LOL, I have just noticed, that “Passion & Poetry - The Ballad Of Sam Peckinpah” is available on lovefilm.
I am deep in the red figures, so I hope nobody minds… I have put it into my list
1.) The Wild Bunch
2.) The Getaway
3.) Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
4.) The Osterman Weekend (i liked the gloomy style very much)
5.) Ride the High Country
6.) Killer Brigade
7.) The Ballad of Cable Hogue
8.) Steiner (the english is not authentic, german would be better)
9.) Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
just caught the end of a Peckinpah documentary on the Encore Westerns channel…very interesting with lots of interviews from people like Roger Ebert, Paul Shrader, James Coburn, Ben Johnson, Benicio Deltoro, and many family members and friends that were close to Sam…
by the way…his two best films are Wild Bunch and Alfredo Garcia…followed closely by Pat Garrett (imo)
[quote=“elSanto, post:61, topic:1805”]LOL, I have just noticed, that “Passion & Poetry - The Ballad Of Sam Peckinpah” is available on lovefilm.
I am deep in the red figures, so I hope nobody minds… I have put it into my list[/quote]
There’s no legal rental version of Passion & Poetry yet. They will link you to market places etc.
Anyway I could get the '79 interview with Sam where he discusses 'Convoy(Is it contained in ‘Passion & Poetry’?)…, or any more information of how his edit may have differed from the released product?..Do you think Sam’s edit of ‘Convoy’ will ever see the light of day?(If it even exists?)… It’s one of his least written about films, but I do have a great interest in it even if it is one of Sams lesser works… I do feel it is one of Sams best photographed films…
I watched Deadly Companions last night & for the most part really enjoyed it. I think there’s a few things in this film that must have influenced the the Spaghetti westerns, especially Django & tGtB&tU. When Turk & Billy show up unexpectedly at the cemetery at the end, it reminded me a lot of Lee Van Cleef’s reappearance in tGtBtU.
I’ve got Ride the High Country to watch next. Saw it years ago, but don’t remember it very well.
My favourite Peckinpah by a long chalk is Pat Garett & Billy the Kid. Yes, it’s flawed, but it has some great scenes, great performances, a great soundtrack, & I love the simple, fatalistic story.
Wild Bunch is technically a better film, but the characters all seem a little bit samey & I just don’t feel quite the same warmth from it that I do from PG&BtK.
I saw Cable Hogue recently & was disappointed. Too much (mostly unfunny) silliness, & no real narrative curve.
Anyway I could get the '79 interview with Sam where he discusses 'Convoy(Is it contained in ‘Passion & Poetry’?)…, or any more information of how his edit may have differed from the released product?..Do you think Sam’s edit of ‘Convoy’ will ever see the light of day?(If it even exists?)… It’s one of his least written about films, but I do have a great interest in it even if it is one of Sams lesser works… I do feel it is one of Sams best photographed films…[/quote]
I’m afraid not
I got this from a Peckinpah-friend and I won’t spread copies of it. Please try to understand.
There’s also a legal issue attached…
I hope to be involved in a future CONVOY release someday (although CROSS OF IRON is the next in line,
maybe 2010/2011). Then I’ll put into that whatever I got!
The longer version was destroyed I think. EMI stopped making films long ago and
they never had a studio with a vault… They fired Sam and had no interest in his cut. I’m sure
all that survived is a negative or a dub-negative of the theatrical release version.
Garner Simmons saw his longer version while Sam was editing and he said that of course
it wasn’t a GREAT film but it was SO MUCH better than the final release version. The Peckinpah-quality,
the little details, cuts, looks and emotions were all cut out.
I agree, the photography by Harry Stradling is fantastic. I have a 35mm print and it looks so good
on the big screen. Better than most now-a-days actioners. Because everything in it was real …
[quote=“mike siegel, post:66, topic:1805”]I’m afraid not
I got this from a Peckinpah-friend and I won’t spread copies of it. Please try to understand.
There’s also a legal issue attached…
I hope to be involved in a future CONVOY release someday (although CROSS OF IRON is the next in line,
maybe 2010/2011). Then I’ll put into that whatever I got!
The longer version was destroyed I think. EMI stopped making films long ago and
they never had a studio with a vault… They fired Sam and had no interest in his cut. I’m sure
all that survived is a negative or a dub-negative of the theatrical release version.
Garner Simmons saw his longer version while Sam was editing and he said that of course
it wasn’t a GREAT film but it was SO MUCH better than the final release version. The Peckinpah-quality,
the little details, cuts, looks and emotions were all cut out.
I agree, the photography by Harry Stradling is fantastic. I have a 35mm print and it looks so good
on the big screen. Better than most now-a-days actioners. Because everything in it was real …[/quote]
Understandable, Mike…
I assumed EMI was in such a rush to get the movie out they probably just cut the negative and threw everything out…Oh, well… I was hoping maybe they had the foresight to save something since it seemed they had a great admiration for Sam and that’s how he got the job…If he really acted the way on set as legend has it, he probably wore out that admiration though…
You know of the reason MGM seems so reluctant to give the film a proper DVD release in the US? I watched it on MGM HD’s channel one day and they seem to have a terrific and clean print ready to go… If not them, I wish ya all the luck on getting it out…
Forgive me for turning this into a Convoy discussion…Hahaha
On to Sams other films, I would have to say my top five favorites would be…
PG&BK
Cross of Iron
Wild Bunch
Bring Me The Head…
Convoy
Haven’t seen all of Peckinpah’s films yet, but these are my favorites in order of preference
THE WILD BUNCH
PAT GARRET AND BILLY THE KID
THE GATEWAY
BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA
CROSS OF IRON
STRAW DOGS
CABLE HOGUE
THE KILLER ELITE
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY
THE DEADLY COMPANIONS
OSTERMAN WEEKEND
Just wanted to let you know that I absolutely LOVE your film, PASSION & POETRY: THE BALLAD OF SAM PECKINPAH!
It was certainly worth the wait, amigo.
My copy from Amazon.de came several days ago; but, I only got the chance to sit down with it, last night.
Beautiful work!
One of these days, I want to organize a trip to Durango to see some of the locations from Peckinpah’s films (not to mention those used in many other film favorites of mine).
How easy did you have it when you visited there?
I have heard both good and bad stories about visiting Durango, so I am quite curious.
‘‘Compliments are always welcome - no matter the source’’ (John Wayne in THE COMANCHEROS)
Forgive me my bad taste in humour
THANKS so much for the flowers. As this film almost ruined me, the best I get out of it
is an audience that likes it. Thank you…
As for Durango: I was only there for 15 minutes, our plan stopped there on my way
to Torreon (where TWB was filmed, some 200 miles away). But I loved and love Mexico.
Everything about it(except the drug wars, horrible).
In Durango I was welcomed by two starving dogs on the runway. Oh, I wish I could go back TOMORROW.
I don’t remember whether I talked about the trip on the audio-commentary, but check out
the featurette MAPACHE TERRITORY about my trip to the hacienda…
I just produced the supplements for Koch - Media’s fine German DVD - release
of Peckinpah’s debut film. It will be the first worldwide with DVD extras:
featurette PASSION & POETRY - THE EARLY SAM (28 min. Engl. w. optional German subs)
Galleries with some 130 poster, LC’s & stills
Audio-Commentary (German)
Booklet (German)
Of course it’s the new wonderful 1:2,35 widescreen print that was done a couple
of years ago. Really fantastic.
Can’t wait to get a copy of that DEADLY COMPANIONS disc!
Looks like it is going to be fabulous!
I hope to go to Durango and Coahuila within the next couple of years. Maybe those two dogs will still be at the airport when I arrive in Durango!
I love Mexico, too; but, have never had the chance to go much of anyplace except for Northern Sonora (just across the border here in Arizona) and Juarez (just across the border from Texas).
Looking forward to seeing much more of the country in the future, though.
I hear that sometimes gringos can have a bit of a tough time of it in Durango and Coahuila—but, hell…I don’t care!
“I wouldn’t have it any other way!”…
[quote=“Drifter, post:76, topic:1805”]For all of you Peckinpah fans that enjoyed Cross of Iron, there does exist an uncut version from Korea that adds an additional 6.5 minutes…
A longer version of Cross of Iron has been something of a Holy Grail for me - have you seen this release to compare it with the existing one in circulation Drifter?
Good news about Cross of Iron One of the great mysteries that this movie has no uncut release in Germany. It’s highly popular here but only a cut version is available.
