Charley Varrick

Rating:
Summary: Awful Full Screen Release
Review: This is a great film. Worthy of the full five star rating, unfortunately, the pin-heads at Universal have decided to release this gem in a full screen, pan and scan version. Why, when the majority of T.V.'s sold are widescreen sets do these film companies persist in releasing these versions. I live in the U.K. where this film has never been released in any format, so I was eagerly awaiting this release, unfortunately I will not be purchasing it until the widescreen version arrives, and I guarantee that in a year or two it will and everyone who has bought this disc will need to upgrade again. I will stick to my TV recorded version which is uncut, without commercials and is also fullscreen. But why spend $10 to get exactly the same version that almost everybody who loves this film, already owns!!

Rating:
Summary: Pan & Scan !!! Forget it .....!!!
Review: This is a great little film from a genre I love. Do I want to buy it? YES INDEED; but NOT in 4:3 Pan & Scan.
For heavens sake,it's 2005. This needs to be preserved on dvd in widscreen , otherwise just stick with the equally old fashioned VIDEO TAPE.

Rating:
Summary: A Neglected Gem
Review: This is an off-beat film in which Walter Matthau stars as a small-time thief who, with accomplice Harman Sullivan (ably played by Andrew Robinson), robs a money laundering operation which is cleverly disguised as small-town bank in New Mexico. (Had streetsmart Varrick known of the Mob's involvement, he would not have robbed the bank.) Of course neither the Mob nor the police are pleased with the loss of about $750,000. With that in hand, Varrick and his partner struggle to decide what to do next. Meanwhile, the Mob has assigned one of its ablest representatives, Molly (Joe Don Baker), to locate the thieves, eliminate them, and recover the money. Credit director Don Siegel with selecting Matthau to be Varrick. I have always thought that Matthau's talents as a serious actor were under-appreciated. He is brillliant in this role. All other members of the cast are first-rate, notably John Vernon (Maynard Bock) and Sheree North (Jewell Everett). Siegel makes a brief appearance as Murph. Those who enjoy this film should check out The Outfit (1973) in which Baker also appears as well as The Getaway (1994).

Rating:
Summary: Thriller-diller from one of the masters
Review: Walter Matthau and Joe Don Baker, two actors I can usually take or leave, are brilliant as evenly matched adversaries with very different styles in director Don Siegel's marvelously entertaining thriller. Matthau is Varrick, a rumpled but very resourceful hustler whose take from a small town bank heist turns out to be laundered Mafia money. Baker is the glib, no-nonsense gorilla hired to recover the bucks. Siegel makes flawless use of Southwestern locales as his stars engage in a fascinating game of cat and mouse that has the brutish Baker (he insults friendly whores, abuses a wheelchair-bound gun merchant and smacks sexy photographer Sheree North around before bedding her) always just a baby step behind the ingenuity of Matthau's likeable anti-hero. The junk yard-set climax, a masterfully choreographed battle pitting Matthau's crop-duster against Baker's car, is pure, edge of your seat Siegel. Who wins? Suffice to say, the ending packs one wallop of a surprise, but you will NOT be disappointed. Very highly recommended.