Unforgiven

Unforgiven

1992

Director – Clint Eastwood

Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, Unforgiven is possibly the ideal candidate for a retrospective because the film itself is a re-assessment of western mythology and something of a protest against its contemporaries.

Mainstream film of the 1990’s saw the ascendance of two extremes; graphic violence and political correctness. The first, often in the service of realism, combined with the latter to produce moralistic and easily digested stories which looked “real” and tugged at the heartstrings, but avoided the complexities of history and culture. The western genre in particularly has long had a penchant for historical romanticism in the service of moral simplicity, but Unforgiven intentionally muddies those waters. Despite ample opportunity it avoids extreme violence, but more importantly, virtually all of its characters are morally ambiguous.

The film pits Will (Eastwood) a reformed gunfighter now sober and raising pigs, against Little Bill (Hackman) another retired gunslinger turned small town Sherriff. Neither of them is entirely comfortable in their newfound roles and the film explores the complex mix of guilt and pride that leads each man to act in completely different ways. In generic terms, it is still very much a man-movie (the female characters lack depth), but the stakes are significantly less concrete than usual.

There is much symbolism in the film, from Wills’ pigs’ “fever,” to Little Bills’ leaky hand-built house, all of which push back against any simple reading of Unforgiven. Even the title begs the question, “whom,” for contrary to what other Oscar winning films of that decade may have implied, there are no easy answers.

(This review was used as a pitch to a local newspaper for a film review column concerned with independent movie houses and theaters like The Grand Illusion Cinema and Northwest Film Forum)

Speed & Accuracy

Speed & Accuracy: Cowboy Action Style

United States - 1995

Director - Lenny Magill

Mail Order Video, VHS, 1997

Run Time - 1 hour, 20 minutes

Wild Gals of the Naked West

Wild Gals of the Naked West

United States - 1962

Director - Russ Meyer

RM Film International, VHS

Run Time -1 hour, 5 minutes

Perhaps I should make it perfectly clear and come clean just in case it hasn’t become obvious by now. No matter what I may say elsewhere, the fact is that I'm a heterosexual American male, so I can't help but like westerns. Most of the people that I know who are into horror and science-fiction films aren’t really big on the westerns. I’m not really sure why this is, and the reasons probably vary from person to person, but I’m guessing that it’s primarily due to the costumes. Well my friends, I have some good news to report. That problem has been solved (actually, quite some time ago.) Thanks to the unique and wonderful stylings of dedicated and intrepid writer/director/producer Russ Meyer, costumes are not a problem at all in Wild Gals of the Naked West.

Oh, I’d be lying to you if I said this was some kind of western with aliens or zombies, because it isn’t. It’s still a western, and there are still the usual boots, chaps and neckerchiefs. But you probably won’t even notice them, or at worst, you'll notice but won’t care. That’s because you’ll be taken in by the sheer volume of cutting edge filmmaking techniques displayed by this auteur director. First and foremost is the dramatic set design of Wild Gals. It's a sparse minimalistic look reminiscent of the finest groundbreaking German films of the silent era. I hesitate to say avant-garde (that’s French anyway), but it’s very different and experimental, sort of like meta-set-design if you know what I mean

Second is Wild Gals' pacing, a cacophony of repeated obnoxious Benny-Hillesque audio-blasts synched with a staccato of quick repetitive close-ups. It’s a collage effect very much ahead of its time, in fact it presages the fast-paced, short-attention-span editing style of films popular some 50 years later with today’s youth. It seems very nearly designed to induce a Pavlovian response to images rather than contributing in any way to the narrative. Don’t get me wrong, there is a story to Wild Gals, it just, how shall we say…. doesn't require much of an attention span at all.

Finally, and this is probably the most important innovation in the western genre since John Ford met John Wayne; the lack of costumes altogether. True, as I mentioned above there are still costumes, but here comes the kicker; not on everyone (or every body.) It is precisely the dearth of costumes, or more accurately their sparing use that makes Wild Gals such a watchable western. When half of the cast is barely wearing anything at all, the relative level of attention that the costumes get pretty much averages out if you ask me

All told Wild Gals of the Naked West is a deceptively simple film with an incredibly clever nucleus. Budgetarily it may not be a shining star, but what it does have it isn’t afraid to hang out in the open. Actually its willingness to bare itself in all sorts of ways is what makes this film such a special piece of cinema history. So I guess I'm not sorry that I like westerns. Ever since my first mindboggling exposure to Wild Gals so many years ago, I have held for them a very dear place in my bosoms.

Red Sun

Red Sun

France 1971

Director - Terence Young

I so badly wanted to like this movie and I waited with much anticipation for it to arrive in the mail. I mean, Toshiro Mifuna and Bronson! I suppose it's one of those films that I should give another chance since it's been a few years. Good posters anyway. Polish poster above comes from At The Movies, the rest from Moviegoods.

The Undefeated

The Undefeated

United States - 1969

Director - Andrew V. McLaglen

Key Video, 1988, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour, 59 minutes

The Searchers

The Searchers

United States - 1956

Director - John Ford

Warner Home Video, VHS 1988

Run Time - 1 hour, 59 minutes

Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr

Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr

Australia – 1981

Director – David Hemmings

Vestron Video, 1984, VHS

Run Time – 1 hour 37 minutes

Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr is essentially a formulaic Western, set on the margins of civilization where intrepid loners are defined by their actions and uphold a stoic moral code in a lawless land. Nothing but the accents have changed. New Zealand is more or less the rocky wild frontier of the (English) Empire afterall, still unpenetrated by metroplitain 'order'. Gibbie (Donald Pleasence in top form) is a rugged frontiersman who has spent his life living on the fringes forging his own path. Barney (Ken Wahl) is a young rebel, born into a society that offered nothing but a conformity he couldn’t stomach and wouldn’t eat anyway. So reticent are they to stray from the lonely path of personal initiative that our protagonists argue with each other for the first half of the film.

On the left is Bruno Lawrence of Quiet Earth

Drunken mountain-man Gibbie discovers a U.S. military planeload of WWII vintage loot half-submerged in a remote New Zealand lake. Trading some of his haul in the nearest village he finds himself the subject of persecution by a semi-official and terribly fake-accented George Peppard. Gibbie reluctantly teams up with bitter youth, ‘Nam-era cultural drop-out Barney, they action-scene their way through the remaining film. With the help of some stalwart Kiwi frontiersmen, they keep Peppard’s forces of modern metropolitan greed from commodifying their myth of rugged self-sufficient outsiderism and win the day with handfuls of loot and hugs all around.

All this and yet, director David Hemmings' Kiwi Western fantasy doesn’t manage to be anything but safe. Gibbie and Barney do dabble a little in rebellion, but it would be far too upsetting if they were ever allowed to truly reject society. That’s why, in order to succeed Zephyr’s protagonists actually have to embrace it. What better way to do that than by recreating that bedrock of social institutions, the family with the introduction of a woman. Gibbie’s estranged daughter Sally (Lesley Ann Warren) starts out scolding and yelling, but reconciles with her father and falls in love with Barney in time to assist in their triumph. And of course it’s important to consider that recreating civilization in the wilderness essentially robs it of any of its frontier character. Onward colonizing heroes flush with Old Crow and treasure!

Steel Dawn

Steel Dawn

United States - 1987

Director - Lance Hool

Vestron Video, 1988, VHS

Run Time - 1 hour, 42 minutes

This Swayze classic was filmed in Namibia and directed by Mexican producer Lance Hool who was behind a number of Charles Bronson pictures in the same era. The plot of 1998's Kurt Russel feature Soldier bears some resemblance to that of Steel Dawn.

Les Petroleuses

 

Les Petroleuses

France/Italy - 1971

Director - Christian-Jacque

Starring - Brigette Bardot and Claudia Cardinale

I was attracted to this poster by the western theme combined with the name of Claudia Cardinale whom I first became familiar with in Once Upon A Time In The West.

Pocket Money

Pocket Money

United States - 1972

Director - Stuart Rosenberg

Starring - Paul Newman and Lee Marvin

These top two posters are from IMPAwards

  

I don't know what Retro Filmprogramm is but issue 49, which I found at rudolfbenda.de features Pocket Money under the title "Two Unlucky Cowboys".

This VHS box comes from 109 Things.

I was hoping for a nice old mass-market paperback with an illustrated cover or something, but the only cover I could find for the novel upon which Pocket Money was based was this contemporary one. The screenplay for the film was written by Terrence Malick who has also directed a few films you might have heard of namely The Thin Red Line which was based on a James Jones memoir.

A Fistful of Dollars

A Fistful of Dollars

Italy - 1964

Director - Sergio Leone

I recently discovered that well known illustrator Bob Peak did some posters for the Sergio Leone westerns, including these two, or rather this one, re-designed for an advance (below, notice no title). If you're an illustrator, make sure your contract precisely describes how, and how many times the client is allowed to use your artwork.
Incidentally, you can also download a free version of that title font at 1001 Free Fonts, it's called "Eastwood."

Monte Walsh

From John Barry.org.uk

Monte Walsh
United States - 1970
Director - William A. Fraker
Starring - Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, and Jack Palance

French poster.

Vertical format poster from Movieposter.com

Japanese poster from Movie Poster Posters.

These are just the best of the images for this film, you can see more at MovieGoods.

Also, in 2003 a sequel was made starring Tom Selleck as Monte Walsh.

Black Cast Westerns

Harlem on the Prarie

United States - 1937

Director - Sam Newfield

Two-Gun Man From Harlem

United States - 1938

Director - Richard C. Kahn

Harlem Rides The Range

United States - 1939

Director - Richard C. Kahn

All three of these films star French-Canadian/Ethiopian Jazz musician Herbert (Herb) Jeffries. He and director Kahn did a third movie together called The Bronze Buckaroo in 1939. That and Harlem Rides the Range are available from NetFlix. Two-Gun Man From Harlem can be bought on DVD. No sign of Harlem On the Prarie, VHS or DVD, but that second one sure is a purty poster.

Emiliano Zapata/Viva Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata

Mexico - 1970

Director - Felipe Cazals

Once I found this movie it was inevitable that would I run across the Marlon Brando film immediately afterwards. I never knew about either of them before yesterday, but you know how these things line up. The Mexican poster above graphically captures significantly more of the political philosophy Zapata espoused during the Mexican Revolution, specifically his dedication to protecting the land rights of the peasants and farmers. Those of the earlier film below, focus more on the individual Zapata which is fairly typical of the American cultural obsession with individualism and celebrity. Graphically the latter posters are certainly more stunning, but somewhat more ideologically shallow. That said, I have yet to see either film, but I'm working on that presently.

Viva Zapata!
United States - 1952
Director - Elia Kazan

This is my favorite poster for this Viva Zapata!, the jutting cactus really captures the romaticized drama of that particular historical moment.

Guerrillero Del Norte

Guerrillero Del Norte

Mexico - 1983

Director - Francisco Guerrero

 It seems a bit crass to lable this a Western since traditionally that is a genre particular to the U.S. cultural experience. But I'm doing it anyway because of the theme, and because I've included the country of origin. There are lots of Mexican films that are not "westerns" in the gringo sense.

Lone Wolf McQuade

Lone Wolf McQuade

United States – 1983

Director – Steve Carver

MGM Home Entertainment, DVD, 2001

Lone Wolf McQuade it would seem, gave Norris the impetus, planting the bitter kernel that would grow into the Texas Ranger we know today. One fun part about this movie is that it co-stars David Carradine as the bad guy who wears an assortment of cozy sweatervests throughout the film. At least we know there's gonna be a sweet fight between the two of ‘em at the end of the movie.
The first thing you'll notice about this movie is the sweet footage of a wolf stalking around behind the credits. Of course there hasn’t been a damn wolf in Texas for 200 years, but who cares. It's probably just a hungry coyote hunting house cats, and considering what follows, that metaphor is more appropriate.

The second thing you'll notice is the blatant Ennio Morricone knock-off music, complete with whistling, which scores just about every scene in this movie.

Some scummy-lookin' bandidos are rustling some horses when they are confronted by some Texas Rangers who fumble their guns and get the crap kicked out of ‘em. Enter J.J. McQuade with the midday sun right behind, illuminating him like jesus in a cowboy hat. With a series of karate kicks and perfectly aimed shots from his personal arsenal of small arms, he dispatches the lot. I get the sense that this is going to be a recurring theme.

Back at HQ, McQuade obviously has an outrageously fantastic arrest and conviction record, but his methods are too uncouth and uncultured for the brass. Norris mutters recalcitrant bitter threats and is assigned a partner. Buy one genre cliche, get the second free.


McQuade heads home to his shack and chicken coop. He has a refrigerator for his beer, and a whole platoon of scarecrow shooting targets surrounding his house, which he repeatedly practices shooting and blowing up with grenades after drinking all the beer. The Latino partner, spurned by Lone Wolf, watches through binoculars and gets a little bit too excited. This partner guy is gonna spend the whole movie trying to not come across as the "overachieving inferiority complex" minority character.


Between an evil midget in an electric wheelchair, an airhead girlfriend who has to die by the end of the movie, the daughter, and an ex wife, it's hard to believe Norris has time for it all Not to mention the minority sidekick, and then a snarly black FBI agent (Leon Isaac Kennedy), and finally a fully lifted and macho Ford Bronco that just won't quit, it's time to get down to business. We need to drag every single one of these supporting characters into a crazy plot with a massive explosion battle at the end.

Carradine buries McQuade alive in his Bronco, but after pouring a cold beer over his head to freshen up, the Lone Wolf stomps on the gas pedal and blasts his way out of the ground for the huge grenade-and-uzi-and-anti-tank-rocket battle at the end. As if you didn’t know it was coming, Carradine and his movie-fu takes on Norris and his redneckarate in the battle of a culture war of the decade. Sweater vest zero, hairy-pelt chest hero.

The pretty awesome poster art by C.W. Taylor.

The soundtrack LP sleeve, about which I, don't know what to say. Maybe if you really like Ennio Morricones music, but hate Italians you should buy this, but then again this music appears to be done by an Italian as well. I don't know, the art is cool anyway.

Drug Traffikers (Thunder Warrior)

(cover scan courtesy The Scandy Factory)

Thunder Warrior

a.k.a. - Thunder, Drug Traffikers

Italy - 1987

Director – Fabrizzio De Angelis

Image Entertainment, 1988, DVD

I had nothing to go on with this film. It was a blind shot, a totally random acquisition circumstantially attached to a triple feature DVD set that I bought in order to see Caged Fury That’s alright though, I love getting random movies I’ve never heard of before, and I do so love surprises. I’m not surprised that the Italians weren’t trying to make a socially conscious film here, but they missed the boat by 8 years if you’re counting the far better but equally exploitive Johnny Firecloud.

Our intro is a wild westish theme, with the ubiquitous brown-hued sandstone plateaus, Juniper flecked hills and empty sky, forlorn harmonica music drives the point home. A long haired kid named Thunder hitches a ride home on a truck and hops off at a gas station where a skeezy sheriff proposes “hose tryout” and a private “pump session” to the girl pumping his gas. Ahem yeah. Speaking to an old “native”, our young lad babbles something incomprehensible with wildly flapping lips, oh, it’s Italian! With a sluggish cheap as dogshit-dub no less. I’m starting to think this is going to be, no, it is definitely going to be trashy Injunsploitation. I know this is not new, it is just so crude that it’s hard to track such overt grab-n-smash back to old John Wayne films.


Or not, thankfully, the Italians leave very little space for intellectual acrobatics. After yakking at the old creasy faced grandpa in dubbed out Italian, Thunder goes to the local Indian cemetery, replete with foam tombstones where he finds a burly construction jerk ready to pour the foundation of a strip mall. In the meantime, he steps out of his Cat to drain the lizard on the sacred ground. Patiently waiting for just such an affront is Thunder who issues a massive face beating a-la stray discarded 2-x-4 before running away when the construction worker cavalry arrives.

In town Thunder goes to the police station to ask the cops to stop construction of the strip mall. (I’m assuming it’s a strip mall because that’s the tackiest building I can think of) Sheriff Cole played by Bo Svenson blows him off and one of the deputies drives the kid out of town and dumps him. I hate to call Bo out, he seems like a decent actor, but damned if every movie I’ve seen him in isn’t total crap. Maybe he was making poor choices because he was all doped up.

On the long walk back, the construction workers show up and lasso Thunder to their jeep and drag him around before kicking hell out of him. The Italians know how to ratchet up an anti-native sentiment to howling crescendo of screaming headline quality racism. In town, Thunder goes to the bank that is funding the construction and when the deputies show up to wreck his day again he beats them senseless. I’m getting the impression that we’re supposed to make a jump in logic here. Either Thunder is a ‘Nam vet, or it’s just natural Indian proclivity to kick serious ass.

Pursuing Thunder, the deputies instigate a manhunt that lasts the rest of the movie, often without Thunder present on screen and during which the caliber of firearms increases exponentially. Frankly as far as guns are concerned this is like the entire Death Wish series concentrated into one big murky Injun Rambo played by a very white Mark Gregory. (Bronx Warriors series and this trilogy and that’s about it) So Basically, it’s a white guy playing a native, aping a white guy. (assuming the reality/cinema continuum is seamlessly joined) Unsurprisingly the cops set grandpa Eagle’s house on fire roasting him alive and later, nearly rape his sister, or anyway, that gas pump girl who hangs around with grandpa Eagle and doesn’t say much.

The final scene is effectively a 10 minute hyperviolent recap of the whole movie into one hugely incinerating awesomesplosion as Thunder drives a front-end-loader into the bank and inexplicably bazookas the vault door over and over. By the time the first deputy shows up, the cops are clearly so horrified at Thunders ability to magically generate bazooka ammo, and his carefree penchant to use it that they all suddenly let him go. This is confirmed by the small blond children wearing warpaint who warble in falsetto adult dubbed voices “Thunder will never die!”, making it white kids playing at being a white guy playing at being a native aping a white man. A premise which is so ridiculous in retrospect that nothing else can explain Cole’s sudden sympathetic turn, except that maybe Svenson really was high as a kite. For the record, whatever he's on would be the only drugs in this movie, I don't know why they retitled it that.

The DVD cover of the Drug Traffikers tripple feature.