Following the historical impact of events like World War II and the Vietnam War, the 1960s became a pivotal era for war movies. And while the genre has largely evolved since then, much of this period’s influence can still be found in modern cinema today. Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglourious Basterds has often been compared to ’60s war epics like Where Eagles Dare, and critics have drawn structural parallels from The Longest Day to Steven Spielberg‘s Saving Private Ryan. But there is one other particular war classic from this time that has had a strong influence on the modern war movie evolution, and 59 years after its release, it’s getting a brand-new physical media release for audiences.
That movie is the 1967 action-war film, The Dirty Dozen. Directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin, the story follows a U.S. Army Major (Marvin) who is tasked with training a group of twelve military criminals for a dangerous suicide mission. Banding together, the group of murderers and psychopaths proves to be a spirited unit when faced with the enemy, offering an intense, gritty action film that resonated with audiences for its strong antihero focus.
Upon its release, The Dirty Dozen also experienced a strong box-office run, grossing over $45 million worldwide — backed by a $5-million budget — and became one of the highest-grossing films of the year behind The Graduate. It currently sits at number 65 on The American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and also won Best Sound Effects (John Poyner) at the 40th Academy Awards, alongside four other nominations.
Almost six decades later, The Dirty Dozen is officially being brought into the physical media world, with a new limited-edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release — great news for physical media collectors or avid fans of the war and action genre. Set for a Nov. 17 release, the product will include a two-disc set, with one Blu-ray disc and one 4K Ultra HD. There doesn’t appear to be any special additional features at this time — outside of the DVD release itself — though packaging notes that it does include a reversible slipcover (if that’s your thing).
A primary influence for Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, it was previously shared with Rotten Tomatoes in 2009 that The Dirty Dozen film had a significant impact on how he initially began developing the movie, before ultimately making it his own. “It was The Dirty Dozen idea that set me down to start writing in the first place,” Tarantino told Rotten Tomatoes. “But that’s how it always is with me: the thing that sets me down to start writing is usually not what I end up doing. Because, as much as I love genre, and I try to deliver the goods, I go off from it.”
A Dirty Dozen remake was officially announced by Warner Bros. back in 2019, with Suicide Squad director David Ayer set to direct. It’s been pretty quiet in the entertainment sphere ever since the announcement, but the movie is reported to feature a similar storyline as the original.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
