I think we've already talked about our mutual love for this movie, which I watch at least once a year. ditto for "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," which is one of the most beautiful studio-made American movies ever made; some days, I think it's the MOST beautiful. I saw an uncut print in London in 1969 (all that stuff about how Deke Thornton was…
I think we've already talked about our mutual love for this movie, which I watch at least once a year. ditto for "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," which is one of the most beautiful studio-made American movies ever made; some days, I think it's the MOST beautiful. I saw an uncut print in London in 1969 (all that stuff about how Deke Thornton was captured and put in his terrible position) and a few weeks late went to see it again in NYC and all that stuff was MISSING. when it was finally restored, folks got to see how a great movie was actually even BETTER. I've owned every boxed set ever released and the one thing I regret about the restored version is how that last long walk the guys take to meet their fates. one of the supplementary docs shows the whole thing, and, while I understand why it probably had to be curtailed, I'd still have loved to see the whole thing. what's brilliant is how all those poor schmucks in Mapache's camp are just doing whatever their usual things are while these not-so-nice guys we've come to love are marching to the violent death they've chosen for themselves, unapologetically. just describing it makes my pulse get stronger. and the walk is preceded by that fabulous four-word exchange that says everything: "Let's go," followed by "Why not?"
as for the exchange between Pike and Dutch, it really does pose a dilemma and one of the many aspects of the movie's greatness is that it's never settled. I find myself going back-and-forth over which side I agree with and I'm pretty sure that Peckinpah wanted it that way.
I also have an abiding love for "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," but for completely different reasons. it gladdened my heart when I read David Thomson (my current favorite writer on film) say pretty much the same thing.
and last week I re-watched "Only Angels Have Wings" and realized that on every level Hawks thought it should count, it's pretty much perfect.
I think I've come to pretty much accept Thomson's take on Cary Grant, which is the very extreme view that CG id, finally, the most consequential of movie stars.
jeez, after this past week, it feels fabulous to do a whole post that's just about MOVIES.
I think we've already talked about our mutual love for this movie, which I watch at least once a year. ditto for "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," which is one of the most beautiful studio-made American movies ever made; some days, I think it's the MOST beautiful. I saw an uncut print in London in 1969 (all that stuff about how Deke Thornton was captured and put in his terrible position) and a few weeks late went to see it again in NYC and all that stuff was MISSING. when it was finally restored, folks got to see how a great movie was actually even BETTER. I've owned every boxed set ever released and the one thing I regret about the restored version is how that last long walk the guys take to meet their fates. one of the supplementary docs shows the whole thing, and, while I understand why it probably had to be curtailed, I'd still have loved to see the whole thing. what's brilliant is how all those poor schmucks in Mapache's camp are just doing whatever their usual things are while these not-so-nice guys we've come to love are marching to the violent death they've chosen for themselves, unapologetically. just describing it makes my pulse get stronger. and the walk is preceded by that fabulous four-word exchange that says everything: "Let's go," followed by "Why not?"
as for the exchange between Pike and Dutch, it really does pose a dilemma and one of the many aspects of the movie's greatness is that it's never settled. I find myself going back-and-forth over which side I agree with and I'm pretty sure that Peckinpah wanted it that way.
I also have an abiding love for "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," but for completely different reasons. it gladdened my heart when I read David Thomson (my current favorite writer on film) say pretty much the same thing.
and last week I re-watched "Only Angels Have Wings" and realized that on every level Hawks thought it should count, it's pretty much perfect.
I think I've come to pretty much accept Thomson's take on Cary Grant, which is the very extreme view that CG id, finally, the most consequential of movie stars.
jeez, after this past week, it feels fabulous to do a whole post that's just about MOVIES.