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Reviews
Heaven's Gate (1980)
Huh??
About 5 minutes in, you start scratching your head. Strange lengths of time, seemingly wasted on scenes that took great affect on how the story unfolded. No wonder this was GROSSLY over budget and off schedule!
Great actors can only do SO much. I had wondered how I had missed this one ... now I know! It was a BIG miss. Read up on it and you'll see the challenges and the setbacks really killed this one. It's really too bad.
I'm glad Cimino hit it big w/ Deer Hunter. His career would have really been scrutinized without it.
A good Western is really pretty simple ... It's easy to see here, where the formula went wrong and how far off track it can take a film.
Jury Duty (2023)
A Surprising Joy!
Knew nothing about the channel. Started this thinking it was just some throw away, placed there for added content. Quite the opposite ... As this is unique, finely crafted and dare I say "brilliant?!"
Just like reality TV will NOT go away, the mockumentary concept can get somewhat overdone. The overall game plan and scripted otwists here, make this very fun and seem more ingenious.
Marsden is great, with the perfect combination of sweet and smarmy. All the other cast members do a really great job. The true heroes here however, are the Writer/Producer team, who had a TOUGH challenge pulling this off, but did so with great success. One of the highlights of my watch list this year!
Too Old to Die Young (2019)
Not just a SLOW burn ...
... Slowest pace I have EVER seen. I love a slow burn, so not a problem for this old dude. Makes for a more crafted & stylized experience. Tremendous violence, although some of the "worst" is not pictured. I was really digging this until the final episode, which left me confused and underwhelmed. Based on some of the details of the production, I may not be the target audience, but I was getting ready to hit the 9 or 10 button, until that last episode. With ALL of these SLOW episodes, WHY rush on the LAST one?? Makes for an overall gut-feel that they ran out of money, or even WORSE ... Story. I doubt that is the case, so ... WTF??
The Northman (2022)
Wanted it to be good ... I don't always get what I want!
When I first watched the trailer, I felt like I had already seen the story ... As "The Last Kingdom" has a somewhat similar story. When I finally got around to watching it, I found that it went beyond that.
The settings and scenes are impressive and well shot. I heard they took special care to be sure costumes and sets were very authentic.
Beyond that ... Well, this movie is just NOT GOOD.
From the choice of an actress who chose to noticeably surgically alter her beautiful face, to downright BAD acting by everyone else in a major role. The story is also weak and not very well presented. My wife and I were actually laughing at how bad it was in certain parts.
I suppose, if you're super geeked up at the genre, or REALLY like the Director or one of the main Actors, you MAY enjoy this film. But, if you like things that are well written and well acted, I cannot help but think you will come away as disappointed as I was.
Appaloosa (2008)
Very Well Done
This one had escaped me for years and I was pleasantly surprised on many levels. First, kudos to Ed Harris, for playing the role so well AND for directing and writing the screenplay. Next, Vigo Mortensen did a great job in his role. The chemistry between the two actors in their main roles was captivating. Renee Zellweger was great in her role. Although she had to grow on me. The first two scenes had me wondering if she was right for the part, but she grew in the role and was great by the end. Jeremy Irons did very well in the role of the villain.
Lastly, the one necessary component for a good or great Western is the scenery. Harris and his film crew did a great job of capturing the environment, taking this film to the next level. Overall, I'd put this at the top of your watch list, if you love Westerns. I watched it on Tubi, w/ commercials.
The English (2022)
Quirky and weird and surprising and GOOD!
Western snob here:
A good western must always have the backdrop of the land, or the environment play as a character. This one was beautifully shot. Kudos to the DP and cinematographer. Quirky characters abound and bring back the feel of the Leone westerns just a touch, which is nice. Lots to love here. A few nit-picky details, which are overshadowed by good writing and character development. There's enough here to satisfy everyone. Overall, a must-see if you love Westerns.
Bonus: The opening credits are super cool, in their design and Spaghetti Western feel. Don't know if they give awards for that, but this one should win.