list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Searchers on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Searchers/30396/default.aspx Title: The Searchers
Year: 1956
Director: John Ford
Plot: If John Ford is the greatest Western director, The Searchers is arguably his greatest film, at once a grand outdoor spectacle like such Ford classics as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950) and a film about one man's troubling moral codes, a big-screen adventure of the 1950s that anticipated the complex themes and characters that would dominate the 1970s. John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier who returns to his brother Aaron's frontier cabin three years after the end of the Civil War. Ethan still has his rebel uniform and weapons, a large stash of Yankee gold, and no explanations as to where he's been since Lee's surrender. A loner not comfortable in the bosom of his family, Ethan also harbors a bitter hatred of Indians (though he knows their lore and language well) and trusts no one but himself. Ethan and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), Aaron's adopted son, join a makeshift band of Texas Rangers fending off an assault by renegade Comanches. Before they can run off the Indians, several homes are attacked, and Ethan returns to discover his brother and sister-in-law dead and their two daughters kidnapped. While they soon learn that one of the girls is dead, the other, Debbie, is still alive, and with obsessive determination, Ethan and Martin spend the next five years in a relentless search for Debbie -- and for Scar (Henry Brandon), the fearsome Comanche chief who abducted her. But while Martin wants to save his sister and bring her home, Ethan seems primarily motivated by his hatred of the Comanches; it's hard to say if he wants to rescue Debbie or murder the girl who has lived with Indians too long to be considered "white." John Wayne gives perhaps his finest performance in a role that predated screen antiheroes of the 1970s; by the film's conclusion, his single-minded obsession seems less like heroism and more like madness. Wayne bravely refuses to soft-pedal Ethan's ugly side, and the result is a remarkable portrait of a man incapable of answering to anyone but himself, who ultimately has more in common with his despised Indians than with his more "civilized" brethren. Natalie Wood is striking in her brief role as the 16-year-old Debbie, lost between two worlds, and Winton C. Hoch's Technicolor photography captures Monument Valley's savage beauty with subtle grace. The Searchers paved the way for such revisionist Westerns as The Wild Bunch (1969) and McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), and its influence on movies from Taxi Driver (1976) to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Star Wars (1977) testifies to its lasting importance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 21
Number of Lists: 35
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:36:52 GMTThe Searchers1956John FordIf <a href="/players/P____90133/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Ford</a> is the greatest Western director, The Searchers is arguably his greatest film, at once a grand outdoor spectacle like such Ford classics as <a href=/films/30991/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>She Wore a Yellow Ribbon</a> (1949) and <a href=/films/29001/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Rio Grande</a> (1950) and a film about one man's troubling moral codes, a big-screen adventure of the 1950s that anticipated the complex themes and characters that would dominate the 1970s. <a href="/players/P___116130/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Wayne</a> plays Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier who returns to his brother Aaron's frontier cabin three years after the end of the Civil War. Ethan still has his rebel uniform and weapons, a large stash of Yankee gold, and no explanations as to where he's been since Lee's surrender. A loner not comfortable in the bosom of his family, Ethan also harbors a bitter hatred of Indians (though he knows their lore and language well) and trusts no one but himself. Ethan and Martin Pawley (<a href="/players/P____34017/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jeffrey Hunter</a>), Aaron's adopted son, join a makeshift band of Texas Rangers fending off an assault by renegade Comanches. Before they can run off the Indians, several homes are attacked, and Ethan returns to discover his brother and sister-in-law dead and their two daughters kidnapped. While they soon learn that one of the girls is dead, the other, Debbie, is still alive, and with obsessive determination, Ethan and Martin spend the next five years in a relentless search for Debbie -- and for Scar (<a href="/players/P_____8080/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Henry Brandon</a>), the fearsome Comanche chief who abducted her. But while Martin wants to save his sister and bring her home, Ethan seems primarily motivated by his hatred of the Comanches; it's hard to say if he wants to rescue Debbie or murder the girl who has lived with Indians too long to be considered "white." <a href="/players/P___116130/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Wayne</a> gives perhaps his finest performance in a role that predated screen antiheroes of the 1970s; by the film's conclusion, his single-minded obsession seems less like heroism and more like madness. Wayne bravely refuses to soft-pedal Ethan's ugly side, and the result is a remarkable portrait of a man incapable of answering to anyone but himself, who ultimately has more in common with his despised Indians than with his more "civilized" brethren. <a href="/players/P____77340/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Natalie Wood</a> is striking in her brief role as the 16-year-old Debbie, lost between two worlds, and Winton C. Hoch's Technicolor photography captures Monument Valley's savage beauty with subtle grace. The Searchers paved the way for such revisionist Westerns as <a href=/films/38324/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Wild Bunch</a> (1969) and McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), and its influence on movies from <a href=/films/34219/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Taxi Driver</a> (1976) to <a href=/films/6460/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</a> (1977) and <a href=/films/32762/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Star Wars</a> (1977) testifies to its lasting importance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide21Tag Target (>10)35563http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t88915pgtd2.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Searchers/30396/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/APPALOOSA_DVD_Giveaway/563/39402/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/12/2009 12:40:28 PM
Body: We're giving away Appaloosa DVD's. Here's how you could wrangle a copy:Tell us a western movie you'd like to see remade and why.EXAMPLE: The Searchers. Great movie, but it's offensive toward Native Americans. You can write more if you want, but any more than that's just barkin' at a knot. We'll announce the winners on 1/19, so check back to see if you've won. Watch the Appaloosa trailer. In Marshal Cole and deputy Hitch's line of work, you shoot quick, you shoot clean, and you reload straightaway. Feelings get you killed. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen stand together as longtime friends and for-hire peacekeepers in this character-driven, bullet-hard Western. Blood will spill in the town called Appaloosa. Own it on Blu-ray® and DVD 1-13-09! Appaloosa © 2008 New Line Productions, Inc. and Axon Film Finance I, LLC, Inc. Package Design & Supplementary Material Compilation © 2009 New Line Productions, Inc. Distributed in the USA by Warner Home Video, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522. All rights reserved.
]]>Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:40:28 GMTspoutFilmgaming1/12/2009 12:40:28 PM We're giving away Appaloosa DVD's. Here's how you could wrangle a copy:Tell us a western movie you'd like to see remade and why.EXAMPLE: The Searchers. Great movie, but it's offensive toward Native Americans. You can write more if you want, but any more than that's just barkin' at a knot. We'll announce the winners on 1/19, so check back to see if you've won. Watch the Appaloosa trailer. In Marshal Cole and deputy Hitch's line of work, you shoot quick, you shoot clean, and you reload straightaway. Feelings get you killed. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen stand together as longtime friends and for-hire peacekeepers in this character-driven, bullet-hard Western. Blood will spill in the town called Appaloosa. Own it on Blu-ray&reg; and DVD 1-13-09! Appaloosa &copy; 2008 New Line Productions, Inc. and Axon Film Finance I, LLC, Inc. Package Design &amp; Supplementary Material Compilation &copy; 2009 New Line Productions, Inc. Distributed in the USA by Warner Home Video, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522. All rights reserved. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/18/38568.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/18/2008 5:00:50 PM
Body: Don’t you just hate when the movies make you care about a bigot? Sure, racists are technically humans, but that doesn’t mean we need to sympathize with them, right? No matter how great the film, it should be very difficult to accept the softening of intolerant people. Yet the lovable racist is not uncommon in cinema. In fact, out in theaters right now are two films dealing with this type of character. The Reader presents a cold Concentration Camp guard (Kate Winslet) for whom we’re meant to shed a tear, and Gran Torino focuses on a War Veteran stereotype (Clint Eastwood) who may evoke from the audience as much amusement as disgust. Maybe it’s like picking a scab, watching these kinds of movies. Some great films, such as Downfall, may only welcome an understanding of someone so heinous as Adolph Hitler, but other films have allowed us to totally enjoy racist protagonists of lesser offense. Check out the following examples to see some of the many intolerant heroes we’ve easily tolerated. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in The Searchers (1956) Compared to many classic westerns, John Ford’s The Searchers is not necessarily racist towards Native Americans. Yet it does feature one of the most unapologetically racist characters in film history, one who influenced many subsequent intolerants like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Ethan is such a badass bigot that he’d even kill his own niece for mating with a Commanche. Despite all his racism, though, audiences can’t help but like Ethan throughout much of The Searchers, because although Ford clearly looks down upon his hatred, the film also treats the character as a heroic man of his time. It’s a love him and hate him at the same time sort of thing. Pino (John Turturro) in Do the Right Thing (1989) In a way, almost everyone in Spike Lee’s classic is at least a little bit racist, evident in the famous slur montage. But it’s Pino who is the most ignorant, calling black people “the N word” on a regular basis. Yet we may forgive him, just as Mookie (Lee) does, because his bigotry is brought about through a combo of stupidity and culture. After all, if he’s a fan of Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy, he can’t be a true racist. Right? Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) in As Good as It Gets (1997) He’s portrayed as mostly hateful towards gays and women, but Melvin is also plenty racist. He tells Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to “think white” and earlier, when yelling for police, he shouts, “Assault and battery! And you’re black!” But who can resist Jack? He may be a total bigot, but it’s okay, because he’s got OCD and he’s ultimately good to a sick little boy and his mother (Helen Hunt). He even reluctantly bonds with the gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear). What’s not to love about this Oscar-winning character? Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Whether you’re Rob Corddry in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay or Billy Bob Thornton in any number of films, it’s okay to be a bigot if you’re hilariously extreme in your intolerance. Sacha Baron Cohen takes the cake with his Borat character, though, when it comes to loveable racists. Hey, it’s satire! He holds up a mirror to explore our own racism, displayed best in a pre-film scene from Da Ali G Show, in which an audience of rednecks joins him in singing, “Throw the Jew Down the Well.” In the movie, he similarly gets applause at a rodeo for suggesting America kills all Iraqi men, women and children. Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) in This Is England (2006) He’s the most adorable little skinhead ever, so how can we stop loving Shaun when he ignorantly joins up with the Nationalist ex-con Combo (Stephen Graham)? Isn’t it cute when Shaun is being racist towards the Pakistani shopkeeper? It’s not like he’s the real bigot; that’s Combo. Shaun is just too young to understand at age 12 that losing his father to the Falkland War is not an excuse for racism. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:00:50 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/18/2008 5:00:50 PMDon’t you just hate when the movies make you care about a bigot? Sure, racists are technically humans, but that doesn’t mean we need to sympathize with them, right? No matter how great the film, it should be very difficult to accept the softening of intolerant people. Yet the lovable racist is not uncommon in cinema. In fact, out in theaters right now are two films dealing with this type of character. The Reader presents a cold Concentration Camp guard (Kate Winslet) for whom we’re meant to shed a tear, and Gran Torino focuses on a War Veteran stereotype (Clint Eastwood) who may evoke from the audience as much amusement as disgust. Maybe it’s like picking a scab, watching these kinds of movies. Some great films, such as Downfall, may only welcome an understanding of someone so heinous as Adolph Hitler, but other films have allowed us to totally enjoy racist protagonists of lesser offense. Check out the following examples to see some of the many intolerant heroes we’ve easily tolerated. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) in The Searchers (1956) Compared to many classic westerns, John Ford’s The Searchers is not necessarily racist towards Native Americans. Yet it does feature one of the most unapologetically racist characters in film history, one who influenced many subsequent intolerants like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Ethan is such a badass bigot that he’d even kill his own niece for mating with a Commanche. Despite all his racism, though, audiences can’t help but like Ethan throughout much of The Searchers, because although Ford clearly looks down upon his hatred, the film also treats the character as a heroic man of his time. It’s a love him and hate him at the same time sort of thing. Pino (John Turturro) in Do the Right Thing (1989) In a way, almost everyone in Spike Lee’s classic is at least a little bit racist, evident in the famous slur montage. But it’s Pino who is the most ignorant, calling black people “the N word” on a regular basis. Yet we may forgive him, just as Mookie (Lee) does, because his bigotry is brought about through a combo of stupidity and culture. After all, if he’s a fan of Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy, he can’t be a true racist. Right? Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) in As Good as It Gets (1997) He’s portrayed as mostly hateful towards gays and women, but Melvin is also plenty racist. He tells Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to “think white” and earlier, when yelling for police, he shouts, “Assault and battery! And you’re black!” But who can resist Jack? He may be a total bigot, but it’s okay, because he’s got OCD and he’s ultimately good to a sick little boy and his mother (Helen Hunt). He even reluctantly bonds with the gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear). What’s not to love about this Oscar-winning character? Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) Whether you’re Rob Corddry in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay or Billy Bob Thornton in any number of films, it’s okay to be a bigot if you’re hilariously extreme in your intolerance. Sacha Baron Cohen takes the cake with his Borat character, though, when it comes to loveable racists. Hey, it’s satire! He holds up a mirror to explore our own racism, displayed best in a pre-film scene from Da Ali G Show, in which an audience of rednecks joins him in singing, “Throw the Jew Down the Well.” In the movie, he similarly gets applause at a rodeo for suggesting America kills all Iraqi men, women and children. Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) in This Is England (2006) He’s the most adorable little skinhead ever, so how can we stop loving Shaun when he ignorantly joins up with the Nationalist ex-con Combo (Stephen Graham)? Isn’t it cute when Shaun is being racist towards the Pakistani shopkeeper? It’s not like he’s the real bigot; that’s Combo. Shaun is just too young to understand at age 12 that losing his father to the Falkland War is not an excuse for racism. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Watchin_Wednesday/Re_September_10th_2008_The_Searchers_1956/624/35076/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Movie Watchin Wednesday
Post Date: 9/12/2008 3:11:02 PM
Body: Agreed... for pure entertainment value its hard to go wrong with John Wayne. One of my favorites was one of his last--Rooster Cogburn. It has a more complex and humanistic storyline, but he still carries that John Wayne gruff charm and pulls off some nice one-liners. Oddly enough, The Searchers is sometimes cited in his demise, as much of it was shot in Utah on old nuclear testing grounds. Its been basically disproven as a factor in his cancer (he drank and smoked like it was his job), but interesting none-the-less. [quote user="lmstanley"] I've always wanted to sit down and watch a serious of John Wayne movies...my grandpa was a big fan. I think that The Searchers may be the catalyst to watching many more John Wayne westerns. I really enjoyed it. The classic cowboy and indians conflict harks to the days of my parents childhood, where society was perhaps a little less sensitive to topics of race and discriminaton. But that's really beside the point. The Searchers really drew me in and told a great story. It featured many of Wayne's classic phrase, such as "That'll be the day." Sometimes the plot line seemed a bit disjointed but other than that, it was fun, fun fun! [/quote]
]]>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:11:02 GMTseelyMovie Watchin Wednesday9/12/2008 3:11:02 PMAgreed... for pure entertainment value its hard to go wrong with John Wayne. One of my favorites was one of his last--Rooster Cogburn. It has a more complex and humanistic storyline, but he still carries that John Wayne gruff charm and pulls off some nice one-liners. Oddly enough, The Searchers is sometimes cited in his demise, as much of it was shot in Utah on old nuclear testing grounds. Its been basically disproven as a factor in his cancer (he drank and smoked like it was his job), but interesting none-the-less. [quote user="lmstanley"] I've always wanted to sit down and watch a serious of John Wayne movies...my grandpa was a big fan. I think that The Searchers may be the catalyst to watching many more John Wayne westerns. I really enjoyed it. The classic cowboy and indians conflict harks to the days of my parents childhood, where society was perhaps a little less sensitive to topics of race and discriminaton. But that's really beside the point. The Searchers really drew me in and told a great story. It featured many of Wayne's classic phrase, such as "That'll be the day." Sometimes the plot line seemed a bit disjointed but other than that, it was fun, fun fun! [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Watchin_Wednesday/Re_September_10th_2008_The_Searchers_1956/624/35056/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Movie Watchin Wednesday
Post Date: 9/12/2008 10:23:15 AM
Body: I think what I found most startling about this film is the stark contrast to a lot of the 'spaghetti westerns' that came out in the mid-sixties. I am a huge fan of Westerns, and have seen tons from both time periods. Most of the pre-1960's films I have seen share a lot of the same negative view towards native americans, mexicans and women. The Searchers, however, is probably far and away the most blatant--going so far as to even refer to the "childish Indians". Very telling, considering that in most modern texts, the attitude of the early white Americans to the Indians is often describe as treating the natives as children that needed to be educated and civilized. Same goes for Africans. I always saw that as an underlying theme in older Westerns, but never heard or expected to hear anyone come right out and say it. I can't help but be amazed at the difference in attitudes displayed in later films, films that only came out a half-dozen years after "The Searchers". In most of the "spaghetti Westerns", the Mexicans/Native Americans are roughly treated as equals to white heros like Clint Eastwood's infamous character "The Man with No Name", aka "Goldie" (the character he portrayed in The Good The Bad The Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, For a Fistful of Dollars, etc). I believe that series started around 1962. Even within four years, we see a big difference in attitude with 1960's "The Magnificent Seven". I think John Wayne really represented the last vestige of inherent-white-male-superiority for the post WWII generation scared of looming, impending change and social progression. I really think he allowed people to feel secure and validated in their long-held dellusions of inherent racial superiority. Heck, my parents even laugh about my grandmothers concern when my family moved to Illinois in 1973... she was worried about Indians. In the suburbs of Chicago. She still envisioned Illinois as a lawless prarie state, run wild by savage indians. In 1973. I always thought that was absolutely ridiculous, but growing up in Upstate New York, fed a steady diet of classic smalltown East-Coast racism and John Wayne movies, it seems perfectly logical to me now. I should probably do some work now. [quote user="csprague"] Well, we just finished watching The Searchers in the Spout office. I can see why it's a classic and John Wayne's one liners are pretty awesome (I actually thought there were a lot of funny moments in the movie, either intentional or unintentional). However, I am having trouble filing in the blanks. There were so many things that I was just like "Um, did I miss something? How did we end up here? Or why did they just do that?". Plus, it's kind of funny how far we've come with equality and racism and how this movie would never be okay in todays social context. I mean, the whole Indian thing is almost laughable, the stereotypes and assumptions that are being made in the film are just amazing. Anyway, I guess John Ford was just doing his best at the time, but it's still seems awkward when you watch it now. Do you see what I am talking about or am I way off here? [/quote]
]]>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:23:15 GMTseelyMovie Watchin Wednesday9/12/2008 10:23:15 AMI think what I found most startling about this film is the stark contrast to a lot of the 'spaghetti westerns' that came out in the mid-sixties. I am a huge fan of Westerns, and have seen tons from both time periods. Most of the pre-1960's films I have seen share a lot of the same negative view towards native americans, mexicans and women. The Searchers, however, is probably far and away the most blatant--going so far as to even refer to the "childish Indians". Very telling, considering that in most modern texts, the attitude of the early white Americans to the Indians is often describe as treating the natives as children that needed to be educated and civilized. Same goes for Africans. I always saw that as an underlying theme in older Westerns, but never heard or expected to hear anyone come right out and say it. I can't help but be amazed at the difference in attitudes displayed in later films, films that only came out a half-dozen years after "The Searchers". In most of the "spaghetti Westerns", the Mexicans/Native Americans are roughly treated as equals to white heros like Clint Eastwood's infamous character "The Man with No Name", aka "Goldie" (the character he portrayed in The Good The Bad The Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, For a Fistful of Dollars, etc). I believe that series started around 1962. Even within four years, we see a big difference in attitude with 1960's "The Magnificent Seven". I think John Wayne really represented the last vestige of inherent-white-male-superiority for the post WWII generation scared of looming, impending change and social progression. I really think he allowed people to feel secure and validated in their long-held dellusions of inherent racial superiority. Heck, my parents even laugh about my grandmothers concern when my family moved to Illinois in 1973... she was worried about Indians. In the suburbs of Chicago. She still envisioned Illinois as a lawless prarie state, run wild by savage indians. In 1973. I always thought that was absolutely ridiculous, but growing up in Upstate New York, fed a steady diet of classic smalltown East-Coast racism and John Wayne movies, it seems perfectly logical to me now. I should probably do some work now. [quote user="csprague"] Well, we just finished watching The Searchers in the Spout office. I can see why it's a classic and John Wayne's one liners are pretty awesome (I actually thought there were a lot of funny moments in the movie, either intentional or unintentional). However, I am having trouble filing in the blanks. There were so many things that I was just like "Um, did I miss something? How did we end up here? Or why did they just do that?". Plus, it's kind of funny how far we've come with equality and racism and how this movie would never be okay in todays social context. I mean, the whole Indian thing is almost laughable, the stereotypes and assumptions that are being made in the film are just amazing. Anyway, I guess John Ford was just doing his best at the time, but it's still seems awkward when you watch it now. Do you see what I am talking about or am I way off here? [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Watchin_Wednesday/September_10th_2008_The_Searchers_1956/624/34994/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Movie Watchin Wednesday
Post Date: 9/10/2008 2:26:07 PM
Body: Well, we just finished watching The Searchers in the Spout office. I can see why it's a classic and John Wayne's one liners are pretty awesome (I actually thought there were a lot of funny moments in the movie, either intentional or unintentional). However, I am having trouble filing in the blanks. There were so many things that I was just like "Um, did I miss something? How did we end up here? Or why did they just do that?". Plus, it's kind of funny how far we've come with equality and racism and how this movie would never be okay in todays social context. I mean, the whole Indian thing is almost laughable, the stereotypes and assumptions that are being made in the film are just amazing. Anyway, I guess John Ford was just doing his best at the time, but it's still seems awkward when you watch it now. Do you see what I am talking about or am I way off here?
]]>Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:26:07 GMTcspragueMovie Watchin Wednesday9/10/2008 2:26:07 PMWell, we just finished watching The Searchers in the Spout office. I can see why it's a classic and John Wayne's one liners are pretty awesome (I actually thought there were a lot of funny moments in the movie, either intentional or unintentional). However, I am having trouble filing in the blanks. There were so many things that I was just like "Um, did I miss something? How did we end up here? Or why did they just do that?". Plus, it's kind of funny how far we've come with equality and racism and how this movie would never be okay in todays social context. I mean, the whole Indian thing is almost laughable, the stereotypes and assumptions that are being made in the film are just amazing. Anyway, I guess John Ford was just doing his best at the time, but it's still seems awkward when you watch it now. Do you see what I am talking about or am I way off here? http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_A_new_pack_of_RESERVOIR_DOGS_1992/563/32750/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: theunemployedshortstop
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 7/18/2008 9:44:33 PM
Body: The Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West… with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest… just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T – Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp… rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title… hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T – Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped… an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear… off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH… now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound… repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I… oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off… off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T – Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense.
]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:44:33 GMTtheunemployedshortstopFilmgaming7/18/2008 9:44:33 PMThe Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West&hellip; with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest&hellip; just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T &ndash; Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp&hellip; rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title&hellip; hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T &ndash; Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped&hellip; an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear&hellip; off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH&hellip; now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound&hellip; repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I&hellip; oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off&hellip; off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T &ndash; Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense. http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2008/6/18/31390.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: ShaunHuston filmblog
Post Date: 6/18/2008 9:01:56 PM
Body: The Western Top 10 is the toughest for me. As some of you may know, while I'm hardly Richard Slotkin or Jane Tompkins, I write, teach, and think about this genre on a regular basis, and, as a result, my views are not only fairly strong, but well-informed. And, where certain well regarded classics are concerned, they are also iconoclastic. This is probably nowhere more obvious than with The Searchers (1956), the film that tops the AFI list. This film does not resonate with me on any level. I have never found the ending credible. John Wayne does not portray Ethan Edwards with any of the complexity needed for his embrace of Debbie (Natalie Wood) to ring true after his 118 (or so) minutes of hard, racist ranting about Native Americans and his intent to kill her. I also find the photography and production design to be garish without purpose, and for all of its superficial sophistication about Native peoples, the talk of ritual, the use of indigenous language, it only serves to perpetuate the myth of white mastery. After all, it is white men who “know” and understand Native peoples, not the other way around. Native Americans are no less the brutish savages in this film than they are in Stagecoach (1939), but at least that film doesn't pretend to be anything but pulpy fantasy (indeed, it remains my favorite John Ford/John Wayne Western). And the landscape changes in The Searchers drive me crazy. Even though no one seems to actually leave Texas, the weather and land change in absurd ways during the course of the quest. Where are these people supposed to be? I fully recognize that I am a freak when it comes to this film, and as a result, I'm not going to make a pitch for taking it off of the list, although I do think that it needs to be demoted. The other film worth arguing about is one that I would knock of the AFI list, and that is Shane (1953). My biggest block with this film is Joey (Brandon de Wilde). The whining, oh the whining. Gah. I can't get past it. At the same time, I don't think that Alan Ladd makes for a convincing hero; he has too much of a “contemporary” presence. Van Heflin's Joe Starrett is virtually the same guy as Dan Evans, Heflin's character in 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and much less interesting. As menacing as Jack Palance's black hatted gunfighter is, he's also more hollow than the norm. And, yes, I understand the subtext about the Frontiersman and his lack of place in civilization, but that theme is punctuated in many a film without Shane's weaknesses. The selection of Cat Ballou (1965) still seems like some kind of a joke, but it is perhaps typical of an industry that has wanted to bury this genre for the past five decades or so. Red River (1948) made no impression on me when I saw it. Is that a reason to take it off the list? I don't know, but I would have no shortage of replacements if it is. Part of the difficulty with these lists is how the boundary is drawn around “American” film. I can see where Sergio Leone's movies with Clint Eastwood might be precluded as “American”, but, given some of the other selections on other lists, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) seems perfectly fair game to me (it was, after all, co-produced by Paramount, not to mention featuring a group of notable American actors in all of the lead male roles). Were it up to me, this film would certainly be on the list, and possibly even on top (I might just elevate High Noon, 1952, to the top spot depending on how much of a classisist I want to be). Undoubtedly, The Wild Bunch (1969) is Sam Peckinpah's magnum opus, but that's hardly a reason to make it his only film on the list. Ride the High Country (1962), for example, is an early elegiac Western that explores Western archetypes in more interesting ways than most of the films on the list from its same general period. The AFI's definition of the Western - “a genre of films set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier” - also seems to leave room for a movie like Lone Star (1996), or, and I know I'm pushing it here, Serenity (2005) (and you can scoff at this if you want, but Joss Whedon's movie re-imagines the Frontier and the supposed line between savagery and civilization in interesting and vital ways; I think that it certainly makes a more original contribution to the genre than does Shane). Two other recent Westerns for which I have a great deal of affection are The Claim (2000) and Open Range (2003). I'm not sure I'd end up placing all of the films listed above on a reconstructed list, but I do think that there is a tendency to treat the Western as a “dead” genre, killed at some point in the 1960s, with an occasional raising from the dead, and it's not so. It's also a genre with a fairly well-rehearsed canon. Placing The Searchers at the top of a list like this is much like putting Citizen Kane (1941) at the top of the AFI's ur-list: it's almost reflexive. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs
]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:01:56 GMTShaunHustonShaunHuston filmblog6/18/2008 9:01:56 PMThe Western Top 10 is the toughest for me. As some of you may know, while I'm hardly Richard Slotkin or Jane Tompkins, I write, teach, and think about this genre on a regular basis, and, as a result, my views are not only fairly strong, but well-informed. And, where certain well regarded classics are concerned, they are also iconoclastic. This is probably nowhere more obvious than with The Searchers (1956), the film that tops the AFI list. This film does not resonate with me on any level. I have never found the ending credible. John Wayne does not portray Ethan Edwards with any of the complexity needed for his embrace of Debbie (Natalie Wood) to ring true after his 118 (or so) minutes of hard, racist ranting about Native Americans and his intent to kill her. I also find the photography and production design to be garish without purpose, and for all of its superficial sophistication about Native peoples, the talk of ritual, the use of indigenous language, it only serves to perpetuate the myth of white mastery. After all, it is white men who &ldquo;know&rdquo; and understand Native peoples, not the other way around. Native Americans are no less the brutish savages in this film than they are in Stagecoach (1939), but at least that film doesn't pretend to be anything but pulpy fantasy (indeed, it remains my favorite John Ford/John Wayne Western). And the landscape changes in The Searchers drive me crazy. Even though no one seems to actually leave Texas, the weather and land change in absurd ways during the course of the quest. Where are these people supposed to be? I fully recognize that I am a freak when it comes to this film, and as a result, I'm not going to make a pitch for taking it off of the list, although I do think that it needs to be demoted. The other film worth arguing about is one that I would knock of the AFI list, and that is Shane (1953). My biggest block with this film is Joey (Brandon de Wilde). The whining, oh the whining. Gah. I can't get past it. At the same time, I don't think that Alan Ladd makes for a convincing hero; he has too much of a &ldquo;contemporary&rdquo; presence. Van Heflin's Joe Starrett is virtually the same guy as Dan Evans, Heflin's character in 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and much less interesting. As menacing as Jack Palance's black hatted gunfighter is, he's also more hollow than the norm. And, yes, I understand the subtext about the Frontiersman and his lack of place in civilization, but that theme is punctuated in many a film without Shane's weaknesses. The selection of Cat Ballou (1965) still seems like some kind of a joke, but it is perhaps typical of an industry that has wanted to bury this genre for the past five decades or so. Red River (1948) made no impression on me when I saw it. Is that a reason to take it off the list? I don't know, but I would have no shortage of replacements if it is. Part of the difficulty with these lists is how the boundary is drawn around &ldquo;American&rdquo; film. I can see where Sergio Leone's movies with Clint Eastwood might be precluded as &ldquo;American&rdquo;, but, given some of the other selections on other lists, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) seems perfectly fair game to me (it was, after all, co-produced by Paramount, not to mention featuring a group of notable American actors in all of the lead male roles). Were it up to me, this film would certainly be on the list, and possibly even on top (I might just elevate High Noon, 1952, to the top spot depending on how much of a classisist I want to be). Undoubtedly, The Wild Bunch (1969) is Sam Peckinpah's magnum opus, but that's hardly a reason to make it his only film on the list. Ride the High Country (1962), for example, is an early elegiac Western that explores Western archetypes in more interesting ways than most of the films on the list from its same general period. The AFI's definition of the Western - &ldquo;a genre of films set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier&rdquo; - also seems to leave room for a movie like Lone Star (1996), or, and I know I'm pushing it here, Serenity (2005) (and you can scoff at this if you want, but Joss Whedon's movie re-imagines the Frontier and the supposed line between savagery and civilization in interesting and vital ways; I think that it certainly makes a more original contribution to the genre than does Shane). Two other recent Westerns for which I have a great deal of affection are The Claim (2000) and Open Range (2003). I'm not sure I'd end up placing all of the films listed above on a reconstructed list, but I do think that there is a tendency to treat the Western as a &ldquo;dead&rdquo; genre, killed at some point in the 1960s, with an occasional raising from the dead, and it's not so. It's also a genre with a fairly well-rehearsed canon. Placing The Searchers at the top of a list like this is much like putting Citizen Kane (1941) at the top of the AFI's ur-list: it's almost reflexive. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/11/29/22380.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 11/29/2007 9:41:51 PM
Body: While I thought the cinematography was wonderful, I found myself yawning often during this Oater. But don't get me wrong - even though it's not my style, I appreciate it for what it's worth: it changed the Western as we know it forever. Never before had a "hero" been so unlikable. His wears his racism on his sleeve, and it's ugly to see. The Duke also isn't one of my favorite actors (I'd rate him pretty low, actually), but who else at that time could have altered the genre as much as he did...than him? It's an important milestone in film history...but it's just not my bag, man. Maybe another viewing will change my mind...
]]>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:41:51 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog11/29/2007 9:41:51 PMWhile I thought the cinematography was wonderful, I found myself yawning often during this Oater. But don&#39;t get me wrong - even though it&#39;s not my style, I appreciate it for what it&#39;s worth: it changed the Western as we know it forever. Never before had a &quot;hero&quot; been so unlikable. His wears his racism on his sleeve, and it&#39;s ugly to see. The Duke also isn&#39;t one of my favorite actors (I&#39;d rate him pretty low, actually), but who else at that time could have altered the genre as much as he did...than him? It&#39;s an important milestone in film history...but it&#39;s just not my bag, man. Maybe another viewing will change my mind... http://www.spout.com/blogs/chesterfilms/archive/2007/5/15/8829.aspx Post By: chesterfilms
Post To: chesterfilms Blog
Post Date: 5/15/2007 1:42:25 AM
Body: 1. Once Upon A Time In The West2. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly 3. The Searchers4. Rio Bravo5. The Wild Bunch
]]>Tue, 15 May 2007 05:42:25 GMTchesterfilmschesterfilms Blog5/15/2007 1:42:25 AM1. Once Upon A Time In The West2. The Good, The Bad &amp; The Ugly 3. The Searchers4. Rio Bravo5. The Wild Bunch http://www.spout.com/blogs/reggie/archive/2007/2/11/5362.aspx Post By: reggie
Post To: reggie Blog
Post Date: 2/11/2007 2:59:17 PM
Body: I grew up disliking the popular arts that my parent’s generation enjoyed. Country music and western movies were stupid. They were made by stupid people- the same people who allowed and supported the Vietnam war, the same people who didn’t care that we were going to destroy the planet either with bombs or pollution, the same people who oppressed Americans who looked or acted differently from them. The same people who wanted to send me off to war for no good reason. The art that I enjoyed was, I thought, new and different- a break from tradition, owing little to what came before. It was made by people like Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick. But later I learned that Dylan borrowed heavily from old folk and blues songs in his lyrics and that he was an admirer of country singers like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. And that Martin Scorsese loved John Ford and The Searchers. I won’t go into all the reasons why this movie is great art, at least not right now. But I will point out that Travis Bickle, “God’s lonely man” in Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, is descended directly from John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards character in The Searchers. And when The Joker, the narrator in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, meets the marine called Animal Mother, the scene is almost a copy of the meeting between Ethan and the Comanche called Scar. So it turns out that the artists I enjoyed were standing on the shoulders of artists that I had shunned. And people my age are not that much different from the generations that came before. Again, young people are going off to a war that was begun for no good reason. We are destroying the planet still, although we have avoided World War III, so far. The allure of some art from my parent’s time is obvious and some of it takes a little study. For a richer understanding of the movie and what people see in it, I suggest you rent the “bonus disk”, which is available on Netflix. Or go to www.rottentomatoes.com, where it gets a 97% positive rating, and read some reviews.
]]>Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:59:17 GMTreggiereggie Blog2/11/2007 2:59:17 PMI grew up disliking the popular arts that my parent&rsquo;s generation enjoyed. Country music and western movies were stupid. They were made by stupid people- the same people who allowed and supported the Vietnam war, the same people who didn&rsquo;t care that we were going to destroy the planet either with bombs or pollution, the same people who oppressed Americans who looked or acted differently from them. The same people who wanted to send me off to war for no good reason. The art that I enjoyed was, I thought, new and different- a break from tradition, owing little to what came before. It was made by people like Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick. But later I learned that Dylan borrowed heavily from old folk and blues songs in his lyrics and that he was an admirer of country singers like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. And that Martin Scorsese loved John Ford and The Searchers. I won&rsquo;t go into all the reasons why this movie is great art, at least not right now. But I will point out that Travis Bickle, &ldquo;God&rsquo;s lonely man&rdquo; in Scorsese&rsquo;s Taxi Driver, is descended directly from John Wayne&rsquo;s Ethan Edwards character in The Searchers. And when The Joker, the narrator in Kubrick&rsquo;s Full Metal Jacket, meets the marine called Animal Mother, the scene is almost a copy of the meeting between Ethan and the Comanche called Scar. So it turns out that the artists I enjoyed were standing on the shoulders of artists that I had shunned. And people my age are not that much different from the generations that came before. Again, young people are going off to a war that was begun for no good reason. We are destroying the planet still, although we have avoided World War III, so far. The allure of some art from my parent&rsquo;s time is obvious and some of it takes a little study. For a richer understanding of the movie and what people see in it, I suggest you rent the &ldquo;bonus disk&rdquo;, which is available on Netflix. Or go to www.rottentomatoes.com, where it gets a 97% positive rating, and read some reviews. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6288

Number of people who tagged: 226

Number of times used: 1138

]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT62882261138Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/revenge/MemberTagFilms.aspxrevenge
Number of films tagged: 5189

Number of people who tagged: 145

Number of times used: 489

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:41 GMT5189145489Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/overrated/MemberTagFilms.aspxoverrated
Number of films tagged: 152

Number of people who tagged: 106

Number of times used: 240

]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:37:37 GMT152106240Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/western/MemberTagFilms.aspxwestern
Number of films tagged: 92

Number of people who tagged: 64

Number of times used: 135

]]>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:20:04 GMT9264135Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/kidnapping/MemberTagFilms.aspxkidnapping
Number of films tagged: 2851

Number of people who tagged: 49

Number of times used: 172

]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:39:42 GMT285149172Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/chase/MemberTagFilms.aspxchase
Number of films tagged: 880

Number of people who tagged: 44

Number of times used: 109

]]>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:13:34 GMT88044109Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rescue/MemberTagFilms.aspxrescue
Number of films tagged: 4080

Number of people who tagged: 31

Number of times used: 142

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:36 GMT408031142Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/massacre/MemberTagFilms.aspxmassacre
Number of films tagged: 277

Number of people who tagged: 21

Number of times used: 46

]]>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:55:55 GMT2772146Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/woman/MemberTagFilms.aspxwoman
Number of films tagged: 2015

Number of people who tagged: 19

Number of times used: 41

]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:07:18 GMT20151941Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/soldier/MemberTagFilms.aspxsoldier
Number of films tagged: 1749

Number of people who tagged: 18

Number of times used: 46

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:51:21 GMT17491846Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/attack/MemberTagFilms.aspxattack
Number of films tagged: 1035

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 31

]]>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:41:19 GMT10351731Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/search/MemberTagFilms.aspxsearch
Number of films tagged: 2111

Number of people who tagged: 13

Number of times used: 40

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:49 GMT21111340Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/prejudice/MemberTagFilms.aspxprejudice
Number of films tagged: 404

Number of people who tagged: 12

Number of times used: 25

]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:00:23 GMT4041225Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/want-it-cant-have-it/MemberTagFilms.aspxwant-it-cant-have-it
Number of films tagged: 46

Number of people who tagged: 9

Number of times used: 53

]]>Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:30:55 GMT46953Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/legendary/MemberTagFilms.aspxlegendary
Number of films tagged: 6

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 6

]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:16:28 GMT666Tag