"Do you feel lucky punk?"--Dirty Harry
© Warner Bros. Home Video

Mania Grade: A-
DVD: Dirty Harry (2-Disc Special Edition)
Rating: R
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, Reni Santoni, Harry Guardino
Written By: Harry Julian Fink, R.M. Fink
Directed By: Don Siegel
Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Original Year of Release: 1971
Extras: Audio Commentary by Richard Schickel, Interview Gallery, Four featurettes
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DVD Review of Dirty Harry Two Disc Special Edition

Warner Brothers is going to “make the day” of Clint Eastwood fans everywhere on June 3^rd when they release all five Dirty Harry films on special edition DVDs with all-new bonus features. With Eastwood in the starring role, Dirty Harry wouldone of the most influential films of the 1970s. This would usher in an era of gritty crime dramas and would open the door for such films as Shaft and Death Wish. Even John Wayne would put down his cowboy hat and play a Dirty Harry-style cop in McQ. Dirty Harry wasn’t an action hero and it’s almost impossible to think that the film could have been made today when there is so much reliance on over-the-top action and CGI special effects.

This film came along at a time during the Viet Nam-era when there was so much disillusionment in the country. Harry Callahan wasn’t the action hero; he was the anti-hero, constantly at odds with authority including his police chief and the Mayor. We see almost nothing of Harry’s personal life, almost as if he didn’t exist outside of his job with the San Francisco PD. It’s a clever touch by the writers and Director Don Siegel to show the obsessive drive of the character. Nothing mattered to Harry more than catching the bad guys no matter what it took.

Andrew Robinson turns in a memorable performance as a psychotic sniper dubbed Scorpio. After killing one girl, he demands a ransom from the city or he promises to kill again. The case is assigned to Callahan and in a bit that would be repeated through the film series, he is teamed with a new, young partner, this time Chico Sanchez (Rene Santoni). You know all you need to know about Callahan’s character when he captures Scorpio but is forced to watch the prosecutor release him because Harry didn’t give him his rights. Callahan wants to know who was looking out for the latest victim of Scorpio. This will set the table for Eastwood to deliver his famous, “Do you feel lucky punk” offer to Scoprio at the film’s climax.

Nearly 40 years later Dirty Harry still holds up well. Eastwood is the model of cool. As a bank robbery interrupts his lunch at a diner, Callahan foils the robbery while still finishing off his hot dog! The film has a catchy, jazz soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin. You need only listen for a few moments to know you’re watching one of those memorable cop films. Presented in letterbox format, Dirty Harry has never looked better. This is one of the most important films of the 1970s.

Clint Eastwood’s biographer, Richard Schickel provides an all-new commentary on the film. While Schickel can be dry and goes several minutes without speaking, he offers some insightful views on the film.

Dirty Harry’s Way is a 7:00 promotional piece produced in the 1970s which helped to hype the film and draws comparisons to film noir of the 1940s.

Dirty Harry the original is a 29:00 documentary from the 1990s and is hosted by the late Robert Urich who had a role in the second Dirty Harry film, Magnum Force.

The Long Shadow of Harry Callahan (25:00) is a new feature and takes a look at the roots of the 70’s cop dramas as being urban westerns. Modern filmmakers and actors share their thoughts on the landmark film and how it has influenced their own work.

The Man from Malpaso is a 58:00 biography on Eastwood originally produced in 1993.