The Dirty Dozen

This "they don't make 'em like this anymore" ripping yarn stars Lee Marvin in the "war is hell but ain't it fun nonetheless" role of a grizzled WWII major assigned the unenviable task of whipping a squad of criminal misfits into war heroes for a D-Day eve suicide mission behind enemy lines. Boasting(?) an unintentionally hilarious 10-minute making-of titled "Operation Dirty Dozen," this 1967 wartime actioner sporting a very good video transfer remains a real crowd-pleaser. Recommended. (S. C. Sickles)[DVD Review—May 16, 2006—Warner, 2 discs, 149 min., R, $26.98—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1967's The Dirty Dozen (Two-Disc Special Edition) features an excellent transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include a four-minute introduction by costar Ernest Borgnine, audio commentary (by cast members Jim Brown, Trini Lopez, Stuart Cooper, and Colin Maitland, producer Kenneth Hyman, novelist E.M. Nathanson, film historian David J. Schow, and veteran military advisor Captain Dale Dye), the bonus 1985 film sequel The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (96 min.), “The Filthy Thirteen: Real Stories from Behind the Lines” documentary (47 min.), the  “making-of” documentary “Armed and Deadly” (31 min.), a “Marine Corps Combat Leadership Skills” vintage recruitment film (30 min.), and the vintage featurette “Operation Dirty Dozen” (9 min.). Bottom line: a whopping extras package for a WWII war favorite.]