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 →

Heaven’s Gate: Michael Cimino’s ambitious Western epic encapsulates the best and worst of 1970s auteur-driven cinema

The epic Western, Heaven's Gate(1980), Written & Directed by Michael Cimino and starring Kris Kristofferson, Isabelle Huppert and Christopher Walken, was a major financial disaster for its studio, United Artists, and for the western film genre, and marked the end of the Auteur-driven New-Hollywood cinema that flourished in the 1970s. Michael Cimino was a hot-shot … Continue reading Heaven’s Gate: Michael Cimino’s ambitious Western epic encapsulates the best and worst of 1970s auteur-driven cinema →

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” →

Murder My Sweet: Dick Powell makes the definitive Philip Marlowe in this influential Noir classic

Murder, My Sweet(1944), was an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Farewell my Lovely, with Dick Powell starring as Philip Marlowe in what became the first of the film Noirs. "Okay Marlowe,' I said to myself. 'You're a tough guy. You've been sapped twice, choked, beaten silly with a gun, shot in the arm until you're crazy … Continue reading Murder My Sweet: Dick Powell makes the definitive Philip Marlowe in this influential Noir classic →

For a Few Dollars More: Sergio Leone’s second Western with Clint Eastwood is bigger and better than the first one, and gave Lee Van Cleef his breakout role

For a Few Dollars More(1965) is the second film in the so called "Dollars" trilogy of Euro-Westerns directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "The Man with no Name". This is a bigger, better and more successful film than their first film, A Fistful of Dollars, and it provided veteran character actor, Lee … Continue reading For a Few Dollars More: Sergio Leone’s second Western with Clint Eastwood is bigger and better than the first one, and gave Lee Van Cleef his breakout role →

To Catch a Thief: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly epitomizes the glamor and sizzle of golden age Hollywood in Hitchcock’s witty, elegant, extravaganza

To Catch a Thief(1955), Hitchcock's glossy, lighthearted, caper film offers frothy, romantic entertainment, and Grant and Kelly's combustive star power sets off significant fireworks. Sex on the screen should be suspenseful, I feel. If sex is too blatant or obvious, there’s no suspense. You know why I favor sophisticated blondes in my films? We’re after … Continue reading To Catch a Thief: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly epitomizes the glamor and sizzle of golden age Hollywood in Hitchcock’s witty, elegant, extravaganza →

Pale Rider: Clint Eastwood saddles up once again as the archetypal mysterious stranger in this mystical Western

Pale Rider(1985), directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is a mystic Western where Eastwood reprises his iconic role as the mysterious loner, perhaps, for the last time. "Who are you? Who are you... really?" A question one should never ask the "mysterious stranger" hero of a "Western"; the question becomes even more pointless if this … Continue reading Pale Rider: Clint Eastwood saddles up once again as the archetypal mysterious stranger in this mystical Western →

My Darling Clementine: John Ford romanticizes Wyatt Earp’s heroism to the point of myth in one of the greatest Westerns ever made

My Darling Clementine(1946), directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Victor Mature as Doc Holliday, is one of the greatest Westerns ever made. It's a highly romanticized take on Wyatt Earp's heroism at Tombstone. “The conquest and settlement of the West has been a stupendous feat of our race for … Continue reading My Darling Clementine: John Ford romanticizes Wyatt Earp’s heroism to the point of myth in one of the greatest Westerns ever made →

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 →

Monte Walsh: Lee Marvin and Jack Palance at their melancholic best in this elegiac Western

Monte Walsh(1970), Starring Lee Marvin, Jack Palance and Jeanne Moreau and directed by renowned cinematographer, William A. Fraker, is an elegiac tribute to the death of the old-west. "Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever"Chet Rollins tells friend, Monte Walsh as their 'cowboy' way of life is coming to an end Set during turn of the … Continue reading Monte Walsh: Lee Marvin and Jack Palance at their melancholic best in this elegiac Western →

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 →

Hour of the Gun: James Garner is terrific as the cold & brutal ‘Wyatt Earp’ in John Sturges’ hard-hitting Western

Hour of the Gun(1967), directed by John Sturges and starring James Garner as Wyatt Earp and Jason Robards as Doc Holliday, is a quasi-sequel to Sturges' own Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957). This is a more gritty, revisionist take on the story that concentrates on the aftermath of the famous gunfight "This Picture is … Continue reading Hour of the Gun: James Garner is terrific as the cold & brutal ‘Wyatt Earp’ in John Sturges’ hard-hitting Western →

Deewaar: Amitabh Bachchan’s career-defining performance is deeply moving in its truthfulness and electrifying in its theatricality

Amitabh Bachchan, India's greatest movie superstar and one of its greatest screen actors, was born on October 11, 1942. Celebrating Bachchan's 78th birthday with some thoughts on his greatest screen performance from Deewaar (1975). Amitabh Bachchan's performance in Deewaar (1975) is one of the greatest in mainstream Indian cinema, if not the greatest. When i … Continue reading Deewaar: Amitabh Bachchan’s career-defining performance is deeply moving in its truthfulness and electrifying in its theatricality →

Lawman: Burt Lancaster stars in an intelligent, ultra-violent 1970s Western that raises tough questions about Law and justice

Lawman(1971), directed by Michael Winner and starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan and Lee J. Cobb is a stylish, intelligently written, Vietnam-war era Western that deals with themes of Law & Order and justice. Before i come to the themes and characters of Lawman, i would like to discuss the visual style of this film, which … Continue reading Lawman: Burt Lancaster stars in an intelligent, ultra-violent 1970s Western that raises tough questions about Law and justice →

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 →

Gandhi: Ben Kingsley breathes life into Richard Attenborough’s cinematic monument to the saint of non-violence

Ben Kingsley gave an astonishing performance as Gandhi in Sir Richard Attenborough's monumental 1982 motion picture It took me 20 years to get the money to get that movie made. I remember my pitch to 20th Century Fox. The guy said: 'Dickie, it's sweet of you to come here. You're obviously obsessed. But who the … Continue reading Gandhi: Ben Kingsley breathes life into Richard Attenborough’s cinematic monument to the saint of non-violence →

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 →

A Fistful of Dollars: The Birth of an Icon

Clinton Eastwood Jr  was born on 31 May 1930, but Clint Eastwood, the cinema icon was born in 1964 with the release of A Fistful of Dollars. Sergio Leone's  seminal western launched Clint Eastwood to stardom and created a new film (sub)genre of the spaghetti western.  Clinton Eastwood Jr  was born on 31 May 1930, … Continue reading A Fistful of Dollars: The Birth of an Icon →