Product Description

Alive and hiding in South America, the fiendish Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele (Peck) gathers a group of former colleagues for a horrifying project- he wants to clone Hitler. Barry Kohler (Steve Guttenberg) gets wind of the project and informs famed Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Olivier), but before he can relay the evidence, Kohler is killed. Mengele continues his murderous plot, creating 94 young Hitlers and killing their fathers to simulate the madman's own boyhood. As Mengele moves closer to producing global terror, Lieberman alone must discover the terrifying extent of his plan and stop it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8995 in DVD
• Brand: PECK,GREGORY
• Released on: 2009-04-07
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 127 minutes

Amazon.com
Gregory Peck hams it up big time in this 1978 thriller based on Ira Levin's bestselling novel. Peck plays an old German Nazi behind a mysterious series of murders, the investigation of which leads to an astonishing plot to create the Fourth Reich. Laurence Olivier is equally outrageous as a Nazi hunter who stumbles onto the scheme. Director Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes) doesn't make any bones about the preposterousness of the story or of his legendary stars' performances, and a viewer is advised not to push too deeply into this tall tale for cautionary meaning. The film is a bit bloody--particularly unnerving in a climactic scene involving some attack dogs under the command of a young but familiar-looking monster. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Thriller with a First-Rate Cast
When the film was made almost a quarter century ago, the concept of "cloning" was the stuff of science fiction, as far as the general public was concerned. However, with the recent developments in the area making headlines worldwide, the idea is not reserved to the imagination. Therefore, the basic premise of Hitler authorizing his own cloning doesn't seem as farfetched as it may have been. Hey, the Germans have given the world the Volkswagen; thus, their scientists could have possibly been working on the cloning process prior and during World War II.

Regardless, the film features excellent work from stars Peck, Olivier, and Mason. Peck went against type by portraying Josef Mengele as a crafty, calculating, and ultimately evil scientist who would go to any length to preserve the Third Reich. Olivier, as the Nazi hunter Lieberman, displays his versatility with accents by doning a very believable Jewish brogue. Mason shows his usual cool as a Nazi hesitant but forced to support the machinations of Mengele.

But, the film has an outstanding group of supporting players whose on-screen time may be brief but is memorable. Uta Hagen as an imprisoned Nazi nurse is captivating; stage veteran Rosemary Harris stands out as the widow of one of Mengele's victims; A young Steve Guttenburg shines as a Nazi hunter; and comedy team member Anne Meara (sans her husband) is great as another "mother" of a Hitler clone.

But, it is Jeremy Black, a young actor who seems to have drifted into obscurity since the release of this motion picture, who is impressive as four of the "boys."

Oh, yeah, the great Michael Gough is "hanging around" in this one, too! Look fast and you will see Prunella Scales from "Fawlty Towers" as Gough's wife.

The Film is Great!!! But, Do Not Buy This "New" Version...
Do not buy this supposedly new, anamorphic version. It is not, and the quality is terrible. I think they slipped the old cruddy DVD version in this "new" case. The region free Bluray looks like it is probably of good quality.

Don't Buy
This is the same non-anamorphic disc as before, but repackaged. Which makes Lionsgate liars, because the back of the insert claims it is "16x9". Thanks for taking my money, scumbags.