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Messages - Mr.Cho-Cho
1
« on: June 12, 2020, 01:02:52 PM »
I'm glad the general consensus is positive for this Western. I watched it last night and enjoyed it, it's got a good pace and rythym to it and the femme fatale is one of the best. I even liked Mark Damon as the lead, although I gather there's a mixed view on him. This is probably the best I've seen so far on my Spaghetti Westerns 20 film boxset, apart from The Grand Duel and Death Rides a Horse.
2
« on: May 20, 2020, 09:18:09 AM »
I finally watched it.
To be fair, it wasn't God-awful, the worst/funniest bits were the deaths, as well as Shatner's Comanche character. Also, I found it weird when the female lead (Kelly), got raped and everyone on her stage got murdered and she arrives into town shaken and naked; and the next time we see her she's playing poker. Also, 2 days later she's sleeping with her rapist's twin brother, no sign of post-traumatic stress for her i guess. Overall, it's all a bit static and silly; but I think Bad Man's River was worse, especially considering the talent involved.
Joseph Cotten was actually half decent as the sheriff in this, but I can't believe this got aired on TCM. I want to see The Hellbenders now.
3
« on: May 15, 2020, 06:30:33 AM »
This was the second film I've watched from my boxset. It was okay, I thought the labor camp at the start looked really cool and the plot is quite straightforward. I agree wit the previous poster that some of the dubbing left a lot to be desired, Andy definitely was made into a Frank Spencer type, which didn't really work. Cameron Mitchell really held the movie together well though and it was good to see him in a lead role. Of course it lack a lot of the finesse and style of Corbucci's later Spaghetti Westerns that set them above the rest. I thought Georges Riviere was a decent bad guy too. Perhaps it lacked any real character development though to make you really care, especially with the secondary characters. Pretty entertaining though and worth watching as a Corbucci fan.
4
« on: May 15, 2020, 06:21:44 AM »
I got the Spaghetti Westerns tin set the other day, so working my way through them. I started with this one.
It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, it had some entertainment value, but yes it's based on Garden of Evil, which isn't that great a movie either. I found FAPTD started off well, but then it kind of stagnated as they made their way back to the mine, it's all pretty by the numbers stuff. None of the characters are that interesting. It's a shame Jeffrey Hunter died when he did though, he was still quite handsome towards the end of his life, I feel like he could've had a career revival in the 70s and 80s.
5
« on: May 05, 2020, 08:02:44 AM »
I bought this film, only knowing that it had Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates in it, I thought it was a Spag. I guess what they meant it was an American interpretation of a Spag Western.
I agree with most of the consensus on this, started well, mid-way it was dull probably because it was just a massive stand-off, picked up with the barge shoot out. Definitely worth watching though if you're an Oates and Van Cleef fan like I am.
6
« on: May 05, 2020, 02:29:36 AM »
I'm trying to get a copy of the Spaghetti Western 44 movie Mill Creek collection. I know the quality isn't going to be great, but there are a quite a few on there that I want to see, I'm hoping that The Grand Duel quality may also be better than my current copy, but I imagine it's the same.
I also really want to see Tepepa too as I love the music for that one, plus The Hellbenders and Kill Them All and Come Back Alone pique my interest. I also think I might as well get copies of all the Van Cleef spags to get through them all, so I need Captain Apache, God's Gun, El Condor and Beyond the Law.
7
« on: May 05, 2020, 01:40:11 AM »
Well the version I watched was on Disc 1, the "Extended US Version", which as I understand it added the scenes with the monks which was missing from the original US theatrical release. Disc 2 has the original Italian version, I think this version has an extended story involving the Baron, but I've yet to sit down and watch it.
I wasn't aware that the finale in the Italian sequence was longer than the US version; so I look forward to seeing this.
8
« on: May 04, 2020, 01:54:59 PM »
Check him out in a non western role in THE HARD WAY. Shot in Ireland in the late 70's.
REVIEW BELOW.
A brooding film in which one feels the angst of the retiring Irish hit-man (Patrick McGoohan) who foolishly agrees to do one last assassination. This quiet film is poignantly "narrated" by the gunman's estranged wife whose memories enter the story to provide a framework and background for the tragic figure and his family. Any "Prisoner" fan will see parallels between aspects of this plot and McGoohan's previous series: an agent who wants to give up his covert work but is not let off the hook so easily by his masters. The agent decides to leave anyway and is pursued relentlessly by his former bosses. In "The Hard Way" this pursuit takes us through rural Ireland to a dramatic showdown with Lee Van Cleef. An understated, interesting study, worth a look.
I got this film on DVD, it's not bad, it was produced by John Boorman too. I'm a big fan of Van Cleef, McGoohan and Boorman, it's quite an interesting cat and mouse type film and plays a bit like a western. It's probably one of those films worth watching if it's ever on TV.
9
« on: May 04, 2020, 01:31:52 PM »
I've been thinking about this film a bit more; I think it's certainly one of my favourite non-Leone Westerns. The last 15 minutes to The Big Gundown is amongst the greatest finales in Westerns; from the chase to when they depart on the dunes, I think it's nearly as good as the ending to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The soundtrack during these final scenes really helps it too.
I also think the Baron was a cool character too, I'm a huge fan of Erich von Stroheim, so I think his character was strongly influenced by him.
10
« on: May 03, 2020, 01:45:07 PM »
I was just reading this article with Lee Van Cleef's son Alan from a few years ago: http://thebadnet.blogspot.com/2016/05/his-dad-was-bad-2016-article.htmlIt's interesting that it states Clint was a mourner at Van Cleef's funeral in 1989. I'm quite surprised (and pleased) by this, as I didn't think they were that close, but perhaps he felt it would be good to go and pay his respects. I've never read this anywhere before, I wonder if Clint and Lee ever spoke to each other after The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
11
« on: May 03, 2020, 07:26:46 AM »
I only learnt he died the other day.
He made some big movies in the 60s; I think his best one was a British film called The Mark, where he plays a rehabilitated paedophile. It probably wouldn't be well received in this day and age, but it's quite interesting and worth a watch. It's weird that his film kind of died in the 70s, but i understand he lived a full and rich life. I haven't seen Captain Apache, but will watch it at some point, his other Western are pretty average, but they're not too bad.
12
« on: May 03, 2020, 02:57:30 AM »
Annoyingly the disc I watched was marked (looks like a manufacturing defect on the particular disc) and it skipped 2 scenes towards the end, which marred my enjoyment a bit. I don't really want to send it all the way back to the States, so gonna keep it, as I've got the other discs and versions still.
However the film is very good, definitely amongst the best Spag Westerns. I know Thomas Milian isn't everyone's cup of tea with his acting style, but I thought he was good here and Lee Van Cleef is perfect as usual. I think the final scenes are some of the best in any Western films the duels and even when they depart at the end; it's really well shot. I've actually already seen Run, Man, Run which I enjoyed, but The Big Gundown was a lot better as a film. Great soundtrack too of course.
13
« on: May 01, 2020, 03:50:03 AM »
My copy has just been delivered from the States of the Grindhouse release. I feel very lucky to have acquired a copy, I kept checking Amazon and some brand new copies became available a couple of weeks ago; not too bad a price.
I can't wait to finally watch this one. It's the last major Spaghetti Western I've yet to see.
14
« on: April 30, 2020, 02:52:14 PM »
oops, I think I was thinking of McQ for some reason, but I get what you were saying now about his films.
Personally, I like True Grit, but I prefer El Dorado (probably cos I'm a Mitchum fan) and I think Rio Bravo is next level.
15
« on: April 30, 2020, 03:31:21 AM »
I've not seen Mc, The Train Robbers and Legend of the Lost, and have no plans to; I actually enjoyed Rooster Cogburn and thought it was as good as True Grit.
I can understand why people don't like the McLaglen films; I've only seen his films with John Wayne, I don't mind them, but they're a bit hackneyed. North to Alaska probably would have been less enjoyable if McLaglen had been at the helm.
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