Victory AKA Escape to Victory

[Cockney Mackem 514]

I searched the forum and couldn't see this. Victory, released in the UK and some other territories as Escape to Victory, is a real candidate for HDGTM.

 

It's got Stallone and Michael Caine (during his most productive period for bad movies) and was trying to capitalise on the shortlived popularity of soccer in America in the 70s with the NASL.

 

For unknown but presumably AWESOME reasons they decided to make it a soccer movie combined with a World War 2 escape movie, and cast various real life football (OK, soccer) stars who were then playing and some former legends like Bobby Moore and Pele. This gives ample opportunity for some amateurish attempts at acting by people who are athletes not movie stars, and even better you can see some fantastic attempts by Michael Caine and, yes, Stallone to play soccer convincingly. Sly gets to play in goal despite being about a foot too short...

 

There's all kinds of other tensions in the making of the film, as they got the legendary John Huston to direct. He seems to have been shooting for something along the lines of Bridge on the River Kwai with a bit of Great Escape thrown in, and really didn't get there. It's also strange watching him try and do the soccer scenes and going for a rabble rousing England-centric finale when he was renowned for hating the British.

 

For all that it's actually a very enjoyable film and I'd love the team to feature this movie in a podcast.

[sillstaw 414]

And additionally, it's based on a true story, in the sense that there was a football/soccer game played between Nazis and prisoners during WWII. Little details like the happy ending, of course, didn't actually happen.

[WayneMiller 37]

Those of a certain age in the UK will also recognise famous footballers (soccer players, ugh) in various roles. Aside from Pele and Bobby Moore, there's John Wark, Russell Osman, in fact, all of the 1980 Ipswich Town team. Paul Cooper (the Ipswich goalkeeper) doubled for Stallone in some scenes.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

It's got Stallone and Michael Caine (during his most productive period for bad movies) and was trying to capitalise on the shortlived popularity of soccer in America in the 70s with the NASL.

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That reminds me of how in about the last decade or decade and a half or so, that kind of became a thing again. Only in this case, it was David Beckham, who I understand is a big deal, but he's the ONE guy I've heard of, and one personality can't make people give a shit about an entire league. The popularity of soccer flares up for a couple of weeks every few years or so if the United States so much as scores a goal at the World Cup, and then we go back to not pretending like we care, which makes it pretty much like the Olympics.