Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

gordonl56 HELL IS FOR HEROES 1962This better than expected war film, is set during the fall of 1944 on the border between France and Germany. The cast is headlined by, Steve McQueen with support from Fess Parker, Bobby Darin, Harry Guardino, Nick Adams, James Coburn, Joe Hoover and Mike Kellin. An understrength platoon of American infantry, have been assigned to hold a just captured section of the "Siegfried Line". Most of the unit has been moved further up the line because of reports of a possible German counter-attack. The men are spread out with gaps here and there in the lines. They need to make the German on the other side of the valley believe that the American position is being held in strength. They rig up a jeep to sound like heavy trucks arriving, as well as setting up devices to make the German think there are patrols out in the brush. The Germans are not really fooled and send out a large patrol of their own. They rush the Americans who just barely fight off the Nazis. The jig looks like it is up. Now they need to hold on till the rest of their Company returns.They manage to hold on till the rest of the unit arrives and then join in on the attack on the German lines. In the middle of the German position is a big concrete pillbox. The blockhouse is spitting plenty of lead and knocking down the American infantry like bowling pins. It takes a mortally wounded Steve McQueen to silence the German pillbox, when he blows it, and himself, to hell with a satchel charge. The attack then continues with most of the squad being killed. Fess Parker plays the Sgt in charge of the platoon with Harry Guardino next in charge. Bobby Darin, James Coburn and Mike Kellin are soldiers in the squad. Nick Adams plays a Polish refuge who has attached himself to the group. McQueen is quite good here as the ex Sgt who has a slight over fondness for drink. It is always getting him in trouble when off the line. Funny man, Bob Newhart makes his screen debut as a lost rear area private who gets drafted into the unit. The director here is Don Siegel. Siegel started off in the 30's as a second unit editor and director. He moved his way up the ladder and into the director's chair by 1946. He is best known for several excellent film noir, such as, THE VERDICT, THE BIG STEAL, PRIVATE HELL 36, RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11, THE LINEUP and the brilliant, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. His later work included, DIRTY HARRY, CHARLIE VARRICK, COOGAN'S BLUFF, TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA and John Wayne's last film, THE SHOOTIST. One time Oscar nominated Harold Lipstein handled the cinematography duties. The story was by two time Oscar nominated (Go for Broke) and one time winner, (Battleground) Robert Pirosh. Pirosh, a former Sgt in the US Army worked as screenwriter, producer and director from 1935 to 1981. Pirosh was hired at first to also direct and produce the film, but he walked away after trouble with McQueen. There was apparently plenty of bad feelings on the production. McQueen was upset over his fee and was less than friendly with his fellow cast mates and crew. The film's producers, Paramount Pictures, cut the production budget during filming resulting in director Siegel having to cut corners. Despite all the problems etc, Siegel manages to deliver a first rate combat film

trosini The move starts slow and choppy but develops well into some dramatic scenes. The cast is outstanding and the dialog is excellent at times. All in all this is a movie worth watching; true, there are some chintzy scenes in the battles with obvious over acting and ridiculous action of the supposedly injured, but hey it was the 60s and there were no digital effects and those extras didn't get paid much! The black and white filming may turn off some viewers but it actually adds to the drama of this war movie. It is also interesting to watch Bob Newhart, Steve McQueen, Fess Parker, Nick Adams and even Bobby Darin (was he in any other movie in a serious role?) deliver a realism to their lines, and think of their later lives.

ma-cortes WWII drama film dealing with a frontline American infantry squad as they battled their way across Europe . This movie's opening prologue is represented by segments of a speech by President John F. Kennedy . A single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. While most of the men withdraw from their positions taking on a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position by pretending they are more powerful and larger that they really are . As the small squadron is forced to hold off a German attack suffering several dangers , risks and deaths . Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line Siegfried and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial .World War II film where the drama centers around the diverse characters and on the attack about a well-defensed pillbox . With mud-splattered realism, the show offered character studies of men striving to maintain their own humanity , and heroism in the midst of a world torn by war . Impressive as well as surprising climax final , plenty of action and intensity . Very good acting by Steve McQueen as a degraded soldier who leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack . Steve McQueen did not socialize with the rest of cast because his character was anti-social and alienated himself from the rest of the squad . In fact , a columnist visiting the set commented on Steve McQueen's irascible temperament by noting that McQueen seemed to be his own worst enemy. Furthermore , Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin did not get along during filming . Support cast is frankly excellent such as Fess Parker as Sgt. Pike , Harry Guardino as Sgt. Larkin , James Coburn as Cpl. Henshaw , Nick Adams as Homer Janeczek , Mike Kellin as Pvt. Kolinsky and a young Bob Newhart's feature-film debut as Pvt. Driscoll who even interpolates a variation on one of his phone monologues into the tale . Director Don Siegel did not want to shoot the scene where Bob Newhart's character has a fake telephone conversation with "headquarters" to fool the Germans listening through a microphone planted in the US bunker, believing that it had no place in the story , he was overruled by the studio, however .Screenwriter Robert Pirosh was originally set to direct the film but after repeated clashes with star Steve McQueen he was replaced with Don Siegel ; Pirosh's script featured many blackly comedic scenes but most of them were not filmed, as Siegel wanted to make the film more dramatic. Robert Pirosh was a Master Sergeant during World War II, serving with the 320th Regiment, 35th Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, at Ardennes and in the Rhineland. He commanded a unit in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was awarded a Bronze Star. Pirosh directed a classic war film titled ¨Go for broke¨and wrote ¨Battleground¨ , ¨A Gathering of Eagles¨ and ¨Combat¨TV series . The motion picture was well directed by Donald Siegel . His first feature as a director was 1946's The Verdict (1946). He made his reputation in the early and mid-'50s with a series of tightly made, expertly crafted, tough but intelligent "B" pictures , among them : The Lineup (1958), Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Invasion of the body snatchers (1956)), then graduated to major "A" films in the 1960s and early 1970s. He made several "side trips" to television, mostly as a producer . Siegel directed what is generally considered to be Elvis Presley's best picture, Flamingo Star (1960). All of Eastwood's later Western and his ¨Dirty Harry¨ movies owe a considerable debt to Sergio Leone and Donald Siegel . As Donald directed Eastwood in various films , such as : Coogan's bluff , The beguiled , Dirty Harry , Escape from Alcatraz. He had a long professional relationship and personal friendship with Clint Eastwood . This Hard Hitting WWII Action Film has a high rating : Above average , well worth watching.

addicott The commentary track for The Longest Day turned me on to this film. Steve McQueen, directed by Don Siegel? Can't miss that!Made the same year as it's more grandiose cousin, Hell Is For Heroes is an entirely different war movie experience. If movies reflect the period in which they're shot, this seems to reflect the paranoia and nihilistic uncertainty of the post-Korea Cold War.Laconic, antisocial and bitter, you've seen Steve McQueen play this role before but never so intensely! His Private Reese is very unsettling to watch.Hell Is For Heroes was obviously shot on a shoestring, but what it lacks in epic settings and lavish production, it makes up for with quality storytelling. The sharp black and white matches the stark situation the protagonists are confronted with.It's a very good film, not quite in the league of Platoon, Apocalypse Now or Thin Red Line. But fans of the genre, the director and/or the star should definitely check this one out.