Narrated
by Lawrence Montaigne. Directed by Chris Espenan. (2018/57 min)
AVAILABLE
ON DVD & DIGITAL FROM
Review
by Mr. Pawsđș
Is
The Great Escape truly
the "coolest guy movie ever"? That's debatable, of course (Personally, I'd throw-in with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). It's certainly one of the greatest war films ever made, though. Oddly enough,
this documentary doesn't actually argue the claim of its title, and was obviously made for those who already agree.
A
Coolest Guy Movie Ever isn't
really a making-of documentary, either, though we do get some
production details from surviving cast &
crew members. The majority of the film is a tour of the various
German locations where The Great Escape
was made. Some of the structures (such as the set of the POW camp) are gone,
but a surprising number of them are still standing, looking very much
like they did during filming.
 |
| Steve McQueen applies for a job at Taco Bell. |
Many
of the locals are interviewed, some who interacted with the likes
of Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson. Speaking of the cast, the film
includes vintage interviews with a few of its late stars - such as
James Garner and James Coburn - as well as some that are still with
us, all of whom share anecdotes about shooting in these locations.
The whole thing is narrated by actor Lawrence Montaigne, who
squared-off on-screen with Coburn to distract the prison guards
(sadly, Montaigne also passed away last year).
 |
| Late for his first day at Taco Bell, Steve takes a short cut. |
At
only 58 minutes, The Coolest Guy Movie Ever
might have made a better bonus feature on some future Blu-ray
re-release of The Great Escape
itself. But as it is, the film is an obvious labor of love by
everyone involved. Those who agree with the title should really enjoy
it, particularly if you can't afford to hop a plane to Germany to
visit these locations.
KITTY CONSENSUS
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
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