Sexylocher Masterful Movie

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Leofwine_draca The late '70s saw a change in fortune for cult director Umberto Lenzi. Suddenly, he was the man chosen to make some epic war movies with a decent budget. At last a chance to leave his native Italy and travel through Europe, shooting abroad for many scenes. And at last a chance to work with an internationally famous cast of all-stars. Sadly, Lenzi's worldwide fame was never to be, and instead he found himself back in Italy a few years later churning out schlock cannibal classics such as CANNIBAL FEROX for which he has become somewhat infamous in cult film circles. Although his late '70s war films are flawed and sometimes feel bloated and overlong, they're certainly a lot better than the subsequent mid '80s war features he made and technically superior to those he did in the late '60s. FROM HELL TO VICTORY is also probably the only Umberto Lenzi film to have been granted a terrestrial television broadcast here in the UK, albeit in the middle of the night on Channel 5! The film itself is a straightforward war adventure, chronicling and cutting between the adventures of a small group of friends who find themselves facing death during the Second World War. The action is generally good but not great, although the final battle is quite spectacular, with the budget only being evident in the aerial combat scenes which substitute silly miniature planes in place of real ones, mixed together with stock footage in a bid to fool the casual viewer. Sad to say the scheme didn't work, although the result is somewhat amusing. Generally the pacing is solid enough and - whilst hardly a classic action film like the cop thrillers Lenzi made with actor Maurizio Merli - the film delivers the goods with some style and excitement.The casting mixes together a number of old and new faces, with some Euro-regulars thrown into the mix for good measure. Veteran support comes from George Peppard as the grizzled war general, whilst the role of his fresh-faced son goes to the ever-present Ray Lovelock. George Hamilton is somewhat camp as a caricatured, beret-wearing Frenchman, although heavyweight acting comes from Sam Wanamaker as an ally. Meanwhile, Anny Duperey and Capucine liven up the glamour front, Franco regular Howard Vernon fits the role of an evil Nazi like a glove, and Horst Buchholz struggles with his conscience and his duty as a German fighter. Not a classic film, but a pretty entertaining one for war lovers.

TankGuy It's 24th August 1939 and Europe is on the brink of war. However six individuals of differing nationalities-two French, two American, one Brit and a German-enjoy each other's company as they indulge in the finer of life's qualities. They promise to reunite in Paris on the 24th of August every year, although with the outbreak of war this becomes impossible. After the fall of France, each individual goes off to do their duty. It is now inevitable that cruel destiny decides each of their fates, a circumstance which changes each of their lives forever.Eurocrime and Giallo aficionado Umberto Lenzi brings us a chunk of spasmodic Macaroni Combat. Like most of it's kind, From Hell To Victory is a real hatchet job. It was made in 1979 and by this point even the Spaghetti western was dead and gone, thus it marks the end of an era in Italian cinema. Overall, a quarter of this movie is constructed with footage pinched from another Macaroni combat flick(Eagles Over London anybody?)and whilst the editing is swift the film jumps incoherently from one scenario to another. Lenzi attempts to condense so much detail into an abrupt 1hr 40mins, although personally I prefer a movie that is short and to the point. However, crucial operations such as the Normandy landings and the battle of the Bulge are carelessly brushed aside in favour of melodramatically dire lamentation. At the end of the film, George Hamilton's character sarcastically states "you're away for a few days and look at the mess of the place", although it's ironic in that the movie literally feels as if it takes place over a few short days as opposed to a few years.I did like the premise but to be honest I really just watched this film for the action, therefore I didn't feel any overwhelming emotional rapport with the characters which I think was down to the poor script. The performances were pretty ordinary. A pre A Team George Peppard gets some action hero practice by gunning down a few Germans and if I was Horst Bucholz I would be more than happy to ride in the opening hatch of an advancing tank. Speaking of action scenes, From Hell To Victory contains some darned fantastic ones. I was thrilled by the riotous firefights(now I know where Tarantino gets his inspiration)and the movie climaxes with a cracker of a battle scene!. Lenzi really threw his entire weight behind the visuals which turns this sequence into the movie's trump card. Tight cuts and frenzied camera-work build suspense as gargantuan explosions scar the battlefield and machine gun fire tears through the air. The hoards of M-41 Walker Bulldog tanks grinding across the landscape were also really cool, even if they were horribly anachronistic. The region 2 DVD transfer is average at best, with faded picture and screechy audio.From Hell To Victory is an uneven war drama which goes from being boring to exciting and vice versa, but the action sequences seal it's fate as a thoroughly enjoyable movie. 8/10

ma-cortes Mediocre Italian/French/Spanish warlike with big name actors and regularly staged battles , dealing with a group of different nationalities vow to meet each year , at the same date , but WWII interrupts their lives . This spectacular movie starts on August 24, 1939, at a small French Cafe , six friends (George Peppard as Brett Rosson , George Hamilton as Maurice Bernard , Horst Buchholz as Jürgen Dietrich , Anny Duperey as Fabienne , Jean-Pierre Cassel as Dick and Sam Wanamaker as Ray) of various nationalities are about to go their separate ways , they vow to reunite on that day each year at the cafe , though it is not always possible . And when the war breaks out , the events go awry . They all go join the war for their countries and one of them is German (Horst Buchholz) and Fabienne (Anny Duperey) begins working with the French resistance , joining forces with Partisans (Lambert Wilson) , one becomes a flier (Jean Pierre Cassel) and two others are just simple officers-in-command . An upright officer named Rosson incarnated by George Peppard is assigned to OSS and his son (Ray Lovelock) takes the ranks as a soldier in special operations along with Maurice Bernard (George Hamilton) . After the action is placed on several locations . As in France Maurice/George Hamilton and Jim Rosson/Ray Lovelock whose mission to destroy a German bridge before it's used against the Allied forces . Follow the feats about Partisans and a squadron attacking German positions . Meantime Rosson/Peppard must neutralize a German installation where Nazis hide combustible for V2 rockets . This is a regularly conceived WWII with action filled, , character drama and exciting battles , but nothing special . Packs inaccurate details and an extremely talented though wasted casting make this one of all-star-cast European epic productions though failed . The film contains news-reel documentary , stock-shots vignettes and miniatures , however lost continuity with several cuts and zooms. Spectacular battles and fights , including miniaturized tanks and planes , whose footage is taken from ¨Battle of commands¨ also by Umberto Lenzi , and The Dirty Heroes by Alberto De Martino and Eagles over London by Enzo G Castell. The battle scenes shot in Hoyo De Manzanares , Spain , where in the 60s and 70s , along with Almeria location , were filmed a lot of Western . This average movie contains a prestigious cast as George Peppard , Sam Wanamaker , Jean Pierre Cassel , George Hamilton , Capucine , though really wasted . Furthermome , numerous Italian/Spanish/French secondaries in brief interventions such as as May Heatherly ,Howard Vernon , Ritza Brown , Franco Fantasia and Antonio Mayans . Appropriate cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine , though being necessary a right remastering , this magnificent cameraman has been making a prestigious career as Pedro Almodovar's usual photographer such as The skin I live in , Volver , Bad education and Women on the verge of a Nervous breakdown . Emotive as well as functional musical score by Riz Ortalani .The tale produced by Jose Frade is middling directed by Umbert Lenzi, he used the pseudonym Hank Milestone and Humphrey Logan. He's an expert on wartime genre such as he proved in ¨ Desert commandos , Battle of commandos and Bridge to hell .

welsa I agree with all of the other comments about this sorry movie. But I was watching it with an eye to accuracy. There were a couple of very outstanding goofs! There is a scene during the early occupation of France by Germany where a German soldier is telling an American woman that she cannot leave France. Why? Because today is December the 8th, and we are at war with America, he told her.Wrong! Germany did not declare war on America until December 11. (Historical footnote: Germany never declared war on any country it invaded. The one nation it declared war against, the US, it never invaded!) Later in the film during the sabotage raid on the munitions factory in Holland, a bomber was supposed to keep the Germans busy by dropping bombs all around the area. Funny thing, though, the plane never had a bomb bay door open, but the bombs kept falling anyway. I'm no expert on types of planes, but was there a two engine bomber with only a two man crew?