"The Duel" Fails To Revive The Western

The Duel (2016)

Rated R

Starring Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Alice Braga

Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith

The Story:

Mexicans are turning up dead in the Rio Grande, and the governor sends a Texas Ranger (Hemsworth) to the town of Helena to investigate a local named Abraham (Harrelson) who may have something to do with it.

The movie starts out with a flashback to discover that Abraham had indeed killed our Ranger's father years earlier.

That is to add yet another layer of intrigue and tension to the story.

Except it didn't.

It actually all started to become a bit tedious and dull once they were in the town, and Abraham holds sway over the entire town in an almost cult-like atmosphere.

He begins to charm Marisol (Braga), the lovely wife of our main character.

So you can see where it's all going.

I accidentally hit the chapter skip button when I attempted to pause the movie about an hour into it.

Maybe less.

Couldn't tell you.

I went back a few chapters, and nothing looked familiar or memorable.

That's when I decided I probably didn't care to see how the film ended, though I had a pretty good suspicion.

Points for making a western and trying to keep the genre alive.

Negative points for making a movie I really didn't care to see how it ended, and seemingly unremarkable after an interesting start.

Final Grade: D+

Don't Become Too Attached To Anyone..."The Hateful Eight"

The Hateful Eight  (2015)

Rated R

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

The Story:

Bounty hunter John Ruth (Russell) is bringing Daisy (Leigh) in to collect the reward. However, as they race in their stagecoach to the haberdashery to avoid an impending blizzard, they run into another bounty hunter, Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) stranded in the storm. Then they meet Chris Mannix (Goggins), who claims to be the new Sheriff of Red Rock. Once they all make it to the haberdashery, they meet even more people and things get ready to take a very deadly turn.

Someday, Quentin Tarantino will write a movie without profanity or violence.

Maybe even a kids movie.

That day is not today.

:)

No, instead, Tarantino takes us on a trip back to the wild west and puts us into a nest of ruthless rogues who like to talk.

And talk.

And talk some more.

But, that's what Tarantino is known for: dialogue.

And this movie has a ton of it.

Just a bit under 3 hours worth.

The movie starts off with chapters, and that is all fine and good, but then when the movie comes back from intermission (yes, it's that long...) Tarantino makes a stylistic change that I didn't agree with then, and still don't now.

He introduces a narrator for the last half of the movie.

I don't get the choice, other than to remind his audience of what they may not have remembered since the intermission.

It's jarring, and again, out of place since the first half of the movie did not include a narrator, I still don't see why he felt the need to bring one in to the proceedings.

Otherwise, it's a fine cast, and if you love Tarantino movies, you'll probably love this one just as much as the rest of his catalog.

Final Grade:  B-

Living In The Wild Wild West..."Bone Tomahawk"

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Not Rated (R)

Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons,

Written and Directed by S. Craig Zahler

The Story:

When two robbers stumble across an Indian burial ground, one is killed and one makes his way to the nearest town. The problem, these Indians have followed him, and they kidnap him from the jail along with a deputy and the town doctor (Simmons) and make their way back into the night. The sheriff (Russell), his deputy (Jenkins) the doctor's husband (Wilson) and the man (Fox) who feels guilt for having brought the doctor to the jail in the first place set off on a quest to save the abducted.

I'm not sure, I think people will either love this one, or hate it.

It's a western, and then in the final act, it quickly changes to a horror movie with some disturbing kills in it.

By then, it may be too little, too late for those that were hoping it was a horror movie much sooner.

Why?

This movie is long.

As in 3 or 4 additional o's loooong.

Clocking in at over 2 hours can be the cinematic equivalent to career suicide, and this points back to a first time writer/director who doesn't know what or when to say cut or to edit a scene down.

I actually didn't mind many of the conversations that the characters had as they set off on their journey. The actors did a nice job of bringing the script to life. But there could have been a few less, or the journey hurried up just a bit to get somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes just as easily.

Plus, I think the deliberate slow pace makes the change in tone at the end of the movie even more jarring. We've sat through 90 minutes of not much happening, and then suddenly everything is happening in such horrific fashion that it becomes unsettling.

Still, I'm glad I watched it.  The film stayed with me for some time, but it's easy to see the many flaws, as well as the many good parts that shone through.

I'll be waiting Zahler's next effort, I just hope he uses a bit more judicious editing.

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime as of this writing.

Final Grade: B-/C+ range

How The West Wasn't Won..."The Ridiculous 6"

The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Not Rated

Starring Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Nick Nolte, Rob Schneider, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Luke Wilson, Will Forte, Steve Zahn, Harvey Keitel, Danny Trejo, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Vanilla Ice,
Directed by Frank Coraci

The Story:

Tommy (Sandler) was raised by Indians after his mom died. When his father (Nolte) finally finds him after all these years, he is quickly taken away by Cicero (Trejo) to find the money that he thinks is his. Tommy goes after his dad and discovers that he has 5 brothers from other mothers and they ride into the West to get $50,000 in order to save their dad's life!

Wow, this one goes off the rails quickly and never fully recovers.

I'm usually the first in line to proclaim that an Adam Sandler isn't that bad.

However, for whatever reason, this movie starts off very slow, and very unfunny. There are amusing bits, but when you sign on for a movie like this, with this much talent on display, there needs to be laughs, not smiles when a joke or gag hits the screen.

Perhaps it is the legacy of Blazing Saddles that will forever make any western comedy feel something less than great, but a lot of this has to fall onto Sandler's shoulders as co-writer of this piece.

He's assembled a great cast, many of whom I don't mention in the credits above simply because of how many people are in this film for a bit part or larger.

The other is the running (or dragging) time of this film.

2 hours?!

No.

Comedies should clock in at 90, maybe 100 minutes. At nearly 120 minutes, most of them laugh free, that's interminable for a comedy.

Add to that the horribly annoying Taylor Lautner's Forrest Gump inspired idiot brother, I wanted to punch something just about any time he's on screen.

Which was way more often than he should have been. Which could have cut back the running time of the film considerably.

:)

That said, there are a few pieces that actually work in this film.

Most notable, John Turturro's arrival as Abner Doubleday who decides to create a little game, and proceeds to make up the rules as he goes along.

That scene is funny, and actually feels like how the rules of baseball were likely made up!

Plus, Vanilla Ice as a strangely inspired version of Mark Twain is ridiculous, but in a good way.

I want to give these guys a break, with the whole 4 picture exclusive to Netflix deal, but with a cast and crew that should know better, I think I'm going to have to downgrade this to a Turkey of the Year candidate.

Final Grade: D+

An Old-Fashioned Sunday Western..."The Sons of Katie Elder"

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

Not Rated

Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, James Gregory, Dennis Hopper, George Kennedy

Directed by Henry Hathaway

The Story:

Katie Elder has passed away, and her three of her four sons return home to see her buried. However when the oldest (Wayne) comes back into town, there's a hitman (Kennedy) waiting to send him packing, and an overzealous lawman waiting to put him behind bars. It appears another rancher (Gregory) had swindled the Elder ranch away from Katie and their father. Since their dad was gunned down and no murderer was ever found, the boys decide to do a little investigating on their own.

Ah, this takes me back to my days of growing up.

Westerns, Our Gang comedies and Abbott and Costello movies were a staple for me growing up, watching them on the weekends with my dad.

For dad, Roy Rogers was the pinnacle of cowboy hero, but most everyone else probably gives Wayne the nod for cowboy hero of the cinema.

As for me, this movie was rather slow.

The most interesting character in the film was Katie Elder.

We knew more about her than anyone else in the film, and that's a credit to all the information given by all the characters in discussing the late Mrs. Elder.

Wayne plays John Wayne, and by this time in his career, it was pretty much auto-pilot.

Dean Martin signed on to co-star with Wayne again and gets the most screen time and plot of all the brothers not named John Wayne. :)

Naturally, a lot of conclusions are jumped to by the townspeople as the movie rolls along.

It's a bit tedious with all of the circumstances that stack up in this movie.

At least it's all tied together with a lovely Elmore Bernstein score.

:)


Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nope, once was plenty on this one.

There's Gold In Them There Hills! "City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold"

City Slickers 2 (1994)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Paul Weiland

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is paranoid.  He keeps seeing Curly (Palance) ever since he discovered a map hidden in the old cowboy's hat.  Teaming with Phil (Stern) and saddled with his older brother, Glen (Lovitz), the trio head out west to discover the treasure that Curly's ancestors buried.  However, some things buried in the desert are meant to stay buried!

A few years after the now-classic City Slickers was released, the inevitable sequel followed.

While not nearly as beloved as the first, I for one, am a big fan.

The dynamic changed a bit. 

Gone, with no explanation is Ed (Bruno Kirby), but Phil and Mitch are still there.

Now we are introduced to Glen, Mitch's deadbeat brother and played to the hilt by Lovitz.

I have often found movies improved by the Lovitz Factor, and this one is no exception.

Bringing back Jack Palance was a stroke of genius, and he actually gets a bit more screen time this go round.

Again, it's a different feel than the first one, but that's totally fine because it stands on its own merits as a good movie, not just a sequel to a great movie.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  While not quite as great as City Slickers, it's pretty darn close. :)

How The West Was Fun... "City Slickers"

City Slickers (1991)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Ron Underwood

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is turning 40.  His best friends Ed (Kirby) and Phil (Stern) have plans to take him on a cattle drive to celebrate the big occasion.  Fearing that her husband could face a mid-life crisis, his wife (Wettig) urges him to go.  So they head off to drive a herd of cattle across country and along the way the boys are going to learn a thing or two under the tutelage of trail boss Curly (Palance).

Closing in on the 25th anniversary of this film, and aside from a joke about VCRs, it's really aged well.

This captured the era when Billy Crystal was on fire at the box office as the improbable leading man who could do it all.

The jokes are fast and funny throughout, relying on dialogue and situational comedy to make the audience connect with the characters and howl with laughter.

Naturally, this movie is most remembered for Palance's Academy Award winning turn as Curly, the cow hand with a heart of steel who was actually much nicer than he appeared.

Okay, no he wasn't.

That he didn't kill Mitch was probably due to the fact that he simply ran out of time before he could.

:)

Give it a spin, especially if you've never seen it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If it's been nearly 25 years since you last saw it, dust it off and give it a whirl.

I think you'll find it still holds up really well.

And maybe you'll finally figure out what that "One Thing" that Curly is talking about, really is.

Final Grade: Solid A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I can watch this one anytime.  Absolutely love it.

Frontier Justice... "Hang 'Em High"

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Starring Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, Ed Begley, Pat Hingle, Bruce Dern, Alan Hale Jr.

Directed by Ted Post

The Story:

Jed Cooper (Eastwood) bought some cattle from a local ranch and as he is moving them towards his homestead, he is surrounded by a vigilante posse that accuses him of rustling...and murder!  Cooper professes his innocence, but the mob lynches him, and leaves him for dead.  Cut down by a passing Marshal (Ben Johnson), Cooper is taken to Fort Grant, Oklahoma to stand trial for his crimes by Judge Fenton (Hingle).  Found innocent, the judge offers Cooper the chance to round up the mob, and any other bad guys, by becoming a Deputy US Marshal.

Coming off the Man With No Name trilogy of spaghetti westerns, Eastwood created his own company, The Malpaso Company which was the home for Eastwood pictures for the next 20 years, with Hang 'Em High being the first.

The story is a fictionalized account of "Hangin' Judge Parker" from Fort Smith Arkansas.  It portrays the hardship faced by the US Marshal service to cover entire territories with few men, low pay, and danger at every turn.

Cooper tries to bring all of the mob to justice, but some resist and wind up being shot instead of hung.

However, when some rustlers are brought in and tried and convicted of murder and rustling, Cooper bristles at the methods that the judge takes.

At the end of the day, he has to make a decision on whether or not it's in his best interest to help the judge bring law and order to the Oklahoma Territory or walk away and leave a vacuum of lawlessness.

They squeeze a love story into the film after the halfway point to make the Marshal's choice a little more difficult, but at the end of the day, justice will prevail.

Pretty good film.  Glad I finally got around to seeing it.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: One viewing was good enough for me.

Living In The Wild Wild West Weekend..."Dead in Tombstone"

Dead in Tombstone (2013)
Rated R for language, violence and nudity

Starring Danny Trejo, Mickey Rourke, Anthony Michael Hall

Directed by Roel Reine

The Story:

A gang rolls into a Colorado mining town to take all of the gold that is being held during a land dispute about who owns the mine.  However, the gang, under the insistence of Red (Hall) turn on their leader, Guerrero (Trejo) and gun him down.  Finding himself in Hell, Guerrero bargains with the Devil (Rourke): to deliver the 6 souls that sent him there, in exchange for his own.  The devil agrees, and Guerrero has 24 hours to bring his killers to justice.  Things are about to get ugly!

Well, that was unexpectedly fun!

Easily, the best western I've seen this year so far.

Remove the supernatural element, and you've got the makings and attitude of a good solid "B Movie Western". 

The sets, the costumes, the actors, all do a great job to convey an idyllic mining town that falls prey to the gang of thieves when they roll into town.


Played straight, this would have been a fine Western on its own.

When you factor the added twist with the Devil, that simply solidifies the storyline and provides the deus ex machina to get Guerrero into and out of trouble with no problems.


Danny Trejo does a great job of pretty much playing himself, but that's what you hire him for.  You want the baddest man on the planet, look no further.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would have no problem owning or watching this one in the future.

Living In The Wild Wild West Weekend..."Sweetwater"

Sweetwater (2013)

Rated R for violence, language and nudity

Starring January Jones, Jason Isaacs, Ed Harris

Directed by Logan Miller

The Story:

Sarah (Jones) is a former prostitute who has given up that life for married life on a farm in New Mexico.  However her neighbor, the Prophet Josiah (Isaacs) is a little off his rocker, and when he kills Sarah's husband, she plots to exact vengeance.  Complicating matters, there's a new sheriff (Harris) in town, and it's unclear how his investigation will help or hinder Sarah's plan.

Interesting.

It's nice to see a western on the screen again.

Isaacs plays a bad guy, like nobody's business.  I hadn't seen him in anything in a long time, and I forgot how great of an actor  he is.  Apparently he's been hanging out making Harry Potter movies, so no wonder I haven't seen him.

:)

But yes, he is equally mesmerizing and evil at the same time throughout the movie.

Ed Harris on the other hand...

Well, he does a great job playing an Old West lawman.  And then the script has the sheriff do odd things... like dance around in the desert...  Kind of odd behavior.

Otherwise, no real complaints about anything.

Wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. ;)

And apparently, as of this week, it's now streaming on Netflix for your viewing pleasure.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Had the rating been lower, replayability might be higher.