Argo [Extended Edition] [2 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [With Book] [Blu-ray]

Overview

When militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the height of the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) creates a fake Hollywood film production in order to rescue a group of American diplomats who have sought refuge at the home of the Canadian ambassador. As the six members of the embassy staff remain behind closed doors, armed militants conduct thorough searches of local homes, and kill anyone suspected of harboring the Americans. Realizing that it's only a matter of time before the six are identified and taken hostage, Mendez offers a unique - yet potentially dangerous - solution: posing as a Canadian film producer, he will enter into Tehran under the precipice of scouting locations for an upcoming science fiction opus, gather up the refugees, pass them off as his crew at the airport, and fly out of Iran right under the militants' noses. Shortly after touching down in Iran, however, Mendez contends with a few unexpected developments that threaten to erode the bond of trust he needs to establish with the refugees, and expose his deception. Meanwhile, even if they do manage to make it as far as the airport, government bureaucracy threatens to leave them hopelessly stranded in their most desperate hour. Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston co-star. Inspired by actual events.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/03/2013
UPC:	0883929341191
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	R
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	2:09:00

Special Features

64-page behind-the-scenes photo book; 14"x20" map with notes on scenes from the film; 14"x20" mini poster; Theatrical version and extended edition; Replica ID badge prop; ; Argo declassified: learn the story behind the CIA's decision to publicly honor Tony Mendez and his daring operation for its 50th anniversary celebration; Ben Affleck's balancing act: see how the filmmaking team managed to combine drama, comedy and suspense while dividing the story between locales as diverse as Hollywood, Iran and Washington D.C.; Argo "@$*%" yourself: enjoy an all-star mashup of Argo's classic line; ; Also includes: ; A discussion with the cast of Argo; Tony Mendez on Tony Mendez; The Istanbul journey; Picture-in-picture: eyewitness account (theatrical version only); Commentary by director Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio (theatrical version only); Rescued from Tehran: we were there; Argo: absolute authenticity; Argo: the CIA and Hollywood Connection; Escape from Iran: the Hollywood option

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ben Affleck	Tony Mendez
Alan Arkin	Lester Siegel
John Goodman	John Chambers
Bryan Cranston	Jack O'Donnell
Taylor Schilling	Christine Mendez
Tate Donovan	Bob Anders
Clea DuVall	Cora Lijek
Richard Kind	Max Klein
Christopher Denham	Mark Lijek
Scoot McNairy	Joe Stafford
Victor Garber	Ken Taylor
Rory Cochrane	Lee Schatz
Kyle Chandler	Hamilton Jordan
Chris Messina	Malinov
Zeljko Ivanek	Robert Pender
Titus Welliver	Bates
Keith Szarabajka	Adam Engell
Bob Gunton	Cyrus Vance
Richard Dillane	OSS Officer Nicholls
Omid Abtahi	Reza Borhani
Page Leong	Pat Taylor
Farshad Farahat	Azizi Checkpoint #3
Sheila Vand	Sahar
Karina Logue	Elizabeth Ann Swift
Ryan Ahern	Sgt. Sickmann
Bill Tangradi	Alan B. Golacinski
Jamie McShane	William J. Daugherty
Matthew Glave	Col. Charles W. Scott
Roberto Garcia	Sgt. William Gallegos
Christopher Stanley	Thomas L. Ahern, Jr.
Jon Woodward Kirby	Fred Kupke
Alborz Basiratmand	Student with Poster
Ruty Rutenberg	Marine #1
Michael Woolston	Marine #2
Sharareh Sedghi	Lady With Radio
Bobby Zegar	Tear Gas Student
Victor McCay	Malick
Matt Nolan	Peter Genco
J.R. Cacia	Brice
Bill Kalmenson	Hal Saunders
Rob Brownstein	Landon Butler
David Sullivan	Jon Titterton,Engell's Secretary
Jean Carol	Jordan's Secretary
Michael Cassidy	Jordan's Analyst
John Boyd	Lamont
Yuriy Sardarov	Rossi
Nikka Far	Tehran Mary
Aidan Sussman	Ian Mendez
Barry Livingston	David Marmor
Ali Saam	Ali Khalkhali
Araz Vahid Ebrahim Nia	Moradi
Scott Anthony Leet	The Minotaur
Ashley Wood	Space Lab Nurse
Rob Tepper	Film Director
Ray Porter	First A.D.
Stephen J. Lattanzi	PA
Danielle Barbosa	Lester's Housekeeper
Michael Parks	Jack Kirby
Eric Scott-Cooper	Publicist
Adrienne Barbeau	Nina/Serksi the Galactic Witch
Tom Lenk	Variety Reporter
Nelson Franklin	LA Times Reporter
Kelly Curran	Princess Aleppa
Mark Rhino Smith	Evil Villain
Scott Elrod	Achilles Crux
Billy Blair	Humanoid Robot
Daston Kalili	Green Jacket
Joseph S. Griffo	Nestor the Android
Andrew Varenhorst	Blue Monster
Amitis Frances Ariano	Persian Dancer
Alison Fiori	Sci Fi Body Suit Girl
Taies Farzan	Middle Class Iranian Woman
Florans Atlantis	Middle Class Iranian Man
Rafi Pitts	Iranian Consulate Official
Allegra Carpenter	British Airways Flight Attendant
Bobby Naderi	Airport Husband
Ray Haratian	Immigration Officer
Mehrdad Sarlak	Immigration Officer
Soheil Tasbihchi	Immigration Officer
Hovik Gharibian	Immigration Officer
Dorianne Pahlavan	Airport Hysterical Wife
Hooshang Tooze	Deputy Minister of Islamic Guidance
Peter-Henry Schroeder	Producer
Ali Farkhonde	Tehran Car Rental Man
Sahm McGlynn	Bearded Fundamentalist in Bazaar
Muhammad Cangoren	Bazaar Shopkeeper
Asghar Allah Veirdi Zadeh	Bazaar Angry Man
Leyla Beysulen	Angry Woman
Lindsey Ginter	Hedley Donovan
Tim Quill	Alan Sosa
Dan DiJulio	Sgt. Gauthier
Fanshen Cox	White House Operator
Tehmina Sunny	Swissair Ticketing Agent
Amir Kamyab	Passport Official
Baris Deli	Carpet Factory Komiteh
Cas Anvar	Revolutionary Guard
Bahram Khosraviani	Revolutionary Guard
Michael Chieffo	CIA Archives Officer
Hans Tester	Swissair Pilot
Yan Feldman	Air Traffic Controller
Fahim Fazli	Komiteh Subordinate
Nancy Stelle	Swissair Flight Attendant
Maz Siam	Iraqi Border Guard
Sam Sheikholeslami	Revolutionary Guard
Saba Sarem	Revolutionary Guard
Puya Abbassi	Revolutionary Guard
Reza Mir	Revolutionary Guard
Jozef Fahey	Lock Up PA
Annie Little	Swissair Gate Agent
Brandon Tabassi	Young Komiteh at Airport
Alex Schemmer	Swissair Co-Pilot
Ken Edling	Assistant Secretary of State
Deborah Deimel Bean	State Dept. Official
Alexandre Desplat	Conductor,Composer
Kerry Bishé	Kathy Stafford
Danilo DiJulio	Sgt. Gauthier
Amir K.	Passport Official

Technical Credits

Chris Terrio

Joshuah Bearman

Ben Affleck	Director,Producer
Chris Terrio	Screenwriter
George Clooney	Producer
Grant Heslov	Producer
David Klawans	Executive Producer,Producer
Graham King	Executive Producer
Tim Headington	Executive Producer,Producer
Nina Wolarsky	Executive Producer,Producer
Chay Carter	Executive Producer,Producer
Chris Brigham	Executive Producer,Producer
Erik Aadahl	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Effects
Ethan Van der Ryn	Sound/Sound Designer
Lora Kennedy	Casting
Jose Antonio Garcia	Sound Mixer
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon	Second Unit Director
J.J. Perry	Stunts
R. Bruce Steinheimer	Special Effects Supervisor
Barry McQueary	Special Effects Supervisor
Sheila Waldron	Script Supervisor
Alex Sutherland	Producer
Douglas Axtell	Sound Effects
Eric Bautista	Sound Effects
Joshuah Bearman	Screenwriter
Jay Shindell	Special Effects
James Fredburg	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

If there's one lesson to be gleaned from director Ben Affleck's relentlessly tense, painstakingly detailed Argo, it's that we should consider the possibility that our history has been manipulated more than many of us would care to admit. Whether to protect the innocent, the guilty, or just the interests of a government more concerned with secrecy than the truth, the hidden details of history are sometimes the very ones that steer our collective fate more than the stories that make headlines, and in only his third feature as a director, Affleck re-creates just such a clandestine incident with a master's touch and a winning dash of levity. When militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the height of the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) creates a fake Hollywood film production in order to rescue a group of American diplomats who have sought refuge at the home of the Canadian ambassador. As the six members of the embassy staff remain behind closed doors, armed militants are conducting thorough searches of local homes and killing anyone suspected of harboring the Americans. Realizing that it's only a matter of time before the six are identified and taken hostage, Mendez offers a unique -- yet potentially dangerous -- solution: Posing as a Canadian film producer, he will enter into Tehran under the pretension of scouting locations for an upcoming science-fiction opus, gather up the refugees, pass them off as his crew at the airport, and fly out of Iran right under the militants' noses. Shortly after touching down in Iran, however, Mendez contends with a few unexpected developments that threaten to erode the bond of trust he needs to establish with the refugees, which could in turn expose his deception. Meanwhile, even if they do manage to make it as far as the airport, government bureaucracy threatens to leave them hopelessly stranded in their most desperate hour. By opening his film with a detailed description of the events leading up to the attack on the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Affleck smartly puts the action in historical context while effectively getting viewers up to speed on the complexities of the incident. He tells the tale with a sense of urgency that carries over quite effectively into the main storyline, as Mendez seeks the help of some high-powered Hollywood friends in order to make his plan work. In the hands of a lesser director, contrasting the absurdity of the Hollywood system with such a deadly serious situation could have easily come off as disjointed or contrived. But, as a director, Affleck has a knack for the mechanics of tension, and he knows the importance of providing an emotional release for the viewers as he quietly ups the stakes with each passing scene. Of course, some of that credit must go to screenwriter Chris Terrio as well, but it's primarily Affleck's sense of pacing and timing, combined with pitch-perfect supporting performances by Alan Arkin and John Goodman, that really draw us into Argo. Once Mendez arrives in Iran, the personalities of the refugees come into play and the tone of Argo becomes a bit more serious. But the cast are there to back Affleck up, and thanks to actors Victor Garber, Clea DuVall, and Scoot McNairy in particular, the film's tensest scenes play out in a way that will have most viewers grinding their teeth. At the same time, production designer Sharon Seymour and costume designer Jacqueline West ensure that every frame of Argo looks entirely convincing, while cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto captures sprawling vistas and tortured expressions with the same careful attention to detail. It all adds up to a genuinely immersive experience that's still compelling despite the fact that we knew the outcome when we walked into the theater. That's a real testament to the artistry and talent of everyone involved. So lest audience members find themselves at odds over who truly made this improbable mission a success -- the brave Canadian ambassador or the innovative CIA agent -- it might pay to remember that, much like filmmaking, it was a collaborative effort that relied heavily on the strength and ingenuity of everyone involved. When we work together we can accomplish great things: Ben Affleck's Argo isn't just proof of that theory, but a fine example of it as well.