Once There Was a Hushpuppy

(Photo by David E. Miller)

Rarely, there is a movie whose end credits are worth watching solely for the music. Chicago (2002) is one of those films, with the song, “I Move On” (John Kander/Fred Ebb), which was nominated for an Academy Award. But I belatedly caught up with the film, Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), and discovered a musical piece, “Once There Was a Hushpuppy” (Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin), that had me watching the closing credits for a second time before I checked YouTube and found it there as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFiaTOAWIc. If you have six and one-half minutes at your disposal, I urge you to check it out. It’s magnificent!

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Splendor in the Grass

(Photo by David E. Miller)

Mescalito (Red Rock Canyon) – Used extensively in the film, “The Stalking Moon” (1968)

(Photo by David E. Miller)

Slot Canyon – Valley of Fire State Park – Used extensively in the film, “The Professionals” (1966)

(Photo by David E. Miller)

Film List – Westerns on DVD

I simply cannot have every western I’d like to own on my DVD shelves. There are some major classics missing in my collection. But here is what I own, somewhat organized by those who in star in them (not all major actors are listed due to space limitations). Also, I don’t necessarily endorse every film with great enthusiasm, but none are unwatchable, and some are great.

Ride the High Country (1962; Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea)
The Big Country (1958; Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons)
The Stalking Moon (1968; Gregory Peck, Eva Marie Saint)
The Searchers (1956; John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles)
Rio Bravo (1958; John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson)
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965; John Wayne, Dean Martin)
El Dorado (1967; John Wayne, Robert Mitchum)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962; John Wayne, James Stewart)
The Shootist (1976; John Wayne, James Stewart, Lauren Bacall)
Winchester ’73 (1950; James Stewart)
The Naked Spur (1953; James Stewart, Janet Leigh)
The Far Country (1954; James Stewart, Walter Brennan)
The Man from Laramie (1955; James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy)
Shenandoah (1965; James Stewart, Katharine Ross)
Firecreek (1968; James Stewart, Henry Fonda)
Cheyenne Social Club (1970; James Stewart, Henry Fonda)
The Magnificent Seven (1960; Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen)
The Wild Bunch (1969; William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan)
Tom Horn (1980; Steve McQueen, Linda Evans)
Quigley Down Under (1990; Tom Selleck, Alan Rickman)
Last Stand at Saber River (1997; Tom Selleck, David Carradine)
Crossfire Trail (2001; Tom Selleck, Virginia Madsen)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964; Clint Eastwood)
For a Few Dollars More (1965; Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966; Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976; Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1969; Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda)
Duck, You Sucker (1971; James Coburn, Rod Steiger)
The Quick and the Dead (1995; Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman)
Tombstone (1993); Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer)
Silverado (1985; Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Costner)
Open Range (2003; Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening)
Desperado (1995; Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek)
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003; Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek)
The Mask of Zorro (1998; Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins)
The Legend of Zorro (2005; Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Support Your Local Sheriff (1968; James Garner, Walter Brennan)
Blazing Saddles (1974; Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens)
Rango (2011; voices of Johnny Depp, Ned Beatty, et al.)

Highest on my list of “most wanted” films (shelf space permitting) is:
3:10 to Yuma (2007; Russell Crowe, Christian Bale)

Films I wouldn’t mind having:
Shane (1953; Alan Ladd, Jack Palance)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (f1971; Warren Beatty, Julie Christie)
Little Big Man (1970; Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway)
The Long Riders (1980; Keach, Carradine, Quaid brothers)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007; Brad Pitt, Sam Shepard)

Let me know if there are any westerns that are an absolute “must” for my collection!

Open Range

OPEN RANGE (2003)

As much as I appreciate classic westerns starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, and Clint Eastwood, and in spite of my opinion that “Once Upon a Time in the West” is the true masterpiece of the genre and is deserving of my highest esteem, the film that I consider my favorite western is Kevin Costner’s “Open Range.”  It’s not the only film with memorable characters, a lean and compelling plot, and beautiful western scenery. And it’s not the only one with a good shootout, or with moral considerations that pit conscience against the matter-of-fact and largely unavoidable ruthlessness of the Old West. But it is that rare film that has a heart and soul. and I find it completely satisfying.

A young Kevin Costner costarred in “Silverado,” a film which I have just recently re-watched, and which is given much credit for resuscitating the western genre back in the 1980’s. Although a good film in many respects, it is a bit too self-conscious in its emulation of classic Hollywood westerns. It has a plot, of course, but it rambles so much that one finds it difficult to summarize it afterwards. Unlike “Open Range,” which has an elegant, understated soundtrack that is used parsimoniously, “Silverado” is constantly intruded upon by bombastic music that distracts rather than enhances. And in “Silverado,” Kevin Costner plays little more than a caricature, whereas, in “Open Range,” his role is that of a fleshed out human being.

As with most westerns, “Open Range” makes use of sweeping landscapes. There is no parched desert here, but we do get a fair helping of rolling hills and lazy river valleys set against a background of rugged, snow-laden peaks. Rather than the magnificent blue skies to which we’ve grown accustomed, though, we get dark skies and rain. In fact, the town’s main street is so flooded by the downpour that it becomes a veritable river. It is not incidental, but rather contributes significantly to plot and setting. Speaking of towns, “Open Range” does center much of its action in a typical western town (custom-built for this film, however, and dismantled afterwards) that cowers to a corrupt sheriff. And, true to the film’s title, the main story line does involve the classic western conflict between ranchers and free grazers. But weaved into the film’s plot is a simple, yet utterly believable love story. It’s not an exposition, an afterthought, or a character statement. It’s just as much a part of the film, and just as authentic in its depiction, as the inevitable climactic shootout with guns that must be reloaded, frightened townsfolk that escape to the hills, and dead bodies that must be buried in the aftermath of the bloodshed. Finally, the dialogue in “Open Range” is not polished in the least. Not only are the characters plain spoken, but much of what is said comes across as insipid and vastly uninspired. Some viewers might fault the screenplay. Not me. I find the dialogue refreshingly authentic. 

Sometimes one cannot justify, by way of pure analysis, the favor one showers upon a film. Some films just have a quality about them that one finds personally appealing. And it’s not necessarily the masterpiece that wins the most favor. I’ll be watching “Once Upon a Time in the West” again soon. But I had to watch “Open Range” first.

Road House

ROAD HOUSE (1989)

I watched this film again last night. It stars Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, and Ben Gazzara. Although the film was not generally favored by critics, it has gained a cult following. You can count me in, as I can’t help but take the DVD off the shelf from time to time for another 114 minutes of guilty pleasure.

 There is indeed a Jasper, Missouri, though it’s not just outside Kansas City, as stated by Tilghman (actor Kevin Tighhe), the owner of the Double Deuce. The movie was actually filmed in various California locations, including the towns of Reedley and Sanger. Wikipedia states: Critic Robert Trussell noted, “Little effort was made to hide the (California) mountains in the background.” Although California’s diverse geography and climate does lend itself to serving as a convenient doubling location, and there are indeed places that could definitely stand in for Missouri, the fact is that Hollywood has often goofed in its portrayal of Missouri, or the Midwest in general. (I offer a big thumb’s up to those movies that were actually filmed on location–e.g., Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Article 99, Kansas City, Ride With the Devil, and Winter’s Bone.)  

 Location filming aside, it is easy to understand why Road House has drawn a cult following. Violence,  humor, sex, music, a compelling story, interesting characters, and strong performances by all actors involved. The casting is truly inspired–especially dropping Ben Gazarra into the juicy role of the town’s unscrupulous villain.

 Road House sits proudly on my DVD shelf among a handful of other guilty pleasures such as The Hot Spot (1990), which stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly, and Wild Things (1998), starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell, and Bill Murray.

By the way, keep your eye out for the remake. Moviefone: The 1989 film featured Swayze as a bouncer with a shady past who’s hired to work at a Missouri watering hole, where he soon runs into trouble with the locals. The remake already has a script (written by Michael Stokes) and the project just hired veteran action director Rob Cohen. (11/27/13)

Maybe I’ll check it out. But remakes are rarely better than, or as good as, the original.

Oblivion

OBLIVION (2013)

There was a time when I caught every sci-fi movie that hit theaters. There weren’t very many of them, really, and only a handful that were filmed on a budget generous enough to allow the director to fully realize his vision. Now, thanks in large part to computer- generated imagery (CGI), sci-fi movies are churned out so frequently that I only catch a fraction of them on DVD. Last night, I watched “Oblivion” (Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo). Overall, it was an enjoyable film. The tech was quite well done. The plot twist was more interesting than the events leading up to it. I really liked Olga Kurylenko. I’d never heard of this model/actress before, but I look forward to seeing her again in the future. The only other 2013 sci-fi movie that I wish to buy is “Gravity” (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris), mainly due to its stellar reviews.

I might add that good (or at least highly watchable) sci-fi does not necessarily require a big budget. For every “War of the Worlds” (a box office success) or “John Carter” (a box office disaster) there is a “Lifeforce” (Steve Railsback, Mathidla May) or an “Equilibrium” (Christian Bale, Emily Watson).

My all-time favorite science fiction film remains “Aliens,” an action classic which could almost be classified under Creature Features. Another favorite, which was heavily panned by critics, and which fared poorly at the box office, but which I find myself watching regularly, is “Red Planet” (Val Kilmer, Carrie-Ann Moss). I can enjoy a film regardless of whether it has been a financial or critical success. And it does not have to be a star vehicle (ahem!), as is the case for  say, Will Smith’s “i, Robot.”

As for how I classify movies on my DVD shelves, I am not very consistent. I include “The Fountain” under Sci-Fi even though it is technically a Romantic Drama with elements of Fantasy (two categories which are far apart on my shelves). And my Sci-Fi collection excludes films like “The Fly” and “Splice” because I view them more as Creature Features (at least “Aliens” takes place on another planet and involves spaceships). Fantasy and Comic Book are separate categories. Although I separate DVDs by category, I also tend to blend them, so that, for example, “Aliens vs. Predator” occupies a middle ground between Sci-Fi and Creature Features. When you have nearly 600 DVDs, organization does become an issue. I suppose everyone goes about it in his or her own way. When films defy classification, or incorporate elements of more than one genre, it becomes problematic.

With respect to “Oblivion,” I know exactly where it belongs: Sci-Fi.

A wide range of films

I’m going to go ahead and admit (ahem!) that I have a very wide range of film interests–from Tinker Bell to Emmanuelle, starring Sylvia Kristel. (I couldn’t resist the rhyme!). Somewhere this side of those extremes are classic cinema (e.g., “Gilda”), musicals (e.g., “My Fair Lady”), dramas (e.g., “Midnight Express”), sci-fi (e.g., “Aliens”), comic book films (e.g., “Marvel’s Avengers”), westerns (e.g., “Once Upon a Time in the West”), war films (e.g., “Enemy at the Gates”), adventure films (e.g., “The Vikings”), spy flicks (e.g., “Salt”), martial arts films (e.g., “Kill Bill”), horror (e.g., the original “Carrie”), suspense (e.g., “Rear Window”), gothic (e.g., “The Fearless Vampire Killers”), comedies (e.g., “Intolerable Cruelty”), road movies (e.g., “Thelma & Louise”), crime dramas (e.g., “L.A. Confidential”), off-beat films (e.g., “Requiem for a Dream”), and creature features (e.g., “Lair of the White Worm”). These titles are examples, and don’t necessarily represent my favorites (although I will give the “western” top spot to Sergio Leone’s masterpiece).

I also have three special collections that feature my favorite actresses: Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, and Audrey Hepburn. Additionally, I have a fair number of James Stewart westerns, including all five directed by Anthony Mann. Also in my collection of well over 500 DVD’s are a good many films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Dario Argento, and Paul Verhoeven. I particularly like films, such as “Inception” and “Mulholland Drive,” that demand repeat viewings, or films that simply must be revisited, such as “Young Frankenstein” or “Bonnie & Clyde,” because they are so incredibly entertaining.

“Here’s looking at you, kid!”