The Professionals

There are so many remarkable things about 'The Professionals.' Conrad Hall was the Director of Photography and was nominated for an Oscar -- he didn't win but he should have. The 1967 Oscar ceremony threw as many awards as it... Full review

After not seeing this film for almost 30 years, I was surprised how good the cinematography was, since I had mainly just remembered this as another Western with a good cast of famous tough guys. The rugged Mexican countryside took... Full review

I just recently revisited this great Western classic and rediscovered why I think this is the best of its genre. The setting, the plot/subplots, the casting, the writing are in a class unto themselves. First of all, what else can... Full review

This is one of those great, all-star movies where what happens is almost inconsequential because getting there is so much fun. Marvin and Lancaster give sharp-edged, self-assured performances, Palance is delightful as always, and the rest of the cast does... Full review

Set in the aftermath of the Mexican revolution, this action drama concerns the rescue of a Mexican lady (Cardinale) who is married to a rich, older, white man (Bellamy.) She has been taken from her American home back down to... Full review

A rich Texas landowner (the elderly Ralph Bellamy) hires three men (Robert Ryan, Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin) to go into Mexico and return his beautiful wife (the ultra-erotic Claudia Cardinale) to him after she was kidnapped by a gang... Full review

This is a great western... at a time when Hollywood audiences were less interested in westerns. It also developed the theme of moral ambiguity found in the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood "Man With No Name" westerns and The Wild Bunch. Lee... Full review

You won't regret catching this one when it's on TV, unless you were expecting some black-and-white drama filmed in the Czech Republic in the rain. The story is simple enough, four mercenaries, Lancaster, Marvin, Strode, and Ryan, are hired by... Full review

'The Professionals' is a greatly entertaining film, excitingly directed by Richard Brooks who makes its action sequences startlingly real allowing his stars full scope in developing their characters...There is some nice cinematography in the movie... The Mexican countryside is a... Full review

Although there's plenty of action in this Western, I believe that the action plays second fiddle to the script. Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Wood Strode and Robert Ryan are first rate as the four professionals engaged on a mission which... Full review

Yep, you could say that "The Professionals" is, at heart, a cross between a Western and a formula action flick, and each of the stars has a few of those zinger lines we've come to associate with action heroes who quip and deadpan as they lay waste. The Professionals" was among the first titles schedule for release when Blu-ray was brand-spanking new, but for unannounced reasons it was delayed from its October 17, 2006 street date, then shelved indefinitely. ... Full Review

Great movie, picture, sound and extras. By far, my favorite Richard Brooks film is the classic Western " The Professionals . The Professionals " is the kind of movie that you can watch over and over without losing interest. ... Full Review

But Strode was a good enough actor to overcome the limitations of his outward appearance.....if not a genuine action hero.....Though well into middle-age in films like Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and The Deserter (1971), Strode still looks extraordinarily vital, fitter than most men half his age.....The film's timeliness with regard to the Civil Rights movement is striking:....Strode was unquestionably the lead..... ... Full Review

Burt Lancaster seems aware that he has only a few years left in which he'll be able to perform his signature screen acrobatics; his essential vitality is doubly impressive in athletic feats like sprinting and rope climbing. Grant hires three supreme talents to bring her back: Weapons expert Rico Fardan (Lee Marvin), horse master Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan) and bounty hunter/archer Jake Sharp (Woody Strode). ... Full Review

While those films are far more popular, if you've seen and enjoyed them, you are highly recommended to catch The Professionals at your next available opportunity, as it delivers much of the same appeal. A hit at the time of its release, The Professionals , while undoubtedly a classic among Western lovers and Marvin fans, rarely gets the recognition it deserves. ... Full Review

Between the studio westerns of the 1940's and the new wave of studio releases, "revamp" westerns of the 1960's, one major foreign film genre had generated massive amounts of influence, intrigue, and more importantly, viewers. ... Full Article

Four men are hired to rescue the wife of a self made man from the horrible hands of Mexico revolutionary Jesus Raza. A great western and adaptation from Frank O'Rourke's novel Mule For The Marquesa will have you reaching for... ... Full Article

It has been a while since I've done a "From My Desk" report, but I figured... what the hell, it's Sunday and I'm in the mood to discuss the DVDs and other material scattered about my desk. ... Full Article

Most people, especially those under 30, will blink and say "Who?" at the mention of the man's name. Remind them of the most famous gladiatorial combat ever filmed and, even if they haven't seen Spartacus, they know the scene. ... Full Article

It has been a while since Ive done a From My Desk report, but I figured what the hell, its Sunday and Im in the mood to discuss the DVDs and other material scattered about my desk. ... Full Article