Dirty Harry---The Greatest Cop/Action film of all time?

[Zuni]

I have been watching a documentary about Dirty Harry, and I have long felt that Dirty Harry not only was an awesome film, but most modern action films owe a debt to that picture. Now many of these films are bad, very bad, but the sheer number of imitations and offshoots are unbelievable.

The killer in the first film, Scorpio, was based on the Zodiac killer.

[chuckrocks]

1. if you

if you could meld in the car chase in bullitt, you got gold.

[Zuni]

2. Same city. I would love to see that hybrid somehow

I remember seeing Bullitt for the first time. After that i watched a bunch of Steve McQueen flicks--my favorite being the Great Escape.

[MnFats]

4. The Dirty Harry flicks were written with Steve McQueen in mind.

he woulda been perfect.

[autorank]

3. Good 2nd best. BEST: The French Connection

Oh yeah, NYC. Santa beating up a junkie in the middle of a rain drenched abandoned, rubble strewn lot; car-subway chase. Like heaven!

[MnFats]

6. agreed....

...did you ever try to count the cuts in that chase scene? Some shots are on screen about .2 or .3 of a second....

[Zuni]

8. It is like the shower scene in Pyscho

lots of cuts and all kinds of different angles

[Forkboy]

12. Yep yep

Hackman is the man!!!!

[JVS]

5. SHAFT

[Wapsie B]

7. I love all the Dirty Harry films.

To me they were modern westerns. The lone wolf fighting the forces of evil all the while being hamstrung by the suits in the office.

[Zuni]

9. But the first was the best

No frills attached---no romance, no side plots---just a straight ahead battle between a sniper on a killing spree and a loose cannon cop (the original loose cannon cop---not all the imitations since then)

[chuckrocks]

11. i agree

the SCREAM that guy lets out when calahan sticks him in the leg with the switchblade! i could feel it. good stuff.

[pinniped]

10. I like all the Dirty Harry movies but Magnum Force is my favorite.

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