misswonderly3
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Posts posted by misswonderly3
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Mayo is notorious for turning poisonous (without careful management...)
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No, that was just the bass singer; his voice was a little hoarse that day.
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> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote}
> I guess the expressions"oater" and "horse opera" represent some people's bias (and I'm probably one of them) against Westerns.
I for one have never seen a single oat in a Western. Not even a bowl of Quaker's instant with raisins. And I have yet to hear a horse attempt to sing even the "Boll Weevil" song, let alone Puccini. (shall I add a couple of "lols" ? )
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> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote}
> Whats this trailer trash movie thats on now? I can drive through a local trailer park and oil field to see this stuff.
Come on, Fred, there's a lot more to *Five Easy Pieces* than that. Besides, to me, trailer parks and oil fields are fascinating exotica.
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Thanks. I see it's scheduled for April 20th, 5:00 a.m. I'll have to make a note to record it.
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Where is Dobie Grey hanging out in that song? I want to go there.
Watched *5 Easy Pieces* last night, hadn't seen it in a long time. I think it's a good movie. Here's the Karen Black character's favourite song from that, Tammy Wynette reminding all us females to just look the other way if their mate misbehaves once in a while: Stand by Your Man :
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Sorry about that...I did say I wasn't that familiar with either the group or the song, so it was just a guess.
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> {quote:title=TikiSoo wrote:}{quote}
> Since I'm a real life cowgirl & Cinefile, people are always surprised I generally don't care for westerns. (Generally) I find the plots basic, the charactors are kind of one dimensional as others here have said.
Exactly, TiskiSoo, and those are the kind of Western I find boring. We share the same opinion on bad Westerns; here's what I said about them:
Funny thing is, I understand why many people, especially women, don't like them. They think they're boring, with unsophisticated dialogue, overly simple plots, one-dimensional characters, and not enough female characters -or, if there are female characters, they're even more stereotypical than the males.
But there are so many Westerns that are not like that at all.
> I've tried really hard to like John Ford, but in retrospect, his are probably the worst to start with in "westerns" genre. The depiction of Indians is deplorable and sadly, often the only perspective modern people have of them.
Spot on about John Ford. I respect all the folks who like him (and I know there are many on these boards), but I generally dislike John Ford Westerns. Yes, I know he's the primo Western filmmaker, but I almost always find them boring, even worse when he tries to inject humour into them. I think he has a terrible sense of humour, at least in his films. And he's always showing some cranky woman scolding a man. It's supposed to be hilarious that a little female person is yelling at a big strong male, and he's taking it. Not funny, not interesting.
I agree with your comments about Westerns and "Indians". The "cowboy and Indian" Western is my least favourite type of Western, not only because of the negative depictions of North America's first peoples, but because they are generally boring.
So, to wrap this post up, concerning both Ford and "Indians", I've tried to like Ford's famous "cavalry trilogy" (viz, *Fort Apache*, *She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,* and *Rio Grande* ) but I can't stand any of the three. They have none of the elements I like about the Western (some of which I've discussed below) and all of the ones I can't stand. Plus, the settings make me feel depressed - a bunch of tents in the middle of nowhere. I prefer those little towns, even if they are made out of cardboard.
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> {quote:title=C.Bogle wrote:}{quote}
> I don't know if there is more of a love it or hate it feeling about westerns than
> there is about other genres.
I find that, along with horror, the Western is a genre about which I hear people (especially women) saying: "I don't like Westerns. I'll watch any kind of movie, except a Western." That is why I used that phrase in the thread title.
But really, I'm not making a definitive statement about how I perceive people's opinions on the genre. I was just trying to generate a discussion about Westerns.
(Perhaps I should have entitled the thread, "Westerns: can we talk?" )
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Funny thing is, I understand why many people, especially women, don't like them. They think they're boring, with unsophisticated dialogue, overly simple plots, one-dimensional characters, and not enough female characters -or, if there are female characters, they're even more stereotypical than the males.
I have found this to be the case with many of the older Westerns, pre-1939 ( *Stagecoach* was a turning point), and a lot of the "B' Westerns. But there are a lot, especially from the 50s, that are much deeper and more interesting than that.
*Destry Rides Again* is not only a refreshingly different take on the whole "gun slinger" theme -imagine Jimmy Stewart refusing to carry a gun - it's quite funny, and it's got a meaty role for a female character. Marlene Dietrich is quite fun in this. It's one Western that even many women enjoy.
There are also some crossover "noir" Westerns ; *Rancho Notorious* (Marlene again ! ), *Johnny Guitar*
(Sterling Hayden and Joan Crawford in a Western/noir/Joan-o-drama ), and *Pursued*,Robert Mitchum with a little drama of his own.
All of the above, including *Stagecoach,* feature strong female characters, memorable dialogue, and psychological depth. Not what some people associate with Westerns.
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Kinokima, if you like *Rio Bravo* you may want to see Hawks' own remake of it: *El Dorado*. This time the Dean Martin character is played by Robert Mitchum. Both versions drag a little around the half-way point, but it's the characters that make this Western story interesting. (I think Howard Hawks even made it a third time, but I can't remember its title.)
MyFavouriteFilms, thanks for the heads up about *The Furies*. I've never seen it. With a cast that includes Walter Huston ("Stumpy" from *Rio Bravo* by the way) and Barbara Stanwyk, and with Anthony Mann at the helm, I'm sure its worth checking out.
Aargh, I am so wrong. I don't know why I always get those two Walters mixed up. Of course it's Walter Brennon who plays Stumpy, not Walter Huston.
Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 2, 2011 8:01 PM
Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 2, 2011 8:02 PM
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Great line, that. Kind of sums up a lot about all that killing that goes on in Westerns. Great film. I love *Unforgiven*, I consider it to be one of Eastwood's very best films.
However, I also think of it as almost a post-Western. It's kind of a like an elegy to the Western. Also, there's so much to say about it, it almost could use a thread of its own.
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Ok, I literally asked for that. Comedy is such a subjective and personal thing. I find the Marx Brothers, particularly their earlier work, to be deliciously manic, chaotic, and fun; a celebration of the joy of wordplay (Groucho and actually, Chico too) and slapstick (Harpo.) Even when they don't make me laugh, they make me smile.
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Lots of really interesting comments and ideas here.
My own favourite kind of Western is the one where the hero is undergoing some kind of inner struggle, he's realizing for the first time maybe, that in between black and white, there's grey. (Kind of film noirish, actually.)
Most of Anthony Mann's Westerns fall into this category. I love the performances in these films, particularly James Stewarts' -who always seems cynical and impatient with b*s*, thinks he's only out for himself, but has some kind of moral epiphany before the end of the movie.
Just to name a few: *Winchester 73* (with Shelley Winters along for the ride), *The Man from Laramie* (moving performances from Arthur "I look like Van Hefflin" Kennedy and sweet Cathy O'Donnell), and, my favourite Mann/Stewart Western, *The Naked Spur*. Love Robert Ryan in this.All the characters in *The Naked Spur* (all four of 'em) are complex, intelligent, neither evil nor virtuous. I love the penultimate scene with Jimmy Stewart in such psychological turmoil and Janet Leigh looking both horrified and sympathetic.
Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 2, 2011 2:51 PM
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> {quote:title=mrroberts wrote:}{quote}
> Misswonderly better hope that Joel McCrea doesn't find out about Ty Power being in her shower, we could have another gunfight at the O K Corral.
Does this mean that now we're bringing Burt Lancaster into it? or Kirk Douglas? (I'd take Burt.)
Ah,it seems I find myself in the enviable position of deciding between Mr. Power in the shower, or Mr. McCrea in the hay...at least in my cinematic imagination. Must keep in mind that this is a decent G-rated website.
Either gentleman would be a welcome Star of the Month.
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I'm putting this out on the "General Discussions" forum and not the "Westerns" forum because it is a given that those who go on the latter like Westerns. I'm interested in hearing from people who are positive, negative, and ambivalent about them. In other words, a general discussion.
I used to loathe Westerns before I knew any better, when I was young and foolish. Then I had to study them in a film course on genres, and realized what I'd been missing. They're still not my favourite type of movie, there are many that bore me or leave me cold, but when a Western is good, it rises above its genre and joins the ranks of films that have something to say, films that we always remember.
Any takers?
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How come so many people (even many on this thread) don't like the Marx Brothers? I don't get it...what's not to like?
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Tyrone Power !
Tyrone Power !
Wouldn't mind finding him
in my shower !
...or even finding him as Star of the Month.
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LonesomePolecat, I would have thought your favourite musical number would have been "Lonesome Polecat", from *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers*.
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"Down in Mexico" is a very slinky Coasters song that sort of tells a story. I don't know what it is about this tune, but it seems to bring out the pornographic urge in people. All the videos I checked for it had some quasi-pornographic element to them. So I picked two, the first one being just a squeaky clean pic of the Coasters, and the second being a video . If you choose the video, don't say I didn't warn everyone that this is a family website.
family version:
semi-porn version:
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> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote}
> When I think Kraftwerk, I think of Mike Meyers
Yes, he was the "Dieter" character in the Sprokets sketches. And a very funny, poe-faced, serious
intellectual German he was (am I being politically incorrect? ) Remember that dance he'd do at the end of the sketch?
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I've heard of Manhattan Transfer, but not that song. Since the clip doesn't seem to actually specify it's by Manhattan Transfer, I hope I got the right one:
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I hadn't even heard of that one, let alone seen it. I see it stars Virginia (hold the) Mayo. Here's a link about it:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041374/
any good?
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> {quote:title=Arturo wrote:}{quote}
> This should actually be two different threads. The title says one thing (and the epics cited thus far fit this), but NONE of the much more intimate dramas with ensemble playing: GRAND HOTEL, THE BIG CHILL, etc.) should be linked with the gargantuan epics from the 1910s on.
Arturo, I agree. Also, a film with a "cast of thousands", or even dozens, is hardly the same as a cast of, say, one dozen, which is pretty much the maximum number of characters Altman or Anderson ever used. A story about a handful of characters, 8 to 10, is very different from an epic.
"Yes we can can!" said Little Nicola.
in Your Favorites
Posted
How do you phonetically spell the sound "AAEUUOOWW !!!' ? or maybe ""WHOOOO !!!" ?
I've always liked that song, funny, cynical lyrics and a b*lls-out rocker - to be PLAYED LOUD !!!