The point is I see there just too much space, so that there is no need to drive back on that shaky platform. They should just have made the effort and put a few big rocks there, so that it looks as narrow as it should look.
But of course that’s not important enough to rate the film down, it is just not fascinating enough to be more than an 8, which is a very good rating though.
The only Clouzot with a 9 is actually Quai des Orfèvres.
I like ‘Wages Of Fear’ (1953) but of the four versions filmed so far I much prefer William Friedkin’s ‘Sorcerer’ (1977) which is closer to the Georges Arnaud novel.
2014-2015 ad Rutger’s appearances are low-key supporting roles and cameos in TV shoes and European movies.
I have to hand to you, amigo…you really are a Rutger Hauer fan!
Good on you, Sir…My respect to you for being so commited to this phenomenal actor 
Do you have a favourite Rutger film?
Bearing in mind that I’m not an expert on this wonderful actor…I’d say my favourite moment is ‘tears in the rain’…
When you get a chance, perhaps you would like to tell everyone on the site why you like Rutger so much.? Perhaps start up a thread? I’m sure it would be most welcome…
I’ve been a fan of Hauer’s work since I saw ‘Soldier Of Orange’ at the cinema in 1977. I consider him probably the best Dutch actor there has ever been and his range was extraordinary. My favourites probably include some obvious films but also some that others might know or expect. He appeared in over 170 films and TV shows. But here’s my top list…
Soldier Of Orange (WW2 Dutch resistance. I saw it on a ‘double-bill’ with Peckinpah’s ‘Cross Of Iron in 1977).
Blade Runner (Saw it at the cinema in 1982 with the original Deckard voice-over that I liked and never had a problem with. It will always be my favourite version ‘cause it’s the one I saw first).
The Osterman Weekend (1983. My 2nd favourite Sam Peckinpah movie after ‘Cross Of Iron’ and the last released before his death the following year.)
The Hitcher (A stone-cold classic black-comedy, serial killer, road movie. People have tried to copy it and failed.)
The Legend Of The Holy Drinker (The 1988 Italian film about an alcoholic that can’t be explained only watched)
Split Second (UK/USA buddy cop, sci-fi, horror, serial killer, black-comedy that was a flop but I love it)
Omega Doom (based on Kurosawa’s ‘Yojimbo’ only it’s low-budget sci-fi)
Last 30 outside of last year’s Spagvemberfest:
Cani (1977) - Director: Guido Zurli - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977) (orig. Il cinico, l’infame, il violento) - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
Tough Cop (1976) (orig. Il trucido e lo sbirro) - Director: Umberto Lenzi - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Canne mozze (1977) - Director: Mario Imperoli - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Confessions of a Police Captain (1971) (orig. Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica) - Director: Damiano Damiani - 6/10 (good).
Thief (1981) - Director: Michael Mann - 9/10 → 10/10 - A re-watch.
Nirvana (1997) - Director: Gabriele Salvatores - 7/10 → 8/10 - A re-watch.
Legitimate Violence (1982) (orig. Légitime violence) - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Weak Spot (1975) (orig. La Faille) - Director: Peter Fleischmann - 8/10 (excellent).
Icy Breasts (1974) (orig. Les seins de glace) - Director: Georges Lautner - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Sunburn (1979) - Director: Richard C. Sarafian - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
Endangered Species (1982) - Director: Alan Rudolph - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Double Game (1977) (orig. Torino violenta) - Director: Carlo Ausino - 2/10 (very bad).
L’unica legge in cui credo (1976) - Director: Claudio Giorgi - 6/10 (good).
The Sewer Rats (1974) (orig. Una donna per 7 bastardi) - Director: Roberto Bianchi Montero - 6/10 (good).
The Spy Who Loved Flowers (1966) (orig. Le spie amano i fiori) - Director: Umberto Lenzi - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
The Fiend (1977) (orig. Il mostro) - Director: Luigi Zampa - 6/10 (good).
Servo suo (1973) - Director: Romano Scavolini - 5/10 (okay/decent).
K.O. va e uccidi (1966) - Director: Carlo Ferrero - 2/10 (very bad).
From Istanbul, Orders to Kill (1965) (orig. Da Istanbul ordine di uccidere) - Director: Carlo Ferrero - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
Web of Deception (1971) (orig. Il sorriso del ragno) - Director: Massimo Castellani - 3/10 (very mediocre/bad).
Ludwig (1973) - Director: Luchino Visconti - 8/10 (excellent).
The Oberwald Mystery (1980) (orig. Il mistero di Oberwald) - Director: Michelangelo Antonioni - 5/10 (okay/decent).
The Anonymous Venetian (1970) (orig. Anonimo veneziano) - Director: Enrico Maria Salerno - 7/10 (very good).
Heat (1995) - Director: Michael Mann - 10/10 → 9/10 - A re-watch.
Police Python 357 (1976) - Director: Alain Corneau - 9/10 = 9/10 - A re-watch.
The Hired Gun (1975) (orig. Vai Gorilla) - Director: Tonino Valerii - 5/10 (okay/decent).
Colt 38 Special Squad (1976) (orig. Quelli della calibro 38) - Director: Massimo Dallamano - 5/10 (okay/decent).
It Rains in My Village (1968) (orig. Bice skoro propast sveta) - Director: Aleksandar Petrovic - 7/10 → 8/10 - A re-watch.
I Even Met Happy Gypsies (1967) (orig. Skupljaci perja) - Director: Aleksandar Petrovic - 8/10 → 6/10 - A re-watch.
Three (1965) (orig. Tri) - Director: Aleksandar Petrovic - 7/10 (very good).
The Man Without a Map (1968) (orig. Moetsukita chizu) - Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara - 7/10 → 8/10 - A re-watch.
Giants and Toys (1958) (orig. Kyojin to gangu) - Director: Yasuzô Masumura - 8/10 (excellent).
Black Test Car (1962) (orig. Kuro no tesuto kâ) - Director: Yasuzô Masumura - 7/10 (very good).
Sword of Doom (1966) (orig. Dai-bosatsu tôge) - Director: Kihachi Okamoto - 9/10 = 9/10 - A re-watch.
The Three Undelivered Letters (1979) (orig. Haitatsu sarenai santsû no tegami) - Director: Yoshitarô Nomura - 8/10 (excellent).
Alone Across the Pacific (1963) (orig. Taiheiyô hitoribotchi) - Director: Kon Ichikawa - 7/10 (very good).
Too Young to Die (1969) (orig. Shinu ni wa Mada Hayai) - Director: Kiyoshi Nishimura - 4/10 (passable/mediocre).
The Hitcher (1986) - Director: Robert Harmon - 9/10 → 8/10 - A re-watch.
The MacKintosh Man (1973) - Director: John Huston - 7/10 → 6/10 - A re-watch.
Reviews HERE.
The Snow Walker
Standard survival movie. Pretty good with nice scenery, as it often is in this type of movies.
I am a sucker for survival flix
Rewatched a couple of films over the weekend.
Interstellar - 9.5/10.
A film that ages like fine wine. Beautiful.
The Graduate - 8/10.
Some say this is outdated but I feel like it’s still thoroughly watchable and enjoyable.
Finished up 1953 with a handful of mainstream Hollywood films featuring three women stars who really made a splash this year.
Niagara (Hathaway / 7/10)
Roman Holiday (Wyler / 7/10)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (Butler / 5/10)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Hawks / 6/10)
Calamity Jane (Butler / 10/10)
Marilyn never looked better than in these films and showed in Niagara that she could act too. But in GPB she defined the ditzy blonde persona that defined her career and iconic although I think it probably held back her opportunities to stretch herself as an actress going forward. Hepburn in Roman Holiday presents the complete opposite ideal of female beauty and Doris Day as the tomboy girl next door presents another. All were fabulous in their way but I admit I have a special soft spot for Doris and her talents as a singer, dancer and actress I think allowed her to last longer and be more varied in her career. And I know 10/10 might seem excessive from someone who is usually somewhat of a miser when rating films but if there was a better Hollywood musical made than Calamity Jane I have yet to see it. (Singin’ in the Rain would be it’s only competitor for me)
Peter Weir’s Fearless with Jeff Bridges. Wow, quite the emotional ride
First 10 of the 2026:
Kicked off my journey through 1954 with some very good westerns.
Broken Lance (Dmytryk / 6/10)
Garden of Evil (Hathaway / 7/10)
Apache (Aldrich / 7/10)
Vera Cruz (Aldrich / 8/10)
River of No Return (Preminger / 6/10)
The Far Country (Mann / 8/10)
Johnny Guitar (Ray / 9/10)
yes! also thought this was brilliant
Phil, I’m surprised that you only gave ‘Broken Lance’ 6/10…I’ve always though it was a pretty solid Western.
6/10 is ok for Broken Lance.
For me Garden of Evil is also only a 6 (wasted potential) and Apache gets an 8.
In my scoring system 6/10 is above average and decent but nothing special. That is definitely how I rate Broken Lance. A family feud film which has been done better in my opinion. It’s ok but nothing more than that. It probably also suffered a little due to the films I watched around it which were all very good. Apache I marked down slightly because of the ending which just wasn’t believable and didn’t fit the rest of the film. Vera Cruz gets marked up on Burt Lancaster’s performance alone. Garden of Evil is probably a 6 and a half if I did such things but gets the benefit of the margin just about for me. Johnny Guitar gets better and better for me every time I watch it.
Yes, the altered ending of apache is less pessimistic, but it’s still not bad. When the Indian stops being an Indian and lives like a white man, than he may survive as domesticated “savage”, but has still lost his identity. It’s still a sad ending, not really a happy end, the film had shown before what living in a reservation means.
20 years later Aldrich took the chance with Ulzana’s Raid to “correct” the earlier film.
I watched a few films this week.
Where the River Runs Black - an excellent film. I feel like I’ve watched it before but when I saw the poster, I confused it at first with The Emerald Forest. I’d definitely watch this one again.
The Deer Hunter - a classic and deserving of its praise. I must say, however, that despite my appreciation for the performances and cinematography, I find the whole Russian roulette subplot to be too far-fetched even if it’s only supposed to be a symbolic.
Daybreak (1948) - enjoyed this one!
Timestalkers - a time-travelling western with Klaus Kinski that turned out to be much better than I was hoping for.
High Ballin’ - a trucker thriller with Peter Fonda. Not bad but not brilliant, either. I must admit that I do have a soft spot for this type of film so I can forgive its shortcomings more easily.
Another bunch of westerns from 1954. Not in the same league as the previous bunch it has to be said but some enjoyable ones nonetheless.
Border River (Sherman / 6/10)
Ride Clear of Diablo (Hibbs / 6/10)
Silver Lode (Dwan / 5/10)
Rails into Laramie (Hibbs / 5/10)
Drum Beat (Daves / 6/10)
Arrows in the Dust (Selander / 5/10)
The Command (Butler / 5/10)
The most noticeable thing about these films is that despite not being major films they were all shot in colour. Something my project has highlighted is that 1953 was a big year of Hollywood trying to figure out how to combat the growing threat of television. In ‘53 they thought 3D was the answer but by the end of the year they had all pretty much settled on a combination of cinemascope or its equivalent along with vivid colour as giving the immersive feeling they were after without the extra pain and cost of fitting out everything for 3D. Consequently, even a run of the mill oater like Border River or Arrow in the Dust gets the full widescreen tecnicolor treatment.
On a sidenote, Ride Clear of Diablo, Silver Lode and Rails into Laramie all get extra points from me for the appearance of Dan Duryea. He always makes a film more watchable for me and his performance in RC of D in particular is fabulous. Also nice to see more and more roles for our old friend LVC at this time.
