[quote=âGarko Forever, post:39, topic:271â]THE MERCENARIES / DARK OF THE SUN is an excellent movie on all counts!! Couldnât agree with you more, Sartana Django. I think any SW fan would find plenty to like about it![/quote][quote=âscherpschutter, post:40, topic:271â]Right.
THE MERCENARIES/DARK OF THE SUN or, as it was called in Belgium (understandable if you know or colonial past) LAST TRAIN TO KATANGA is a great, violent, exciting war movie.
And yes, most SW fans will find plenty to like about it.
Spaghetti westerns, at least the gritty ones, were typical products of the era they were made in, the sixties, and so is this film.
I wonât say it has a SW feeling, but the tough action and the cynical (anti-)heroes certainly are in the SW league.
Highly recommended ![/quote]
Thank you both Scherp and Garko Forever I love the MERCENARIES 1968 so much
and ROD TAYLORâs performance especially, that every time it comes on TV/Satellite I watch it again like it even more and can now remember many fabulous scenes by heart, the fight between Rod Taylor and Peter Carsten, the cruelty of war :o
That is what a WAR Film is all about and made in 1968.
Katanga is indeed the town mentioned in the MERCENARIES 1968 which is set
in the Belgian Congo. The bond between a white mercenary Capt Curry( ROD TAYLOR )and a black Mercenary Rufo ( JIM BROWN) is portrayed magnificently in the film and sends a great message for race relations/humanity.
After Rufo ( Jim Brown) is slaughtered (back bayoneted) by evil Peter Carsten it is Capt Curry ROD TAYLOR that goes after Carsten risking his own life to avenge his fallen friend
Unforgettable scenes.
ALEX CORD star of A MINUTE TO PRAY 1968 also starred in STILETTO 1969.
Apocalypse Now 1979 is a full 153 minutes or 2 Hours 33 minutes wasted on what could have taken 25 minutes as a short story telling of a minor Vietnam incident with a
mad colonel being rounded up by a slightly less mad Captain. Is that "exciting " ??? :â(
The cast is pretty much below average with Martin Sheen Ok, Forrest/Bottoms mediocre
and Brando mumbling away in yet another wooden/sleep walking film âperformanceâ.
The only Marlon Brando Films where he seems efficient are : NIGHTCOMBERS 1971 , SOUTHWEST TO SONORA/APPALOOSA 1966 , VIVA ZAPATA 1952 and maybe In Last Tango In Paris 1973 as he slips butter into Schneider :â(
I think Ennio, Scherp, Garko Forever and myself have got it SPOT ON on the MERCENARIES 1968
it is a film that needs to be seen RECENTLY and OFTEN to appreciate the characters/plot
Ennio was not keen on Apocalypse Now 1979. Who would be ?
Apocalypse Now 1979 is a full 153 minutes or 2 Hours 33 minutes wasted on what could have taken 25 minutes as a short story telling of a minor Vietnam incident with a
mad colonel being rounded up by a slightly less mad Captain. Is that "exciting " ??? :â(
The cast is pretty much below average with Martin Sheen Ok, Forrest/Bottoms mediocre
and Brando mumbling away in yet another wooden/sleep walking film âperformanceâ.
The only Marlon Brando Films where he seems efficient are : NIGHTCOMBERS 1971 , SOUTHWEST TO SONORA/APPALOOSA 1966 , VIVA ZAPATA 1952 and maybe In Last Tango In Paris 1973 as he slips butter into Schneider :â(
Ennio was not keen on Apocalypse Now 1979. Who would be ? ;)[/quote]
[quote=âSARTANA DJANGO, post:43, topic:271â]Apocalypse Now 1979 is a full 153 minutes or 2 Hours 33 minutes wasted on what could have taken 25 minutes as a short story telling of a minor Vietnam incident with a
mad colonel being rounded up by a slightly less mad Captain. Is that "exciting " ??? :'([/quote]
Phil we fully understand and support your right to like âApocalypse Nowâ all 153m
But talking of Vietnam Films THE GREEN BERETS 1968
John Wayne David Janssen and a magnificent BALLAD by Sgt Barry sadler was heaven
Stanton we laugh, giggle, clash on Films and your comedy skills are developing :D[quote=âCol. Douglas Mortimer, post:46, topic:271â]Last Tango In paris 1973 Marlon Brando inserts Butter into Maria Schneider :o ;D I said
Tried that with the girlfriend one time. Canât say we liked it though. (Col DM said)[/quote]
Col DM the whole forum has a mental picture of the scene you tried once
In a way thatâs true but I guess youâre, uh, missing the point as the final irony (itâs more irony than tragedy) is that Cordâs death is just useless, with no blood money going for the bounty killers who didnât know he was just pardoned. Not so much the triumph of bad guys as a no-win situation for everyone concerned. Iâve grown fond of this resolution and have avoided the MGM release knowing it stops short. There seems to be a record number of different edits out and Iâd love to know more about how they differ.
ALEX CORD is an Actor who made so many EXCELLENT Classic SWs/Thrillers.
I especially Liked ALEX CORD In :
SCORPIO LETTERS 1967 Shirley eaton STAGECOACH 1967 Ann Margret BROTHERHOOD 1968 Kirk Douglas (Mafia Film 100 Times Better than Godfather) A MINUTE TO PRAY 1968 Nicoletta Macchiavelli STILETTO 1969 Britt Ekland
I have the MGM version but I want to see the unhappy ending. I wish the ending was unhappy because I hated the Alex Cord character. He is almost like a Heathcliff in Wuthering heights, in the way he brings everybody down who tries to help him, from his partner at the beginning, to the salesman who saves him, to the girl, to arthur kennedyâs Marshall. Its rediculous how Robert Ryan, the doctor, and arthur kennedy risk their necks to help this ingrate who needs to be knocked out by Ryan to be convinced that he is really getting amnesty. On top of that he asks for a bunch of money to go along with amnesty. What an ass. Overall a very unlikeable protagonist.
The film itself was decent though. I loved Robert Ryan in this. Alex Cord was good too, even though I hated the character he played, Clay McCord.
Good points, Colonel. I wondered at the end if he was going to be such an ingrate that after he got cured he would forget about the amnesty and continue with the outlaw life.
Robert Ryan stole the show hereâŚreally a good touch for the governor to be a down to earth guy that doesnât mind throwing fists and is a good shot to boot.
As always though, too little Nicoletta!!! >:(
Good solid flick, I will enjoy watching this one again in the future.
I saw this on encore westerns. It is pretty average. Nothing special. One of the atractions of this movie in my mind is the great american actors. I found it very spaghettiesque the fact that the governor of the new mexico territory would be involved in gunfights but I liked that aspect of it. There is a flashback scene where Cord is taughnted and then starts to literally cry like a baby. OK. :-\
If anyone would like to send any non-US versions of this film my way, Iâll happily add all cut scenes from the different versions into one edit. I currently have only the US version, and have been wanting to see the other ending for a while. If anyone wants to take me up on my offer, i will make the combined edit available freely
we fully understand and support your right to like âApocalypse Nowâ all 153m