With the World Cup in Brazil now in full swing, JOE brings you the fifth and final in our series of Brazilliant Brazilian films…
Sponsored by Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak Flavour
Brazil is known the world over for many wonderful things; its fantastic footballing stars, its magnificent must-see attractions and the fact that it is jam-packed full of bountiful, beautiful Brazilian babes.
Just like Ireland then so… *ugly tumbleweed rolls past*
In the build up to World Cup 2014 in Brazil, JOE has been bringing you the best of all that the super Samba-loving country has to offer and this week it’s the turn of the country’s finest film exports.
And don’t tell us that you’re one of those muppets who won’t watch films because they’ve got subtitles on the screen. “If I wanted to read JOE then I’d read a book JOE, y’know what I mean JOE?”
Cool. Well, you’re missing out if that is the case because over the next week, we’re bringing you five Brazilliant Brazilian films that you really should check out.
Our first four chosen films were the superb Cidade De Deus (City Of God), the excellent Elite Squad and its super sequel Elite Squad: The Enemy Within and, most recently, the fascinating ESPN sporting documentary, The Myth Of Garrincha, focusing on the career of the Brazilian footballing legend Garrincha.
And speaking of Brazilian footballing legends…
Escape To Victory – 1981
Plot’s It All About?
OK, we know, we know. Escape From Victory isn’t technically a Brazilian film but – and it’s a Kim Kardashian-sized but – the film does star that aforementioned Brazilian footballing legend that we were hinting at; one of, if not the greatest footballer ever, to have played the beautiful game… it is of course, JOE Pelé.
He’s not the only superstar on show here as a team of Allied prisoners of war, interned in a German prison camp during World War II, take on their German captors in an exhibition football match.
Fellow professional footballers Bobby Moore, Irishman Kevin O’Callaghan, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Van Himst, Mike Summerbee, Hallvar Thoresen and Werner Roth all joined the pint-sized Pelé up on the big screen, while their footballing ranks were bolstered by the inclusion of Hollywood hero Michael Caine and that lover of all things football-related, Sylvester ‘Soccerballs’ Stallone.
Why JOE loves it so much:
Apart from the fact that it inspired one of JOE’s favourite ever Father Ted episodes – featuring the “All-Priests five-a-side Over-75’s Indoor Challenge Football Match” between teams from Craggy Island and Rugged Island – Escape To Victory is a Christmas tradition in the JOE household, with the highlight being an “injured” Luis Fernandez AKA Pelé, overhead-kicking his team to a hard-fought draw in the film’s final big match.
So, it should have been called Escape To All Square then, yeah?
Check it out or, as the Brazilians say (we think), “Dê uma olhada”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJBXfKtOiM&feature=kp
Brought to you with thanks to Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak Flavour.
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