A "whatthef" moment in Unforgiven was. . .

when the sheriff, after being shot with a shot gun at point-blank range was able to move and carry on a conversation . . .

The Good The Bad The Ugly Review

I have never seen the movie The Good The Bad The Ugly and found it quite enjoyable. The movie follows three gunslingers and their ultimate quest of locating $200,000 in gold. Clint Eastwood (Blondie), Lee Van Cleef (Tuco), and Eli Wallach (Angel Eyes) are fantastic in this film. Tuco especially, who is the truly the main character, shines through as a funny yet loveable bad guy. This movie is filmed in 1966 and is a true Spaghetti western were everyone/everything is covered is dust and dirt. What I also loved about this movie was that it was portrayed during the Civil War, in the West, and there were battle scenes and not only gun slinging. The soundtrack also added a lot to the movement and depth to the film.

The link below is interview of the characters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg0jjjfKvtM

Lady Eve - Snake Charmer

I enjoyed watching Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck in this romantic comedy because their chemistry in this film was simply magical. The premise of a cardsharp falling in love with her very handsome and rich potential victim is in itself fairly predictive, but the characters work so well together it is impossible not to like this film. Barbara Stanwyck really outdid herself in this one by playing two characters who spoke with different accents. Henry Fonda was very funny as a scientist who had no clue when it came to women. This film was funny and held my interest even though this is not a movie I would have chosen to watch on my own on a Saturday afternoon. I am looking forward to other movies with these actors and in this genre, particularly those written and directed by Preston Sturges.

From Wikipedia:

  

Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Preston Sturges
Produced by	Paul Jones Buddy G. DeSylva(uncredited)
Written by	Preston Sturges
Based on	"Two Bad Hats" by Monckton Hoffe
Starring	Barbara Stanwyck Henry Fonda
Music by	Phil Boutelje Charles Bradshaw Gil Grau Sigmund Krumgold John Leipold Leo Shuken (all uncredited)
Cinematography	Victor Milner
Editing by	Stuart Gilmore
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	February 25, 1941
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$660,000[1]

Preston Sturges - An American Original

Preston Sturges was the first filmmaker, who both wrote and directed his projects, to have his name used as a promotional tool based on public recognition.  Hitchcock and Capra, among a few others, had attained name status, but neither one of those men wrote the original screenplays they shot.  Billy Wilder would reach this ranking a few years later.  This week we are watching "The Lady Eve" as a home assignment.  Here are a few more Sturges hits that are well worth seeing.

SHANE > WESTERN

"SHANE" 

I have always enjoyed westerns. Shane was one of few that I was surprised that I had never seen. I've always enjoyed the scenery, colors, and genre of acting in these kinds of films. The music that trailers all the scenes, always grasps your attention and accelerates the action as its played out. I can appreciate the time and effort that went into making these westerns, from filming in rural parts of America, too gathering enough horses and trained actors to play out in the films.

All the scenes seemed to have their own way of grasping your attention. For example, the scene where Mrs. Starrett is trying to convince her husband not to go to town to face Ryker or Wilson and Little Joey is screaming " Bang" with his pistol in hand. What a perfectly directed scene portraying the intensity of the moment. That moment in the scene had me just waiting for something terrible. Also, In the last part of the same scene, when Joe Starrett and Shane are fighting, I found it interesting that the fight ended , with both of them, fist to fist,on the same "Stump" that they had originally met on, when Shane offered to cut it down together with Starrett in the beginning of the film.

Great Western, a new favorite for me

Shane

I did not find this to be the typical western. The homesteaders wanted to keep their land and Ryker wanted to have all the land to run the cattle. The people in the small town were against guns, for the most part. Shane comes along to work for Joe, but seems way to familiar with Joe's wife Marian. Both Marian and Shane seem too comfortable with one another. The secenery was nice, bit a little to drawn out in some parts.

The Wild Bunch - Iconic Scene

I believe Sam Peckinpah's 1969 western, "The Wild Bunch", is one of the top ten American Films of all time.  Certainly it is one of the great titles of its genre.  Here is a sequence towards the end of the film where the four remaining outlaws from the Bunch decide to walk into almost certain death to rescue one of their own who might already be dead.  Director Peckinpah was originally not going to shoot this scene.  It was not in the script, but he suddenly saw the possibilities, re-arranged the schedule and spent the rest of the day staging and then shooting this classic "last walk to the final showdown,"  A point of interest: the leader of the Bunch is played by William Holden twenty years after his starring role in "Sunset Blvd."

The quality on this clip is quite good, so be sure and blow it up to "full screen."