to blows several times. In one scene, when McQueen was unable to cry while on camera, Siegel resorted to slapping him hard and blowing onion juice into his face, before administering eye drops that ran down the actor's face.

Parker, Coburn and others in the cast were working on other projects during the making of the film and would repeatedly show up in the nick of time and do their lines without makeup and little or no rehearsal. (Coburn also appeared with McQueen in The Magnificent Seven and another World War II film, The Great Escape as well as appearing in a couple of episodes of McQueen's 1950s western television series Wanted: Dead or Alive.)

Due to the intense heat of the 1961 summer in Cottonwood and Redding, California, many of the scenes were shot at night for the comfort of the actors.

During the production, Newhart's comedy albums were selling unexpectedly well, resulting in higher fee offers for stand-up comedy nightclub appearances. As a result, he sought ways to have his character killed off so that he could leave the production. The director consistently told him that he would be in the film until the end.

Both Newhart and Parker recalled that the film ended abruptly due to Paramount shortening the production of the film for financial reasons.

but I was pleasantly surprised how good this film is. I think that is in large part due to the cast and their performances as well as Siegal's direction. And I agree Bob Newhart is great in this film. With a bigger budget this could have probably been one of the greats...

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by peruguy

[Show spoiler]In the small cadre of actors who perform "Comedy Relief " in war flicks Bob Newhart hit it out of the park in this flick.
His #1 challenger IMO is Donald Sutherland who, while not as gifted comedy-wise as Newhart, has two classic entries in the genre. Pinkley & Oddball.
KELLY'S HEROES might be considered a comedy itself tho.
I guess I'll go with Newhart as Numero Uno, but probably a lot of older war movies I'm not taking into consideration.

What about Robert Strauss in Stalag 17?

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Burt Lancaster

Now that I think about it, this is with Paramount, isn't Shootist as well? I wonder.....

I am hoping The Shootist is a Paramount Presents title!

[Show spoiler]

[Burt Lancaster]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

I am hoping The Shootist is a Paramount Presents title!

[Show spoiler]

I hope so too, beautifully done movie.

[Michael24]

Date and extras announced for Hell Is For Heroes:

Coming April 11th!

HELL IS FOR HEROES (1962)
• Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
• NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin
• Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 4K)
• Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 90 Minutes 1.85:1 Not Rated

Screen legend Steve McQueen (The Great Escape, Bullitt, The Getaway) delivers a powerful, gripping performance as a defiant loner whose skills as a soldier make him invaluable to his struggling platoon. In the heat of battle during World War II, McQueen and his fellow soldiers find themselves severely outnumbered as they hold off a Nazi advance along the Siegfried Line in France. Using only their ingenuity and bravery, they must bluff the Germans in order to buy some time…and save their lives. The great Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick, Escape from Alcatraz) directs the explosive action led by an all-star cast, including Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Nick Adams and Bob Newhart. If they can fool the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive, victory is theirs.

[whiteberry]

[Burt Lancaster]

What's with the switch from 2K of the fine grain to 4K scan of the negative?

[yellowcakeuf6]

The transfer looks good. The sound has a little too much low end boost, which is good for the explosions but adds a bit too much boom in some of the dialogue.