Last Movie you Watched?

bondjames

I'm sure I'll like it. The production values look really good in the trailers and Sutherland is always a treat to watch.

It's a coincidence that in both cases Getty is played by a Canadian (with Plummer in the film version).

peter

yep-- Sutherland is great (as is Plummer); Plummer was the quick re-cast they did: Scott had originally filmed a heavily made-up Kevin Spacey as JP Getty-- but then the sexual misconduct stories were revealed.

Scott ordered re-shoots (costing a few million more), re-cast Plummer in the role, in which another controversy arose: Mark Wahlberg was paid quite a bit more than his co-star Michelle Williams, to come back for the re-shoots.

Wahlberg reportedly donated this money to Time's Up:

https://www.today.com/popculture/mark-wahlberg-donating-1-5-million-time-s-after-pay-t121192

DarthDimi

I'm beginning to like your ranking, @Artemis81! I'll continue to read your reviews. Curious to see where you're going to fit in the next few films. :)

GoldenGun

People seem to really like Winter Soldier and the first Avengers, but I thought they were just ok. Those two films feel like one big setpiece to me. Civil War and Ragnarok on the other hand really impressed me. I’m curious where they will end up in your ranking.

ClarkDevlin

I also may be in the minority but Winter Soldier is something I find overrated. Decent. Alright. But, not the masterpiece people are making it out to be. But, I do like the first Avengers. The one installment that entertains me completely is the first Iron Man, however. It never gets tiring for me, that one. Black Panther is also a film I hold as one of the greats in the MCU franchise.

I also found Civil War very underwhelming. It's nothing like the comic book story arc, which was tense, edgy and had a story that paralleled the title, unlike the film. Vision, as a character, also annoys me the way Star-Lord does to some. Both of the Guardians of the Galaxy, while entertaining, are nowhere near as good as the acclaim they receive.

To me, the holy trinity of MCU films has become Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger and Black Panther. Then Marvel's The Avengers and then the rest.

TheWizardOfIce

Revelator wrote: »

Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley (1981, Lenfilm)

I had misgivings about the Russian version of the Hound of the Baskervilles. What if its supposed greatness was nationalistic hype from the Ruskies? What I initially saw felt terribly strange. How odd to see Sherlock and Watson speaking Russian! And though the filmmakers went to great trouble to get the period look right, the buildings, furnishings, locations, and clothing still looked very Russian.

But by the end I was definitely impressed. The Russians have a reputation for reverent, lavish adaptations of classic literature, and this must be the longest (two and a half hours) and most faithful adaptation of the Hound ever made. It also has the biggest budget—to the shame of the British and Americans, who've cranked out so many cheap versions of the tale! I don’t know what godforsaken part of Russia stood in for the moor, but it was just as desolate and eerie. And what a pleasure to see a version of the Hound with extensive outdoors photography and outdoor nighttime scenes! These are supremely important in sustaining the mood. The hound emerges from genuine darkness; strategically painted, it looks a floating skull. Very effective.

Vasily Livanov plays Sherlock Holmes. I'm still unsure about him: he looks more like an accountant than a detective and croaks his lines, but he expertly exudes Holmes’s quality of slow-burning stillness and projects great intelligence (with a hint of amused cynicism). As for Vitaly Solomin’s Dr. Watson, he is without doubt among the best-ever versions of the character and could have stepped out of Sidney Paget’s illustrations. Solomin has occasional sly glint in his eye—he could just as easily play a master detective as hid sidekick, which gives his Watson authority and charisma. The other roles are similarly well cast. The Russians have some fun with Henry Baskerville (Nikita Mikhalkov) and turn him into a boisterous cowboy, though his emotional volubility is more Cossack than Texan. He provides gentle comic relief and makes the part more memorable than usual.

So, congratulations to the Russians for creating one of the best adaptations of Doyle's novel. The worst I can say is that it doesn't have the vitality of the 1939 film and is a bit slow in comparison. Director Igor Maslennikov occasionally wrings stunning images from the material (such as the man on the Tor, and perhaps the spookiest hound to appear onscreen) but he’s not the most dynamic or pacey director. Neverthless, this handsome, heavy film is gauntlet thrown down to Homes's homeland—if Russia can put this much care and craft into the story, why can’t Britain?



The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983, Mapleton Films)

The great Ian Richardson was an inspired choice for Holmes. Anyone who’s watched the original House of Cards has thrilled to the silvery, spidery coolness of this charismatic actor. His Francis Urquhart was capable of pissing ice water, just as Holmes should be. So it’s disappointing that Richardson’s Sherlock is avuncular and super-smiley, as if the actor was afraid of hinting at the character's darkness. Thankfully there are moments when the happy-face mask slips and one glimpses the sort of magnificent, masterful Holmes that Richardson could have been with more sensitive direction.

Alas, Donald Churchill’s Watson is a harrumphing, bad-tempered throwback to Nigel Bruce. Unlike Bruce, Churchill also comes across as an a**hole. There’s no sense of great friendship or even the slightest camaraderie between him and Richardson's Holmes. The supporting cast is mouth-watering (Nicholas Clay, Brian Blessed, Eleanor Bron, Connie Booth, Denholm Elliott) but gives flat performances.

Douglas Hickox’s direction is initially over-flashy but settles down. Ronnie Taylor cinematography's is at feature film level. Much of the production was filmed on location in Devonshire and the moor scenery is stunning. But like all the non-Russian versions of the story, the climactic scenes with the hound are filmed on a sound-stage with the fog machine working overtime. Luckily the set is good, second only to the 1939 film’s. The hound is a large and imposing black dog, often shown in silhouette with an unsettling white glow in its eyes. The film makes a small mistake in fully revealing the creature before the climax, but the revelation is brief enough for the film to recover.

The script was written by someone who didn’t trust the effectiveness of the original story. A new and very obvious red herring has been introduced, several scenes have been reshuffled, and the script strains to keep the murderer’s identity a secret for too long. Watson’s time as the sole investigator is curtailed—perhaps for the best since he’s so dim in this version, but Holmes’s reappearance no longer comes as a delight. Some scripting decisions make no sense—Lestrade is introduced early on (Watson is uncharacteristically rude to him) yet doesn’t appear at the finale, his only scene in the book.

This is a production with a large enough budget to sustain lavish period settings, though they have the gaudy look that Americans tend to give Victorian England. But this adaptation is caught midway between Rathbone version (it even repeats Holmes’ gypsy disguise) and the Hammer film. So we get an old-fashioned Holmes and Watson alongside vulgarly rendered sex and violence (Sir Hugo takes forever to rape and kill the peasant girl). The basic ingredients to this Hound are good, but the result feels derivative. For a version that ignores earlier films and goes back to Doyle, turn to the following adaptation...



The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988, ITV Granada)

The Granada Sherlock Holmes series starred arguably the best Holmes and Watson of all. Its 1988 version of the Hound should have been the best as well, but it turned out to be a dispiriting disappointment. The series had overspent on earlier episodes and to save money decided to shoot a two hour film instead of two one-hour entries. The tightened budget meant no 17th century flashback to Sir Hugo, no London street chase, no filming in Dartmouth, and no outdoors filming at night. A deadly set of deprivations.

As Holmes Jeremy Brett was eternally brilliant—his line readings show an intense and sensitive study and internalization of Doyle. He alone seems to have turned Sherlock into a convincing human being, rather than a smug human computer. But at the time of filming he was afflicted by ill health (water retention caused by medication for his manic depression). His opening scenes are crisply performed, but his later scenes have less electricity. Edward Hardwicke’s Watson is the only one who seems to have an inner life; there is no doubt about his skill and competence. Kristoffer Tabori is an appealing Sir Henry Baskerville (he looks and sounds like Robbie Robertson) but doesn’t fit the character's strapping westerner image.

Like all the entries in Granada’s Holmes series, this Hound has convincing period detail, more convincing than any other version. This was achieved despite the reduced budget. Location shooting was in Yorkshire instead of Dartmoor; what’s onscreen is a reasonable substitute, but the climactic scenes on the moor were filmed indoors, on a set with a fog machine, like every damn production except the Russian one. The set looks smaller and crummier than all of the other versions (aside from the 1968 Hound), and barely has a nighttime feel. The direction, staging, and editing in these scenes is clumsy and borderline incoherent. Unforgivably, the hound is repeatedly shown multiple times before the climax, and what we see is a glowing Great Dane (accompanied by a fake head that “attacks” Sir Henry in close-up) with dodgy glow-in-the-dark effects.

Away from the moor, the editing and direction are competent but ridiculously slow and plodding. It takes forever for characters to get on and off trains, or move through Baskerville Hall, or enter and exit carriages. The lethargic pacing kills the thrills and the unimaginative direction throws away all the great, dramatic moments of the story—the death of Sir Charles, the man on the tor, Holmes’s reappearance, the unveiling of the Hound, etc. The script, by T.R. Bowen, proficiently compresses and retains much of the original. It shows that Doyle's original structure works on film, or at least would work in a film with greater atmosphere and mood. Granada's Hound is not at all bad--it simply looks mediocre in light of the series's track record.

***

And thus ends my journey though six versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I would have liked to review the silent films of the story, but none are available. I'd have loved to see the 1921 version starring Eille Norwood, whose star was praised by none other than Conan Doyle ("On seeing him in The Hound of the Baskervilles I thought I had never seen anything more masterly"). Almost as enticing is the 1929 Der Hund von Baskerville, a late silent version from Germany. Fortunately it will screen at this year's San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

Other versions of the Hound, I skipped for time (Tom Baker's) or because I had no desire to watch them again (like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's--how could such funny men have made such an unfunny film?) or because I heard they weren't very good (Stewart Granger's). In any case, I have seen enough to give a verdict:

The 1939 film with Basil Rathbone remains the best film of the book, while the award for most faithful and committed adaptation goes to the Russian TV version. Both are excellent, but it's still possible to make an even better adaptation of the book. But to do so five factors are required:

* Not just a charismatic Holmes, but a charismatic Watson. Holmes is absent during much of the story, but this isn't a problem if the audience enjoys watching Watson.

* A screenplay that sticks close to Doyle. His dramatic structure still works, and the story strikes a perfect balance between horror, detection, and drama.

* A decent budget. The story does not work when done cheaply and deprived of convincing period feel and convincing settings.

* Night scenes shot on location, or a vast soundstage that gives the illusion of realism. The minute you place the characters in a blatantly artificial setting, the hound becomes ineffective. The point of the beast is that of supernatural-looking creature [/i]erupting into reality[/i]. Having it appear on a transparently fake setting on is disastrous.

* A genuinely scary and demonic hound. This requires imagination and creativity--you can't just throw a Great Dane in front of the camera. But if you find a suitably intimidating dog, just a bit of paint can go a long way, as in the Russian version.

One stray observation before I end this mega-post: I noticed that all six adaptations left out Holmes’s joyous reaction at discovering the real identity of a certain corpse on the moor. Why?

Thanks for this @Revelator, an enjoyable and interesting read.

I've always thought with Holmes it basically boils down to Rathbone v Brett with the former rather hampered by Watson being written as an absolute buffoon in quite a lot of them (although I do love Nigel Bruce in the role). I struggle to get on board with these guys who just play the role once or twice (which is strange as I'm quite happy with Laz and Dalts).

The Russian one an interesting case. I remember seeing a few of these on telly when I lived there (over 10 years ago now). Always struck me as a very decent crack at the stories and I think they are held in quite high regard over there. Of course I didn't speak Russian well enough to get the nuances but thankfully because I knew most of the stories I could follow. Would be interesting to see them all and with English subtitles.

Revelator

TheWizardOfIce wrote: »

Thanks for this @Revelator, an enjoyable and interesting read.
I've always thought with Holmes it basically boils down to Rathbone v Brett with the former rather hampered by Watson being written as an absolute buffoon in quite a lot of them (although I do love Nigel Bruce in the role). I struggle to get on board with these guys who just play the role once or twice (which is strange as I'm quite happy with Laz and Dalts).
The Russian one an interesting case. I remember seeing a few of these on telly when I lived there (over 10 years ago now). Always struck me as a very decent crack at the stories and I think they are held in quite high regard over there. Of course I didn't speak Russian well enough to get the nuances but thankfully because I knew most of the stories I could follow. Would be interesting to see them all and with English subtitles.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree that Rathbone vs. Brett is the ultimate match-up, since an actor needs more than one film to make the role his own, especially since Holmes is offscreen for much of the Hound.
Brett's Hound, due to budget cuts and dull direction, was unable to match Rathbone's, but the rest of his appearances (including The Sign of Four, one of the very best Holmes films) more than compensate. I'm the middle of rewatching Brett's series on Blu-Ray, and the visual quality is several leaps above the DVD versions.
The Russian series is very intriguing and I need to see more of it. In the UK Livanov's Hound has been released on an English-subtitled DVD. In the US there are various NTSC Russian DVDs that happen to have English subtitles, and my local library fortunately had one.

Risico007

The A-team

Such a Brilliant Film this is one of my All time favorite films. Between the acting the dialogue and the locations and just well everything. So many quotable lines. so much good work. LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie


Films I have seen in 2018
1. The A-team
2. The Final Girls
3. Taken
4. Stand By Me
5. Before Sunrise
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
7. Goonies
8. Before Midnight
9. Before Sunset


Before series
1. Before Sunrise
2. Before Midnight
3. Before Sunset

Stephen King movies
1. Stand By Me

Corey Feldman movies
1. Stand by me
2. Teenage mutant ninja turtles
3. Goonies


Taken Series

1. Taken

Liam Neeson (sort of) retrospective series
1. The A-team
2. Taken

Lancaster007

Revelator wrote: »

TheWizardOfIce wrote: »

Thanks for this @Revelator, an enjoyable and interesting read.
I've always thought with Holmes it basically boils down to Rathbone v Brett with the former rather hampered by Watson being written as an absolute buffoon in quite a lot of them (although I do love Nigel Bruce in the role). I struggle to get on board with these guys who just play the role once or twice (which is strange as I'm quite happy with Laz and Dalts).
The Russian one an interesting case. I remember seeing a few of these on telly when I lived there (over 10 years ago now). Always struck me as a very decent crack at the stories and I think they are held in quite high regard over there. Of course I didn't speak Russian well enough to get the nuances but thankfully because I knew most of the stories I could follow. Would be interesting to see them all and with English subtitles.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree that Rathbone vs. Brett is the ultimate match-up, since an actor needs more than one film to make the role his own, especially since Holmes is offscreen for much of the Hound.
Brett's Hound, due to budget cuts and dull direction, was unable to match Rathbone's, but the rest of his appearances (including The Sign of Four, one of the very best Holmes films) more than compensate. I'm the middle of rewatching Brett's series on Blu-Ray, and the visual quality is several leaps above the DVD versions.
The Russian series is very intriguing and I need to see more of it. In the UK Livanov's Hound has been released on an English-subtitled DVD. In the US there are various NTSC Russian DVDs that happen to have English subtitles, and my local library fortunately had one.

There was another HoTB playing the other day on the tellybox, starring Richard Roxborough (or did I miss that in you review?) and then of course there is Sherlock series 2 episode The Hounds of Baskerville as well.

barryt007

This :



An intriguing film with a great ending..there are some weird people out there and its amazing to think how lives can be wrecked in such a short time.

Recommended.

Revelator

Lancaster007 wrote: »

There was another HoTB playing the other day on the tellybox, starring Richard Roxborough (or did I miss that in you review?) and then of course there is Sherlock series 2 episode The Hounds of Baskerville as well.

No, you're correct, I didn't review the Roxborough version. Everything I read about it put me off. I plan on seeing the Sherlock version someday, but since it's very far from being a traditional adaptation I decided it wouldn't be fair to review it as one.

Gerard

The Avengers was on the telly last night, so I decided to revisit it. Not the Marvel movie, but the Ralph Fiennes / Uma Thurman / Sean Connery version. And apart from two scenes, it's quite a good movie. Fiennes is the quintessential English Gentleman, Uma would have been a perfect Black Widow if the MCU had gotten its start at the time, and Sean Connery made a good villain. Plus, it had that grain of excentricity, that touch of madness that made the original series great : use of silly location and suits, Escherian architecture, secondary characters (Alice), etc. But as I said, there were those two scenes. The first one (Sir August on the verge of raping Mrs. Peel) was uncomfortable to watch. As for the second (Steed and Mrs. Peel kissing), that flew in the face of everything we know about the series. It was not a betrayal like the use of Jim Phelps in the first Mission : Impossible movie, far from it, but still... But apart from that, a good movie. Not great, but good.

DaltonCraig007

Ready Player One (2018)

Fantastic film, very fun, very fast paced, extremely entertaining actions sequences - the 1st major one at around the 20 minutes mark is one huge car chase that features King Kong, the DeLorean, a Dinosaur and the motorcycle from 'Akira' - and the CGI world created whenever the film dives into the Oasis (the virtual world central to the plot) are are amazing to see. A killer soundtrack (Depeche Mode, A-Ha), a very cool James Bond reference when the N64 game 'Goldeneye 007' is mentioned, and of course some very charismatic performances from the lead cast - especially the 2 asian characters and Ben Mendelsohn (who is born to play very slimy yet terribly entertaining villains). I had a blast for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it'll most likely finish the year near the top of the most fun time I'll have in theaters. One of my favorite Spielberg's too, I'll have to see where it ranks once I rewatch it, but I think it'll be very high on my list.

Strog

DaltonCraig007 wrote: »

Ready Player One (2018)

Fantastic film, very fun, very fast paced, extremely entertaining actions sequences - the 1st major one at around the 20 minutes mark is one huge car chase that features King Kong, the DeLorean, a Dinosaur and the motorcycle from 'Akira' - and the CGI world created whenever the film dives into the Oasis (the virtual world central to the plot) are are amazing to see. A killer soundtrack (Depeche Mode, A-Ha), a very cool James Bond reference when the N64 game 'Goldeneye 007' is mentioned, and of course some very charismatic performances from the lead cast - especially the 2 asian characters and Ben Mendelsohn (who is born to play very slimy yet terribly entertaining villains). I had a blast for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it'll most likely finish the year near the top of the most fun time I'll have in theaters. One of my favorite Spielberg's too, I'll have to see where it ranks once I rewatch it, but I think it'll be very high on my list.

This is encouraging to hear. It's been a while since a new one from him has been top tier for me.

FoxRox

Lolita (1962). The fact that this film is lower-tier Kubrick is just amazing, because it’s still a very good film all around. Great stuff.

Lancaster007

Strog wrote: »

DaltonCraig007 wrote: »

Ready Player One (2018)

Fantastic film, very fun, very fast paced, extremely entertaining actions sequences - the 1st major one at around the 20 minutes mark is one huge car chase that features King Kong, the DeLorean, a Dinosaur and the motorcycle from 'Akira' - and the CGI world created whenever the film dives into the Oasis (the virtual world central to the plot) are are amazing to see. A killer soundtrack (Depeche Mode, A-Ha), a very cool James Bond reference when the N64 game 'Goldeneye 007' is mentioned, and of course some very charismatic performances from the lead cast - especially the 2 asian characters and Ben Mendelsohn (who is born to play very slimy yet terribly entertaining villains). I had a blast for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it'll most likely finish the year near the top of the most fun time I'll have in theaters. One of my favorite Spielberg's too, I'll have to see where it ranks once I rewatch it, but I think it'll be very high on my list.

This is encouraging to hear. It's been a while since a new one from him has been top tier for me.

? The Post was only a couple of months ago!

Thunderfinger

FoxRox wrote: »

Lolita (1962). The fact that this film is lower-tier Kubrick is just amazing, because it’s still a very good film all around. Great stuff.

Fantastic film, and what a performance by Mason.

TheWizardOfIce

Revelator wrote: »

Lancaster007 wrote: »

There was another HoTB playing the other day on the tellybox, starring Richard Roxborough (or did I miss that in you review?) and then of course there is Sherlock series 2 episode The Hounds of Baskerville as well.

No, you're correct, I didn't review the Roxborough version. Everything I read about it put me off. I plan on seeing the Sherlock version someday, but since it's very far from being a traditional adaptation I decided it wouldn't be fair to review it as one.

Wouldn't bother it's mediocre at best and very forgettable but I suppose if you want to be a completist about these things then give it a whirl.

I went to see Red Sparrow the other day and despite some very mixed reviews had a great time.

A lot was made of Jennifer Lawrence getting her kit off and if that's your reason for going you will be severely disappointed as in 2hrs 20 mins you get a few quick flashes. But I found it a very enjoyable thriller that hit all the Cold War beats you wanted it to. Charlotte Rampling and Jeremey Irons have a lot of fun hamming it up and there are some nice bursts of violence although overall I was somewhat disappointed that it was a bit superficial in terms of character. Had the potential to be up there with Tinker, Tailor but the script lacked the heft required.

Also they should have had the bottle to really go for it sex and violence wise as things were a tad muted for my liking, which seemed like a corporate decision to try and get as many bums on seats rather than being true to the project and subject matter.

But overall as the new Cold War starts to heat was this film made it feel like the Soviet Union is still in it's pomp (which after all is Putin's aspiration) so hopefully we are on the crest of a new wave of Cold War thriller revival.

ClarkDevlin

I've been on a Spaghetti Western spree lately, starting with five of my favourites and continuing with two more I haven't seen before, plus one I've seen last year afterwards. One thing is for certain, though. Imitations (like many Italian films cashing in on the success of a cultural phenomenon like The Dollars Trilogy) however do stand out as nothing short of copycats not ambitious enough to tell a compelling story but visually satisfying the audience more or less.



1. A Fistful of Dollars (1964):
Known as the one to start it all for the genre, Sergio Leone had a great vision to reinvigorate how people have viewed Westerns by introducing a hero who's not slight bit of a white knight as opposed to what the John Wayne films did in the preceding years. Fresh out of the production of Rawhide, Clint Eastwood changes his image of a boy scout to a rogue antihero with morals falling in the grey area. A charismatic gunman who hardly lives for the moment but observes and plans ahead to manipulate two opposing forces that terrorize and emasculate a poor town, into fighting and eliminating each other, thus freeing the townspeople from the regime of the two gangs.



2. For A Few Dollars More (1965):
Even though it wasn't Leone's intention, this installment sees the return of The Man With No Name (played by Eastwood) with his famous poncho and rattlesnake-gripped Single Action Army pistol, who is now working as a bounty hunter, going after the most dangerous criminals wanted by the law. But, he's not alone. Soon thereafter, he is joined by the charismatic Colonel Douglas Mortimer (played by the ever as awesome late Lee Van Cleef) when the most ruthless gang leader then-currently known around, El Indio (Gian Maria Volonte) breaks out of imprisonment and plans to rob the largest and most secure bank ever in the US. Seeing as the gang all collectively is worth a fortune, the two heroes join forces to weaken the gang and eventually picking up the bounty money, unbeknownst to the Man with No Name, Mortimer seems to have his own agenda against El Indio.



3. Sabata (1969):
Now, this film is nothing original or visionary, but pure fun starring Lee Van Cleef as the titular character, who is more or less inspired by the role he played in For A Few Dollars More, from his mannerisms right down to the last detail of his clothing. Unlike other western heroes, however, Sabata uses a custom-built dillinger as his primary sidearm, and is a very quick draw. Sabata is an unpredictable man whose game is not known to anyone but an untrustworthy ally called Banjo (played by William Berger) whose paths cross after a long time. Finding out about a bank robbery commissioned by a local nobleman with town officials being in his pocket, Sabata recovers an evidence that tails it back to the villains, he decides to blackmail them for money and his personal gain rather than turning them in, without crossing the line or breaking the law amidst. It's a terrific action-pack western which is recommended for the lovers of the genre.



4. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966):
The third and final entry in The Dollars Trilogy, this one is a prequel to its predecessors, taking place during the Civil War and serving as an almost origin story for The Man With No Name. This time, Sergio Leone's visionary direction takes the genre to a whole new level by telling a story uneasy to follow, at least not being as straightforward as the previous two, centering on three gunslingers who are after a large sum of gold. Untrusting of each other - and rightfully so - the three of them have to go through the greatest lengths to get to the gold buried in a cemetery far away. The film depicts the violence and the tragedy of war in many ways while not failing to be a western in the slightest. Cutting through opposing forces once more, whether the Yankees or the Confederates, or battlefields they've had to flee, the quest has all the men working with and against each other, ready to stick a knife in each other's back should the moment call for it. It's the ecstasy of gold. Lee Van Cleef returns in yet another prominent role, but this time playing a character that is the opposite of the romantic Colonel Mortimer. He is "The Bad", called in the film Angel Eyes, who doesn't fail to impress in any form. Compared to the other two, it's an epic that every man on earth should see, at least once.



5. Death Rides A Horse (1967):
This one is one of my favourites. Undisputed. Then again, revenge stories are always beautiful if told magnificently. And this one, like For A Few Dollars More, is delivered in the same manner, but doesn't try to be ambitious. It's only there to entertain. Starring Lee Van Cleef once again as a hero, and John Phillip Law (of the Diabolik fame) as a young man seeking revenge for the abusive and violent death of his family, the two unconventional protagonists team up to go after members of a former gang who appear to be individually rich and respected men in their own towns while keeping in touch for certain robberies and smuggling business they undertake. Van Cleef's character used to be part of the gang, only to be betrayed by his comrades and locked away for fifteen years, now prompting his former colleagues for a payback. Law, on the other hand, wants all of their blood spilled to avenge his family in cold blood. Playing on the mentor and trainee template, it showcases compelling performances by the two lead actors, and - of course - the brilliant late Luigi Pistilli (who appeared in two of Dollars Trilogy films) in the role of the main antagonist, rising from a gang leader to a city mayor, while keeping up with his old habits. Recommended for western lovers.

Trivia for Bond fans: Anthony Dawson has a role in this film.



6. If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death (1968):
Here, we step into the territory of the Spaghetti Western pastiches. This was the first time I've seen a Sartana film after having heard of its cult status among the fanatics of the genre. Here, we have Italian actor Gianni Garko in the eponymous role, whose character is an amalgamation of The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) and Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef). It's funny how these two characters appear to be the primary influences in then-future films in the category. I can't say I blame the producers. Even though, director Gianfranco Parolini (who is a massive Bond fan, by the way) claimed that the character was mostly inspired by Mandrake The Magician (due to his skillful agility with shuffling cards as well as wearing a caped overcoat with red interior) and James Bond (his gadgetry and custom-made dillinger pistol).



The film deals with Sartana, a man of utmost mystery, manipulating two different parties who are after a large sum of gold being smuggled through coffins, and there he comes to assume the role of a "first class pallbearer" as he puts it. We also have the rather enjoyable William Berger making appearance in the film as the primary antagonist whom Sartana terrorizes by hitting where it hurts most: The character is afraid of pocket watches that chime a specific tune. A long game of a cat and mouse ensues as all players, whether individuals, collective gangs or corrupt noble families, plan to get their hands on the gold and flee the town. But, when Sartana comes in the middle, the odds no longer appear to be in their favor.

7. Sartana the Gravedigger (1969):
The second installment in the Sartana Pentalogy has the protagonist framed for a notorious bank robbery with a big price on his head put by the law that forces hungry bounty hunters to come after him. While on his quest to clear his name, he learns that there's a bigger matter in hand than a simple frameup, as there happens to be someone impersonating him like a doppelganger who seemingly knows him best and is steps ahead. We have here a second appearance by Klaus Kinski whose role is larger here than it was in the first film. Being only his third time at the helm of a film, Giuliano Carnimeo does a terrific job in delivering an experience of excitement, and dare I say, improves upon its predecessor, which itself was enjoyable. It also has a catchy theme tune.



Note: The Sartana films aren't necessarily recommended for the general viewer. It's only for the Spaghetti Western fanatic who's a completist rather than someone who wants to watch an epic film. I'd also like to mention that the films haven't been released in remastered form, so I'd wait for Kino Lober to release it on BluRay with high definition quality and nothing but.

8. The Grand Duel (1972):
With this film, we're back to originality and quality-storytelling that use more experienced and professional actors with talents as well as a director who has a lot of vision invested in this one. It's less action-packed, more investigative with elements of Giallo (Italian-made horrors of sorts) playing in the shadows. It tells the story of a former Jefferson City Sheriff named Clayton (Van Cleef) going through the greatest lengths to exonerate a young man who was wrongfully accused and condemned of killing the patriarch of a rich and influential family in the west. The first half plays like a regular western, whereas the other half relies on the structure of a detective tale as the major players in a conspiracy plot come to reveal themselves. The supporting cast also has powerful actors with great presence, on top of all being Horst Frank, followed by Dominique Darel as an obligated bride to the family, and Klaus Grunberg playing a conflicted psychotic killer with thirst for blood. Luis Bacalov composed a beautiful theme tune for this film which I've gladly added to my collection of SW albums sometime ago.



You know? Watching all these Spaghetti Westerns and listening to their outstanding soundtracks... As much as I like Quentin Tarantino, I wish he would stop bastardizing those themes in his own respective films.

Next stop: One Silver Dollar (1965) starring Giuliano Gemma.

Strog

Lancaster007 wrote: »

Strog wrote: »

DaltonCraig007 wrote: »

Ready Player One (2018)

Fantastic film, very fun, very fast paced, extremely entertaining actions sequences - the 1st major one at around the 20 minutes mark is one huge car chase that features King Kong, the DeLorean, a Dinosaur and the motorcycle from 'Akira' - and the CGI world created whenever the film dives into the Oasis (the virtual world central to the plot) are are amazing to see. A killer soundtrack (Depeche Mode, A-Ha), a very cool James Bond reference when the N64 game 'Goldeneye 007' is mentioned, and of course some very charismatic performances from the lead cast - especially the 2 asian characters and Ben Mendelsohn (who is born to play very slimy yet terribly entertaining villains). I had a blast for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it'll most likely finish the year near the top of the most fun time I'll have in theaters. One of my favorite Spielberg's too, I'll have to see where it ranks once I rewatch it, but I think it'll be very high on my list.

This is encouraging to hear. It's been a while since a new one from him has been top tier for me.

? The Post was only a couple of months ago!

THE POST was solid, but I can't say I found it to be among his best work.

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@ClarkDevlin Much less familiar with spaghetti westerns than I'd like. Of the ones you listed I've only seen the Dollars trilogy, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS being my favorite. DEATH RIDES A HORSE sounds interesting, though, like it might be a good place to start expanding.

ClarkDevlin

@Strog, Death Rides A Horse is very good and among my favourites. Fifth on my Top 5 Spaghetti Westerns, to be precise. Ennio Morricone also composed the soundtrack for the film.

j_w_pepper

@ClarkDevlin: What do you think of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST? It is definitely my favourite Leone movie (ahead of the entire Dollar Trilogy), with the Morricone score that made me a Morricone fan almost fifty years ago - though probably not with a real "Spaghetti Western" feeling, but rather transcending it for maybe the first time.

EDIT: Just when I finished typing this, my sound system running soundtracks/scores set to "random" started playing THE EXTASY OF GOLD. Brilliant, brilliant anytime. It must be a sign.

j_w_pepper

Just tonight: DREAMGIRLS (2006)

I've had this Blu-ray since 2010 and always postponed but am happy to report that I watched and enjoyed it immensely tonight. Marvellous feel-good movie with beat-up music track and super performances by all involved. A sure re-watch much sooner than my first watch happened.

chrisisall

j_w_pepper wrote: »

@ClarkDevlin: What do you think of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST? It is definitely my favourite Leone movie (ahead of the entire Dollar Trilogy), with the Morricone score that made me a Morricone fan almost fifty years ago - though probably not with a real "Spaghetti Western" feeling, but rather transcending it for maybe the first time.

EDIT: Just when I finished typing this, my sound system running soundtracks/scores set to "random" started playing THE EXTASY OF GOLD. Brilliant, brilliant anytime. It must be a sign.

OUATITW is pure classic gold IMO.

ClarkDevlin

@j_w_pepper Once Upon A Time In The West is definitely a brilliant epic film, even more so than The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Leone definitely had a vision in its storytelling, feeling inspired from a book that would later also become the basis for Once Upon A Time In America.

It also features Charles Bronson is his first prominent role in a globally successful film after having appeared in numerous French films at the time. The thing is, the whole cast is perfect and their performances are outstanding. By label, it's definitely a Spaghetti Western. By feeling however, it's slightly different. Then again, so was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Duck, You Sucker! (aka A Fistful of Dynamites).

I'll be watching them all along the way. Also, I forgot to mention... Man, this just happens by luck. Having recently watched the first two Sartana films, I only found out a few hours ago that Arrow Films announced a remaster of the whole Pentalogy!



https://arrowfilms.com/product-detail/the-complete-sartana-limited-edition/FCD1762

Here's a clip for those interested:

FoxRox

Game Night (2018). Good stuff. Not a 10/10 masterpiece or anything but a really fun movie; I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a new comedy/thriller. A good story with good characters.

ClarkDevlin

Spaghetti Western marathon, Film No. 9:



One Silver Dollar (1965):
The sixties was a terrific decade for westerns, more so than anything that came before it. With the unexpectedly overwhelming success of A Fistful of Dollars a year earlier, the Italians started making westerns in their own way rather than imitating the American Westerns as they've done it before. Starring Giuliano Gemma under the stage moniker, Montgomery Wood, with all the other Italian cast members adopting generic American names in order to achieve success in the US market, here we see an outstanding western that doesn't get tiresome in the slightest.

Giuliano Gemma plays Gary O'Hara, a former Confederate Lieutenant, who is betrayed and left for dead by a corrupt town official called McCory. Seeking justice and revenge for the death of his brother, O'Hara changes his appearance and identity to join up McCory's underlings who are terrorizing the entire state and stealing a shipment of gold belonging to the townspeople, and destroy the whole gang from within.

The film does feel original, albeit not overtly ambitious. I rank it as good as A Fistful of Dollars as a whole. It's evident that the early-to-mid sixties always have had handled works of cinema more classically and romantically rather than what came later where it just turned to a cash cow business and spawned films in the genre no matter the quality. Gianni Ferrio's score also plays a large part in elevating this film's value with its haunting tone. If only this film gets remastered on BluRay. For western lovers of all kinds, I recommend this.

Gerard

Kong : Skull Island

Great movie all around. Too bad I didn't see it in the theater when it came out. Still, now it makes me more fired up for the next MCU movies, given that Loki, Carol Danvers and Nick Fury were in it ;) And the Kaiju lover I am got a kick out of the post-credit scene.

bondjames

Gerard wrote: »

Kong : Skull Island

Great movie all around. Too bad I didn't see it in the theater when it came out. Still, now it makes me more fired up for the next MCU movies, given that Loki, Carol Danvers and Nick Fury were in it ;) And the Kaiju lover I am got a kick out of the post-credit scene.

One of my faves from 2017.

SaintMark

Unlocked (2017) - Noomi Rapace who does plays an interrogator/secret agent in a spy thriller by Micheal Apted in a thriller about Terrorism in England. With a decent twist in the general expectations. Wouldn't mind another installment.

Jack Reacher: never go back - A decent second installment of this series in which Tom shows that he does seem to do a decent enough Reacher.

The Mummy (2017) - I kinda enjoyed this actioner/dark universal movie, a nice enough retelling of the Mummy. Some great action scenes and Boutela is amazing.