Category: Adventure

The Undefeated: John Wayne and Rock Hudson teamed up for this epic, civil-war era, south-of-the-border Western

The Undefeated(1969), directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson in lead roles, is a lavishly mounted, epic Western set during the final days of the American civil war. Loosely based on Confederate States Army General Joseph Orville Shelby's escape to Mexico - with approximately 1,000 of his remaining troops (men later immortalized as "the undefeated" … Continue reading The Undefeated: John Wayne and Rock Hudson teamed up for this epic, civil-war era, south-of-the-border Western →

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Seraphim Falls: Liam Neeson obsessively pursues Pierce Brosnan in this austere & atmospheric post-civil war Western

Seraphim Falls(2006), directed by David Von Ancken, is a gritty Western set in the desolate, post-civil war American landscape where an Ex-confederate officer, played by Liam Neeson, driven by vengeance is hunting for a Union soldier played by Pierce Brosnan. Before his Action-film-star making performance in 2008's Taken: where he played Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative … Continue reading Seraphim Falls: Liam Neeson obsessively pursues Pierce Brosnan in this austere & atmospheric post-civil war Western →

Never Say Never Again: Sean Connery returned as James Bond for the last time in this bizarre remake of ‘Thunderball’

Never Say Never Again(1983), directed by Irvin Kershner, is a remake of the fourth James Bond film, Thunderball(1965). The film, produced by Jack Schwartzman (and not by Albert Broccoli's Eon productions) saw Sean Connery returning to his career-making role after a hiatus of more than a decade. "Never Say Never Again" is one of those … Continue reading Never Say Never Again: Sean Connery returned as James Bond for the last time in this bizarre remake of ‘Thunderball’ →

Patton: George C. Scott is magnificent as the brilliant and mercurial WWII General in this splendid biographical war epic

Patton(1970) is a multiple Oscar winning war-biopic directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola. The film has George C. Scott essaying the brilliant and mercurial General George S. Patton during WWII, starting with the general's exploits in North Africa and ending with the fall of the Third Reich and the liberation … Continue reading Patton: George C. Scott is magnificent as the brilliant and mercurial WWII General in this splendid biographical war epic →

The Alamo: John Wayne produced, directed, and starred in this stirring epic War-Western

The Alamo(1960), based on the 'Battle of Alamo' that took place in the year 1836, is an epic historical-war Western produced and Directed by John Wayne. This was Wayne's directorial debut, and he also played the role of Davy Crockett in the film alongside an ensemble cast that comprised of Richard Widmark and Laurence Harvey. … Continue reading The Alamo: John Wayne produced, directed, and starred in this stirring epic War-Western →

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino’s postmodern ‘Antebellum’ Western is too self-indulgent, but still very entertaining

Django Unchained(2012), Quentin Tarantino's 7th film as a director, is a homage to spaghetti-Westerns, Blaxploitation flicks and Wagner's opera. The film, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio, is a revenge-Western set in the Antebellum South. “We participated in a hero’s journey — the hero here being Quentin,...And you scale the … Continue reading Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino’s postmodern ‘Antebellum’ Western is too self-indulgent, but still very entertaining →

Inglourious Basterds: In Quentin Tarantino’s glorious homage to WWII ‘Men on a Mission’ movies, words & films are more powerful than bullets & grenades

Inglourious Basterds(2009) is Quentin Tarantino's sixth feature film as a director. The film, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth and Diane Kruger, is an idiosyncratic mashup of War films and Spaghetti-Westerns, and presents an alternate history of WWII and the assassination of Hitler. If my initiation into the events of WWII was through Quentin … Continue reading Inglourious Basterds: In Quentin Tarantino’s glorious homage to WWII ‘Men on a Mission’ movies, words & films are more powerful than bullets & grenades →

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The final collaboration between Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone resulted in one of the greatest and most entertaining Westerns of all time

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the third and final film in the 'Man with no Name' trilogy from the actor-director team of Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone. This rip-roaring Spaghetti Western, co-starring Lee Van Cleef and Eli Walach, is not just one of the greatest Westerns, but one of the greatest films … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The final collaboration between Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone resulted in one of the greatest and most entertaining Westerns of all time →

Firefox: Clint Eastwood attempted something different as an actor and director with this ‘James Bond’ meets ‘Star Wars’ hybrid of Sci-fi & Cold-war espionage thriller

Firefox (1982) is a cold-war techno thriller directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film. The film is adapted from a novel by Craig Thomas, and it's one of the costliest films Eastwood has ever attempted in his career. Long before it was an open-source browser developed by the Mozilla Corporation, "Firefox" was … Continue reading Firefox: Clint Eastwood attempted something different as an actor and director with this ‘James Bond’ meets ‘Star Wars’ hybrid of Sci-fi & Cold-war espionage thriller →

True Grit(2010): Jeff Bridges brilliantly reprises John Wayne’s Oscar winning role in Coen Brothers’ fantastic reimagining of the classic 1969 Western

True Grit (2010) is the second screen adaptation of Charles Portis' eponymous novel. This time the film is scripted & directed by Joel & Ethan Coen, and stars Jeff Bridges as the tough frontier lawman, Rooster Cogburn- a role immortalized by the great John Wayne in the 1969 adaptation. The Coen brothers- Joel & Ethan- … Continue reading True Grit(2010): Jeff Bridges brilliantly reprises John Wayne’s Oscar winning role in Coen Brothers’ fantastic reimagining of the classic 1969 Western →

One-Eyed Jacks: The only film directed by Marlon Brando is one of the greatest and most original Westerns ever made

One-Eyed Jacks (1961) is the only film directed by acting legend, Marlon Brando. The film is a one-of-a-kind Western that mixes the glossy production values of old-Hollywood with the emotional values of an emerging new-Hollywood, with its complex plot and morally ambiguous protagonists. "one may smile, and smile, and be a villain" from William Shakespeare's … Continue reading One-Eyed Jacks: The only film directed by Marlon Brando is one of the greatest and most original Westerns ever made →

The Missing: Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett excels in this thrilling Western from Ron Howard

The Missing (2003) is a superb Western directed by Ron Howard, and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchet in lead roles. The film, adapted from Thomas Eidson's novel The Last Ride, plays more like an updated version of John Ford's classic 1956 Western, "The Searchers" John Ford's 1956 Western classic "The Searchers" may or … Continue reading The Missing: Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett excels in this thrilling Western from Ron Howard →

The Last Sunset: Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson stars in Robert Aldrich’s lyrical, melodramatic Western that plays like a Greek tragedy

The Last Sunset (1961), directed by Robert Aldrich, written by Dalton Trumbo, and starring Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas and Dorothy Malone in lead roles, is a melodramatic Western that brings a modern tone to the relationship dynamics between the lead protagonists. Adapted from Howard Rigsby’s Western novel "Sundown at Crazy Horse", "The Last Sunset (1961)" was … Continue reading The Last Sunset: Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson stars in Robert Aldrich’s lyrical, melodramatic Western that plays like a Greek tragedy →

The Great Escape: John Sturges’ magnum opus is the ultimate WWII POW Escape adventure that made stars out of Steve McQueen, James Garner and Charles Bronson

The Great Escape (1963), directed by John Sturges from the eponymous non-fiction book by Paul Brickhill, features Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Garner, Richard Attenborough and others as Allied POWs involved in the greatest escape attempt from a POW camp in Germany during WWII. Director John Sturges' The Great Escape (1963) marks the zenith of … Continue reading The Great Escape: John Sturges’ magnum opus is the ultimate WWII POW Escape adventure that made stars out of Steve McQueen, James Garner and Charles Bronson →

Escape from Fort Bravo: A Decade before ‘The Great Escape’, John Sturges crafted this thrilling, Civil war era POW Escape adventure featuring William Holden and Eleanor Parker

Escape from Fort Bravo (1953), directed by John Sturges and starring William Holden, Eleanor Parker and John Forsythe, is a Civil-war era Western which details an escape attempt by Confederate soldiers from the eponymous POW camp in Arizona. Made exactly a decade before his classic WWII POW escape drama, "The Great Escape (1963)", Director, John … Continue reading Escape from Fort Bravo: A Decade before ‘The Great Escape’, John Sturges crafted this thrilling, Civil war era POW Escape adventure featuring William Holden and Eleanor Parker →

Rooster Cogburn: John Wayne reprises his Oscar winning role opposite Katherine Hepburn in this Western version of “The African Queen”

Rooster Cogburn(1975) is the stand-alone sequel to the 1969 Western, 'True Grit', with John Wayne reprising his Oscar winning character of Marshal 'Rooster' Cogburn, this time, opposite screen-legend Katherine Hepburn. This is the only film Wayne and Hepburn made together. “From head to toe he is all of a piece. Big head. Wide blue eyes. … Continue reading Rooster Cogburn: John Wayne reprises his Oscar winning role opposite Katherine Hepburn in this Western version of “The African Queen” →

Zulu: Michael Caine and Stanley Baker stars in this most beloved of British war epics that celebrates valor but does not become a celebration of imperialism

Zulu(1964), directed by Cy Endfield and starring Stanley Baker and Michael Caine in lead roles, is an epic war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulu impi in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. "In the hundred years since the Victoria Cross was created for valor and extreme courage beyond that normally expected of a … Continue reading Zulu: Michael Caine and Stanley Baker stars in this most beloved of British war epics that celebrates valor but does not become a celebration of imperialism →

Planet of the Apes: Charlton Heston is terrific as the misanthrope enslaved by simians in this landmark Sci-Fi classic

Planet of the Apes(1968), starring Charlton Heston and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, is one of the most influential Sci-fi movies ever made. The film that spawned several sequels and reboots was adapted from Pierre Boulle's 1963 French novel, La Planète des Singes, and portrays a futuristic society in which Apes are the dominant species … Continue reading Planet of the Apes: Charlton Heston is terrific as the misanthrope enslaved by simians in this landmark Sci-Fi classic →

El Cid: Charlton Heston embodies the legendary Spanish folk hero in all his nobility in Anthony Mann’s magnificent medieval epic

El Cid(1961), produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Anthony Mann, depicting the life of legendary Eleventh-century Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar is one of the greatest screen epics ever made. Charlton Heston plays Rodrigo aka El Cid in one of his most popular film portrayals and Sophia Loren plays his wife Doña Ximena. Don … Continue reading El Cid: Charlton Heston embodies the legendary Spanish folk hero in all his nobility in Anthony Mann’s magnificent medieval epic →

Two Mules for Sister Sara: Clint Eastwood co-stars with Shirley MacLaine in Don Siegel’s amusing blend of Spaghetti Western and romantic-comedy

Two Mules of sister Sara(1970) is a quirky Western directed by Don Siegel, and starring Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood in lead roles. The film mixes the aesthetics of a Sergio Leone Western with the romantic-comedy elements from John Huston's African-Adventure, The African Queen, to arrive at a highly enjoyable romantic-comic Western adventure. The quirky … Continue reading Two Mules for Sister Sara: Clint Eastwood co-stars with Shirley MacLaine in Don Siegel’s amusing blend of Spaghetti Western and romantic-comedy →