An American western written and directed by Michael Cimino, starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, Jeff Bridges and John Hurt.
After college graduation, a man goes to a foreign immigrant pioneer settlement to be a hero. He wants to leave with the woman he loves, but she won't leave her brothel. Military or militia guys show up and things get violent.
This 219 minute film can be summed up in 1 scene. Kris Kristofferson is trying to read a list of names to a group of immigrants and they won't shut up long enough to let him read (image) these immigrants in this room. Saying it had audio problems is like saying that walking from Argentina to Alaska takes a little while. Most of the scenes included mobs, crowds, gangs, parties and armies, complete with trains, wagons and horses. They were always all moving and shouting at once. Most films would have a directional microphone on the actors and/or do an overdub so we can hear dialogue without being overwhelmed by background noise. This did not. There are lots of films which have a plot worth spending 3 and a half hours on, but don't. This had about a 45 minute plot and spent 3 and a half hours on it. This may also be why the plot was not clearly presented. There were good things, though. The video all looked amazing. There was shot variety and lots of detail. Besides "The Walken Beast", nobody could ask for a better cast. In writing a hero, whenever he is needed for some official purpose, he's passed out drunk. It's just that there were serious problems which completely prevented me from enjoying it. I rate this poor because it could have been fixed with some editing. You probably should not watch it.
An American British action adventure directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Kris Kristofferson, Ernest Borgnine and Burt Young.
After disagreements with police, a group of truckers set out from a truck stop restaurant. They are joined by many others.
This is one of my favorite movies. The plot is simple and has few main characters. These characters are easily differentiated and memorable. The main character reminds me of a friend from my warehouse job. The video is very clear. Things were shot in a logical fashion that included enough variety to keep it interesting. Even though it's just about people driving trucks together, they milked those trucks for all they were worth. Inside shots, outside shots, different settings and formations. The audio featured a sufficient array of music. The country theme song was contrasted by Godzilla style music in the dirt road action scene. I could hear everything that all of the actors were saying. Basically, this film checks all the boxes on my list of criteria and it does so with style. I rate it awesome for going above and beyond set standards.
A western directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson.
A new sheriff and former friend of Billy the Kid is after this outlaw because a governor wants Billy dead or alive. Basically, cowboys drink whiskey and shoot each other.
I thought this was pretty cool. James Coburn stalks the wild west with a giant flask in search of his target, not letting a scene go by without alcohol entering his mouth. Billy (Kristofferson) does the same, but he's trying to escape or hide and he's got a glass bottle. There's a scene in a bar where Coburn sends someone's lackey to give him an inventory of food items while Coburn roughs up some guys. The inventory man's dialogue goes something like "beans, spinach, beans, lima beans, spinach, beans..." Cowboys and their beans... Obviously the characters were good. I liked the plot although it was hard to follow at some points and the style was cool. I'm giving his one of those good, solid green ratings.
