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Matt
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« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2016, 02:02:06 AM » |
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I watched The Good, The Bad and The Ugly tonight. I was really looking forward to watching it again, since my last viewing was close to 10 years ago. And I loved it as much as I remembered. Comparing the humor in the three Man With No Name films... the first has very little humor (probably the funniest moment is the look on Joe's face when he accidentally punches Marisol); the second has some over-the-top humor, like the Prophet and the Hotel Manager's Wife's scenes; but the humor in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is JUST RIGHT. Okay, that whole sentence really sounded like Goldilocks & the Three Bears, but we are talking about Blondie, but I digress. It's laugh-out-loud funny, but in a sarcastic, understated way. The 'Idiots. It's for you" line is my favorite line in the movie. There's so many funny moments. I also mentioned in another thread recently that one of my favorite moments in the film is the second hanging of Tuco and while his hanging offenses are being read off, Tuco just looks around, bored and rolling his eyes. Or the moment when Blondie and Tuco find themselves sitting right in front of a box of explosives, and Blondie carefully backs his cigar away from the box -- and then when they're running across the battlefield with the stretcher with a box that's clearly marked "EXPLOSIVES" is more of that humor that's just perfect and make this totally bad-ass almost three-hour movie fly right by. A few words about the extended version with the additional scenes... although I like the "Six, a perfect number" line, the voices, especially Clint's, sound wrong. It never flows or feels right. And that chicken scene deserved to be on the cutting room floor. GBU was the perfect movie in its original edit, and it's been tainted with these additional scenes. I'll go back to watching my old DVD next time I plan to watch it. In one of the oldest threads of this board, GBU fan Steve wrote that Blondie is the same character as Manco, and that the theme song in GBU even has the chant "Go, go, go Manco!" And damn if that's not what I hear now every time I watch this movie. Whether or not that's what's being said, I honestly don't know. But I will always hear that line, and wonder if that's what it is. Other random thoughts... I feel sorry for the mule in the beginning who has to walk in circles all day at the well. He must be dizzy. Angel Eyes never once glanced down at that stew. Not once. What an incredible intro to his character. And he really punched the hell out of Bill Carson's woman.  The scene of Tuco with his brother was a nice touch, and then Tuco bragging about how much his brother loved him while Blondie just offers him a cigar is another perfectly understated moment. GBU is a bold movie, but it's never too much. It's perfectly balanced and it's probably the movie I'd pick as the most fun to watch over and over again. As of now, it's still my favorite Eastwood movie. 
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« Last Edit: February 01, 2016, 02:15:32 AM by Matt »
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Doug
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« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2016, 02:26:49 AM » |
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A few words about the extended version with the additional scenes... although I like the "Six, a perfect number" line, the voices, especially Clint's, sound wrong. It never flows or feels right. And that chicken scene deserved to be on the cutting room floor. GBU was the perfect movie in its original edit, and it's been tainted with these additional scenes. I'll go back to watching my old DVD next time I plan to watch it.
I was wondering myself which one to watch. The last couple times I watched the extended version, and those added scenes, with the sudden strange dubbing, are really jarring. My inclination is to watch the older DVD, but then the picture quality isn't as good.
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"Yes, well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of a park in full view of a hundred people, I shoot the bastards, that's my policy." Frank Drebin, Police Squad.
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Jed Cooper
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« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2016, 07:05:29 AM » |
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 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly has always been a favorite. Not only is it my favorite western, but my favorite Eastwood movie overall. The introduction to each character is perfect, eventually tying them together to the incredible, tension filled climax. It truly is a brilliant film and what I consider to be Sergio Leone’s best. As fate would have it, a cancelled date is what brought me to appreciate Hang ‘Em High. Prior to that, I didn’t care for it much at all. I thought it was too long, tedious, boring and dull. When I had the opportunity to watch with an opened mind, I came away enjoying it very much and it, too, is now a favorite.
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Matt
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« Reply #17 on: February 02, 2016, 11:02:52 PM » |
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Tonight I watched Hang 'em High. I realize I repeat myself a lot on this board in different threads over the years, but not everyone will ever find my post about this in the Tag game when Richard asked me how and when I became an Eastwood fan, or in my post about my overall feeling of Hang 'em High from the Film Discussion we did on it over 10 years ago. So, I apologize in advance to anyone who has read those posts and doesn't want to hear this again. In fact, you can just stop reading now.  I clearly remember seeing this movie when I was a teen. It was my first Clint Eastwood film, and the first Western I'd ever seen. At that time, I never had an interest in Westerns. I remember Gunsmoke having been on TV when I was a kid, and I never enjoyed that show. I didn't know about Rawhide... that was before my time, I guess. But, I was flipping channels, and the very beginning of Hang 'em High was on network TV. It was a pretty scene with the calf stuck in the stream. I held on the channel for a bit to see if it was worth watching, and then the horses came riding up from the distance, and the music swelled that hinted some type of action was about to happen, so I stayed with it a little longer. When they said "Hang him!" and they strung him up, I was actually really surprised. My virgin eyes had never seen anything so violent or exciting. Then the big red titles "HANG 'EM HIGH!" and he was hanging there, and I didn't know if he was this "Clint Eastwood" whose name was on the screen, but if he was, how was he going to get out of this predicament? So, I literally backed away from the TV (no remote controls back then) and decided to stick with the movie. I loved it... every minute of it. And when it was over, I wanted more, and I was lucky... it was a double feature. High Plains Drifter followed, and it was 10x better. A life-long Eastwood fan was born. You know what they say about your first time? You'll never forget it? It will always be dear in your heart? That's how it was for me with Hang 'em High. I know it's a "lesser" Clint movie, and I can nitpick it and find flaws with it. But, I'll never forget the excitement of watching this for the first time. And I am going to guess that a lot of Eastwood fans who saw this in the theater would also tell you that they loved it. I've only seen a handful of episodes of Rawhide, and I really don't care if I ever watch an episode again. But, I saw enough to get an idea of what type of character Rowdy Yates was, and the 180 degree turn he did as The Man With No Name. Jed Cooper seems to be a perfect combination of the two. And in fact, he starts Hang 'em High very much like Rowdy Yates, driving the cattle, being kind and dear to the calf. And then after he's lynched, he's darker, and angry, and vengeful... not that I see those particular qualities in MWNN, but that hardness and coldness is there at the surface. And I can't help but even see a young Dirty Harry with that badge walking down the street of the town, looking for his man. I didn't see Harry Callahan when I watched the Leone films. He was creating his future with this movie. And not just with his acting -- he started Malpaso so he could co-produce and work along with Ted Post on the scripting and have creative input into the movie. Flaws, yeah I can find them. And maybe I'll jump in later and agree with some posts where things are pointed out that are less than spectacular. But tonight, I just enjoyed watching this great, first American Western ... Clint's first, and my first. And it was great.
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Matt
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« Reply #18 on: February 03, 2016, 12:11:23 AM » |
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Anybody else ever wonder why rain etc. hasn't knocked down the dirt at the grave site? They don't seem fresh...
I think they are pretty fresh. Arch Stanton died on this very day, 154 years ago. February 3, 1862.  One of our members Cigar Joe created a GBU Timeline that shows 2nd week in July 1862
B&T [Blondie and Tuco] blunder upon a battle for Langston or Langstone bridge over the Arkansas River. The small cemetery nearby at Sad Hill has swollen with the dead from the various skirmishes & battles in the border area of Northwest Arkansas ( Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) was on March 6-8th 1862, US Casualties 1,349, CS Casualties 4,600).
B&T&AE [Blondie, Tuco & Angel Eyes] shoot out at Sad Hill. So, the grave is approx 5 months old. We don't know how tall the dirt mound was when it was originally filled, so maybe some of it was blown away by wind, and what we see is what has remained.
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Doug
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« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2016, 02:48:40 AM » |
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I watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Tuesday night. For me this is just miles above the first two. Not a dull moment and no silly villains. It's more brutal, more humorous, more moving, and more stylish in every way. But that's just me. I know Leone tried going to further extremes with Once Upon a Time in the West, going for an even more epic feel, while also humanizing the characters more, and while it's a great movie in its own right, I think GBU is the ultimate Spaghetti western, because it's just so damn fun. And the depth is there, it just gets overlooked by too many. (Which always surprises me, to be honest.) One of my favorite moments in the film is when Tuco fights with his brother and then goes out to the wagon, and Blondie having spied on the fight, doesn't call out Tuco but instead offers him a cigar. Offering someone a cigar is about as far as Blondie is capable of going in showing compassion.  Okay, he does offer alcohol to the Captain. So does anyone wonder if Tuco will try to track down Blondie or will he be content just being a rich man? (And will he do anything to help out his brother, or will he maybe try to show off his wealth to him?)
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"Yes, well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of a park in full view of a hundred people, I shoot the bastards, that's my policy." Frank Drebin, Police Squad.
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