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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 07:13 pm:   

Pre-production stages of The Ward: Nice to see JC back where he belongs.

He'll always be my first hero of horror along with Rod Serling, Ramsey, King and M.R. James.
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Stephen Theaker (Stephen_theaker)
Username: Stephen_theaker

Registered: 12-2009
Posted From: 62.30.117.235
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 11:25 pm:   

When we first got a DVD player his were the films we bought right away.

Just today we found a pair of 3D glasses and spent a very happy half hour playing They Live with the kids...
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Richard_gavin (Richard_gavin)
Username: Richard_gavin

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 65.92.49.112
Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 11:40 pm:   

Carpenter is one of my favourite directors of all time. I've always loved the lack of pretension in his fimmaking. He's a storyteller with a craftman's work ethic, much like Hitchcock.

And as a pre-emptive strike before the "unbiased" and "balanced" opinions come pouring in: yes, even we fans know that he has directed some turkeys over the years. And yes, he has in fact directed a good movie since the '80s. In the Mouth of Madness for one.

I'm stoked that he's got a new film on the slate.
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Steve Bacon (Stevebacon)
Username: Stevebacon

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 90.208.112.227
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 12:16 am:   

In the Mouth of Madness is great, isn't it? Good stuff.
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Mark_samuels (Mark_samuels)
Username: Mark_samuels

Registered: 04-2010
Posted From: 86.133.23.20
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 12:49 am:   

I liked In the Mouth of Madness too, despite the fact I thought it went off the rails about 2/3s of the way in. Still, it was back on track by the end. Great creepy fun.

Ghosts of Mars, on the other hand, was truly dire.

Mark S.
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Mark West (Mark_west)
Username: Mark_west

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 86.171.253.12
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 01:29 am:   

Mark - I agree, on both counts. Great news that he's got something new, hope it works well.
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Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.78.35.185
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 10:45 am:   

In the mouth of madness was generally interesting and one of the few films with a truly lovecraftian feel (even if not based on an HPL story) but my main issue was that for me it wasn't scary for one minute.

Regarding "They Live", I recently discovered that Jonathan Lethem - quite an accomplished writer himself - is actually writing a non-fiction book about the film ! Or someone could send him a copy of Ligotti's Crampton script !

Regarding The Ward, it's scheduled for this fall if I am not mistaken. I do hope it's a true return to form. Ever since They Live, and even noticeable in his better (but often flawed) recent efforts (Madness; Vampieres; Cigarette Burns), I do notice a certain lack of passion.

Anyway, I am hopeful that The Ward will be worth it. Afterwards, perhaps he should try a real western, since many of his movies are westerns in disguise.

These days the younger directors who are most Carpenter-ish are for me Robert Rodriguez and Neil Marshall.
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Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.78.35.185
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 10:47 am:   

I was a bit too hasty - I wanted to add the Crampton comment after my western remark.
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Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 195.166.117.210
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 10:55 am:   

In the Mouth of Madness was, effectively, Carpenter's last good film (I actually thought it was great). Everything after 1994 has been dire, IMHO.

I'll always love his earlier work, but sadly the news of a new film doesn't excite me at all.
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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 11:31 am:   

Miserable bastard Bet you wouldn't say no to him filming one of your novels though, would ya?
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Richard_gavin (Richard_gavin)
Username: Richard_gavin

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 65.110.174.71
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 11:40 am:   

Yes, Vampires and Ghosts of Mars were both awful. And with the exception of his okay Masters of Horror episode (though pretty much every installment of that series leaves something to be desired, even Miike's weird and brutal Imprint), Carpenter's been off the radar for a while now.

I do hope that The Ward got him in the director's chair again because he was passionate about the script.

We'll see...
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John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert)
Username: John_l_probert

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 213.122.209.76
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 11:53 am:   

I'm going to agree with Zed here in that IMOM was Carpenter's last great movie (all those that have followed have been really, really awful).

But I did like Cigarette Burns. And I'm an optimist, so I'll watch it anyway
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 11:58 am:   

I wrote this up some time ago on another thread but my thoughts on Carpenter remain the same and its proper home is here, so:

John Carpenter will always be one of the greats because of the phenomenal purple patch that started his career - something he shares with Argento, Cronenberg & Romero. I get the impression that many of his later films were made simply to earn a living rather than out of the same love of genre filmmaking that he started with. Every now and again when a particular project seems to capture his imagination all the old flair rises to the surface again and I still hold out hope of a late period resurgence.

Here's how I'd rank his filmography:

'Dark Star' (1974) - a fucking masterpiece that is still my personal favourite of all his films! Hilarious, exciting, poignant and profound.

'Assault On Precinct 13' (1976) - another masterpiece and one of the most visceral, adrenaline pumping thrillers of the 1970s.

'Halloween' (1978) - three masterpieces in a row and THE definitive slasher movie par excellence that still puts to shame every one of the myriad of imitations that followed - mainly because it eschews gore for sheer jump-out-of-your skin frights!

'Someone's Watching Me' (1978) - haven't seen it.

'Elvis' (1979) - haven't seen it.

'The Fog' (1980) - one of the most genuinely scary and atmospheric supernatural horrors of its era and one of Carpenter's most underrated movies despite being not quite up to the standard of his first three.

'Escape From New York' (1981) - another brilliant slab of pure OTT escapism that entertains in spades from first demented moment to last.

'The Thing' (1982) - his fourth masterpiece and one of the few remakes of a classic sci-fi movie that actually improves upon the original. This is how shit scary alien horror should be filmed! Fucking awesome!!

'Christine' (1983) - his weakest film up till then this is a surprisingly routine and uninspired adaptation of one of Stephen King's best early novels. Not bad but just not great either.

'Starman' (1984) - a woeful early misstep that doesn't work at all for me and was inexplicably overrated by the critics at the time this is a mawkishly sentimental attempt to cash in on the spirit of 'E.T.'.

'Big Trouble In Little China' (1986) - this attempt to repeat the anything goes formula of EFNY doesn't quite work as well but is still great fun in a switch your brain off, sit back and grin kinda way.

'Prince Of Darkness' (1987) - a brilliantly entertaining full-blooded apocalyptic horror yarn that now appears even better than it did at the time and is second only to 'Halloween' as his best pure horror film.

'They Live' (1988) - his most riotously entertaining sci-fi movie since 'Dark Star' and another firm favourite of mine this is one of those films that gets better every time you see it. You can just tell Carpenter was having a ball making this one. Wonderful!

'Memoirs Of An Invisible Man' (1992) - I seem to be alone as the only person I know who loved this film and found it thoroughly entertaining with Chevy Chase perfectly cast and at his most likeable in the lead. Carpenter got the mixture of laughs and thrills just right for me.

'Body Bags' (1993) - pretty insipid attempt to revive the portmanteau horror format that only works in the middle of three black comedy horror stories (fortunately directed by Carpenter) in which Stacey Keach is hilarious as a middle-aged man prepared to go to any lengths to avoid encroaching baldness.

'In The Mouth Of Madness' (1994) - Carpenter's last truly great horror movie that begins as straight Lovecraftian narrative before segueing brilliantly into pure David Lynch territory at his most bizarre and nightmarish! Sam Neill has never been better...

'Village Of The Damned' (1995) - the first Carpenter movie that made me say "what the fuck?!" and have to check the credits after to make sure I hadn't dreamt he was the director. An abysmal failure on every level that when compared to the B&W original just proves what a monumental achievement 'The Thing' was...

'Escape From L.A.' (1996) - a film so bad it almost had me in tears to witness the death of such a great talent. Like running into an ex-lover years later to find you don't even fancy her anymore.

'Vampires' (1998) - actually quite good and raised my hopes that perhaps he had been suffering a nervous breakdown the last few years. Not quite classic Carpenter but getting there.

'Ghosts Of Mars' (2001) - nope, he's lost it... complete shite from start to finish. If ever a film was phoned in by the director without even watching the end result back it was this one.

'Cigarette Burns' (2005) - bloody hell but this is almost shockingly good and as visceral and original a piece of pure horror as Carpenter has ever made. There's fire in the old man's belly yet!!

'Pro-Life' (2006) - oh for fuck sake what are you playing at man! This is shit again... he's messing with our heads I tell ya!! Then again some of the imagery did linger in my mind though I haven't been able to bear watching it again since... maybe a misunderstood attempt at black comedy? I'm grasping at straws here, aren't I...

'The Ward' (2010) - God only knows... but I can't wait at the same time.
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Joelmurr (Joelmurr)
Username: Joelmurr

Registered: 04-2010
Posted From: 82.169.25.44
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 01:27 pm:   

I do hope he's got his mojo back, but ...

The featurettes on the Ghosts of Mars DVD were quite sad - the man himself looked bored out of his mind. He only seemed to come alive in the recording studio. The rest of the time, it's like he'd rather have been at home playing video games.

I suspect that the only way we'd get a great movie out of him now is if someone gives him a bunch of money to make an old-fashioned western ...

(Hello everyone - first post here!)
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Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 195.166.117.210
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 01:32 pm:   

Hello, and welcome.

The thought of Carpenter doing a proper old-fashioned western is quite exciting...
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Weber (Weber_gregston)
Username: Weber_gregston

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.176.105.55
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 02:32 pm:   

I'd like to see him make a table, and some nice chairs, maybe put up a bookshelf or two.
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Craig (Craig)
Username: Craig

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 75.4.237.53
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 04:00 pm:   

MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN - did he do that?! I agree with you, Stevie, it's another vastly underrated gem (and was underrated at the time it was released!).
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 04:13 pm:   

Now we got two Joels!

Hello and welcome to the looney bin.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 04:14 pm:   

Carpenter did do a proper old-fashioned western... it was called 'Assault On Precinct 13'.
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Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 195.166.117.210
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 04:36 pm:   

No, I think you'll find that's a neo-western: set in the (then) present day yet utilising western themes and tropes.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 04:39 pm:   

You know what I mean...
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Weber (Weber_gregston)
Username: Weber_gregston

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.176.105.55
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 05:29 pm:   

Is Escape from LA the worst sequel to a good original film ever made?

It's got to be close.

And has anyone seen the remake of Precinct 13? If so is it worth watching? The cast does look quite strong.
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John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert)
Username: John_l_probert

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 213.122.209.76
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 07:14 pm:   

The featurettes on the Ghosts of Mars DVD were quite sad - the man himself looked bored out of his mind. He only seemed to come alive in the recording studio. The rest of the time, it's like he'd rather have been at home playing video games.


You're right! The only bit that looked at all fun was when he was getting that chap to bash the hell out the drums!
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Craig (Craig)
Username: Craig

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 75.5.5.163
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 07:41 pm:   

Is Escape from LA the worst sequel to a good original film ever made?

I don't think so... that would be BIG-TOP PEE WEE... or maybe THE HIDDEN 2....
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 86.24.29.249
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 07:56 pm:   

Weber, I didn't think much of the Precinct 13 remake.
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John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert)
Username: John_l_probert

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 213.122.209.76
Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 09:20 pm:   

Craig - I loved THE HIDDEN!
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 82.17.252.126
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 12:33 am:   

'The Hidden' is great!

What was that other film very similar made about the same time? I think it was directed by the guy made 'Henry : Portrait Of A Serial Killer'... a great little sci-fi/horror flick.
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Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.96.240.106
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 01:01 am:   

The Borrower.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 82.17.252.126
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 01:30 am:   

That's the one! Haven't seen it since the 80s but remember it very fondly as a great piece of gross-out schlock. I preferred it to 'The Hidden' at the time.
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Craig (Craig)
Username: Craig

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 75.5.4.48
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 03:24 am:   

Me too, John! THE HIDDEN is a total 80's gem - brutal, relentless, and often kinda funny - but did you ever see the sequel? Oh man, is it bad... it looks like they had run out of money, quickly, while it was being made even... it's SO bad, in fact, it really doesn't even qualify as a real movie, to be honest....
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Craig (Craig)
Username: Craig

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 75.5.4.48
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 03:24 am:   

Speaking of HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, I've heard it on good authority that the sequel to that phenomenal film is utterly execrable, as well.
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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 07:41 am:   

Assault On Precinct 13 is actually a remake of Rio Bravo, and is actually set in the near near future.

I really liked the remake.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 10:18 am:   

I agree, 'The Hidden' is one of the quintessential 80s classics and the film that must have landed Kyle McLachlan the part of Agent Cooper in 'Twin Peaks'. I always thought of it as an inspired spoof with the two leads making a great double act.

'The Borrower' is a great little movie too and even more gruesome with a similar tongue-in-cheek approach. It would sit well alongside the early works of Peter Jackson or Frank Henenlotter. I often wonder about the background of films released around the same time that are so similar...
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Joelmurr (Joelmurr)
Username: Joelmurr

Registered: 04-2010
Posted From: 82.169.25.44
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 11:17 am:   

The Hidden - that's a fun flick! The version I saw in its theatrical run was inadvertently absurdist. I was visiting Finland at the time. The local distributor and censors cut it to shreds - and took out every single shot of the alien. What was left didn't make much sense!
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Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.78.35.185
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 03:16 pm:   

I did quite like the Assault remake. Suspenseful.

He actually wrote two westerns that were later made into TV movies (without himself involved): Blood River and El Diablo. Blood River was forgettable, in fact I forgot all about it; and El Diablo was quite charming and funny - it features a clumsy character who often shoots his own horse.

About Vampires: it crumbled to dust towards the end, but you have to give it to him that the start was brutally effective - with a western vibe. There were also some great other scenes like the Vampires climbing out of the sand.
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 213.81.113.70
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2010 - 10:41 pm:   

>>Assault On Precinct 13 is actually a remake of Rio Bravo, and is actually set in the near near future.

Don't mention that, not after pre-70s westerns took a kicking over on the horror western thread.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 82.17.252.126
Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 01:56 am:   

Okay, I've been dying to do this... Top 10 Westerns of all time imo:

1. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) by Sergio Leone
2. The Wild Bunch (1969) by Sam Peckinpah
3. Red River (1948) by Howard Hawks
4. The Searchers (1956) by John Ford
5. My Darling Clementine (1946) by John Ford
6. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) by Sergio Leone
7. Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid (1973) by Sam Peckinpah
8. Unforgiven (1992) by Clint Eastwood
9. The Magnificent Seven (1960) by John Sturges
10. Shane (1953) by George Stevens

... ask me tomorrow and the Top 2 will have swapped.
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 86.16.9.159
Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 10:52 am:   

This is by no means definitive -- I could probably do a top 10 using only films by either Clint or The Duke -- but off the top of my head and in no particular order...

1.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) George Roy Hill
2.Rio Bravo/ El Dorado (1959/1967) Howard Hawks (Essentially the same film but with various crucial differences. I love 'em both.)
3.Warlock (1959) Edward Dymtyrk
4.The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) Clint Eastwood
5.Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood
6. Hombre (1967) Martin Ritt
7. Red River (1948) Howard Hawks
8. The Searchers (1956) John ford
9. The Man From Laramie (1955) Anthony Mann
10. The Law and Jake Wade (1958) John Sturges
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 82.17.252.126
Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 02:02 pm:   

Every one a classic, though I haven't seen 'Warlock' - thanks for the recommendation, Stu.

A few other favourite oldies that still pack an emotional punch - something revisionist westerns of the 70s tended to lack:
Dodge City (1939) by Michael Curtiz
Stagecoach (1939) by John Ford
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) by William Wellman
Fort Apache (1948) by John Ford
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) by John Ford
The Gunfighter (1950) by Henry King
Bend Of The River (1952) by Anthony Mann
High Noon (1952) by Fred Zinnemann
Hondo (1953) by John Farrow
The Naked Spur (1953) by Anthony Mann
Gunfight At The OK Corral (1957) by John Sturges
The Big Country (1958) by William Wyler
Man Of The West (1958) by Anthony Mann
The Horse Soldiers (1959) by John Ford
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) by John Ford

Any serious fan of great cinema needs to see every one of the above films imo... and many more like em besides.
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 82.14.59.123
Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 05:18 pm:   

Seen all of them apart from The Ox-Bow Incident and The Horse Soldiers. Although to be honest I can't remember if I saw Man of the West, Gunfight at the OK Corral and The Big Country all the way through.

Definitely want to see Ox-Bow. I've heard it's a cracker.
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Craig (Craig)
Username: Craig

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 75.5.3.156
Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 03:32 am:   

Anyone every seen this one?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050547/

I literally stumbled across it the other day, looking something else up, but it got good reviews there and here on imdb - seems to mix western with noir and murder-mystery - and starts Sterling Hayden to boot!
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 81.100.117.32
Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 11:16 am:   

Not seen that one but it sounds interesting.

More westerns I've enjoyed, spewed out totally at random:

The Quick and the Dead (1995) Sam Raimi
The Last Wagon (1956) Delmer Daves
The Beguiled (1971) Don Siegel
Silverado (1985) Lawrence Kasdan
Appaloosa (2008) Ed Harris
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) Henry Hathaway
3:10 to Yuma (1957) Delmer Daves
Two Mules For Sister Sara (1970) Don Siegel
Ride the High Country (1962) Sam Peckinpah

And of course Blazing Saddles (1974) Mel Brooks
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 82.17.252.126
Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 08:12 pm:   

'3:10 To Yuma' belonged on my list - the original is one of the great suspense thrillers as well as a stone cold classic western.

Think I mentioned 'Ride The High Country' which, for me, marked an iconic farewell by Peckinpah to the old style western that celebrated honour and camaraderie. It's the one film around which the entire genre pivots.

I wasn't fussed on 'The Quick And The Dead' - too self-reverential imo, haven't seen 'The Last Wagon'(!), love 'The Beguiled' (borderline horror), thought 'Silverado' was pretty average, 'Katie Elder' & 'Two Mules' are great entertainment.

Another few all-time favs:
Rio Grande (1950) by John Ford
Winchester '73 (1950) by Anthony Mann
Johnny Guitar (1954) by Nicholas Ray
The Far Country (1955) by Anthony Mann
Last Train From Gun Hill (1959) by John Sturges
One-Eyed Jacks (1961) by Marlon Brando

... every one a solid gold classic.

Next up the spaghettis, the bloody 1970s and beyond...
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 86.24.11.144
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 10:31 am:   

This has got me thinking about westerns I've not seen. Anyone seen any of the following and are they any good?

The Unforgiven (1960) John Huston
Valdez is Coming (1971) Edwin Sherin
Vera Cruz (1954) Robert Aldrich
McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971) Robert Altman
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 11:20 am:   

The only one of those I've seen is 'Valdez Is Coming' (long a 70s favourite)... been dying to see 'McCabe And Mrs Miller' for years but keep missing it.

Okay, my Top 10 Spaghetti Westerns:

1. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) by Sergio Leone
2. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) by Leone
3. For A Few Dollars More (1965) by Leone
4. A Fistful Of Dollars (1964) by Leone
5. A Bullet For The General (1966) by Damiano Damiani
6. A Fistful Of Dynamite (1971) by Leone
7. Django (1966) by Sergio Corbucci
8. The Great Silence (1968) by Corbucci
9. Sabata (1969) by Gianfranco Parolini
10. The Mercenary (1968) by Corbucci

... I'm not one of those cinema snobs who think all spaghetti westerns are shit and have had quite a few arguments in their defence down the years. For me, the greatest examples are among the finest marriages of spectacular visuals, stunningly choreographed action set pieces, beautifully integrated music and operatic high emotion that cinema has yet produced. They exist in a purely cinematic fantasy world all their own and mark some kind of high water mark of cinema as Quality Entertainment & Art poised halfway between the otherwordly melodrama of silent cinema and the gritty realism of today, imho. Even the dafter ones have a vitality and effortless entertainment value that makes them endlessly rewatchable - the world would be a much drabber place without them.
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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 11:32 am:   

Seraphim Falls with Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson is a great western.
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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 11:32 am:   

Apparently
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 11:37 am:   

Craig, I'd never even heard of 'The Iron Sheriff' before... sounds great!
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Frank (Frank)
Username: Frank

Registered: 09-2008
Posted From: 85.222.86.72
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 11:37 am:   

McCabe and Mrs Miller is very much (in Altman's roundabout way) an anti-western, in as much as it avoids the easily accessed morale consciousness of what 20th century American film-goers attached to their westerns. That aside, I think of it as revisionist in attitude and tone, and therefore still a western.

But what do I know
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Stu (Stu)
Username: Stu

Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 82.27.18.150
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 12:07 pm:   

Hmm, I don't think I've seen any spaghetti westerns apart from Stevie's top 4.
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Stevie Walsh (Stephenw)
Username: Stephenw

Registered: 03-2009
Posted From: 194.32.31.1
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 12:55 pm:   

Every one of those ten is a masterpiece of pure cinema imo. All those great gory revisionist westerns of the 1970s would never have happened without the deglamorisation of the Old West that began with the spaghettis.
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Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts

Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.78.35.185
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 02:13 pm:   

Fond memories of Django...

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