Posts Tagged ‘director’
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life Review.
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Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life Review.
Compare & Purchase Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $9.99 |
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #11776 in Movie
- Released on: 2010-02-01
- Running time: 108 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Vulgar, tasteless, sickening and worth every minute.
Seeing this movie for the first time when it came out back in 1982, I remember telling my friend, “This is the coolest movie ever!” Coming back to it, I can proudly say my feelings for it have not diminished one iota.Its detractors say, “It’s disgusting!” Yes, it is. An impossibly fat man explodes in a miasma of viscera and puke. But if you take note of the personality of the character in question, you could look at it as the Pythonian equivalent of Karma.It’s oppnents scream, “It’s filthy”. Bingo. A stuffy schoolmaster and his wife demonstrate coitus for a bored classroom of schoolboys during sex-education class. During the lesson, the teacher admonishes a student to pay attention. “After all, this is for your benefit,” he chides. A man so cut off from his own emotions, that not even sex interests him on a personal level.Its nay-sayers chant, “It’s blasphemous!” You betcha. In a production reminiscent of the ones in ‘Oliver’, a Catholic family, apparently numbering in the hundreds, sings “Every Sperm Is Sacred”. Maybe so, but why is papa so anxious to sell them all off for medical experiments?Fans say, “It’s clever”. I defy anyone to find a more clever song in a movie than “The Universe Song”, a hummable Cole-Porterish ditty containing a pocketful of useful factoids about this wonderful material plane which we call home.Python disciples say, “It rings true”. It does for me. That’s why I laugh so hard.The usual Python targets are all here, all to illustrate a very valuable point. I think it’s something like: Life is really short, the world is a confusing mess, hypocrites and scoundrels are plentiful, stupidity is more plentiful than any other substance in the universe. The meaning of life is to try your best to dodge all of this meaninglessness and do so with a measure of personal grace. The meaning of life is in how we face what is thrown at us. The Pythons do it by allowing themselves, and us, to laugh at it.
Of course it’s great! It’s Monty Python!
Up to their old tricks again, the Pythons finally brought their sketch comedy to the big screen. Putting together a series of unconnected skits with a common theme, they actually pulled it off, though most said it could never be done. As with all of their work, this movie contains several lines that fans will repeat over and over. “Every sperm is sacred!” Most of the skits went down as some of their greatest work, from Cleese teaching Sex in a private school by demonstrating it with his wife in front of the class, to the grossest scene ever performed in cinema, “Mr. Creosote.” Absolutely a must-see for anyone with even the faintest of senses of humor.
This DVD presentation is also very solid, including a Making Of feature that lets the personalities of the individuals show through, including Cleese’s disdain for doing this film. Some of the extras can be ignored, but I still found myself sitting down for over two hours to check them all out, and I was not disappointed.
Great film, not that necessary on HD-DVD…
Although this is probably the most inconsistent film that Monty Python made, it’s still fantastic. It ends up being a series of sketches loosely tied together around the meaning of life. Some are the absolute highlights of the Monty Python canon (e.g. the sex education scene and the disgusting Mr. Creosote), while others are much less successful. This was essentially the last material made by the Python troupe.
This HD-DVD release contains the exact same features as the recent 2-disc DVD special edition. The extra features are superb with a hilarious and insightful commentary by director Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, who aren’t afraid to admit its faults. The trouble with this release is that the film is now over 20 years old and was shot with a relatively low budget so it doesn’t look that good to start with. So by getting the HD-DVD you’re just seeing the graininess and clunky special effects more clearly. If you already have the DVD there’s really no need to get this, but if you’re looking to buy it for the first time and you have an HD-DVD player then it’s a no-brainer…
…and yes, the meaning of life is revealed in this movie!
Watch Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Movie Online
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Watch Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Movie Online.
Movie Title: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner |
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner was a ground breaking film upon its release in 1967. The fable revolves around a liberal San Francisco couple whose twenty-three year conventional daughter comes home from a walk to Hawaii and surprises them by announcing she’s engaged to an older man who also happens to be dim. The couple, Matt & Christina Drayton, is played by veil legends Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Sidney Poitier, Dr. John Prentice, is the fiancé and Katharine Houghton, Joey Drayton, (who is Ms. Hepburn’s niece) is their daughter. Matt & Christina are obviously shaken by the news and concerned about the plot. It is not because they are prejudice against minorities as their daughter is marrying a shadowy man, but it is against the struggles she will face in such a relationship. Also, the doctor has do it to them that if they do not approve and give their blessings, he will call the marriage off. They have less than twenty-four hours to form their decision and they struggle with it, especially Matt. He is a crusading newspaper publisher who has championed liberal causes all his life, but faced with this spot, his beliefs are shaken to their core. Throughout the day they accept council from their best friend, Monsignor Ryan (a satisfactory Cecil Kellaway, who provides them with guidance and a hiss of reason. Joey invites John’s parents (Roy Glenn & Beah Richards) up from Los Angeles to dinner. Upon finding out Joey is white his parents sing their displeasure with the place as well. When the two sets of parents win together, the mothers agree that they will abet their children because they care for them, but the fathers lift an opposing concept. Mr. Poitier gives a much and forceful retribution to his father about the plot of dusky men in the new day and it shows why he is such a colorful actor. In the waste, Matt gives an impassioned speech to John & Joey about the struggles they will face and the unkindness that will be heaped on them, but that if they truly adore each they will survive. Director Stanley Kramer does a incandescent job of making the film poignant yet not sappy. The cast are all smart and Ms. Hepburn would extinguish up taking home her second Best Actress Oscar (after a thirty-four span from her first for Morning Glory in 1933) and the film won a second Oscar for William Rose for his screenplay. The film is definitely dated as interracial marriages are not as homely as they were at the time and interracial couples have been the basis of countless films since then. The film is peaceful great, because prejudices unexcited exist in this country and the predicament one has when they have their beliefs tested is all too trusty. Mr. Tracy was gravelly ill at the time and it turned out that this would be his final film. He died two weeks after its completion, but he was posthumous given his final Academy Award Best Actor nomination and he delivered a remarkable and lasting reminder of why he was one of the greatest actors in film history.
1967′s Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner probably raised more than a few eyebrows at the time of it’s release. Sadly though, if you can not set aside yourself in the mindset of that time, the potential emotional impact of the film will be lost on you.
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Set in the San Fransisco of the slow 1960′s, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner tells the narrative of Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton) bringing her boyfriend of a mere 10 days, Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier), home to meet her parents. What the parents (played by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn) don’t know is A) she is coming home, B) that she has a boyfriend she is planning to marry C) that said boyfriend is African-American and that D) said boyfriend is 14 years older than she.
Dr. Prentice informs Joey’s parents of his intentions to marry their daughter, but also informs them he will not marry Joanna without their permission. To further complicate matters though, they only have this one day to resolve if they approve as he is due to leave for Geneva Switzerland for a job. What ensues is a family’s hopes and dreams for their daughter being analyzed and re-thought in the span of a mere few hours. Trying to determine if their daughter’s happiness should outweigh the inevitable hardships she will face in a relationship such as this.
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The film spares no time in setting up unbiased how pleased the recent couple are, and also does not extinguish time in letting you know the difficulties an interracial couple will face at this time in American history. Sadly though, it goes spoiled in several other areas that are disturbing. The cookie-cutter characters in this film abound. The Irish Catholic Monsignor, the wise-to-the-world African American housekeeper and the busy-body friend of the Mother who has to be build in her situation. If you can contemplate pass these old-fashioned out, two-dimensional characters though, there is a poignant legend of how cherish truly should conquer all.
Going support and watching a film that deals with bustle relations from a different time period can, however, be enlightening. Not once do you hear the term “African American”. You do hear the “N” word once, but it is aged by the housekeeper towards Dr. Prentice. It is smooth unsightly to hear it blurted out all of a sudden, but again, you have to remember the time frame the film was made in.
This is a difficult review to write though. This movie is flawed, but do you rate it based on its certain film making flaws, or the merits of a account that needed to be told? I judge in the destroy you have to go with the epic. The myth is basic, simple and timeless, don’t believe a book by it’s mask, and don’t care what the rest of the world thinks. For that, and its site in cinematic history, it deserves 4 stars.
Sadly, the DVD though only gets 2 stars. It does feature a dazzling transfer of the film, and does offer both widescreen and plump cover versions. However, the lone extra is the current theatrical trailer. Certainly there must have been something they could have included in the design of a commentary track for one of AFI’s Top 100 Films Of The 20th Century. A gloomy, slight trailer is all it gets? Pathetic.
On a side impress, this is also a dismal movie to ogle as you know Spencer Tracy passed away only 17 days after filming completed. You can also sight the early signs of Katherine Hepburn beginning to prove signs of trembling that would later be so well known. It was a fair film for both much actors.
Four stars for the film
Two stars for the DVD
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Watch Grapes Of Death – Special Edition Online
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Watch Grapes Of Death – Special Edition Online.
Movie Title: Grapes Of Death – Special Edition Grapes Of Death – Special Edition is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Grapes Of Death – Special Edition |
Only having seen three of Jean Rollin’s films, I will not attempt to give you any insight into this engaging French director. My conception of this film is the same as the other two I have seen by him: occasionally humdrum, yet well done with some first-rate bloody moments. Out of the three I’ve seen, this is a miniature less animated than The Living Dumb Girl, yet less tedious than The Night of the Hunted.
The sage is elegant straightforward: a girl is attacked by a zombie on a impart, leaves the lisp, then roams the French countryside looking for people who can succor her with the ever-increasing zombie predicament. The Grapes of Death title refers to wine made from pesticide-laced grapes, which is responsible for turning people into the zombies. It’s different than, say, your typical Romero or Fulci zombiefest in that the people turn into the living slow gradually. It’ll be honest a hand decaying at first, for example, and the FX showing this and the other gore scenes are resplendent effective. The people are conscious of what is happening to them, which is glowing deplorable considering what lifeless tissue must feel like. Don’t quiz the blood n’ guts level of your typical zombie flick though, this movie works because of the atmosphere, realism, and, of course, Rollin’s spend of dazzling French women.
I would say that if you are a grand fan of the Ghastly Slow series, Wearisome Alive, or other over-the-top violent gore films, Grapes of Death might be a minute tiresome for your taste. But if you like indecent budget movies, arty French films, or honest something different than a typical scare movie you might really delight in it. It doesn’t resort to cheap terror tactics at all, and the dialogue (subtitled) is glorious intelligently written. The provincial beauty of the French landscape is not really that scary, and there is not grand music that I remember, as opposed to some of the Italian horrors of this era that feature blasting electronic scores. If you can recount a movie as a “collected, quiet bloodbath” then that would be my summary of Grapes of Death.
Jean Rollin is a name instantly recognizable to hardcore apprehension fans, yet meaningless to nearly everyone else. This ignorance is quite dejected because the French director concocted some of the sleaziest, most unique films ever made during the 1970s and 1980s, films usually imbued with a disturbing mix of hypereroticism and bloody violence. I have often tossed Rollin’s name around in impolite company with seeming aplomb even though I had never seen even one of the man’s films. You read enough status synopses about someone and you launch to feel as though you know every intimate detail about their work. What I did hear from others about this director oftentimes did not bode well. He is apparently well versed in schlock filmmaking, which in and of itself is not a predicament with me, a legal lover of awful cinema, but several of his films continue to method raves from a selected minority of genre fans. Well, I finally sat down with a Jean Rollin film, his 1979 trouble “Fascination,” and was pleasantly surprised with the results. Then I followed up with “Living Insensible Girl” and was even more impressed. Then came “Lips of Blood,” “The Demoniacs,” and “The Sidewalks of Bangkok.” No wonder most people consider Rollin is a hack.
Buy,Download, Or Stream Grapes Of Death – Special Edition! Click Here
Buy,Download, Or Stream Grapes Of Death – Special Edition! Click Here
“Grapes of Death” is one of the better Jean Rollin films I’ve seen, however, probably because the gore approaches the levels seen in “Living Monotonous Girl.” The movie tells the chronicle of the unlucky Elizabeth (Marie-Georges Pascal) and her nightmarish attempts to recognize what happened to the residents of Roubelais, a itsy-bitsy village out in the sticks renown for its vineyards. Viewers have a heavenly righteous understanding what happened fair from the begin when we discover a bunch of scrappy looking French dudes wandering around in the fields spraying some chemical on the grapes. The guy who owns the farm arrives on the scene and makes a few comments about procuring more effective chemical masks for these workers. If you deem that the pesticide will lead to gory mayhem within minutes, give yourself a pat on the help. The carnage starts even before Elizabeth arrives in the station. While riding the rails with a sparkling friend, one of the chemical zombies stumbles aboard the speak and mercurial dispatches our heroine’s pal. We know he’s a zombie because he sports some unique, oozing sores all over this mug and lurches about in typical Romero undead style. It looks like Liz is in for a doozy of a time.
It’s not too long after the incident on the scream that Elizabeth sets off across the foggy French countryside in search of the residents of Roubelais. Before she returns home, however, she stumbles over a house where a couple invites her in for some vittles. Unfortunately, the head of the household has the grape plague in spades, and it takes a lot of grief for our young friend to hasten intact. Soon after Elizabeth meets up with yet another enigmatic figure, this time a aesthetic young lass afflicted with blindness by the name of Lucy, and once again tragedy strikes when the grape zombies travel to center stage. Awful Lucy! Her believe father performs head surgery on the hapless girl with an extremely gripping instrument. Yuck! By the time two chaps bolt into plan, both of whom view the reality of the dread roaming the countryside and have decided to purchase matters into their contain hands, Elizabeth is fighting to finish alive any arrangement she can. Zombies are everywhere! And all of them gain the same yellowish oozing sores. Throw in the always delicious Brigitte LaHaie in plump grinning loon mode, buildings burning down and a truck explosion, and a twist ending that made itsy-bitsy sense and you’ve got all the fixings for a fun filled couple of hours, Jean Rollin style.
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“Grapes of Death,” which certainly must faulty as one of the most ridiculous zombie films of all times, actually succeeds due to several factors. First, Rollin treats us to his usual visual flair, a style both highly atmospheric and iconic. It’s certain when watching the movie that the director framed most of his shots with spacious care. LaHaie’s character shedding her clothes for the two armed heroes, and LaHaie standing in front of a burning house holding a torch are only two of the many scenes in which the Rollin style of careful camerawork and the deliberate posing of characters is most apparent. Second, lots of gore really helps “Grapes of Death” stand out from some of Rollin’s other efforts. A atrocious scene racy a pitchfork, the brutal demise of the blind Lucy, and lots of exploding squibs had me cheering from my barcalounger. Third, and finally, I’ll always leer a movie that has the toothsome Brigitte LaHaie stomping about. She doesn’t do mighty here other than stand around striking poses, but it’s enough to give the film a bit of that Eurosleaze veneer I care for so noteworthy. Clear, the conclusion of the film doesn’t build worthy sense, but who cares? “Grapes of Death” is a lot of fun for the discerning gorehound.
I reflect it’s critical to heed that Synapse, and not Redemption, released the DVD version of Rollin’s film. With Redemption discs we usually don’t gain powerful in the map of extras. Synapse loaded up their release with a bunch of supplements, the most valuable of which are lengthy interviews with Rollin and LaHaie (!) that speed for roughly thirty-two minutes. Also included for our viewing pleasure is a mild gallery, two trailers for the film, and a Rollin filmography and biography. I heartily recommend “Grapes of Death” to alarm fans. While not as appetizing as “Living Humdrum Girl” (my common Rollin film to date), it’s composed a record that classifies as an archetype of sleazy Eurohorror. Give it a peek soon!
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A Fish Called Wanda Discount.
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A Fish Called Wanda Discount.
Compare & Purchase A Fish Called Wanda at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $9.99 |
A Fish Called Wanda Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #13038 in Movie
- Released on: 2010-01-11
- Running time: 108 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Love the film! DVD is atrocious!
The film is definitely on my top ten list of funniest movies of all time, with “Some Like it Hot,” “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” and the Monty Python masterpieces…
But this DVD is atrocious. The soundtrack is all in the center channel… haven’t heard anything worse since I gave up watching a TV with a 3 inch speaker. The theme song is burbled and warbly. There is no separation — even to the front speakers. The dialog is flat as a flitter.
The picture quality is a hair better than off the air, rabbit ear antennae reception. At times the picture is choppy and halting — as if you were watching it on a rental video that has been viewed too many times.
The only extra is the film’s trailer.
Wait for a re-release before buying!
Are You Totally Deranged?
Starting with the commonplace idea of a jewel robbery gone maniacally wrong, actor John Cleese and director Charles Crichton manage have created a madcap comedy that remains fresh, even after 10 years. George (Tom Georgeson), assisted by his girlfriend Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), his best pal Ken (Michael Palin) and Wanda’s ‘brother’ Otto (Kevin Kline) has orchestrated a robbery that has only one fatal flaw – none of the participants have any intention of sharing the loot. In short order, double-crosses seem to grow on trees and George finds himself under arrest. It is only fitting that Wanda and Otto simultaneously discover that the jewels have been moved ‘for safekeeping.’
It doesn’t take very long for Wanda to figure out that her only hope of regaining the loot is through George’s barrister, Archie Leach (John Cleese). Wanda works at seducing Leach while fighting of Otto’s psychotic fits of jealousy. Ken, in the meantime, attempts repeatedly to kill the only witness, an elderly woman. Unfortunately, he manages to assassinate all three of her dogs in the process.
This is a set up for the combination of slapstick, vulgarity, and tongue-in-cheek comedy that British films are noted for and Americans love and it is delivered with an almost evil verve. Cleese is determined to take no prisoners, and the landscape is littered with car crashes, fallen masonry, savaged canines (fake savaged canines, please) and hapless victims. Only the fish (also called Wanda) has no funny lines, and fares no better than her companion ‘Lunch’ does.
The film has an R rating, which I think is exaggerated. In reality, its vulgarity and sexual innuendo are hardly noticeable when compared to what is accepted today. I certainly think teenagers can handle it without permanent damage, although you may have to explain to them that certain phrases don’t bear repeating. At this price, expect a bare bones DVD. No added games, no interviews, just the film in French and English, in both wide screen and standard presentations. Even so, this is a classic comedy that will bear much watching.
5 Stars For The Film….”Deluxe” Edition DVD Due Out In Aug 2006
This review refers to the 1998 DVD edition of “A Fish Called Wanda”(MGM)
“A Fish Called Wanda” is a fabulous romp with a group of jewel thieves, of which the term “honor among thieves” has no meaning!
At every turn, they are scheming and manipulating the events, as each wants the loot for themselves. The most scheming and manipulating of all is the lone woman of the bunch, who is also the weak spot for all the fellows. Wanda, played impeccably by Jaime Lee Curtis, has these guys falling over themselves trying to get the loot and the girl! Kevin Kline, John Cleese(who also penned the screenplay)and Michael Palin, will have you in stitches with each and every view. Every time I view it I see or hear some little detail or subtlety I didnt get previously.
Nearly 20 years later(yes fans, it’s been that long), this film has not lost one bit of it’s appeal for those of us that like our humor a little on the bawdy side(Although all in good fun).
But!…Give me a break MGM. This DVD is quite shabby considering the loyal fans this film has.This DVD does have a couple of things going for it. It has the choice of widescreen viewing or standard, has English, and French subtitles, for those who may need them, and includes a booklet with production notes and trivia. Also, the menu page was cute. If you click on the little treasure chest in the aquarium, the screen becomes just the “Wanda” fish swimming around with sound effects. However… as another reviewer mentioned the picture is below average. It does not live up to the reason why we don’t mind paying a little extra for a DVD vs a VHS. The sound is in MONO..what’s up with that? This film is deserving of at least stereo sound.
And as usual, after all of us have already purchased this now classic comedy, MGM is coming up with a new “Deluxe” edition, that is more along the lines of what is expected of a DVD.(Talk about double dipping!)It is a 2 disc edition and shows these features:
“Audio Commentary with Actor/Writer John Cleese
Over 25 minutes of Deleted and Alternate Scenes
John Cleese’s First Farewell Performance
Something’s Fishy Making-of Documentary
Easter Eggs, Previews, and More!”
It is available for pre-order(but doesn’t list the sound available yet)The ASIN for that site is B000E33W1C.
5 stars for a film that never gets old. 3 stars to MGM for making us wait this long for a decent view.
Still laughing after all these years…Laurie
fans of the very talented Kevin Kline may also enjoy:
The Ice Storm
Grand Canyon
see my reviews for film details – both are fabulous
Stream City Of The Dead Movie Online
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Stream City Of The Dead Movie Online.
Movie Title: City Of The Dead City Of The Dead is available for streaming or downloading. |
The 1960 British film “City of the Uninteresting”, or as it is more popularly known in the US as “Fright Hotel”, has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television encourage in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time well-liked terror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie’s “Study for the Prosecution”) plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a Recent England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the plain, running the Raven’s Inn (guests check in, but don’t check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the plot isn’t exactly a vast “tourist contrivance”. Enter ravishing blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has advance to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely imperfect Christopher Lee) . Miss Barlow checks into the Raven’s Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of terror movie cliches, but they work! Shaded, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they’re all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley’s musical rep (a hybrid of anxiety movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors’ performances, particularly that of the “heavies” (especially Ms. Jessel), are capable, making for a very spicy and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone legal to the source, the modern British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that’s only the beginning. The represent quality is satisfactory, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is agreeable, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that’s “Sir” Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the modern American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this adore letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic panic films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an pleasant textbook example on how to obtain a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. “Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither watch, that strips my conscience bare…”
Down a long, deserted and all but forgotten backroad in rural Massachusetts stands the town of Whitewood. No longer appearing on any original maps, the only people who know of its existence are some of the older locals from neighboring towns who would cease away at all costs and of course the witches.
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According to myth Whitewood was cursed by Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel) and handed over to Lucifer as she burned at the stake in 1692 for practicing witchcraft and consorting with the Devil. Now some 250 plus years later the ‘Raven’s Inn’ stands in the historic dwelling of the event.
Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson), a comely college coed comes to Whitewood on the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee) to do some well-known research for her term paper on Witchcraft. She checks into the ‘Raven’s Inn’ and is never heard from again. Her sudden and unexpected disappearance brings her brother and boyfriend to Whitewood to secure her and instead gaze a nest of witches in search of yet another sacrifice for Candlemass Eve.
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One of the earliest and in my estimation one of the best British panic films ever. Released in the U.S.A. under the title, ‘Horror Hotel’, the American version is two minutes shorter than its British counterpart, ‘City of the Tiresome.’ The additional material is at the beginning of the movie during the burning at the inferior sequence when the accused witch is calling upon Lucifer to curse Whitewood. It doesn’t add remarkable to the spot, but if you’re a purist like I am it’s nice to have the film intact in its unique beget.
This may have been produced on a slight budget, but they made up for it with a gargantuan storyline, some ingenious atmospheric effects, an eerie soundtrack and an splendid cast. Besides those aready mentioned, also unbelievable performances by: Betta St. John, Dennis Lotis and Valentine Dyall as Jethrow.
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Border Incident Lowest Price!
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Border Incident Lowest Price!
Compare & Purchase Border Incident at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Border Incident Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #19240 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-12-17
- Rating: NR (Not Rated)
- Running time: 96 minutes
Customer Reviews:
An excellent value, especially for the superb documentary on film noir
This collection released on 18 July, like volumes 1 and 2, has excellent remasters of five film-noir movies: “Lady in the lake” (1946); “Border incident” (1949); “His kind of woman” (1951); “The racket” (1951); “On dangerous ground” (1952). Each film has a commentary and English/French/Spanish subtitles; 3 films have trailers. Unlike volumes 1 and 2, volume 3 contains its DVDs in slim cases (the DVDs are hard to remove without undue bending) and sports a sixth bonus DVD, which the box touts as being “available only in this set.”
This bonus DVD makes this collection particularly special: The documentary “Film noir: Bringing darkness to light,” completed in 2006 and produced and directed by Gary Leva, is far superior to any of the film-noir documentaries available on public-domain collections of film noir for several reasons: (1) At 68 min., the subject is treated in depth. (2) The B&W clips from films as well as the interviews in color and color film posters are of excellent quality. (3) The clips, some from rarely seen films, are precise selections, unlike the fuzzy, often lengthy trailers included in previous noir documentaries. (4) While traditional noir themes (femmes fatales, lighting, cynicism, fatalism, etc.) receive full treatment, other generally neglected topics are detailed, notably the role of music. (5) Commentary is by a host of film-noir historians and players. The credits list some 45 interviewees, including actress Jane Greer (1924-2001). The diversity of opinions sometimes leads to conflicting interpretations, which is probably as it should be as film noir is a recognizable phenomenon that is hard to define. “Film noir: Bringing darkness to light,” is an essential and insightful analysis of the film-noir phenomenon.
The 13 scenes comprising 68 min. in “Film noir: Bringing darkness to light” are: 1) intro; 2) into the darkness; 3) what it is. what it ain’t; 4) birth of a bad dream; 5) life’s cheap. then you die; 6) the guy pulling the strings; 7) masters of darkness and light; 
cut to black; 9) lullaby for the damned; 10) method behind the madness; 11) caught in a web; 12) can’t cheat fate; 13) final fade out.
Rounding out the bonus DVD are five shorts (19-22 min.) from the MGM film series “Crime does not pay”:
“Women in hiding” (1940) on unwed mothers;
“You, the people” (1940) on a rigged election by a crime boss;
“Forbidden passage” (1941) on illegal immigration;
“A gun in his hand” (1945) on the murder of a policeman by a robber;
“The luckiest guy in the world” (1947) on embezzlement.
These are obviously message, didactic films. The bonus disc is remiss in providing neither dates for the films nor background information on the film (and radio) series “Crime does not pay,” which apparently had some 40 film episodes 1935 (“Buried loot” the first) to 1947 (and probably later).
Five Variations of Noir, from Two Studios!
While “The Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3″ may lack the caliber of titles of the first two collections, this edition includes several of my personal favorite films…so forgive me if I brag about it!
Featuring two MGM productions, and three from RKO (which means Howard Hughes was heavily involved), the Noir elements vary significantly in each film (one could even question whether a couple ‘qualify’ as Noir)…but the choices made are fascinating!
“Lady in the Lake” (MGM, 1946, **1/2): Robert Montgomery’s debut as a director, portraying Raymond Chandler’s ‘Philip Marlowe’, probably gave MGM no END of grief, when he decided to film it nearly completely with a ‘subjective’ camera, barely appearing on screen! While the concept wasn’t new (the first twenty minutes of the Bogie/Bacall “Dark Passage” were filmed in the same manner), the audacity of making an ENTIRE film this way, particularly from the biggest of Hollywood studios, was remarkable!
Sadly, the gimmick didn’t work…
With an incongruous ‘Christmas’ motif to introduce the film, the camera work soon becomes annoying, allowing little character development for Marlowe/Montgomery (making him seem more cruel and petty than either Bogie or Dick Powell, in their ‘takes’ as Marlowe). While Audrey Totter, acting to the camera lens, is terrific, everyone else seems self-conscious (especially poor Lloyd Nolan). Add to this MGM’s difficulty in creating Noir-style lighting and atmosphere, and what you end up with is, ultimately, a mess!
The only real ‘misfire’ in this collection!
“Border Incident” (MGM, 1949, ****): This FABULOUS Anthony Mann
film, of a joint US/Mexico operation to break up an illegal alien racket is even more topical, today. Vastly underrated when released (and sadly, ignored by audiences), it is gritty, brutal, and totally involving, with a brilliant cast, including Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy (in their best screen work) as the agents, and Howard Da Silva, Charles McGraw, a clean-shaven Arthur Hunnicutt, and Sig Ruman as members of the gang.
Unflinching (the machine tiller murder scene is remarkably gruesome, for 1949), the film is only marred by a ‘tacked-on’ happy-ending narration, which stated that the illegal alien problem had been ‘solved’.
Anthony Mann was WAY ahead of his time, and this film proves that his talents went far beyond Jimmy Stewart westerns!
“The Racket” (RKO, 1951, ***1/2): Remake of a 1928 Howard Hughes’ film, this involving police drama, credited to John Cromwell (although Hughes would add scenes directed by others), was a hard-hitting, topical tale of corruption, both outside and within the system. Featuring a ‘hard-as-nails’ villainous turn by Robert Ryan, and Robert Mitchum’s equally tough hero, the supporting cast really shines, particularly William Talman’s straight-arrow cop, Ray Collins as a weak District Attorney, William Conrad as a detective who plays both sides, and Lizabeth Scott’s pragmatic Noir heroine.
“On Dangerous Ground” (RKO, 1950-1952, ****1/2): Vastly underrated when released (the film was actually ‘shelved’ for two years, while Hughes ‘tinkered’ with it), Nicholas Ray’s
film of city cop Robert Ryan nearly “losing his soul”, then finding redemption through blind Ida Lupino, during a rural murder investigation, is finally receiving the recognition it deserves! A rich, character-driven story, symphonic in style (with three ‘movements’), the film benefits greatly from a powerful Bernard Herrmann score, the wonderful chemistry between Ryan and Lupino, and the added Hughes’ “touches” (including a romantic finale that brings the film to a very satisfying conclusion).
While unsuccessful when released, the film is now regarded as a near-masterpiece of the genre!
“His Kind of Woman” (RKO, 1951, ****): I LOVE this movie!!! A combination Noir/Sophisticated Comedy/Farce, it nearly defies description, and really shouldn’t work at all (particularly with the production history behind it), but it does, brilliantly, thanks to the Mitchum/Jane Russell chemistry (in their first film together), a wildly funny turn by Vincent Price, and the involvement of Howard Hughes, who, literally, reshot the final third of the film 3 times, with two different directors!
Directed, initially, by John Farrow, a straight-forward Noir tale of down-on-his-luck gambler Mitchum getting a “too good to be true” offer to go to Mexico quickly expands into a sometimes brutal, yet often comic adventure, as he gradually discovers that an exiled gangster (Raymond Burr, whose scenes were added AFTER the film was completed!), plans to kill him, and assume his identity to return to the States. While learning this, he stays at a swank resort, swapping one-liners (and romantic looks) with Russell, meeting her fiancé, hammy (and ALREADY married) movie star Price, beating sleazy Jim Backus at poker to save a girl’s virtue (in a scene reminiscent of “Casablanca”), getting pushed around by hood Charles McGraw and the “facts of life” from agent Tim Holt…all leading to a spectacular finale, set on Burr’s yacht, involving torture, and an insane rescue by Price, some misfit Mexican policemen, and over-aged resort guests!
Howard Hughes, dissatisfied with the Farrow ‘cut’, brought in Richard Fleischer to ‘beef up’ the finale (and increase Price’s role), then decided, AFTER the second ‘cut’, to replace the film’s villain with Burr…requiring yet ANOTHER major reshoot! Needless to say, this long, convoluted production would not be one of Mitchum or Russell’s favorite films to make…
Yet the film is vastly entertaining, to this day, and was a big hit, when released!
A VERY interesting collection of films, to be sure!
My favorite Film Noir volume from WB!
I like to think that reviews pertain to the films, meaning the contents. I find it odd to see the set getting disappointing ratings because of the size of the cases or the fact that the films sell as a set only. That certainly does not diminish the greatness of the films and of the set itself.
ON DANGEROUS GROUND is probably one of the finest noirs ever made and Robert Ryan gives a brilliant performance. Very moody, unusual film that rates high on any noir fan’s list.
HIS KIND OF WOMAN is another superb noir with a satirical edge and the unforgettable team of Mitchum and Russell. One of the most popular and best-loved noir films too.
THE RACKET can only be a winner with that cast – Mitchum, Ryan and Lizabeth Scott – lots of great scenes and fun “bits”.
LADY IN THE LAKE is a genre-defining title, highly regarded for its unique narrative and an excellent portrayal of Philip Marlowe by Robert Montgomery.
BORDER INCIDENT is a neglected gem starring a remarkably good Ricardo Montalban – its inclusion in the set will give it the exposure it probably never would have had, if titles had been sold separately.
As if this was not enough, an entire documentary on Film Noir is included.
Considering all of this, I am not surprised that WB decided to sell this collection as a set only. The price is so reasonable that buying the whole set costs basically the same as it would to buy 2 individual titles. So anyone who wants only 1 or 2 titles really gets a fabulous deal and will surely be enthralled when they watch the other titles and the documentary.
Watch Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films Movie Online
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Watch Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films Movie Online.
Movie Title: Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films |
As we all know, Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP! This number-one film was in the Guiness book of World Records as the highest selling music video on ’94!! Containing never-before-seen footage, late the scenes action, unreleased videos, and all are full-length. This designate is also a bargain. Grasp it up even if you’re not a die-hard. It is so worth it!! Risky is one of MJ’s greatest albums with some record-breaking extraordinary music videos! “The Short Films” contains: The Teaser (you have to gape it!!), the controversial fat lentgh Dim or White (complete with The Simpsons ending and the face morphing and dance sequence), The Superbowl Heal The World performance (gracious), Remember The Time (starring Iman, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson), also has unhurried the scenes (sizable dancing!!), Will You Be There, In The Closet (with Naiomi Campbell- the best MJ video ever!!) (with slow the scenes action also,) Gone too Soon, (A tragic remembrance of AIDS victim Ryan White), Predicament (a awesome video with Michael Jordan, Kris Kross, and Heavy D.), Heal The World (donate to the foundation! It’s a good cause!!), Give In To Me (featuring Cut from Guns n’ Roses), Who Is It (such a titanic beat!!) and last but not least, concert footage to the Unsafe Tour. This movie is something. You have got to gaze it. The album is legendary, the beats are ear-piercing and jammin’!! All of these perfect music videos have such a myth to train. Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP!!!!
Michael has so mighty talent. Obliging album and superior VHS. I honest descovered this page on amazon and I hope that a DVD version will be avaliable. I am writing the first review so hopefully I can net a certificate so I can earn it as soon as possible. The DVD should hold the same stuff that the VHS one contains (maybe the publishers may attach in more features) The video (and assumingly the DVD as well) contains all but 3 songs from the Uncertain album (I Can’t Let Her Catch Away, She Drives Me Wild, & Sustain The Faith) .
The Video and most likely the DVD contains the stout videos of:
-Black or White (controversy, plus making of)
Buy,Download, Or Stream Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films! Click Here
-Remember The Time (slow scenes)
-Jam (tedious scenes Michael Jordan comentary)
-In The Closet (an awesome MJ song and video, plus slack scenes)
Buy,Download, Or Stream Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films! Click Here
-Heal the World (two times, shipshape bowl performance and the video)
-Will You Be There (the complete and non-Free Willy version)
-Gone Too Soon (about that kid with AIDS that everyone forgot about)
-Dangerous (played while showing us snip shots from ihs concert world tour)
-Why You Wanna High-tail On Me (played durring the credits)
-Give Into Me (Michael knows valid rock with Lop)
-Who Is It (done by the director of FIGHT CLUB, good beat)
-(Bonus stuff) of 2 awards and a delicate deep speech from Michael and a small Michael singing with Michael “I’ll Be There”
Lets hope this wish of having avaliable this long awaited DVD comes correct and we may regain it. Michael smooth has fans in the USA, so let them have their DVD!
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Watch 1984 Movie Online
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Watch 1984 Movie Online.
Movie Title: 1984 1984 is available for streaming or downloading. |
Attention: For those who did not read George Orwell’s classic dystopian current “1984″ in high school, college, or through personal initiative, please choose the time to do so before diving into the soul shattering experience of the film version of this book, aptly titled “1984.” I imagine that many viewers could experience lapses of vulgar boredom if they do not have a sufficient view of newspeak, thoughtcrime, and the political dynamics of Oceania/Eastasia/Eurasia before experiencing this soul shattering film. You might even want to read a few items about communism and fascism before watching the movie. In any event, the book and film are chilling in their presentation of a world in the grip of pure totalitarianism.
Originally released in 1984, “1984″ tells the anecdote of Winston Smith. Smith lives and works in what venerable to be the city of London, before an atomic war swept away the world as we know it and ushered in the shaded gloom of Huge Brother. Smith spends his days working away in a booth at the Ministry of Information, constantly updating and rewriting the party organs in order to invent history fit with expose realities. In the course of a day’s work, Winston routinely changes rationing promises, removes people labeled as “non-persons” from articles, and burns records. During his off hours, he sits in his ratty apartment under the constant surveillance of the space, which keeps an explore on him through a giant monitor in his living room and with hovering helicopters outside his window. Occasionally, Winston gets to serve giant party rallies where he and other members of INGSOC view televised propaganda tapes about the endless war with Eastasia (or is it Eurasia? ) . Each day is bleak, filled with consumer shortages, the endless nattering of propaganda in the background (“War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, Freedom is Slavery”), and dreams about his life as a child or a plot in the countryside.
Unfortunately for Winston, he objective cannot accomplish himself glean the prevailing understanding, namely that one need only give oneself up to the party and never query anything INGSOC pronounces as truth. His job reconstructing history makes him acutely aware that the party lies incessantly, and in Winston’s world losing faith in the party means losing one’s life after visiting Room 101 in the Ministry of Cherish. To develop matters worse, Winston catches the see of the comely Julia and fleet becomes embroiled in seditious activities that Broad Brother more than frowns upon. After Winston falls in with a high party official named O’Brien, the downward spiral begins in earnest, leading to an interrogation that is definitely an upsetting viewing experience.
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This film is by necessity an intensely character driven vehicle. Thankfully, director Michael Radford obtained the services of John Afflict and Richard Burton to play Winston and O’Brien. Pain shines as the tortured Winston, looking as though he’s on death’s door while he trudges through another bland day in Oceania. Burton is properly menacing as the enigmatic O’Brien, playing his role of party thug with equal parts compassion (oddly enough) and threat. I know less about Suzanna Hamilton, the actress who plays Julia, although she does an admirable job working between two mountainous film stars. Incidentally, this was Burton’s last film role.
I loved the atmosphere of this film. Radford creates a dank, dingy London I wouldn’t even contemplate about strolling through without a chubby body protection suit. The ubiquitous audio and visual propaganda is a nice touch as well, creating a sense of total immersion in Winston’s world. As Winston slogs through the bombed out backdrop of London on his design to work, the viewer becomes aware of the party’s total grip on the people through the canard of total war. The omnipresent image of Astronomical Brother should certainly bring a smirk to anyone familiar with Russian history, since the guy looks a lot like Lenin.
I noticed that the Eurythmics soundtrack, while advertised on the case and in the credits, is missing from the film. This did not bother me remarkable since I first saw the film years ago and do not remember powerful about the soundtrack other than the satisfactory regain by Dominic Muldowney… I feel sorry for those who looked forward to having that piece of the soundtrack included in their lift. Despite this omission, the film is very noteworthy worth the money.
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Great imagery, expansive acting, and a mountainous message about the evils of 20th century fascism and communism build “1984″ a must have for any film lover. I’ll contemplate John Distress in nearly anything, but he really turns in a great performance here. Consume up this movie and examine for the warning signs!
“Nineteen Eighty-Four” (the genuine on-screen title) is a rare example of a film adaptation of a book that faithfully transfers the visions and theme of the book’s author, accurate down to even filming on the dates that the author specified (April-June 1984) . George Orwell’s repugnant, hellish recent of a future where freedom has vanished, even from the minds of human beings, has been turned into an equally homely film version. Its myth of a government that seeks to utterly crush the human spirit through propaganda, language, and anxiety, turning human beings into programmed machines, has never been more repulsive than today. It is a book and movie for all times, as long as governments lie, tyrannies exist, and people surrender their freedoms in the name of fears, both sincere and imagined.
The casting couldn’t be more perfect. John Damage, looking conventional and stretched past his years, is the ideal actor to play “minute rebel” Winston Smith, who dares to judge against the mysterious Astronomical Brother and to drop in appreciate. In his last film role, Richard Burton is like a glaring Greek Statue, stern and unflappable and scary. It’s an unnerving and stout performance. As for Suzanna Hamilton, Winston’s savor Julia, I was jumpy when I first saw the movie: she matched exactly the image of Julia I had in my head when I read the book.
Director Michael Radford (who also directed “Il Postino”) imagines the world of George Orwell exactly as the author would have if he had directed the film: as a wrecked vision of late-40s Britain if it had lost World War II. The region develop is sparkling, combing some high technology (video screens and computers) with rusty mid-forties technology (pneumatic tubes, rotary phones) . Everywhere is decay and deprivation. Nothing really works, everything is bland and frightening in that dreadful, gray-stone block style that dominated Soviet and Chinese government architecture of the 1940s and 1950s. No doubt about it, the director understood where Orwell was coming from, and the models he was using.
Just like the book, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” is a film that will utterly devastate you, pick up under your skin, and change the diagram you gawk at the world. It is a masterpiece.
(A label on the disc: Although they receive credit, the music by the Eurythmics has been completely removed, as per the wishes of the director. Since this is a no-frills DVD without powerful in the plot of extras, there is no alternate music track to let people hear the novel theatrical soundtrack. However, the film is great great better without the Eurythmics; they don’t fit the style and feel of the film or the fantastic recent music. Also, the washed-out photographic style of the recent released has been changed to a more natural look; but this has been fair of every version since the theatrical release. None of this should prevent you from getting bear of this improbable movie.)
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Easier with Practice-Retail —-! Sale Only $3.99!
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Easier with Practice
Product: Easier with Practice-Retail —-! Sale Only $3.99! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $3.99 Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available |
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- Amazon Sales Rank: #1553 in Movie
- Released on: 2010-04-01
- Rating: NR (Not Rated)
- Running time: 101 minutes
Stirring and Poignant
“Easier with Practice”
Stirring and Poignant
Amos Lassen
Kyle Patrick Alvarez gives us his first feature film, “Easier with Practice”, a poignant and stirring look at phone sex and the nature of relationships.
A chance dirty phone call between an introverted writer and a mystery woman with a persuasive voice turns into a long distance relationship that is truly touching. Davy (Brian Geraghty) is a withdrawn author who is on a road trip to publicize his upcoming novel which is yet unpublished. His brother, Sean (Kel O’Neill) has come along for the ride (and like he says–to get laid). One night Davy receives a phone call through which he “meets” Nicole. At first he is highly distrustful but he gradually opens up and a strange emotional bond is created between the two but threatens to separate the brothers. What we get is a provocative love story about a man who suffers from being emotionally stunted.
Davy really wants to meet Nicole but Nicole declines all invitations. Geraghty gives a bravura performance which totally reflects his profound isolation. He is self-deluded and this can become a turn off to some viewers. It is Davy’s shame, vulnerability, social awkwardness and lack of sexual confidence that give him his being.
This is quite simply a wonderful little film with an ending that you will not soon forget and we learn about love, sex and loneliness and when and how they come together.
A Rare Unique Film
It’s a rare thing indeed for a truly unique story to get the funding to be made into a movie. Sure you can get your recycled ideas in 3D filled with big name celebrities retreading the same water that has been run through a million times before, but what’s the point? There’s a reason Easier With Practice exists and that is to show the world and movie going public that there is still some humanity left out there. It’s not on some distant planet, but here, on the other end of a telephone.
See what independent film fans and festival goers are already discovering. A movie with a true heart, a unique story, and is made by people that LOVE cinema, Easier With Practice.
A Real Film For People Who Love Real Films
With no dependence on Mad Hatters or Blue Aliens jumping out at you, Easier With Practice commits to a rare element seldom seen in Cinema of late, story and humility. Easier With Practice is a film for people who love real movies made by people who love real movies and it shows. The tight-knit fascinating characters slowly unravel in such a pace that we feel their evolution at the same pace they do. Director, Kyle Patrick Alvarez and the talented cast are able to give the characters a rare humility seldom seen any more, whether in mainstream or independent film.
Other reviewers have already adequately explained the story so I will not. I will only say that with a brilliant young cast; an original, warming, and often-funny story; and a hip soundtrack Easier With Practice is touching, entertaining, contemporary and simply well done. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you might even pick up the phone and call that special someone.
The Wild Bunch Streaming
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The Wild Bunch Streaming.
Movie Title: The Wild Bunch The Wild Bunch is available for streaming or downloading. |
Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Wild Bunch’ is a masterpiece western. Not the best ever made, but terminate. So don’t assume I don’t like this movie because I esteem it. However, since Mexicans are its villains, perhaps you’d be involved to read an view from this side of the border.
The Mexico of ‘The Wild Bunch’ looks more like a metaphor than a staunch dwelling. It is both Heaven and Hell; the theatre where the bunch will accumulate Death but also Redemption. Accordingly, every Mexican depicted in the report is either a saint or a monster (no middle ground here, except for the Mexican member of the Bunch, who is aptly named “Angel”, although a fallen one) . This serves the legend splendidly, for it’s meant to be an myth ballad and not a travelogue, but it does jolt the Mexican viewer because the “valid Mexico” is portrayed so idyllic it’s unreal, while the “terrible Mexico” is very, very accurate; in fact, no American movie has captured the study, sound, feel, texture and carnage of the Mexican Revolution as this one has (even if the grandiose final scene, where the Bunch kills hundreds of heavily armed soldiers all by themselves and none of the four falls down even when riddled by bullets, defies all logic!) . Perhaps that’s why it was banned in Mexico benefit when it was released in 1969.
Funny, for it was filmed in Mexico as well. The Texas bordertown you contemplate at the begining of the record is actually Parras, Coahuila, and many of its citizens acted as extras in the movie: white ones as “Texans”, brown ones as -what else? – Mexicans! Don Raúl Madero, brother of Francisco I. Madero, the man who started the Mexican Revolution, appears …as a Texan! Even the two German officers are Mexican! So, as you can gape, we Mexicans near in all shapes, sizes and colors, and hardly fit these two tedious “pleasant peasant”-”greaser bandito” stereotypes American movies seem so comfortable with! I hope some day Hollywood realizes this and “slither the extra mile” to narrate us for what we are: a very complex and diverse society. Neither saints, nor monsters, and certainly not mere bowling pins!
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P.S.: Many huge Mexican directors, all personal friends of Peckinpah, appear in the film. Emilio “Indio” Fernández (Mapache) and Chano Urueta (Angel’s grandfather) were the best of our cinema’s Golden Age. Fernando Wagner (German officer) was also a competent theatre director, and Alfonso Arau (Herrera) is best known for his international hit ‘Like Water for Chocolate’. Jorge Russek (Zamorra) was an outstanding photographer for National Geographic, and Sonia Amelio (Teresa) is a world-aclaimmed dancer (she was even awarded with an “Order of Lenin” relieve in the Soviet Union) . And unprejudiced for the narrate, the word “Mapache” (“racoon”) stands for “coward thief”. No Mexican general, no matter how outrageous, would utilize, I possess, such a nickname! And since Mapache is “a killer working for Huerta”, the action takes residence in 1913, not 1916 (Huerta was ousted in early 1914) .
There’s not powerful that can be celebrated about Sam Peckinpah’s incandescent 1969 western fable “The Wild Bunch” that has not already been written. It was an unanticipated, influential work where all things came together, but for a moment, the demolish product a substantial, sweeping canvas of intimacy between comrades, violence between combatants, desperate infuriate amidst changing times. Piece Kurosawa, piece Siegel, fragment Fuller, fragment Ford, Peckinpah combined his inspirations with a healthy dose of 1960s rebellion producing the ultimate work of his generation, and one of the greatest westerns in history. It was Peckinpah’s vast fortune that the lawful actors were available for this film – William Holden and Robert Ryan in the twilight of their memorable careers, Ernest Borgnine with unprejudiced enough youth to be a perfect and valid presence, Edmond O’Brien chewing up the scenery with tobacco-stained teeth, and of course Peckinpah friends Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones and Warren Oates in salty supporting roles. It was also his gigantic fortune cinematographer Lucien Ballard and composer Jerry Fielding were also on hand to participate in his steadfast vision.
Peckinpah also had something to reveal at this point in his career, when he was level-headed a hungry director with a vision, before alcoholism, disillusionment and celebrity area took possess. He hid nothing from viewers, and his contradictory heart was laid bare in “The Wild Bunch.” The direction and editing during the violent moments of this film – the opening bank robbery and the concluding battle with the Mexican army – are some of the most unforgettable scenes ever place on film. But ironically, and this was usually the case in most Peckinpah films, it is the smooth moments one remembers. Pike (Holden) and Dutch’s (Borgnine) heart-broken conversation next to a campfire; The Bunch riding out of Angel’s village as if in a funeral procession; Deke (Ryan) taking Pike’s pistol from it’s holster, gently holding it in his hand; and of course Pike standing in the doorway and mouthing two simple words, “Let’s go.”
And of course you have The Swagger, in which Holden, Borgnine, Oates and Ben Johnson quietly launch loading their guns, cocking them, arming themselves, smiling at one another, standing shoulder to shoulder. There’s not distinguished left for these forgotten outlaws who have lived past their time. Unprejudiced a code of honor, honest their self respect. And so they Promenade into the heart of the Mexican army to retrieve their comrade Angel, a prisoner and personal enemy of General Mapache. These surviving members of The Wild Bunch are free to go, but Angel, youthful, love-struck, rebellious, was one of them. They are not going to leave their comrade.
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After viewing the wonderful documentary “The Wild Bunch: An Album In Montage” and seeing the rare footage of Peckinpah literally improvising The Stir, walking alongside Holden, Borgnine, Oates and Johnson, inventing by instinct, one realizes how fiercely creative this man was as a director. This film was his moment in time, his vision, his opinion, Peckinpah’s nightmarish and astonishing dream.
Peckinpah never really made a film quite like “The Wild Bunch” again. Of course, no director ever really has before or since. His uneven career of 14 films, some worthy, some not, has been renowned and honored. Peckinpah the man, adorned in aged jeans and bandanna, certainly perpetuated his myth-like area. But in the demolish, you will always have “The Wild Bunch,” an unforgettable film, raw, gritty, whiskey-soaked, sublime. I bawl whenever I examine this film. I yowl in scare. All things came together for Peckinpah on “The Wild Bunch,” and the moment is everlasting.
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