Arthur Penn – BAD TRANSFER

THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976)

Director: Arthur Penn

Staring: Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Harry Dean Stanton, Randy Quaid

Amazon Prime

Great transfer (shit fucking movie)

I can’t believe I made it through this film. There were so many times I just wanted to turn it off, but for some reason I felt obligated to finish it (Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde). This was painfully agonizing to watch and when it was over I felt like it was a complete waste of two hours. I mean I love Westerns, and I thought this was going to be a classic. The attempt at humor or slapstick comedy was terrible and doesn’t hold up (It probably was never funny). The music was almost enough on its own for me to kill my TV. I seriously thought that at some point either Jack Nicholson, or Marlon Brando might suddenly save things, but obviously neither of them ever did. The only great acting in this film was done by Harry Dean Stanton (Repo Man). Marlon Brando’s character was super annoying and from the moment he appeared on the screen I wanted to see him die. Unfortunately that took two hours to happen.

I mean Christ… throw a dog a bone or something…at least give me some nudity or some sick violence.

I’m not even going to get into the plot here. Nobody should waste their time on this over-rated garbage. (NW)

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Nate Wilson: NW Devon Cahill: DC Heath Row: HR Matt Average: MA

BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)

Director: Arthur Penn

Staring: Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman, Michael Pollard

Viewed On Netflix

Great Transfer

bonnieclyde

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