Dirty Harry - Special Edition (2 Disc Set)

Set in San Francisco in 1971, Dirty Harry is the gritty and suspenseful film that follows the story of Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), who earns the moniker ‘Dirty Harry’ for his reputation of handling the dirtiest homicidal cases. The City by the Bay faces the terror of a serial killer known as Scorpio (Andrew Robinson), who viciously snipes at innocent victims and demands ransom through notes left at the scene of the crime. Callahan is assigned to the case along with his newest partner, Inspector Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni) to track down Scorpio and stop him. Using humiliation along with cat and mouse type games against Callahan, Scorpio is put to the test by the cop with the very dirty attitude.

Special Features:

• New Commentary by Richard Schickel - Filmmaker and Eastwood biographer Schickel examines the landmark film that revolutionized cinematic crime drama for all time
• The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry New Featurette - An examination of the influence and legacy of Dirty Harry
• Dirty Harry: The Original Featurette - Clint Eastwood and the film's creators look back at the birth of the modern action hero: Dirty Harry
• Dirty Harry's Way Featurette - A promotional short on the movie Dirty Harry focusing on the toughness of the movies' main characters
• Interview Gallery - Includes interviews with Patricia Clarkson, Joel Cox, Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Evan Kim, John Milius, Ted Post, Andy Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Urich
• 1993 TV Special Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso - A look at the life and career of actor/director Clint Eastwood including scenes from his past film and television work and interviews with friends fellow actors and crew members who have worked with him over the years
• Trailer Gallery

Review

"Whether or not you can sympathize with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by star Clint Eastwood's longtime friend and directorial mentor, Don Siegel) is one hell of a cop thriller. The movie makes evocative use of its San Francisco locations as cop Harry Callahan (Eastwood) tracks the elusive "Scorpio killer" who has been terrorizing the city by the Bay. As the psychopath's trail grows hotter, Harry becomes increasingly impatient and intolerant of the frustrating obstacles (departmental red tape, individuals' civil rights) that he feels are keeping him from doing his job. A characteristically taut and tense piece of filmmaking from Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Escape from Alcatraz), it also remains a fascinating slice of American pop culture. It was a big hit (followed by four sequels) that obviously reflected--or exploited--the almost obsessive or paranoid fears and frustrations many Americans felt about crime in the streets. At a time when "law and order" was a familiar slogan for political candidates, Harry Callahan may have represented neither, but from his point of view his job was simple: stop criminals. To him that end justified any means he deemed necessary." --Jim Emerson