New release: The 1967 classic Deadlier Than the Malewas released today on Blu-ray! Based on the Bulldog Drummond series, the movie starred Elke Sommer, Sylvie Koscina, and Richard Johnson. Promotional materials for the movie traditionally featured images from the film's unforgettable sequence with girl assassins in bikinis with spearguns (see Japanese poster below), but that was only one of the amazing set-pieces in the film. If you are curious to explore slightly less mainstream 1960s spy movies and/or Eurospy, this is definitely in the top-five and not to be missed. Network's Blu-ray maintains the original 1.66:1 widescreen print and includes standard-def extras like on-set featurettes, theatrical trailer, interviews, image galleries and promo materials. No word yet if Network will follow up with the sequel, Some Girls Do. Spy Vibers outside of the UK will require a multi-region player to play this Region B disc. AmazonUK page here. You can find the 2003 standard NTSC DVD edition on Amazon here. Star Richard Johnson's career included classics like The Haunting (1963), Operation Crossbow (1965), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), Danger Route (1967), and Some Girls Do (1969). Johnson passed away on Saturday at the age of 87. New York Times obituary here.
From Network: "Richard Johnson gives a suave performance as Hugh 'Bulldog'
Drummond in this cool '60s take on the exploits of H.C. McNeile's famous
fictional hero. Giving Bond a run for his money, Deadlier Than the Male sees
Drummond involved with daring escapes, murderous plots, femmes fatales and
dolly birds by the score! The film is presented here as a High Definition
transfer from the original film elements in its original aspect ratio. When
insurance underwriter Hugh Drummond learns of the deaths of top oil executives
– at the hands of a pair of beautiful but brutal female assassins – he is
convinced that it is the work of an international crime syndicate."
