Category: Adventure

Rio Grande: John Ford brought John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara together for the first time in this final film in his ‘Cavalry’ trilogy

“Wayne’s greatest achievement may have been creating John Wayne. The character he played, the character he invented, was the American persona of the man who is hard and believes in doing right and will do it against all the odds.”Charlton Heston on John Wayne Rio Grande (1950), the third and final film in John Ford's … Continue reading Rio Grande: John Ford brought John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara together for the first time in this final film in his ‘Cavalry’ trilogy →

Fort Apache: John Wayne and Henry Fonda represents the two sides of the American soldier in this magnificent first film in John Ford’s ‘Cavalry’ trilogy

Fort Apache starring John Wayne and Henry Fonda is the first film in what became John Ford's 'Cavalry' trilogy. It's one of John Ford's most balanced, racially sensitive westerns that tries to understand the Native American issue even as it pays homage to the Army Who better than an Irishman can understand the Indians, while … Continue reading Fort Apache: John Wayne and Henry Fonda represents the two sides of the American soldier in this magnificent first film in John Ford’s ‘Cavalry’ trilogy →

Chisum: John Wayne stars as a powerful frontier patriarch who knows his time’s at an end

Chisum(1970), starring John Wayne in the title role and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, is a typical 'John Wayne' Western from the final phase of Wayne's career, and like its legendary star, the film tries to reconcile the traditional with the modern. "Weary, saddle-worn. Can you still keep goin' on?" As William Conrad's deep baritone … Continue reading Chisum: John Wayne stars as a powerful frontier patriarch who knows his time’s at an end →

The Stalking Moon: Gregory Peck rides again as the noble, stoic hero in this chilling Western that plays more like a supernatural thriller

The Stalking Moon(1968) reteamed Gregory Peck with his "To Kill a Mockingbird" producer-director duo of Alan J. Pakula and Robert Mulligan. The film, also starring Eva Marie Saint and Robert Forster, is an off-beat Western that plays more like a supernatural thriller I sometimes wonder about the destiny of certain movies. Some good films are … Continue reading The Stalking Moon: Gregory Peck rides again as the noble, stoic hero in this chilling Western that plays more like a supernatural thriller →

Valdez is Coming: Burt Lancaster returns as the ‘lawman obsessed with justice’ in his second horse opera of the 1970s

Valdez is Coming is one of the three Westerns that Burt Lancaster made in the early 1970s, Lawman and Ulzana's Raid being the other two. In all three movies, Lancaster played some variation of the aging Lawman obsessed with establishing justice at any cost. “Tell him Valdez is Coming.” It’s not easy to accept Burt … Continue reading Valdez is Coming: Burt Lancaster returns as the ‘lawman obsessed with justice’ in his second horse opera of the 1970s →

The White Buffalo: Charles Bronson stars in a strange, allegorical Horror-Western that plays out like a nightmarish “Moby-Dick on the Plains”

The White Buffalo(1977), starring Charles Bronson an directed by J. Lee Thomson, is a moody, atmospheric Western that attempts to add horror elements to the genre. The unprecedented success of Steven Spielberg's Jaws(1975) led to an influx of countless monster movies, like King Kong, Orca, The Swarm, etc... Jaws was basically a marine adventure turned … Continue reading The White Buffalo: Charles Bronson stars in a strange, allegorical Horror-Western that plays out like a nightmarish “Moby-Dick on the Plains” →

The Eiger Sanction: Clint Eastwood attempted a James Bond style spy thriller with mixed results

The Eiger Sanction (1975), Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is an action-adventure thriller inspired from James Bond films. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Rodney Whitaker AKA Trevanian, the film has Eastwood playing a government assassin, who has to ascent the Eiger Mountains to kill the spy responsible for the death … Continue reading The Eiger Sanction: Clint Eastwood attempted a James Bond style spy thriller with mixed results →

The War Wagon: John Wayne and Kirk Douglas lend their beefy charisma to this breezy Western that subtly parodies genre conventions

The War Wagon(1967), Directed by Burt Kennedy, is a tongue-in-cheek hybrid of a traditional Western, buddy comedy and Heist movie that brought macho superstars, John Wayne and Kirk Douglas, together for the last time. John Wayne (as Taw Jackson): Did you know why Pierce wanted you to kill me? Kirk Douglas (as Lomax): Sure, so … Continue reading The War Wagon: John Wayne and Kirk Douglas lend their beefy charisma to this breezy Western that subtly parodies genre conventions →

Dr. No: Sean Connery’s hypnotic charisma ensures that the first James Bond film remains a most satisfying watch

Dr. No(1962) is the first of the glossy, action-packed spy thrillers featuring the character of James Bond created by Ian Fleming. The Bond film franchise would go on to become the most popular and durable film franchises in movie history. Sean Connery, who played Bond in a total of 7 films, would go on to become … Continue reading Dr. No: Sean Connery’s hypnotic charisma ensures that the first James Bond film remains a most satisfying watch →

Tombstone: A Magnificent Kurt Russell and a mesmerizing Val Kilmer leads the charge in this highly entertaining and iconic Western

Tombstone (1993), (officially) directed by George P. Cosmatos and starring Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, is a thoroughly enjoyable western that recounts the events leading up to, and following, the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral. Of all the actors who played Wyatt Earp on screen, a mustachioed Kurt … Continue reading Tombstone: A Magnificent Kurt Russell and a mesmerizing Val Kilmer leads the charge in this highly entertaining and iconic Western →

Breakheart Pass: Charles Bronson stars in a highly entertaining Western adventure adapted from an Alistair MacLean bestseller

Breakheart Pass(1975), directed by Tom Gries and starring Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Ben Johnson and Richard Crenna, is a very enjoyable thriller set in the old-west, which combines elements from a John Ford western and an Agatha Christie mystery. "I'm not a man of violence" The words are spoken by none other than Charles Bronson, … Continue reading Breakheart Pass: Charles Bronson stars in a highly entertaining Western adventure adapted from an Alistair MacLean bestseller →

GoldenEye: Pierce Brosnan and Director Martin Campbell reinvigorated James Bond for the post-cold war era with an excellent Bond film for the 90s

GoldenEye(1995) marked the debut of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. The film, directed by Martin Campbell,  revitalized the Bond franchise and established Bond's relevance in the Post-cold war era. When the seventeenth James Bond film, GoldenEye, reached movie theaters in 1995, The fictional MI6 agent, James Bond, created by Ian Fleming, was facing the biggest … Continue reading GoldenEye: Pierce Brosnan and Director Martin Campbell reinvigorated James Bond for the post-cold war era with an excellent Bond film for the 90s →

Red River: John Wayne and Montgomery Clift battle it out in Howard Hawks’ classic western

Red River(1948), starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift, was the first western directed by Howard Hawks. This film was Clift's debut movie and was a major turning point in John Wayne's career. I didn’t know the big son of a bitch could act John Ford after watching John Wayne in Red River Director Howard Hawks … Continue reading Red River: John Wayne and Montgomery Clift battle it out in Howard Hawks’ classic western →

Bite the Bullet: Gene Hackman heads up an all-star cast in this underrated, highly entertaining, high-spirited Western adventure

Bite the Bullet(1975), written and directed by veteran Richard Brooks, is the last of the magnificent old-fashioned westerns. It eschews traditional cowboys and Indians narrative to delve deep into the relationship between man and his horse and man and the western wilderness to create an exhilarating adventure story. "In 1906, a newspaper promotes a 700 … Continue reading Bite the Bullet: Gene Hackman heads up an all-star cast in this underrated, highly entertaining, high-spirited Western adventure →

The African Queen: John Huston brings together Bogart, Hepburn and the wild African landscape to create the ultimate romantic adventure

The African Queen(1951), starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, was director John Huston's adaption of C.S.Forester's 1935 novel of the same name. The film had one of the most difficult shoots in movie history, but it resulted in one of the most endearing romantic adventure films of all time, with Bogart winning an Oscar for … Continue reading The African Queen: John Huston brings together Bogart, Hepburn and the wild African landscape to create the ultimate romantic adventure →

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid: Paul Newman and Robert Redford gives timeless portrayals of the legendary outlaw duo in this quirky, delightful Western Classic

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid(1969), starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford and, Directed by George Roy Hill, is one of the most popular Westerns ever made. The film made a star out of Redford and revitalized the Western genre,but, it is writer William Goldman who leaves the strongest imprint on the film, with his … Continue reading Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid: Paul Newman and Robert Redford gives timeless portrayals of the legendary outlaw duo in this quirky, delightful Western Classic →

Major Dundee: Charlton Heston gives a towering performance in Sam Peckinpah’s epic civil-war Western

 Major Dundee(1965), starring Charlton Heston and Richard Harris, was Sam Peckinpah's first big studio film. But the studio took it away from him in post-production, and was ultimately released in a version which he never approved. But whatever is left in this version still makes for a near-great film with some great themes, moments and … Continue reading Major Dundee: Charlton Heston gives a towering performance in Sam Peckinpah’s epic civil-war Western →

Nevada Smith: Steve McQueen’s dynamic star turn makes this a highly enjoyable Western adventure

Nevada Smith(1966), starring Steve McQueen, is an episodic Western revenge drama directed by genre veteran Henry Hathaway. It's one of McQueen's most successful outings, with the star in top form, elevating a very generic revenge movie with his dynamism and charisma. "I don't see nothing, except my father laying on a covered-floor all burnt and … Continue reading Nevada Smith: Steve McQueen’s dynamic star turn makes this a highly enjoyable Western adventure →

Only Angels have Wings: Cary Grant epitomizes the tough, existential Hero in this prototypical Howard Hawks classic

January 18 marks Cary Grant's 116th birth anniversary. So it's good time to look back at one of his most memorable performances in one his greatest films: director Howard Hawks' 1939 film Only Angels have Wings, which has now completed 80 years. The film was, perhaps, the first time Grant broke from the mold of … Continue reading Only Angels have Wings: Cary Grant epitomizes the tough, existential Hero in this prototypical Howard Hawks classic →

The Magnificent Seven: John Sturges set the template for the all-star cast, Men-on-a-Mission adventure with this exhilarating adaptation of ‘The Seven Samurai’

John Sturges' iconic 1960 Western, The Magnificent Seven, is the remake of the 1954 Akira Kurosawa classic The Seven Samurai, and stars, among others, Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. The film set the template for the ensemble, 'Men on a Mission' Adventure that was replicated in many films thereafter. Japanese movie maestro Akira Kurosawa is … Continue reading The Magnificent Seven: John Sturges set the template for the all-star cast, Men-on-a-Mission adventure with this exhilarating adaptation of ‘The Seven Samurai’ →