I have this on Super 8, it runs for 10 minutes and it's fascinating, and funny. It looks at the history of vigilante justice in America, and then absurdly links this in with "the new breed of police officer" that Dirty Harry is portraying in Magnum Force. Whoever's doing the voice-over sounds dead serious, but the story is baloney. It's just a good excuse to get behind the scenes of a 70's film, see how some scenes were directed, and see crazy car stunts with camera crews sitting in the trunk filming as the car does some pretty radical corner skids. It's got great old newsreel samples of a politician who looks likes he's been body snatched by aliens, as well as rare behind the scenes shots of Clint talking to director. It's very 70's and very cool if you're into that era . Well worth grabbing on super 8 or watching on DVD.
2 Reviews
Selling Magnum Force
Michael_Elliott14 June 2015
The Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today (1973)
*** (out of 4)
This vintage featurette was originally released to promote the upcoming MAGNUM FORCE but when viewed today it's basically a nostalgia trip for one to see how movies were once sold. The the intense and over-the-top narration, we learn about vigilante justice in America and learn about a "new hero" who of course turns out to be the 'Dirty' Harry character. I've always enjoyed this promotional pieces because they often take themselves way too serious but it's easy to see how this here would help sell the picture to people watching it. Another plus is that you get to see a lot of behind-the-scenes footage that we probably wouldn't have had without these type of shorts. This one takes it a step further by talking about some of the vigilante stories that were known about at the time as well as some from the past including a couple lynchings in California. If you're a fan of MAGNUM FORCE this here is certainly worth watching.
*** (out of 4)
This vintage featurette was originally released to promote the upcoming MAGNUM FORCE but when viewed today it's basically a nostalgia trip for one to see how movies were once sold. The the intense and over-the-top narration, we learn about vigilante justice in America and learn about a "new hero" who of course turns out to be the 'Dirty' Harry character. I've always enjoyed this promotional pieces because they often take themselves way too serious but it's easy to see how this here would help sell the picture to people watching it. Another plus is that you get to see a lot of behind-the-scenes footage that we probably wouldn't have had without these type of shorts. This one takes it a step further by talking about some of the vigilante stories that were known about at the time as well as some from the past including a couple lynchings in California. If you're a fan of MAGNUM FORCE this here is certainly worth watching.
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