The Guns of Navarone (Special Edition)

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This rousing, explosive 1961 WWII adventure, based on Alistair MacLean's thrilling novel, turns the war thriller into a deadly caper film. Gregory Peck heads a star-studded cast charged with a near impossible mission: destroy a pair of German guns nestled in a protective cave on the strategic Mediterranean island of Navarone, from where they can control a vital sea passage. As world famous mountain climber turned British army Captain Mallory, Peck leads a guerrilla force composed of the humanistic explosives expert, Miller (David Niven), the ruthless Greek patriot with a grudge, Stavros (Anthony Quinn), veteran special forces soldier Brown (Stanley Baker), and the cool, quiet young marksman Pappadimos (James Darren). This disparate collection of classic types must overcome internal conflicts, enemy attacks, betrayal, and capture to complete their mission. Director J. Lee Thompson sets a driving pace for this exciting (if familiar) military operation, a succession of close calls, pitched battles, and last-minute escapes as our heroes infiltrate the garrisoned town with the help of resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas) and plot their entry into the heavily guarded mountain fort. Carl Foreman's screenplay embraces MacLean's role call of clichés and delivers them with style, creating one of the liveliest mixes of espionage, combat, and good old-fashioned military derring-do put on film. In 1978, the sequel Force 10 from Navarone was released, but MacLean fans will prefer to check out the action-packed thriller Where Eagles Dare. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

The Legendary Guns of Navarone.......2007-08-19

1961's "The Guns of Navarone" is Director Carl Foreman's big screen adaptation of Alistair MacLean's classic novel of the Second World War. Blessed with a riveting storyline, a superb cast, and excellent direction, it continues to be a first-rate movie all these many years later.

The story centers around a British commando team given a seemingly impossible mission: to cross the German-dominated Aegean Sea to the occupied island of Navarone and infiltrate the island by climbing its precipitous South Cliff. Once on the island, the team must elude the German Army garrison, navigate its way through the Greek resistance underground, and destroy two enourmous field guns that block the rescue of some 2,000 British troops.

The Germans may be the least of the commando team's worries. An outstanding cast that includes Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Anthony Quayle, and Stanley Baker must also contend with deadly rivalries within the team, a case of post-traumatic stress syndrome, and a traitor.

Foreman does a magnificent job of capturing the individual sacrifices and tough moral choices posed by MacLean in the gritty original novel. Foreman and MacLean, who wrote the screenplay, reshuffled the storyline in small ways to accomodate the cast, but the result was highly effective, earning seven Academy Award nominations.

The DVD is a digitally remastered version that includes all of the original movie, along with a nice selection of extras, especially a documentary on filming on location in the Greek Islands.

This movie is very highly recommended to fans of Alistair MacLean, who will find this the best screen adaptation of his many novels, and to those looking for an excellent war-time adventure story with real depth.

A Long Time Favorite.......2007-04-02

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE has been a long time favorite around my house. We saw it years ago and have never forgotten it. I think the performances and the strong characterizations are indelible. We watch it whenever it is on TV even though my son has it on tape, laserdisc and DVD. There is just something reassuring about that film, something of value you take away each time you watch it. There are a lot of heroics yet there is dignity and honor demonstrated throughout the tale. I suppose it has now become a legend for all time.

A classic war movie!.......2007-03-08

I first saw this film at a British army outdoor cinema in Cyprus in 1962 when I was 11 years old. I have lost count of how many times I have seen it since. It still rates for me as one of the greatest war films ever. Great performances by all the cast: one of David Niven's best roles but all of them seemed to be at the top of their game. I own an earlier DVD than the Special Edition, so cannot speak to the special features.

A Thrilling yet Fictional Commando Raid.......2007-03-07

Oh, to destroy the heavy ship-killing artillery housed on an enemy-held island! Bombing cannot take out the site, and it would take a suicide plane loaded with explosives to destroy it. How about a commando raid? Intelligence indicates that the island of Navarone has a cliff so tall and steep that the Germans don't bother to guard it.

A group of commandos leaves in a fishing boat, and the miracles begin to happen. The fishing boat is stopped at sea by a German naval vessel, and the commandos manage to shoot and fight off all the Germans. And, to top it all off, the Germans situated at Navarone are not warned of the commandos.

After that, everything goes wrong that possibly can. The wooden fishing boat in which they are traveling gets battered to pieces by the storm against the cliff. During the arduous climb, one of the climbers breaks both legs, thereby becoming a liability to the rest of the commando outfit for the remainder of the mission. The climb is successful, but the commandos discover that they have lost their food. They manage to kill a German guard at the top of the cliff, only to fail to convince a German, calling the field phone used by that guard, that they are Germans. The search is on. The commandos belatedly link up with some Greek partisans, and make is just in time into a cave, from which they hide from German bombing.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, they end up in German hands. The German commander reminds them that they, not wearing uniforms, are not entitled to rights as POWs, and will be shot (as spies or saboteurs). He calls in the SS to torture them into divulging the location of the explosives, beginning with the man with broken legs, whose splints are to be rearranged. To make things worse, it turns out that one of the Greek partisans is a German agent, and that she has rendered the explosives useless.

Will the commandos escape death? If so, will the miracles continue and will they destroy the artillery at Navarone? I will not spoil the ending by revealing it.

Navarone does not appear in any atlas, and it takes a while for the viewer to realize that this account is fictional. It would be helpful if there was a disclaimer in the beginning of this flick indicating that it is fiction.

Excellent Classic Movie.......2007-01-11

Great classic WWII flick. Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Nivven.
Good acting - nominated / won like 8 acadamy awards...

The Guns of Navarone (Collector's Edition)

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Unforgettable Navarone
The Guns of Naverone
I have both the special edition and this edition
Columbia outdoes itself with new release of classic
Five Stars For Movie (Hoping SE DVD gives movie it's due)

The Guns of Navarone (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B000MGTQ7U
Release Date: 2007-05-08

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Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and David Niven are Allied saboteurs assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers. Blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman (High Noon,The Bridge on the River Kwai) was determined to re-establish both his name and credibility after spending most of the 50's working in anonymity. To accomplish this, he decided to bring Alistair MacLean's best-selling novel, The Guns of Navarone, to the screen. Supported by an all-star cast and produced on a grand scale, the film was an enormous success, receiving seven 1961 Academy AwardÂ® nominations (including Best Picture) and winning for Best Special Effects. Although Foreman achieved his goal, it was MacLean who would wind up the true beneficiary; his novels became the source for many high adventure screen epics, including Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare. However, it is The Guns of Navarone that remains not only the best of the MacLean adaptations, but one of the greatest action/adventure spectacles ever produced.

Customer Reviews:

Unforgettable Navarone .......2007-07-10

This is not the best WWII movie. Now that I have lowered your expectations. This is a great movie. Even though it may not have the best effects, acting, story, and music. It does seem to have good enough of each to make a movie you will never forget. It stands in your mind like "Casalanca" or "The Enemy Below". The performances by Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and David Niven are excellent. Each was "at the top of their game" as they say when this was made. If you are a fan of WWII movies or classic movies you will probably enjoy it. This is one the whole family can watch.

The Guns of Naverone.......2007-06-28

Epic-scale adventure based on Alistair MacLean's book. The movie boasts terrific action sequences, but is also an engrossing ensemble drama thanks to a sterling screenplay from producer Carl Foreman and terrific turns from a top international cast, including Niven, Quinn, and Quayle.

I have both the special edition and this edition.......2007-05-13

I bought the 2000 video last year. When I heard about this I decided to get it anyway hoping there was additional information. There is. I could have down without the previews of the three new movies, but I suppose the studio does need to advertise them. In addition to the new information, interviews with Irene Pappas (who wasn't available for the first edition) and James Darren, since he's about the only one of the major male cast members still alive, would have been good.

The movie is very good. It makes me miss movies when the heros for the most part kept their language clean. It does seem strange to see them smoking.

In the complaint department I thought that Stanley Baker's and James Darren's characters should have been more developed. Especially James Darren's (OK, I admit it - James Darren (when he was on Time Tunnel) is the first actor I ever had a crush on.

Columbia outdoes itself with new release of classic.......2007-05-09

The second movie in Columbia's newest wave of World War II movies (along with "The Caine Mutiny") is the 1961 Academy Award-winning film for Best Special Effects, "The Guns of Navarone," which stars Gregory Peck as Keith Mallory, the leader of a group of British commandos tasked with destroying two gigantic German anti-ship guns.
The British are desperate to evacuate 2,000 soldiers from the Aegean island of Kiros, with the only sea route through a stretch of water commanded by the guns that are encased inside a massive cliffside bunker that is immune to air attack.
Based on the best selling novel by Alistair (Where Eagles Dare) MacLean, Mallory has been working on occupied Crete for two years and as an expert mountaineer is the perfect choice to ferry the team to the only part of Navarone not monitored by the Germans - a 400-foot cliff.
Joining Peck is David Niven as explosives expert John Anthony Miller and Anthony Quinn as a Greek resistance fighter.
MacLean is known for being able to weave together a great story and this movie is consistently entertaining. In fact the film was already afforded a respectable special release on DVD in 2000. Columbia though have outdone themselves with this 2-disc set by adding a second audio commentary and four new documentaries.
The original release included a rather dry, faltering, but informative commentary by director J. Lee Thompson, a smattering of archival featurettes of varying quality and an anecdotal documentary on the making of the picture featuring on-camera interviews with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, James Darren and J. Lee Thompson named "Memories of Navarone" and running at 29:34. It's a nice, breezy documentary and entertaining - detailing some of the experiences the cast had working on the picture.
However this new release includes a lively commentary with historian Stephen J. Rubin who mentions that this film started the trend of Hollywood going outdoors. Up until this time most movies were filmed on the studios backlot, whereas this movie was filmed on the island of Rhodes. He also discusses the cast (including a very young Richard Harris). Rubin also discusses some of the differences between the MacLean novel and the movie - which appear to be a number of changes to characterization and details some of the criticisms of the movie when it was released - including the fact that the actors were too old to play commando's, many being as they were in their 40s and 50s. Though Rubin quickly adds that he feels it was cast perfectly.
Also included are two new documentaries, the first of these "Forging the Guns of Navarone" runs at 13:58 and includes on camera interviews with Eve Williams-Jones (the former wife of producer Carl Foreman) and Assistant Director Peter Yates (who himself went on to become a very successful director in his own right). Apparently Thompson was not the original director for the project and Yates credits Thompson for his ability to jump straight into a film that had already shot much of its second unit work as well as his ability to manage so many big name actors. Yates also reveals that despite their on-screen animosity towards each other, both Niven and Peck got along well together determined to have as much fun as possible on the picture. Yates also recounts how the crew would refer to it as "The biggest B-feature ever made."
The second new documentary "The Ironic Epic of Heroism" runs longer at 23:38 and is essentially an on-camera analysis of the movie by noted Film Historian Sir Christopher Frayling (who was mistakenly credited with providing an audio commentary in the press release for this DVD release). Frayling is quite engaging as he recounts such facts as Foreman's initial reluctance to handle the project. Foreman once said that he was incapable of making a movie that did not make statements and he initially saw the MacLean book as a simple action adventure. It was not until he re-read the novel that he realized it could serve to make statements about the futility of war and the ability of war to bring out the best in people.
Frayling also reflects on the fact that the movie was the first global production caper-style World War II movie to be played as an action adventure in a style he describes as "incredibly innovative."
Also included on this new release is the restored intermission with score that was seen in some European cities (it is listed as an extra since it is not part of the official cut of the movie) and featurettes on the Dimitri Tiomkin score which details the subtle differences throughout the movie and a fascinating look at the UCLA restoration.
The restoration featurette details the tortured path towards restoring a film that was in such terrible shape that they needed several sources of original negative, both from Columbia and a private collector. In an example of the work the UCLA team had to do, the print they were provided by Columbia had the plane crash at the beginning of the movie happen in broad daylight. This apparently is how most people have seen the scene in recent years. That was until one of the eagle-eyed team at UCLA noticed that one of the trucks had it's headlights on and wondered why. Sure enough they were able to track down a copy of the print from a private collector that showed that the crash happened at night with the screen various shades of blue - and that is how it was restored.
In another instance the print UCLA had also had the infamous dubbing of Richard Harris where the censor had the word "bloody" replaced with "ruddy" for some of the screenings in the UK (the word "bloody" is considered a swear word in the UK). The UCLA team prevailed again and were able to locate a copy of the correct audio still intact).
On a sidenote the DVD also affords fans of Tiomkin the opportinity to hear the opening sequence sans the narrative as a special feature on the second disc. This apparently is a special feature that had been requested for years.

Five Stars For Movie (Hoping SE DVD gives movie it's due).......2007-03-09

This is a fantastic movie! I've given 5 stars in hopes that this Special Edition will significantly improve upon both the original DVD and the Superbit editions...which quite frankly are disappointing visually. I know this film is old, but this is a cinematic treasure and if possible needs to be given the once over. Many of the more darker settings are really bad and lots of color splotchiness elsewhere. I'm not a DVD technical expert, but I think other non experts could easily sit down with this film and compare to say something like the job Paramount did on Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon a Time in the West'...and you'd obviously see the issues with the earlier editions of 'Guns'. Let's just hope that Special Edition means 'special' and that when we break that seal, pop it in to the player and see those first scenes of the Acropolis and then Gregory Peck arriving to discover he's not going home, but on another seemingly impossible mission, we see a more clean, crisp and brighter representation of 'Guns' as it should be...a piece of movie history! Keep your fingers crossed!

WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)

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WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , Alexander Mackendrick , and Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ASDFHC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

The Guns of Navarone (Superbit Collection)

Average customer rating:

The Legend of Navarone
Movie is not complete
"You've got me in the mood to use this thing..."

The Guns of Navarone (Superbit Collection)
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002VYOX6
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Customer Reviews:

The Legend of Navarone.......2007-02-02

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE have long been silent but the legend of this extraordinary and endearing film lingers on in our memory. They just don't make them like this any more. The script, the score, the cinematography, the actors and the characters they played are indelibly etched into the psyche. I often have fleeting thoughts of this film, happy ones, of the images, the words and the music from this WWII legend. The examination of camaraderie, the morality of killing and not killing, bravery, survival, betrayal, forgiveness and getting the job done are all integrated into a logical and emotional cohesive film that is both entertaining yet important in its representation of the extraordinary human qualities that can only be realized during war.This is one of my favorite films and the less said the better. I just savor my memories of it and get a little warmth in my heart.

Movie is not complete.......2006-09-03

Movie which i bought is not complete movie, few seens was removed from the pictures, i have original VHS Tape,

"You've got me in the mood to use this thing...".......2005-01-19

The Guns of Navarone is a wonderful film that touches upon the issue of how difficult it can be to make moral choices during the course of a war. The screenplay is fascinating in the sense that every major character in the film has their own notions of just how far they should go in applying the necessary force "to get the job done" in a war.

The movie is about six saboteurs who must destroy two gigantic guns, which present a danger to the Allied Navy. At the very beginning of the movie, viewers immediately have their first taste of a moral dilemma when Commodore Jensen, the organizer of the mission, has to decide between sending six qualified men to an almost disastrous and suicidal mission or simply scrapping the mission and leaving 2,000 trapped British soldiers to a certain doom. Commodore Jensen sees the choice as a foregone conclusion and thus resorts to lying to the leaders of the mission in order to boost their confidence. Jensen however does feel the pains of leadership as he tells a fellow officer "I'm just a man who has to send men off to die".

The six saboteurs each have their unique specialties and views of morality. The first saboteur is Captain Mallory, the best mountain climber in the world and a competent linguist. Captain Mallory is a soldier who now has a utilitarian view of the world and no longer sees the world as black or white. The second saboteur is Major Roy Franklin who is known for his luck and determination. Roy is as focused to the mission as Mallory, only he does not appear to be so in the eyes of his friend Corporal Miller, the third saboteur. Corporal Miller is the self-righteous chemical explosives expert whose philanthropic perception of the world directs his loyalty only to his friends and himself. The fourth is Private Brown "the Butcher of Barcelona" whose specialties are working with engines and using a knife. Although Brown is a seasoned veteran with many kills under his belt, he has become wary of the war. The fifth saboteur is Colonel Stavros. Stavros, like Mallory and Franklin, focuses to the task at hand, but is also ever thoughtful of his personal vendettas. Finally, the last saboteur is Private Pappadimos, whom Jensen describes as a "born killer".

The moral views of the six saboteurs will clash with each other several times during the movie as they debate about how to conduct a war and deal with human life. The moral perceptions even prove to be the undoing of some of the men. The beauty of the movie is that ultimately the ongoing theme of morality further extends to the two women who later join the mission. Even the Germans are not exempt from this theme as the "normal" German soldier's character contrasts itself sharply from that of the inhumane SS officer.

It is not surprisingly to find that many world leaders enjoy watching The Guns of Navarone, since here is a film that touches upon an issue that is constantly ever-present in their minds. The burden of choosing the fates of others is after all, a burden that is felt by both the commander and the individual soldier alike.

The superbit version of The Guns of Navarone is an improvement over the first regular DVD release. The noticeable improvement is found mainly in the sound. A particular standout scene in terms of sound is where Stavros uses his sniper rifle to give cover against the advancing German Army. The superbit picture quality while an improvement over the regular DVD release, is not as noticeably good as the superbit sound quality.

Average customer rating:

A documentary of the making of the film
A real good one

The Making of "The Guns of Navarone"

Manufacturer: Passport
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Guns of Navarone (Special Edition)

ASIN: B0000B1ODC
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Customer Reviews:

A documentary of the making of the film.......2007-01-15

Most of the making of information is on The Guns of Navarone DVD. There is a five minute interview with James Darren that's different (he and Irene Pappas are the only principle cast members still living) and career documentaries of Anthony Qunn and Gregory Peck. Still the cost was low and if you're fans of Anthony Qunn and Gregory Peck it's may be worth the cost.

A real good one.......2004-04-20

Yep, a real good show. No palaver here, folks. And I'm not just being urbane about this. This is real good. And I should know, because... eh, I can't do this anymore. The charade is over.

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The Legend of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone [Blu-ray]

Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000E1ZKJQ

Customer Reviews:

The Legend of Navarone.......2007-02-01

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The Guns of Navarone [Region 2]
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson , and Alexander Mackendrick
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000050GQ9

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ASIN: B0000501VF

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The Guns of Navarone [Region 2]
Starring: Gregory Peck , David Niven , Anthony Quinn , Stanley Baker , and Anthony Quayle
Director: J. Lee Thompson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000050GSB

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