Last Night

"Fistful of Dollars"...let me count the ways.

It's not a very good movie. Iconic, yes, important, yes, but good...sorry, no. And the very thing the experts use to justify it's legendary status, is the very thing that keeps it so far from the top tier of Westerns. In short, it's got no soul, man, no heart, no meaning. The triumph of style over substance, the end of Old Hollywood, which was the end of Hollywood, which was the end of entertainment for it's own sake (but entertainment with meaning). The experts will tell you how it wiped away the tired old John Wayne western, as if John Wayne were making crap like "Rio Lobo" and "Cahill" at that point, when he had still had a "Liberty Valance" in him, not too long before, one of his best and most sensitive roles. They'll try to tell you that the western was the western of Roy Rogers at that point, in the early 60's, as if there had been no Anthony Mann, no "Ride the High Country".

There's nothing wrong with enjoying those "Spaghetti Westerns", but there's no resonance to them, no moral struggle at the heart of them, and you can claim Vietnam and Dallas as the reasons they exist, but I'll show you Iraq, and Grand Theft Auto, and Hip Hop, and Paris Hilton as their result; the idea that nothing matters but style and money, and that the idea of a moral code, based not on god but on what is best for all of us, is old fashioned, antiquated, and best left in that rosy past. The classic Western at least presented the notion that each man, each gray and morally compromised man, had a choice ultimately to do what was right, be it the code of society or his own moral code --- the Spaghetti Western said that none of this matters, just be sure to look good while you do your killing. Even Clint ultimately repudiated this with "Unforgiven".

And besides that, "Fistful of Dollars" just isn't very entertaining.

Last Night

I watched "Kings Row" on DVD the other night and loved it. I think I had seen it once or twice before. Ronald Reagan was outstanding --- he hadn't developed the rather obvious mannerisms that plague his later work. Ann Sheridan was wonderful as well; I've grown to appreciate how good she could be. There's something very earthy and real about her. I'll admit the ending is a bit trite with a musical swell that's rather over the top but it's such an entertaining film that I have no problem with the rushed ending. I'm disappointed that Warners didn't see fit to include a commentary track --- it would've been great to hear how the film stands up to the book.

Stopped at Borders tonight to grab "Gojira" on DVD, as they have a pretty decent price on it this week, 14.99, but they were sold out. I've since read a couple withering reviews of the disc, really laying into the picture quality, so I'm not quite as sure that I need it now. Certainly, I can wait and order it online.

I've started in on the Halloween movies, watching 2 Hammer films so far, "Horror of Dracula" and "Night Creatures". I've always loved "Night Creatures" --- I'm a sucker for scarecrows, whether it's Ray Bolger or Patrick MacGoohan. I think I first saw the film on WPIX back in the mid to late 70's. It's one of the gems of the Hammer Collection that was released on DVD last September --- "Brides of Dracula" is tops but "Night Creatures" is probably a close second. As for "Horror of Dracula", I had forgotten how much this film differed from the generally accepted plotline. I enjoyed the film but I don't think it's as good as the first "sequel" (Brides), though Chris Lee is the best Dracula in my book and Peter Cushing makes everything he's in better; he had the kind of subtle charisma that Spencer Tracy had, the kind that compels you to watch the film whenever he's onscreen.

Well, it's off to bed for me. The Irish Fest begins tomorrow here in Syracuse, so don't expect another post until I dry out on Sunday. Or Monday. Cheers.

Last Night

Well, the Final Jihad was a big let down. One more reason to never trust a Neo-Con. Con, indeed.

So I won't get into big excuses about my prolonged absence. I had a nagging cold for 10 days and I've been obsessively researching on the web, trying to decide what, if any, DVD player I should buy to replace the old Panasonic that went south on me. And in this investigative process, I have become somewhat obsessed also about an HDTV, a CRT, discontinued by Sony, but available, perhaps, to those with money and perseverance. An Academy Ratio HDTV, 36 inches. The mind boggles.

Yes, tonight I watched "The Thing From Another World" on DVD. I've owned it since it came out in 2003, only now getting around to watching it. I love that movie; it's not just a great science fiction film, but a great film. Kenneth Tobey's understated strength makes it all work, but the ensemble all get little bits and pieces. I was afraid that perhaps I had seen the film too many times to enjoy it again, but I was proven wrong. Just a great film and always a joy to watch.

Aside from that, I have watched, in the last 2 weeks, "House of Wax", "Storm Warning", and "The Winning Team" on DVD, and "Rooster Cogburn", "Island of Lost Souls", "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and half "The Devil Bat" (I fell asleep) on TCM. I'll return, with any thoughts I may have about those films, tomorrow, or Thursday, or...damned DVD player, damned HDTV...out of my mind!

By the way, that's Laz, in the picture that I posted early August, and not me --- I'm the hairy one. He's the light of my life and a damn good boy. I wanted to post that photo in my profile but it was too big, so I left it in the post. Won't be the last time.

Goodnight Laz.

Last Night

Well, tonight I'll be watching the insides of my eyelids --- did a wee bit of boozing last night, missed the Mets game on ESPN, and then threw in the "Eat The Rich" DVD for a couple of friends who had had their share of beer as well. So I'm tired, and I need to hit the hay. "Eat The Rich" was as funny as ever --- I'm surprised at how little known that film is, even amongst my "Young Ones" friends. Gives me the chance to put it on the DVD and treat them.

And speaking of the old DVD --- my Panasonic RV32 went H07 on me yesterday. I have since been enlightened here on the net about what a common problem that is. I guess I was lucky: I got mine as a present on Valentine's Day in 2003 and it performed faithfully until yesterday. Come to think of it, the DVD player outlasted the relationship by a year. Huzzah! Fortunately, my first player, a JVC 501BK that I purchased in September 1999, is still in working order, so I plugged that one in. It doesn't play CD-R's but it'll suffice for now. Trying to decide whether to splurge on a Sony that'll play SACD's as well. Decisions, decisions.

Last Night

I'm working my way through the Warners "Film Noir Classic Collection Vol 3" DVD set, and I took a look at "His Kind of Woman" last night. The film stars Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell and Vincent Price. I hadn't seen it before, knew from various reviews that it was a bit of a mess, due to the interference of Howard Hughes, the film's producer, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. First off, it has a great cast --- along with those previously mentioned, there are notable bits from Raymond Burr, Jim Backus, Charles McGraw, Marjorie Reynolds, and Tim Holt. Also, there are some other great character actors, whose names may escape me, but who leave indelible impressions --- the bar tender, in the dive where Mitchum first meets Russell, stands out especially. He has a great, sinister, noir face, and I've seen him before, but where?

It's true the film has a cobbled together quality, but it didn't seem that obvious to me until the last 30 minutes or so; it felt like it was wrapping up, felt just about perfect in it's balance of thrills and humor to that point, and then took it's sweet time getting to the end and lost alot of it's momentum. Still, it remained fun, largely due to Vincent Price, bizarrely cast as an Errol Flynn-type movie star. I look forward to the commentary track, wondering exactly what happened to this film and what the original cut may have looked like.

So far, I've watched 3 of the 5 films in this boxset; I'd rate "His Kind of Woman" and "On Dangerous Ground" as equally entertaining, though films with vastly different moods, while "The Racket" was rather mundane and forgettable, saved only by Robert Ryan's intense performance. Even with that said, his role in that film pales next to his riveting turn in "On Dangerous Ground".