THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976)

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

THE HIRED HAND (1971)

THE HIRED HAND (1971)

Director: Peter Fonda

Staring:  Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Verna Bloom

Viewed On Starz

Great Transfer

This is not your typical run of the mill Western.  There is so much more going on here.  If you are like me and just looking for another killer spaghetti Western this one probably isn’t for you.  The film starts off slow but there is still some violence that creeps in, some of it is sort of shocking, but it’s not done gratuitously, and it happens between a more complex story (for a Western of this time period).  Everything about this is different then most the Westerns that come out during this period.  The film is artsy in a way that is hard for me to explain.  

The cinematography with the slow dissolves, Fonda’s eye for every single detail is pretty amazing as a director/actor. The dialog is just perfect.  The shooting locations are great and look beautiful and are totally believable.  Fonda’s character “Harry” speaks plainly and rarely.  To me he looks a lot like a young Clint Eastwood with his scruff and cold demeanor.  

This is another “buddy” flick in which Fonda and Warren Oats are companions who have traveled the west for seven years together.  Fonda decides its time to return home to his wife and child who he had walked out on seven years prior.   He brings along his buddy “Arch” played by Warren Oats.  Oats in my opinion steals the show.  He’s completely lovable and a great actor who never really got his due.  Unfortunately he died in 1982 at 53 of a heart attack.  

This film isn’t just a western.  It’s a story about love, commitment and yup….revenge. It’s sad and brutal.   I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed this one.  It’s one that I somehow kept avoiding forever because it wasn’t on my radar as the type of gunslinger movie I usually enjoy. Don’t sleep on this like I did.  It’s a true American masterpiece. (NW)

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

SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) / THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

 

Double feature of Seven Samurai, and The Wild Bunch at the Aero, April 27, 2019. Photo: Matt Average

 

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.

THE SEARCHERS (1956) / THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958)

The Searchers, and Hidden Fortress, double feature at the Aero. Photo: 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.

JOHNNY ORO (1966)

JOHNNY ORO (aka Ringo and His Golden Pistol) (1966)

Directed: Sergio Corbucci

Starring: Mark Damon, Valeria Fabrizi, Franco De Rosa, Giulia Rubini

Viewed on Amazon Prime

Transfer quality: Bad

I was excited to watch this movie because its directed by Sergio Corbucci and I just really loved watching Navajo Joe, and The Great Silence.  This though… not good in my opinion, don’t waste your time. The action sucked, the story was boring, the heroes were shitty, and the villain was not scary.  Oh, and the theme song was just not catchy at all.  We all know that a good Western always needs a great theme song.  Sergio blew it on this one.  I watched it on Prime… another bad transfer with terrible dubs.   (NW)

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