Matt Helm Lounge

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Dean Martin stars as Matt Helm in four stylish spy thrillers: The Silencers (1966/103 min.), Murderer's Row (1966/108 min.), The Ambushers (1967/102 min.) and The Wrecking Crew (1968/105 min.). 4 DVDs. Color/NR/fullscreen.

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 4
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa/Japanese/Fre
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • cc

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Dean Martin - Matt Helm
       Ann - Margret - Suzie Solaris
       Daliah Lavi - Tina Batori
       Camilla Sparv - Coco Duquette
       Albert Salmi - Jose Ortega
       Cyd Charisse - Sarita
       James Gregory - MacDonald
       David Mauro - Nassim
       Duke Howard - Billy Orcutt
       John Brascia - Rocco
       Beverly Adams - Lovey Kravezit
       Corinne Cole - Miss January
       David Bond - Dr. Naldi
       Dino, Desi & Billy - Themselves
       Frank Gerstle - Frazer
       Grant Woods - Radio Man
       Patrick Waltz - Hotel Clerk
       Allen Pinson - Page

• Director:

  Phil Karlson, Henry Levin

• Producer:

  Irving Allen, Irwin Allen

• Screenwriter:

  Oscar Saul

• Book Author:

  Donald Hamilton

• Screenwriter:

  William P. McGivern, Harbert Baker

• Cinematographer:

  Burnett Guffey, Sam Leavitt, Frank Tallman, Edward Colman

• Composer (Music Score):

  Elmer Bernstein

• Songwriter:

  Elmer Bernstein, Mack David

• Composer (Music Score):

  Mack David, Frank De Vol

• Songwriter:

  Frank De Vol

• Composer (Music Score):

  Hugo Montenegro

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Hugo Montenegro

• Composer (Music Score):

  Lalo Schifrin

• Editor:

  Charles Nelson, Maury Winetrobe, Harold Kress, Walter Thompson

• Art Director:

  Joseph C. Wright

• Co-producer:

  Euan Lloyd

• Associate Producer:

  Harold Kress, Douglas Netter

• Set Designer:

  George R. Nelson, Frank A. Tuttle

• Costume Designer:

  Moss Mabry, Oleg Cassini

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Arthur Piantadosi

• Makeup:

  Ben Lane, Hank Edds, Loren Cosand

• Special Effects:

  Paul Stewart, Howard Jensen, Danny Lee

• Choreography:

  Robert Sidney, Miriam Nelson

• Martial Arts Instructor/Coordina:

  Bruce Lee

REVIEW:

• The incredible success of the James Bond films in the 1960s inspired a rash of imitators, most of which -- like The Silencers -- only served to point up the fact that, whatever criticism could be leveled at the Bond films, they still had a certain indefinable "something" that couldn't be copied. The Silencers is not dreadful, as some of the other faux-Bonds are, but that's about the best that can be said for it. Fans of Dean Martin will certainly find things to enjoy, for the Martin "persona" is on full display here. (Fans of the Austin Powers movies should also get a kick out of The Silencers, as the Matt Helm character is in some ways closer to what Austin is riffing on than Bond.) But those simply looking for a good spy flick should keep on looking. The script is ridiculous, and of so many minds about what it's trying to do and when, that it ends up being a mess. Those not enamored of Martin will find his performance here rather annoying, as he's more concerned with being "Dino" than Helm. And even director Phil Karlson's fans will be disappointed to find him working on autopilot here. The girls are certainly attractive, and Cyd Charisse gets to add a little more mature sizzle, but only Stella Stevens gets to make a real impression, by virtue of a comedy performance that's surprisingly good. Otherwise, there's not a lot in The Silencers that's worth commenting on. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi