The Holcroft Covenant

One of Michael Caine's best movie efforts. Another Robert Ludlum story made into film. The plot is exciting and involved as has been the case in every one of the seven Films that I have purchased as Ludlum books. I believe that he wrote 30 or more novels and wish the more would be made into films.

Many people found this movie stupid, boring or unbelievable... Granted, "The Boys from Brazil" was far superior, in impact and horror, but this one is far more accurate than one may suspect. While in "Boys" you had a Doctor Mengele (Gregory Peck, giving a powerful, if not overpowering interpretation) traveling around the world, trying to clone and recreate Adolf Hitler out of children (which truly sounds like science fiction to even the more far-fetched conspiracy theorist), you get here a very plausible and actually accurate depiction of a more than probable Nazi conspiracy. Those who have watched "The Formula", starring George C. Scott and Marlon Brando, got to know that during the final days of the Third Reich, the Nazi planned contingencies to save their own neck, if not their ideology, from being annihilated by the impending Allied invaders. In "The Formula" they tried it with synthetic fuel, negotiating with U.S. officials, still during the "Battle of the Bulge" (which by now seems to have been a fact, not fiction). In "Holcroft Covenant", we have a bunch of SS officers convening secretly in a Bunker in Berlin and swearing an oath of allegiance to the Black Order to which they belonged, swearing that what they had started had to go on throughout generations to come and sealing the pact through what the title of the movie defines as "The Holcroft Covenant". Such an occurrence did in fact take place, although earlier in the war and just after the fall of Stalingrad. The members of the SS knew right there and then that the war was lost and did prepare for the future. Eerily as it may seem, many of these officers managed to slip through the network of Nazi hunters, either through monetary compensations or through other secret dealings and either landed up in South America or in other States, such as South Africa, Namibia and so on. But some never escaped truly. They just managed to merge in the confused situation in which Europe found itself after the war, and managed to pop-up in very respectable activities and functions in the entire tissue of society, not just in neighboring Countries, but in Germany as well. What we tend to forget, or would likely want to forget is, that they had an agenda, to which they clung to their last breath. After all an ideology (especially extreme ones, whether from the Right or from the Left) cannot be simply swiped of through talking or reasoning. More drastic means would be needed. But in order to do so, some compromises with the concept of a Fre World and Freedom should be made. Failing to do so, means that you won't be able to effectively do it. I am talking about reconditioning of brains, or if you will, "brain washing"... In this movie, although taken from a fictional novel, we see the failings of our system to do what is needed, when it is needed. The propagation of certain unhealthy doctrines and ideas throughout generations is nothing new and although it always failed to be successful in its more negative forms, it still resides as a pure illusion in the minds of people who always dream to be masters of the world. Paranoia or maniacal sense of persecution by others can affect people in this way. Given that there are still many Fascist and National-Socialist groups throughout the world, brings forth the question whether or not such "Covenants" were ever issued. Fact is, that "they" are still among us. Considering all this and in the face of a work of fiction such as this movie, it is refreshing to know that someone tried to take a peak at this shady, underground world and show it for what it is and was. Just because people seem to be nice, forthcoming or just "respectable" does not mean they truly are. Beware of false friends. The Devil is seldom what he or she appears to be. Besides, it never comes in the form of a Monster. It is you, it is me, it can be anyone you know and can be as charming and as trustworthy as your neighbor,... until one day... This is what this movie is all about and as such, it is a marvelous conveyor of a message that should be heeded preciously, because no one knows his neighbor as well as he or she thinks... Paranoia? Maybe, but also a healthy dose of wisdom and realism. In my view, just for these qualities, the movie deserves a second watching and an introspection. The present version of the DVD is far clearer than its VHS predecessor, and being presented in a matted format of 1.85:1 makes it more enjoyable. The sound is adequate and discreet, but very well balanced. The acting by Michael Caine is a bit theatrical, but nevertheless very much felt. Victoria Tennant is lovable as the source of our hatred, while astonishingly so, Anthony Andrews, an otherwise brilliant actor, is left out cold. His interpretation is uneven and kind of wooden, compared to his TV-performance of "The Scarlet Pimpernel". But still, this is a movie that would deserve a more balanced judgment. In my view, if you are a lover of conspiracy thrillers, then this DVD must belong to your shelve collection. It is your choice...

This film is a masterpiece! I speak from experience when I say: It may be the most accurate depiction ever made of the true depths and nature of conspiracy in our world. I highly recommend this film to anyone that wishes to understand how and why the world seems so dysfunctional and how truly difficult it is to detect, let alone overcome, such deeply rooted groups and people. And, why we must work so hard and tirelessly to do so.

Hardly a classic in the thriller genre, John Frankenheimer’s film was made during the director’s lost years in the 1980’s. I’m not sure if substance abuse helped shape this film or not but it is a narrative mess. Featuring three credited screenwriters (which usually means there’s many, many more uncredited), “The Holcroft Covenant” isn’t Frankenheimer’s worst film but it is still a slog to get through. The production had issues from the start with actor James Caan quitting one day before photography was to begin and quickly being replaced by Michael Caine. Caine can be a brilliant actor but there were so many films that he knew would be bad that he just made for the money during his career, some of his choices can be suspect. George Axelrod, the talented writer of “The Manchurian Candidate” didn’t even bother reading the novel instead choosing to work only with the current draft of the script. Noel Holcroft (Caine) is the son of a Nazi general. He finds his life begin to unravel as he discovers a conspiracy with an organization established by his father to undo the damaging legacy of the Nazi party. Featuring Anthony Andrews, Victoria Tennant and Michael Lonsdale as part of the supporting cast, the pedigree of the film would promise a a terrific thriller but the pacing and the muddled script does the project no favors. Caine is solid enough-even in bad films he does his utmost to elevate the material. Nothing wrong that mind you but the project just fails to gel. Don’t be fooled by five star reviews here-this is just not a very good movie. The Blu-ray looks terrific with a sharp presentation of the film that improves on the DVD by leaps and bounds. Depth, detail and sharpness are markedly improved with the Kino release. Audio sounds fine with a standard definition mono presentation. There are a couple,of scenes where music is distorted but that may have been intentional. The special features are limited to a commentary from Frankenheimer. He looks at the project through rose colored glasses but does provide production background details. A theatrical trailer is also included. If one is a fan of this film, this is the best (to date) the film has looked and sounded. With a transfer that is about a decade old, the presentation could be improved with a new high def transfer but the improvements here over previous releases are significant. This isn’t a great or even good movie. The script is muddled, action muted compared to many other projects of the time. Caine is fine in his role even if it is hard to buy him as a New Yorker. The direction from Frankenheimer does the script not favors either. This was produced during a period where the director’s films suffered from storytelling issues. The director would see his career pick back up again with the excellent “Ronin” and with a series of terrific cable movies. This film is for devoted Frankenheimer fans only.

The film itself is average. You want to love it because of Ludlum, Frankenheimer and Michael Caine but it doesn't live up to it's potential. That being said it isn't a bad film; what is bad is the soundtrack. It's a definite detractor which not only dates he film with it's incessant use of synthesizer but is just wrong in terms of style. It's the soundtrack to a bad horror movie not a suspense film starring one of the greatest actors of all time and directed by a master of the genre. You want this film to be Marathon Man or Three Days of the Condor or even The Odessa File and it could have been, but it's not, and I think that's why people review it so poorly. All of that being said if you are looking for Bourne movies you are looking in the wrong place.

True cold war masterpiece that still strikes a cord today. one of Michael Cain's best performances, and an excellent story in it's own right.

OK, so I wasn't really paying attention when I pre-ordered this movie. I was surprised when I checked the invoice and noticed that the movie cost about 5 USD. However, it is fair to say that even at five dollars this DVD is grossly overpriced. Why? Because this looks like the worst kind of 4th generation bootleg VHS transfer. The video is crap and the audio is worse. This is, without a doubt, the worst DVD in my library (and it won't be there long). I actually checked the packaging to see if in fact this was a studio release. If you are an afficianado of Mexican bootleg DVD's then this is for you. Otherwise, ZERO STARS .(...)

Cheesy, wildly implausible plot but yet entertaining conspiracy thriller anyway - acting is really good.

Nice.

Michael Caine is a superb actor of Cinema

Excellent PQ on Bluray and fast delivery

The Holcroft Covenant is actually quite a good film in my opinion, although the recording quality isn't at its best for such a film like this. I reckon that this was a low-budget film, and because of this, the film was transferred to DVD from the original master tapes without any attempts to digitally remaster it for a DVD release, you can tell by the image on the film not being particularly sharp. It did, however, rely on a good cast of actors to play the characters featured in the film. Although not everyone likes this film or certainly the recording quality of it, I believe this would mostly appeal to diehard Michael Caine fans like I am.

Please, please, please! Stay way from this DVD. It is lousy at best... I thought I would be lucky in buying this crappy DVD, but instead I have been taken for a ride... This appears to be a tape transfer. The image is grainy and shabby all over. Colors are dull and washed out. The aspect ratio is a somewhat would be 1.66:1 or at best 1.70:1 instead of the 1.85:1 correct ratio. Some images jump up and down like a defective VHS copy. Sound? Loud and with an unbearable whirring noise... The joke? Special Features: (and I quote) Interactive Menus - 6 scene selections. Who are these morons at Pegasus Entertainment? Cocaine sniffing bozos? If one reads the back sleeve you may discover that this masterpiece in incompetence and lousy transferring reside in Germany. Well, does one wonder? They do not even respect their own classics, and believe me, I know something about it, because I have tried to buy some, and what I did receive was unworthy to be called technologically advanced... Really, stay away form this one. At 6 pounds it is a waste of your hard-earned money. I have re-ordered this at 13 dollars with Amazon.com in the United States. It practically costs the same, but being released by MGM, one is guaranteed to have a far better copy transferred on DVD. I was really hoping in a PAL pristine copy, because of the far better image resolution it usually has on a widescreen television. But this has absolutely no resolution to speak of. I own a Pan & Scan VHS tape recorded from a broadcast of the movie on Showtime (in the United States) some years ago and believe me, it looks sparkling and sharp in comparison to this copy. If I had the means and were the holder of the legal rights to the movie, I would sue the bastards who have dared to slam this taped movie on DVD. That would teach them a lesson they would not soon forget. Alas I don't. Granted, the movie may not be the quintessential Michael Caine vehicle and maybe it may be a bit ludicrous in contents, but to distribute it this way, is simply an insult to decency and professional ethics. I almost suspect that this might be one of those semi-legal pirate copies that usually are available through China or South America. If I were in Law Enforcement, I would like to investigate this thoroughly, because seemingly, there are some companies out there who are again trying to launder their dirty drugs and prostitution moneys, by using fake trade names, in order to sell such trash. Don't waste your money and look for titles on brand names. They might be slightly more expensive, but they cannot play such games without compromising their own labels and therefore they don't even try. You would be better served and you would force minor companies (especially some like this one) to go out of business before time. They really would deserve to go out of business, since all they do is steal your money... Avoid them at all cost and leave them dry. Maybe this will soon translate into prices of the major studios being dropped accordingly, once these pirates will be defeated. Fight for it. It's in your own interest.