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  #41  
Old 24th July 2016, 05:38 PM
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A classic western song from Martin as well.
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  #42  
Old 24th July 2016, 10:07 PM
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The Tall T (1957)

Budd Boetticher is a director famous for his westerns co-produced and starring Randolph Scott. Generally filmed on location in the Lone Pines area of California his name on the credits is usually a stamp of quality. The Tall T is no exception.

Based on an Elmore Leonard story called The Captives, it finds Scott held captive along with the two passengers of a stage coach. Captive and held to ransom for $50,000 by western go to bad guy, Richard Boone and his two accomplices, one of whom is sharp shooting Henry Silva.

The Tall T is actually a very worthy film. Fairly short, it only runs 78 minutes, which means Boetticher doesn't mess about. It's straight into the action from the off and the film barely pauses to draw breath through out. Randolph Scott is his usual tough but fair self and works well with what is a fairly basic but engaging story of kidnap, betrayal and double cross. Look out for the scene where Scott shoots one of the villains (Skip Homeier) in the head with a shotgun, it's brief but bloody and quite unexpected. Also worth mentioning is a sequence where Scott rides a bull at a ranch for a bet. he's eventually thrown off but is chased by the enraged animal so jumps in a large drinking trough to escape. However the bull follows him feet first and clearly tramples him under water. Scott, western god that he is plays the scene in a single take but can clearly be seen limping off at the end of the take.

In 2000, The Tall T was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Still doesn't explain what a Tall T is though.

You know what? I figured it out when i downloaded the movie poster. Scott himself is the tall T as he flags down the stage coach for a ride.
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  #43  
Old 24th July 2016, 11:12 PM
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Nice review Dem, digging this western thread. Loads of films i want to see.
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  #44  
Old 24th July 2016, 11:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J Harker View Post
Nice review Dem, digging this western thread. Loads of films i want to see.
Thanks, J.

It was a terrific idea of the Inspector.

I think i might use mod powers on his profile and turn him into a sheriff rather than inspector.
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  #45  
Old 25th July 2016, 08:00 PM
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Default The Black Bounty Killer (1975) Boss Nigger (original title)

The Black Bounty Killer (1975) Boss Nigger (original title)

Apart from the rather inflammatory title,the even more inflammatory theme song and the publicity it must of garnered at the time of release.Boss as my dvd box calls it,is a fairly straight forward western,in fact its A-Team style bloodless violence seems at odds with early 1970's cinema,which post Vietnam was up to its hoofs in bloodshed.Basically Boss and Amos (Fred Williamson and D'Urville Martin) are two bounty hunters,who manage to convince the Mayor and the other town councillors to make Fred Williamson the new town's sheriff. MMMMM very similar to a certain Blazing Saddles (1974) film a year previous,and to be honest you do some times feel you are watching a parody,especially whenever the Shaft style music kicks in over the soundtrack. No Blaxploitation film would be without its white bad guy,and this role is played by king of the bad guys for hire William Smith as Jed Clayton who was also killed by Fred Williamson in the film Hammer. Fred Williamson it has to said cuts a cool figure in his black leather jacket,Williamson role in this has been compared to Eastwood's man with no name,but Williamson is much more chatty and suave compared to Eastwood's more sombre gringo.D'Urville Martin who also appeared in Dolemite and a whole lot of 1970s TV and blaxploitation movies,has a more subservient role and is basically Williamson comedy sidekick,even in blaxploitation movies there's pecking order.And where would we be without a corrupt mayor stirring everything up in the background,Mayor Griffin (R.G. Armstrong, you may remember as the head devil worshipper from Race with Devil). Once you get past the films title,and the way white cast use the N word,Boss is a fairly well made western,directed by no less than Mr Creature from the Lagoon Jack Arnold,some what of a departure from his usual monster movies and TV fare he directed.The only down side to blaxploitation movies is that it gives Tarantino to many daft ideas for films.
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  #46  
Old 25th July 2016, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline View Post
The Black Bounty Killer (1975) Boss Nigger (original title)
A sense of deja-vu with this review.
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  #47  
Old 31st July 2016, 06:07 PM
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Default Bandolero! (1968)

Bandolero! (1968)

After a botched bank robbery by Dean Martin as Dee Bishop and his gang goes all Pete Tong,and new sheriff George Kennedy as Sheriff July Johnson puts Martin and his gang behind bars. Mace Bishop (James Stewart) over hears that his brother and his gang are about to hang in Texas town of Val Verde,Mace Bishop decides to impersonate a travelling hangman ( wait a minute,that sounds awfully familiar) ,and rides into Val Verde to rescue his brother and the gang,Bandolero! boasts a pretty impressive cast list,with Dean Martin playing that shifty character he always seems to play in westerns,Im always wondering whether how much his drinking effected his acting or not. James Stewart although starting to look his age at this point in his career, was still at the top of his game acting wise ( he does look a bit doddery on horseback but then again he is very tall so he does look a bit odd on a horse). George Kennedy as Sheriff July Johnson looks remarkably fresh faced and young looking and dare I say even svelte looking. Let's not forget Raquel Welch as Maria Stoner,not a furry bikini in sight as the love interest to Dean Martin's Dee Bishop. There's even a young looking Andrew Prine as Deputy Sheriff Roscoe Bookbinder. Martin and Stewart at first seem a slightly odd pairing as brothers,but there is a good chemistry between pair of them,and both actors are no strangers to the western genre. Overall Bandolero! is a fairly traditional western that was being made at the time, especially when you consider that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Wild Bunch would come out a year later.Saying that the Bandolero's of the title are a bunch of fairly ugly machete wielding Mexicans,who are out to kill all gringos. Bandolero! is no classic but it is a most entertaining and enjoyable romp.I know Raquel Welch was no stranger to the odd western movie,but how the hell did she keep her hair so big in the desert?
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  #48  
Old 31st July 2016, 06:31 PM
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May i?
Bone Tomahawk.

Finally got around to watching this yesterday. When a suspicious drifter strolls into the inn in the pleasant frontier town of Bright Hope, Kurt Russell's, Sheriff Hunt decides to question the man, shooting him in the leg when he tries to flee. Sticking him in a cell the Sheriff sends Bruder to fetch the towns female doctor. Leaving the doctor, the prisoner and a deputy at the station the Sheriff heads home to his wife. Next morning all three are missing and a local stablehand is found butchered. A local indian guide identifies arrows found at the scene as belonging to a small remote cave dwelling tribe in the mountains a few days trek from Bright Hope. Sheriff Hunt, his deputy Chicory (a fantastic turn from Richard Jenkins) Brooder and the docs crippled husband Arthur set off on a rescue mission. So far so Searchers. Except here is where things get interesting. These aren't your average cliche Western redskins. These things are bloody scary, barely human and a genuinely unnerving sight to behold. S.Craig Zahlers western/horror is deserving of every bit of hype its recieved, from the opening scene, to the climax this film contains some of the most disturbing scenes I've seen in a long time. Performancea across the board are pitch perfect, especially as I've said Richard Jenkins as old timer Deputy Chicory a man still mourning the loss of his wife and determined to be more than just an old man. It takes obvious inspiration from Fords supposed classic The Searchers though it pisses all over it in the process, but then so does Police Academy 5 as far as I'm concerned. There's more than a nod to The Hills Have Eyes here too. Brilliant brilliant film that isn't scared to take its time getting where it's going, highly recommended.
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  #49  
Old 31st July 2016, 06:36 PM
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Bandolero is a firm favourite of mine, Inspector.

Have you seen The Professionals? That's one of my top five westerns. A top notch cast - Lancaster, Palance, Marvin, Ryan and Cardinale and the mother of all action sequences at the end. I'm sure it inspired Peckinpah's Wild Bunch.

I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on the film.
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  #50  
Old 31st July 2016, 06:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs View Post
Bandolero is a firm favourite of mine, Inspector.

Have you seen The Professionals? That's one of my top five westerns. A top notch cast - Lancaster, Palance, Marvin, Ryan and Cardinale and the mother of all action sequences at the end. I'm sure it inspired Peckinpah's Wild Bunch.

I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on the film.
I have seen The Professionals but not for along while so due a watch,and yes it does seem to be a prototype for The Wild Bunch.
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