SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)
Director: Akira Akurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima,
THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan
Played at the Aero on April 27, 2019 as part of their Cowboys and Samurai series that ends this Sunday.
BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
Director: Arthur Penn
Staring: Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman, Michael Pollard
Viewed On Netflix
Great Transfer
I’ve read many books on the subject of Bonnie & Clyde. Hell, once while I was on tour in Europe (2000 or 2001 with a band I played bass in) I had brought one of those many books on the tour. We had just finished a gig in a rural part of the Czech Republic and it was very late at night (maybe 1or 2am), I was the driver, and was very tired speeding around trying to find my way to the highway. Suddenly sirens and lights started flashing, and the police were on us. I pulled over, and two cops got out of their car and approached both sides of the van. They could not speak any English. I gave them my passport, and they didn’t seem to know how to deal with the situation. Then one of the cops saw my Bonnie & Clyde book on the dashboard and he just started pointing at the book and repeating… “Bonnie & Clyde”, “Bonnie & Clyde”. Then he started mimicking machine gun sounds and acted as though he was holding a machine gun. It was strange but we both laughed, and he waved me along just repeating “Bonnie & Clyde”. It was surreal.
I decided to watch this legendary gangster movie after recently watching the Highwaymen on Netflix (a film about the men who finally tracked down and killed Bonnie & Clyde).
B & C is a true American classic. It was hard for me to take my eyes off of the film mostly because of what a knockout Faye Dunaway is. I’m not a fan of Beatty, but he plays a decent Clyde Barrow.
The film suggests that the two took great pleasure in robbing banks, and living life on the run. It also obviously romanticizes the story of the duo. Pretty much every thing I’ve ever read, and watched about them does the same. Besides the romance in the film there is plenty of gritty violence, and a stab at slapstick. This film really helped to create or at least make the duo out to be American heroes of the time period. Banks had become the real enemy. The violence is pretty awesome for a film that came out in 1967. Lots of shoot outs and cops being shot up. Its beautifully filmed, and the shooting locations are a great help to make the viewer see/understand the poverty of the time.
We all know how this ends, and its extremely bloody and violent.
Not really into the banjo music score, but hey… nothings perfect. (NW)
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Nate Wilson: NW Devon Cahill: DC Heath Row: HR Matt Average: MA
Street Law (1974) (aka Italian Il cittadino si ribella)
Italian
Director: Enzo Castellari
Starring: Franco Nero (Carlo Antonelli), Giancarlo Prete (Tommy), Barbara Bach (Barbara)
Music: Guido and Maurizio De Angelis
Viewed: Amazon streaming
Transfer: Good!
Street Law proves again that it is impossible for Franco Nero (Django, The Fifth Cord) to disappoint. 1974 must have been the year the vigilante broke…you had Bronson in Death Wish, Issac Hayes in Truck Turner, and Nero in Street Law. Definitely all classics in their own right, but this one just might have the others beat.
The film opens with a montage of a 70s Genoa overrun by brazen criminals terrorizing the streets and looting in broad daylight. Nero’s character, Carlo Antonelli, makes his entrance while on the way to the bank to make a deposit. Naturally, as soon he places his hard earned cash on the counter, the bank gets robbed. Criminals are cartoonishly ruthless during the heist, kicking the crutches out from under a disabled person and socking women and Franciscan monks alike in the face with the butt ends of rifles. However, no one actually gets killed. The crooks somehow blame Carlo as the heist goes south and take him hostage, taking turns slapping him around in the speeding car as the police follow in hot pursuit. Later, as the cops and rubberneckers surround the crime scene, the bloodied, degraded, and abandoned Carlo swears his vengeance.
As I was watching this, I found Carlo’s motivation a little confusing at first. Sure, we later learn that the apartment being robbed in the opening sequence is his and, sure, he’s pretty emasculated by the crooks after the robbery, but his level of hostility and lust to avenge his honor that follows reads more psychotic than heroic. At first, I found myself agreeing with his girlfriend Barbara (Barbara Bach) when she says, “I’m only afraid that all those kicks to the head you took are short circuiting your brain. Will you stop complaining, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and stop acting like a goddamn fool!” Yes, Barbara, exactly! A little later in the film however, it’s revealed that Carlo’s father was an instrumental figure in the Italian underground resistance to the Nazi’s. Therefore, Carlos’ character takes on the persona of the Italian “everyman” who is carrying on the grand tradition of railing against the injustices of the world. Suddenly it all makes sense.
The film takes another turn as it morphs into a “buddy movie” when Carlo blackmails another criminal to get a load of weapons. Despite Tommy’s repeated attempts to ditch and double-cross Carlo, they end up being best buds and partners in the quest to topple the hoods who humiliated him—with Carlo seeking his vengeance and Tommy just looking for a way out of the thug life. What truly sets this movie apart and keeps it a cut above a pure exploitation flick, however, is the decently nuanced exploration of the ‘who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy’ dilemma. Where in Death Wish the whole film is geared toward making Bronson’s Kersey the clear hero no matter what action he takes, for Nero’s Carlo, it’s a lot more complicated. This is brought into sharp relief when it’s Carlo who beats his girlfriend and is later the first in the film to kill.
Soundtrack to this is absolutely killer, and the top notch Italian car chase scenes and shootout at the end are must sees if your at all a fan of 70s action. Also, director Enzo Castellari’s (Kill Them All and Come Back Alone, Keoma) move to the handheld camera at key moments creates a ton of cool tension and intensity.
Hands down best line in the film: “C’mon out shitface, or your friend’s a goner!” (DC)
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NW: Nate Wilson DC: Devon Cahill HR: Heath Row MA: Matt Average
THE SEARCHERS (1956)
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Vera Miles
THE HIDDEN FORTRESS
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Played at the Aero on April 26, 2019 as part of their Cowboys and Samurai series that ends this Sunday.
Kill Them All And Come Back Alone (1968)
Directed By Enzo G. Castellari
Starring Chuck Connors, Frank Wolf, & Franco Citti
Viewed On Amazon Prime- Good Transfer
“You know, captain, as a Southerner you made me sick. But as a Northerner, you make me vomit. “
Here at Bad Transfer we love Chuck Connors. Check out Devon’s review for the Mad Bomber.
I was super excited to view Kill Them All… both because of Connors & Enzo who directed Keoma, Street Law, High Crime, The Inglorious Bastards, A Few Dollars for Django, etc. A total legend in Italy. On top of that the title of the film is brilliant.
This is a Western about a group of Confederates who try to steal a treasure of gold from Union Soldiers in 1864.
Theres a ton of action in this movie. So much so that it borders on ridiculous. I sometimes felt like I was watching a kung fu movie from my youth. Not only did the fight scenes have that vibe with dudes flying all over the place, but the subtitles were way off. I have no idea what translation/dubbing they used for this one. At any rate there is a really great underwater scene toward the end which is really fun to watch. All in all I was sorta disappointed in this film maybe just due to my expectations based on Keoma. Keoma is a top 5 spaghetti Western in my book. (NW)
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NW: Nate Wilson DC: Devon Cahill HR: Heath Row MA: Matt Average
UNDER ATTACK – Demo
Tape (and Bandcamp)
Available through Vinyl Conflict and Autoreverse (see Bandcamp site for e-mail address)
As much as I love to hear new bands who sound like old bands, I find I prefer to hear a band that isn’t looking backward and chooses to be firmly grounded in the present. That said, there is something about Under Attack that reminds me of the very few straight up no frills hardcore punk bands from the 1990s. Maybe it’s their heaviness, relentless riffs, and dirty sound. No real clue, and I’m not terribly interested in getting bogged down in figuring it out. Too busy living in the moment.
Under Attack is an all-star band with a pedigree that will make the most jaded sit up and take notice: Hail Mary, Limp Wrist (the first album and EP – the good records), Discordance Axis, Human Remains, Suppression, Eucharist, and some other bands I’m momentarily forgetting.
Five songs that clock in just a little over 6 minutes total, Under Attack crank out a heavy and semi dark sound that goes all out from the opening of “Drained” to “The Comforting End” (the longest of all five, at 1:35). Alex Copeland has a strangled vocal sound that works in tandem with Mark Telfian’s guitar mercilessly raking across your ears, while Witte bashes the hell out of his drums, and through it all, as much as these songs are nasty sounding, they are also catchy (don’t come in to this expecting a grindcore Discordance Axis 2.0).
“Through the Blade” is my favorite cut here, with a opening riff that brings to mind the Battalion of Saints, and then Jason Hodges and Witte come in the with low end to give it any more punch. The vocals also sound stronger here as well, bellowing out “I just want a reasonnnnn!!” and then going into the rest with urgency.
A new band to be excited about, and particularly if you’re part of the burgeoning AARPcore scene. Very much looking forward to hearing what they have next (and hoping they find themselves out west in the not too distant future). (MA)
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Nate Wilson: NW Matt Average: MA
THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (1974)
Directed and Written by Michael Cimino
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis
Viewed on Netflix, Great transfer
“Drop Your Cocks and reach for your socks”
“Man, I’m going crazy. That drives me wild. She just does something to me”
Man this is such a cool 1970’s flick. Tons of action, cool old cars (car chases), and strange 70’s dark humor. This is Cimino’s directing debut (he was only 35 when he made this one). Prior to this he’d only ever written Silent Running and Magnum Force.
Clint is by far my all-time favorite actor. His filmography to me is simply incredible. In this film it seems he’s trying to break his many years of being typecast.
This is known to many as a “buddy” movie. The story is that of ex bank robber (Clint) who mistakenly runs into a petty loser thief (Jeff Bridges). The two travel with one another through the West and quickly become fond of one another. After a run in with his ex bank robbing gang (who are after him and a supposed stash of cash) Clint gets the old gang back together (plus the petty thief loser) for one last heist. Of course things don’t go as planned. George Kennedy (Red), and Geoffrey Lewis (Goody) are hilariously dumb, and brutal and Kennedy might steal the entire show. Its easily his best work.
Jeff Bridges clothes in this are amazingly atrocious. Watch this now. (NW)
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NW: Nate Wilson DC: Devon Cahill HR: Heath Row MA: Matt Average
CITY HUNTER – Deep Blood 12″ 45
Youth Attack Records (YA 103)
I’ve been following everything Mark (McCoy) has been doing with Youth Attack Records since the beginning….yup day one, I was there. For me to see the evolution of his label has been a pretty incredible thing to watch over the years. Its been awesome and makes me proud of an old friend. I still can’t help but to wonder why, and how he still does it to the degree that he does. He puts everything he has into the packaging, layout and the sound that many of the YA bands seem to carry. Then right after the record comes out, usually the bands break up.
At any rate, on to the record review. When I got this City Hunter 12” I was in awe just by looking at the complete package. It looks like every single slasher film that I’d stay up late for in the 80’s to watch on USA’s Up All Night. City Hunter are from from Colorado and feature members of Cadaver Dog, Civilized, and Creep Stare. This seems to be a very incestuous scene that have put that region on the HC map.
When I first put this on my turntable I had sort of the same feeling I had when I first heard Carcass. I’m not sure why, maybe because its extreme in a way I haven’t been exposed to in a while? I’m by no means saying these cats are as good as Carcass. I do however find the band to have some what of a Carcass feel that is mixed in with Void, and then a black metal element in the guitar melodies. The melodies have me able to hum along with the songs even though the music is so chaotic and rawly tuneless. The beginning of the song Schizo really had me feeling the Void thing. Fourteen killer songs that have had me listening to this on multiple occasions.
Advice…listen kids if you want to get signed to YA you must worship Void. Its a fucking no brainer!
Get this City Hunter if you still can, everything about this record is beautifully ugly.
The song titles…
01. Watching Blood Darken
02. Living Nightmare
03. Bind Torture Kill
04. Beyond Recognition
05. Crimson Streets
06. Dark Descent
07. Open Season
08. Silhouette of Death
09. Dying Out
10. Stab and Repeat
11. Slow Death
12. Hollow
13. Schizo
14. One By One
(NW)
THE PEACEMAKER (1997)
Directed By Mimi Leder
Staring George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iures
Viewed On Amazon prime
Great Transfer
Ok I’m going to start this off by saying that I know I probably shouldn’t like this movie. I’m pretty embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed this a lot. As I’ve stated in past reviews I’m a sucker for anything remotely terrorism related. This is cool because it predates 911. I hate the fact that I enjoy Clooney. I want to hate him every time , but the bottom line is that I enjoy almost everything I see him in. All the Coen bros films, The American, Michael Clayton, Gravity, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Descendants, Syriana, etc. Also the pro American music through out the movie makes me realize I should prolly wonder why I’m liking and watching it… but you know what? It beats some dated Nu Metal soundtrack! It works for the film.
This is basically about a stolen Russian nuke that goes through much adventure, trials and tribulations overseas to finally reach NYC where it needs to be disarmed by Nicole Kidman. Its a long flick, but there is much killer action and adventure with some awesome bad guys and rad death scenes. Clooney kicks ass as a tough, take no shit rogue US Army colonel. Not the kind of film I’d watch most the time, but it worked for me last night. My wife might have even enjoyed this one. (NW)
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NW: Nate Wilson DC: Devon Cahill HR: Heath Row MA: Matt Average
LONG WEEKEND (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
Staring John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwen, Cricket (the dog)
Australia
Streamed on Prime- Great Transfer
Well this movie seems a lot longer then the hour and thirty it clocks in at. It takes a while for stuff to really get moving. The last 30 minutes are when things really get good, and the last 20 practically have no dialog at all. Make sure you watch this with the subtitles on, because you don’t want to miss anything. The accents throw me sometimes.
This is a story of a suburban couple who are super easy to just be disgusted by. Its easy to hate on them. They are just awful people, and I actually don’t find myself feeling sorry for them at all at any point in the film. They “disrespect” and destroy nature for literally no reason… and Mother Nature gets her revenge. The couple go to the beach for a weekend and along the way kill numerous animals, carelessly start a fire on the side of the road, throw beer bottles in the ocean, chop down trees for absolutely no reason, etc. They continuously argue and fight with one another throughout the story. It really is sort of clever and helps build things up for the cool ending. I won’t spoil the film to much for you, but the ending is really cool, and to for me it was worth it all. As my buddy Mark said to me about the film “Its grueling, but worth the watch”. I’d tend to agree. Its not a movie you will soon forget. (NW)
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NW: Nate Wilson DC: Devon Cahill MA: Matt Average
BAD TRANSFER 