Western Movies

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Just recorded last train from gun hill to watch over the weekend not seen it in years can't remember alot of it too clearly.

i was trying to watch this while i was on meal duty in the kitchen. however, the print was so bad i gave up. watching bluray has really made me sensitive to crummy transfers

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Cracking John Sturges western in which sheriff Kirk Douglas' wife is raped and murdered by two men one of whom Douglas soon finds out is the son of former partner Anthony Quinn, a wealthy land owner who pretty much runs the town of Gun Hill just a train ride away.

Although quite similar to 57's 3:10 To Yuma in that Douglas spends a fair portion of the film hanging out in a top floor hotel room trying to evade Quinn as he holds his son captive as they wait for the train, this film is so much better. The tension is there from the off and Sturges taut direction never lets go. Both Douglas and Quinn are terrific and their sparring chat in an early scene really convinces. Kirk Douglas in particular is excellent, very grim throughout, even though he holds morality and the law in his hands you really wouldn't want to cross him.

Although it's clear who is in the wrong the script certainly has gray areas in reasoning an eye for an eye or in this case a life for a life, but it all makes the inevitable showdown finale the more thrilling.

Highly recommended.

Kirk Douglas and Earl Holliman in a dvd screen grab.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Cracking John Sturges western in which sheriff Kirk Douglas' wife is raped and murdered by two men one of whom Douglas soon finds out is the son of former partner Anthony Quinn, a wealthy land owner who pretty much runs the town of Gun Hill just a train ride away.

Although quite similar to 57's 3:10 To Yuma in that Douglas spends a fair portion of the film hanging out in a top floor hotel room trying to evade Quinn as he holds his son captive as they wait for the train, this film is so much better. The tension is there from the off and Sturges taut direction never lets go. Both Douglas and Quinn are terrific and their sparring chat in an early scene really convinces. Kirk Douglas in particular is excellent, very grim throughout, even though he holds morality and the law in his hands you really wouldn't want to cross him.

Although it's clear who is in the wrong the script certainly has gray areas in reasoning an eye for an eye or in this case a life for a life, but it all makes the inevitable showdown finale the more thrilling.

Highly recommended.

Kirk Douglas and Earl Holliman in a dvd screen grab.

Makes me even more excited to watch this now. Think it's gonna have to be tomorrow night don't think I can't wait until my original plan of Saturday or Sunday.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Whispering Smith (1948)

A decent if not outstanding western starring Alan Ladd as a law enforcement officer on the railroads who returns to his old stamping grounds to find best friend Robert Preston has joined an unscrupulous band of train wreckers.

Whispering Smith was Ladd's first starring western and first in technicolor, his easygoing character with a ruthless edge set the template for many westerns to come and made him a firm favourite among genre fans and he's very good here.

In fact the whole film is good, it's attractively shot, has good production values, many railroad sequences and a decent cast accompanying Ladd, but whilst a good film, it's certainly not a classic of the genre as the plot is a little formulaic at times and perhaps doesn't quite grip as much as it should. Perhaps watched on it's own i may think differently but the night following the excellent Last Train from Gun Hill wasn't the best time to watch another railroad western.

Following this second viewing i was left wondering if someone had either read du Mauriers's novel or at the very least seen Hitchcock's film of Jamaica Inn from ten years previous and decided to adapt it as a western.

Shit goes down at Medicine Bend.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Professionals (1966)

Lee Marvin



Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Rio Bravo (1958)

[Demoncrat]

Get Mean (1975, Ferdinando Baldi.

We open on our protagonist enjoying some light outdoor exercises finally coming to rest in a seemingly deserted town. And just as his ride gives out ... the bells begin to chime .....

Look. Imagine if Keith Barron was the lead in High Plains Drifter . Not really, but this is sort of what to expect
Fitting right in with the locals, he is requested to escort a desperate royal back to her homeland... for the right price, of course. Our man's hide is important to him and only gold can etc etc.
After driving up that price , he happily accepts their offer. Just in time, as the local Viking horde are upon them. Yes, I said Viking. Keep up at the back there
I always feel that a banjo on the ST can make any screen violence appear cuddly ahem.
Our determined duo set off on their mission, will only a pitched battle betwixt those pesky Vikings and the Moorish contingent, who haven't been mentioned till now. SBU
The victors invite our pair to tea (or something beginning with t ...), which leaves our shabby hero high and dry so to speak.
When he is rescued by the princesses aides, things seem to be returning on course, until the villain of the piece is revealed to be Richard Lionheart. No shit. Keep up . I must say at this juncture that the imagery teeters on the Brooks side of things, but to me this just adds to the sheer entertainment value of this movie
I haven't even mentioned the riotously CAMP courtier character yet.
Back to the plot and a n additional quest is laid upon our man's chest. Being assaulted by spirits isn't usually part of the job, but all bets are off in this place
To say that I want y'all to see this asap should hopefully be obvious. I hasn't enjoyed myself as much in ages. Ahem. 99/10 [FONT ="Arial Black"]

[Inspector Abberline]

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Made around the same time as Sergio Leones A Fistful of Dollars, a Pistol For Ringo doesn't have any of the Leone trappings we come to see with all the eventual Spaghetti western's which came after the dollars trilogy, no zooming in on a characters nose or sweaty face, and none of the imitations or mannerisms of a certain Mr Eastwood.It also lacks the mean spirited meanness of say Django (1966) another classic that came afterwards...A Pistol is pretty much at the start of the wave of spaghetti westerns, so seems to of been overlooked compared to the other films that came afterwards, and this was possibly because of that main lead was not American, as a lot of the main leads were back then, just so they could sell it in the States...But it has to be said that Giuliano Gemma is absolutely brilliant in the lead role, as he goes really against type, he's a blond, cocky and energetic anti-hero who has bucketsful of charm and charisma and is definitely up there with the best Italian actors, if your not familiar with the name he will be instantly recognisable to you all as the lead cop in Argento's Tenebrae..The film is more like the traditional American westerns of the late 1950's early '60s, all be with a great Ennio Morricone score and of course a catchy theme song, highly recommended.

[trebor8273]

Decided to go for a western month from tommorrow. Decided on these

The valley of gwangi
Seven brides for seven brothers
Calamity Jane
Young guns
Django (66)
Pale rider
Blazing Saddles
The professional
The outlaw josy Wales
Once upon a time in the West
Tombstone
True grit (2010)
Unforgiven
Few dollars more
The good the bad and the ugly
High planes drifter

[trebor8273]

Absolutely brilliant the legend at his best. A stranger arrives in the small town of Largo and receives hostile welcome from the townsfolk , after killing three men the townsfolk attitude changes and they ask for the strangers help to stop another 3 men who will arrive soon.

We soon learn that the townsfolk are hiding a secret involving the death of a Marshall. But just who or what is the stranger and what does he have in store for the townsfolk. A brilliant revenge western with a supernatural twist. 10/10


Tonight's western is as different as you could get.