Return of the Texan - Delmer Daves, 1952
Dave’s 2nd western, which is close to a melodrama, is a post-western set around too conventional characters and conflicts. Likable to a certain extent, but no wonder it wasn’t released in Germany. 4/10
Joshua
-Now this was a bad one, revenge western with very simple plot, loads of horse riding (more than in any Fidani film) and the worst score I’ve ever heard, some of the music was electronical stuff that sounded like something out of a sci-fi film and the main theme is played over and over and over again and will make you crazy. Along with usual 70’s style npc plot where girl falls in love with her rapist made it really terrible experience.
That theme stayed in my head for ages, which was very annoying !
THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK - An early 50s one from Don Siegel which I found pretty effective on the whole. The film has a good pace and nice performances, featuring also a young Lee Marvin in a small role. Got back a lot more than I was expecting. 7/10
ONE FOOT IN HELL - Mean-spirited little b-western where Alan Ladd decides to take revenge on the town that let his wife die because of some measly dollars. Quite different for an early 60s one which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Forsaken (Cassar, 2015)
In which Kiefer Sutherland’s character John Henry Clayton, racked with guilt over his brother’s death when he was a youngster, took off to war and didn’t immediately return at the war’s end, drifting instead as a gunfighter to his preacher father’s eternal shame. He’s missed his mother’s funeral, and his childhood sweetheart Demi Moore from their Brat Pack days has been married eight years since to a local bellend. Still, John Henry’s back at last to put his gunslingin’ ways behind him. But: Oh noes! Brian Cox has rounded up Guy of Gisborne from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Costner, 1991) and a posse of assorted one-dimensional gurning bad guys in order to strongarm the townsfolk into handing over their lands and properties Who will be able to take up some guns to stop them??
Disappointingly by-the-numbers piece, this. Donald Sutherland does more-or-less what he’s done for the last fifteen years (fierce-eyed patriarch, white hair sprouting in every direction) whilst his son Kiefer does more-or-less what he’s done for fifteen years too (Jack Bauer). Now, I like Jack Bauer and 24, and that’s a large part of why I was looking forward to Forsaken, directed as it is by Jon Cassar who also helmed Kiefer Sutherland’s signature TV show. But, the climactic gunfight aside - which was admittedly rather good, though no less than one would expect from the director of 24 - everything else was torn straight from “Western Clichés 101”. Far from having Kiefer in “Action Jack” mode, we mostly had him in “Contemplative Jack” mode, which essentially involves Kiefer doing that stuttering look-ashamedly-at-the-floor thing he does. A lot. And Jon Cassar’s inexperience with the big screen showed; the whole thing felt like a made-for-TV movie. Surprisingly little relative chemistry between the Sutherlands too, I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Donald Sutherland so flat. In fact, were it not for Brian Cox and Michael Wincott, I might have given up on it altogether.
I’m enjoying the western revival of the mid-2010s but movies like Forsaken are going to see the genre back in it’s grave quicker than you can cry, “It’s an ambush!”. What a shame.
I haven’t been able to sit through it yet. The plot-chemistry is wrong somehow. It’s a comedy that needed no-name actors. Too many of the scenes are telegraphed.
Jane Got a Gun (2015)
"Here Jane…see that guy Scherpschutter, shoot his ass!" 
“So, the plot/story goes like this, it centers on Jane Hammond (Portman), a woman who built a new life for herself and her husband Bill a former outlaw who they had been tormented by a gang of outlaws called the Bishop Boys lead by the villainous John Bishop (Ewan McGregor). Now once again they become embroiled in their drama when Bill comes home one day riddled with bullets and with the Bishop Boys out looking for Bill to finish the job, Jane turns to her ex-fiance Dan Frost (Edgerton) to help defend her family”.
Meh… mediocre this was. Acting wise it was okayish, scenery also okayish, but it was a slow affair with the constant flashbacks that intertwines with the story itself that made it dull, extremely boring until the very eventful climax. I’m not a big fan of (Natalie Portman), but she does look good in a hat and a duster outfit though.
Just watched The Last Frontier. Not too bad, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I’m a fan of Natalie (for some reason), so I’m looking forward to watching this movie, but unfortunately most comments are negative.
I’ll watch it still …
Viewed it last week. Very standard stuff this one, which is just lacking in all areas for this viewer.
Nothing to write home about. The performances left me cold for the most part. I found some of the dialogue good enough though.
Viewed the last couple of days
FORT VENGEANCE - Pretty dull one - canadian mounted police-themed westerns are not really my cup of tea.
THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS - Quite light-hearted even for the standards of 50s US westerns. Lost all interest at the 60 minute mark and turned it off. Disappointing effort from the man who gave us COLORADO TERRITORY and PURSUED,
Just finished SLOW WEST and I must say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. Director MacLean does a serious and convincing study of the old West and feels that 80 minutes are enough for this which is something I admire, contrary to certain well known directors who don’t know when to stop and stretch the shit out of their films.
DIABLO - On the first minute we see a house being burned to the ground. On the second one we learn that a man is after some mexicans who kidnapped his wife. It all goes by the numbers until the middle of the film when the director decides to change his all too linear story, but things don’t fit very well at all. Everything feels kinda rushed after the twist. Scott Eastwood’s performance did nothing for me. Good cinematography and outstanding scenery is what’s left to remember of this movie.
Reverend Colt, The Ugly Ones, and the first half of Four of the Apocalypse, which I will finish tonight.
Hugo Fregonese’s Old Shatterhand (1964), a trip down memory lane. The Winnetou movies were still very popular in Austria during the seventies and even the eighties when I grew up. Old Shatterhand, alternative title: Apache’s Last Battle, was Fregonese’s sole contribution to the Karl May film series. He did a good job, though I prefer his bleak Savage Pampas (1966) to the lurid romanticism the Winnetou films required.
My films for Easter, three films with not so good a reputation: Era Sam Wallach… lo chiamavano ‘così sia’, …E il terzo giorno arrivò il corvo and Mátalo! The second one is the worst SW I have seen. Admittedly, something happened in the middle of it with the arrival of the crow, even Nora Orlandi it seems woke up for a moment to give Berger some nice orchestration, but then everything went back to being a heap of shit. I didn’t like Mátalo a bit. So the best one for me was Sam Wallach; abysmal most of the time, but I liked the score, so some scenes with Woods and no talk, only music, were nice. Maybe it should have a silent movie release?
I saw Last of the Comanches on TV the other day, which was an enjoyable cavalry vs Indians western with plenty of action. I just finished watching Wild Rovers with William Holden and Ryan O’Neal, which I also found quite enjoyable.
I watched the Inter Ocean tape of Ballad of Death Valley last night. About 10 minutes in i realized id seen it before as part of the VideoAsia Sartana set. Its quite a good film i think thanks largely to the charisma of Berger. One of the better low budget ones ive seen.
Tonights viewing is One Silver Dollar follows by the 4front tape of Face to Face 