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Martin Scorsese on one of his favorite films, John Ford’s The Searchers, in a piece for The Hollywood Reporter:
“Like all great works of art, it’s uncomfortable. The core of the movie is deeply painful. Every time I watch it — and I’ve seen it many, many times since its first run in 1956 — it haunts and troubles me. The character of Ethan Edwards is one of the most unsettling in American cinema. In a sense, he’s of a piece with Wayne’s persona and his body of work with Ford and other directors like Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway. It’s the greatest performance of a great American actor.”
Can’t wait til my bar opens and I can show this film on repeat.
The long history of Japanese samurai films being made into American westerns has now been reversed. Lee Sang-il is directing a remake of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, entitled Yurusarezaru mono with Ken Watanabe starring.
Like guns and people getting shot in westerns?
You’ll love the new trailer for Django Unchained.
Really looking forward to the tunes in this film, don’t think he’ll top Bang Bang from the start of Kill Bill. It’s so perfect, if you listen to the lyrics it’s as if he heard that song and then made a movie out of it. (Did you know Sonny Bono wrote it for Cher in 1966?)
If you’re interested here’s a filmmaker round table discussion with QT, don’t expect him to make a ton more films, bummer. Apparently he’s venturing into a bit of film criticism which’d be acceptable I guess…
“Over three decades later, one hopes that Heaven’s Gate can be watched without the burden of prejudice that weighed on its original release. After all, when it first came out, people hated Moby-Dick too.”
— Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, Heaven’s Gate: Western Promises
I’ve never seen this film, but I think it’s time.
I feel obliged just on the strength of this image and this scene with Christopher Walken
The rad site Babylon Falling has an interview with Alejandro Jodorowsky from The Staff (1971)
It’s definitely worth a read!
The Staff: Can you relate any personal spiritual experiences you’ve had that might mesh with some of those you show in the movie Any religious experiences of any kind?
Jodorowsky: I can only speak of three religious experiences. One time I felt the Host between my sex and my anus. I felt it go - boom - boom - boom - and for the first time in my life I felt my Mulacara chakra. I felt it without drugs and plenty of energy came from there through my colon. It was a very great religious experience.
That’s the only one i can be bothered typing out, but the other two are as equally gnarly.
Maybe he just had gas.
Dang, most of my religious experiences have been Roquefort related, but there was one at a Daniel Kitson show and another back in the 90s featuring Gabrielle Anwar and a VHS copy of If Looks Could Kill
How cool is the Japanese poster for Stagecoach
I love the little drawing of John Ford at the top
All that lies between the men of Fort Humbolt and death are the people on this train.
But are the people on this train on a mission of mercy or murder?
This was legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt’s final film. Canutt’s first picture had been The Girl Who Dared, a massive half-century earlier.
Jared Moshé’s Dead Man’s Burden just received a pretty good review over at The Playlist, good to see a new independent western and shot on film too. Except for True Grit and Meek’s Cutoff there hasn’t been a decent western in ages, maybe Django Unchained will trigger a larger interest in the genre.
“When I started, I knew I was no actor and I went to work on this Wayne thing. It was as deliberate a projection as you’ll ever see. I figured I needed a gimmick, so I dreamed up the drawl, the squint and a way of moving meant to suggest that I wasn’t looking for trouble but would just as soon throw a bottle at your head as not. I practiced in front of a mirror.”
- John Wayne
The first trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained has arrived and it’s a bit underwhelming, maybe my expectations were just impossibly high.
