Category: Drama

Get Carter: Michael Caine’s iconic star turn and Roy Budd’s pulsating score powers this classic British Crime drama

Get Carter(1971), written & directed by Mike Hodges, and starring Michael Caine as the amoral titular gangster, is a gritty & nihilistic British crime Drama. It was not well received upon its release, but it's now revered as one of the greatest British films ever made. "Pint of Bitter..... in a thin glass" One of … Continue reading Get Carter: Michael Caine’s iconic star turn and Roy Budd’s pulsating score powers this classic British Crime drama →

Advertisement

Will Penny: Charlton Heston gives one of his greatest performances as the aging, aching cowboy in this gritty, melancholic Western

Will Penny (1968), written and directed by Tom Gries, is a gritty, melancholic Western starring Charlton Heston as the titular hero. The film features Heston, who usually plays larger-then-life roles, as a very down to earth, aging cowboy. From Moses to Michelangelo, and from El Cid to Gordon of Khartoum, Charlton Heston specialized in playing epic, … Continue reading Will Penny: Charlton Heston gives one of his greatest performances as the aging, aching cowboy in this gritty, melancholic Western →

The Godfather: Coppola, Brando and Pacino transformed Mario Puzo’s gangster saga into a mesmerizing meditation on power, succession and moral corruption

The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a strong candidate for the title of 'the greatest American film ever made'. The film, adapted form Mario Puzo's bestselling novel, tells the story of the fictional Corleone family and starred Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in lead roles. When Mario Puzo set out to write … Continue reading The Godfather: Coppola, Brando and Pacino transformed Mario Puzo’s gangster saga into a mesmerizing meditation on power, succession and moral corruption →

Dances with Wolves: Kevin Costner directs and stars in this grand, gorgeous & ‘going native’ Western epic

Dances with Wolves (1990) is a sweeping Western epic directed by, and starring Kevin Costner. This was Costner's directorial debut and this Oscar winning film was adapted from a novel by Michael Blake. Kevin Costner, by his own admission, does not make cutting-edge movies. His films are all 'right down the middle.' His ambition as … Continue reading Dances with Wolves: Kevin Costner directs and stars in this grand, gorgeous & ‘going native’ Western epic →

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid: Bob Dylan’s heavenly music elevates Sam Peckinpah’s final Western into a haunting elegy on the death of the old-West

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan is legendary director, Sam Peckinpah's final Western. Dylan also provided the music for this film, which includes the very popular song, "knockin' on heaven's door." There's guns across the river about to pound youThere's a lawman on your trail like … Continue reading Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid: Bob Dylan’s heavenly music elevates Sam Peckinpah’s final Western into a haunting elegy on the death of the old-West →

From Noon till Three: Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland bring their endearing real-life chemistry to this delightful rom-com Western

From Noon till Three (1976) is an amusing romantic comedy set in the old-west. The film, directed by Frank D. Gilroy from his own novel, stars the real-life husband & wife team of Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland. Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland met for the first time in 1963 when Bronson was filming "The … Continue reading From Noon till Three: Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland bring their endearing real-life chemistry to this delightful rom-com Western →

The Devil’s Advocate: Al Pacino has a ‘Devil’ of a time opposite Keanu Reeves’ modern ‘Faust’ in this very entertaining hybrid of supernatural Horror & Legal thriller

The Devil's Advocate (1997), based on Andrew Neiderman's eponymous novel, directed by Taylor Hackford, and starring Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, is a contemporary morality play that mixes elements of supernatural Horror and John Grisham style legal thriller. "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven"  (Spoilers Included) It goes without saying … Continue reading The Devil’s Advocate: Al Pacino has a ‘Devil’ of a time opposite Keanu Reeves’ modern ‘Faust’ in this very entertaining hybrid of supernatural Horror & Legal thriller →

The Shootist: John Wayne rides off into the sunset in a blaze of glory

The Shootist (1976), Directed by Don Siegel from Glendon Swarthout’s eponymous 1975 novel, is John Wayne's final film in which he co-stars with Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard and James Stewart. The film has John Wayne playing a legendary gunfighter who's dying of cancer. “I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid … Continue reading The Shootist: John Wayne rides off into the sunset in a blaze of glory →

Sands of Iwo Jima: John Wayne towers over this seminal WWII epic with one of his greatest and most iconic performances

Sands of Iwo Jima(1949), directed by Allan Dwan and starring John Wayne, John Agar and Forrest Tucker in lead roles, is one of the most popular American war films. It features a fictional story of the events leading up to the factual raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi by the U.S. Marines. Inspired … Continue reading Sands of Iwo Jima: John Wayne towers over this seminal WWII epic with one of his greatest and most iconic performances →

Rio Lobo: Legendary Director Howard Hawks ended his career with this perfectly comfortable John Wayne Western

Rio Lobo(1970), starring John Wayne, Jack Elam, Jorge Rivero and Christopher Mitchum, marked the fifth and final collaboration between John Wayne and Director Howard Hawks. This Western is also the last theatrically released feature film directed by Hawks. "I've been called a lot of things, but not 'comfortable'!" First there was "Rio Bravo(1959)," then came … Continue reading Rio Lobo: Legendary Director Howard Hawks ended his career with this perfectly comfortable John Wayne Western →

Heartbreak Ridge: Clint Eastwood excels as the highly-decorated, hard-drinking, tough-talking Marine in the only ‘War film’ that he made as both actor & director

Heartbreak Ridge(1986), produced by, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood, is a gritty military drama in which Eastwood plays a tough & cynical Gunnery Sergeant who's close to retirement, and is given a final assignment to whip a rag-tag group of young Marines into shape. "We're Marines, sir. We're paid to adapt, to improvise." Though … Continue reading Heartbreak Ridge: Clint Eastwood excels as the highly-decorated, hard-drinking, tough-talking Marine in the only ‘War film’ that he made as both actor & director →

The Cowboys: John Wayne passes the baton to the next generation of (cow)boy heroes in one of his most poignant late-career Westerns

The Cowboys(1972), directed by Mark Rydell and starring John Wayne, Bruce Dern and Roscoe Lee Browne in lead roles, is a poignant Western that deals with issues of mortality, fatherhood, mentorship and coming-of-age. "Every man wants his children to be better'n he was. You are" In 1948, John 'Duke' Wayne teamed up with eminent director … Continue reading The Cowboys: John Wayne passes the baton to the next generation of (cow)boy heroes in one of his most poignant late-career Westerns →

Purgatory: Sam Shepard leads a bunch of immortal Wild-West-heroes into one last gunfight in this very inventive & enjoyable supernatural Western

Purgatory(1999) is a TNT original supernatural Western film shot on 35 mm by director Uli Edel. The film stars Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts and Randy Quaid in lead roles, and it explores the line between reality and myth in relation to the legendary old-West heroes. Mixing film genres is always a difficult task. More often … Continue reading Purgatory: Sam Shepard leads a bunch of immortal Wild-West-heroes into one last gunfight in this very inventive & enjoyable supernatural Western →

Khartoum: Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier battle it out in this visually stunning war epic that has great contemporary relevance

Khartoum(1966), directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier, is the last of the Cinerama roadshow epics of the 1960s. The film has Heston playing British hero, Charles 'Chinese' Gordon, who tries to save the city of Khartoum from the invading armies of Olivier's Mahdi. Western imperialism Vs Islamic fundamentalism, that's the … Continue reading Khartoum: Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier battle it out in this visually stunning war epic that has great contemporary relevance →

Little Big Man: Dustin Hoffman entered ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’ with his epic portrayal of the titular misfit in Arthur Penn’s oddball Western Tragicomedy

Little Big Man(1970) is a revisionist Western directed by Arthur Penn from Thomas Berger's satirical novel. The film stars Dustin Hoffman as Jack Crabb, a white man raised by Native Indian Tribes, and it tells the tale of the conquest of the American West from the point of view of the Native Americans. Dustin Hoffman … Continue reading Little Big Man: Dustin Hoffman entered ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’ with his epic portrayal of the titular misfit in Arthur Penn’s oddball Western Tragicomedy →

Posse: Bruce Dern gives one of his career-best performances in this Kirk Douglas directed cynical, Watergate-era Western

Posse(1975) is a typical 1970s anti-Western produced and directed by Kirk Douglas. This is Douglas' second (and final) directorial venture, and he also plays the lead protagonist alongside Bruce Dern, Bo Hopkins and James Stacy. Though Kirk Douglas was one of the first stars from Hollywood's golden era to form his own production company, he … Continue reading Posse: Bruce Dern gives one of his career-best performances in this Kirk Douglas directed cynical, Watergate-era Western →

In the Line of Fire: Clint Eastwood is determined to save the American President from John Malkovich’s assassin in this terrific political-action thriller

In the Line of Fire(1993), directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich, is a terrific political action thriller inspired from 'The Day of the Jackal'. Eastwood plays the U.S. Secret Service agent who tries to stop Malkovich's killer from assassinating the U.S. president. "I thought Eastwood was terrific. . . . … Continue reading In the Line of Fire: Clint Eastwood is determined to save the American President from John Malkovich’s assassin in this terrific political-action thriller →

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 →

Cross of Iron: Sam Peckinpah’s gritty and unflinching World War II epic is one of the greatest anti-war films ever made

Cross of Iron (1977), starring James Coburn, James Mason and Maximillian Schell in lead roles, is Sam Peckinpah's bleak, pessimistic WWII epic about a band of retreating German soldiers on the Russian frontier. It's hard to believe that director, 'Bloody' Sam Peckinpah made just one 'War' film in his career. The film was "Cross of … Continue reading Cross of Iron: Sam Peckinpah’s gritty and unflinching World War II epic is one of the greatest anti-war films ever made →