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Reviews
Il grande silenzio (1968)
Brilliant
Sergio Corbucci is primarily responsible for the emergence of the spaghetti western film genre. I know, I know; you are saying to yourself right now that Sergio Leone's movies starring Clint Eastwood define the genre, and you are correct in this assertion. But Corbucci's film "Django" made it possible for people like Leone to make his vast contributions to the genre. "Django," with its gritty atmosphere, grim violence, and delightfully slick conclusion set the stage for everything that came after. Fortunately, director Corbucci didn't quit making films after his initial success; he made several other films including this 1968 classic spag western, "The Great Silence." Starring the always wonderfully warped Klaus Kinski and French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant, Corbucci's film is an intriguing entry in the universe of Italian westerns. For years the only way to acquire a copy of the movie was to shell out big bucks for cruddy looking VHS dupes usually three or four times removed from the original source. Not anymore. Now you can watch Corbucci's film with great sound, a nice picture, and you even get a few extras. It's too bad they don't make films like this one anymore. Trintignant plays Silence, a brooding, mute gunslinger moving from place to place gunning down bad guys. He's not a bad guy himself, though, because he only kills goons who prey on innocent people. A burning need for personal revenge fuels these vendettas--several men slaughtered Silence's own family when he was a young child, cutting our hero's throat in the bargain. Silence survived the attack and, even as he avenges innocents egregiously wronged, seeks out the evil ones responsible for his own personal tragedy. And find them he will even if it means dying in the process. Things start to heat up when the mute avenger stumbles across a band of rogue Mormons hiding out in the snow covered mountains. A banker in a small town has put a price on these outcasts' heads, leading to a search and destroy mission conducted by every slimy bounty hunter in the land. Leading the charge to bring in these "baddies" is none other than the psychopathic Loco (Kinski), a smirking thug who shoots first and asks questions later. You just know Loco and Silence will have a showdown somewhere along the line. In the meantime, several subplots help move the film along: a black woman widowed when Loco gunned down her husband hires Silence to avenge his memory, a new sheriff who refuses to go along blindly with Loco's violent ways arrives in town, and the banker funding most of the mayhem carries an intriguing secret of great interest to Silence. The tension slowly builds as Loco and Silence head towards their final, fatal showdown (not giving anything away here--all of these films have a final, fatal showdown). Will the new sheriff manage to remove Loco and his fellow thugs from the equation before the bullets start to fly? Will the banker manage to eradicate Silence and the sheriff by employing the wily Loco? Will Silence avenge the horrors visited upon his family years before? All of these questions, and many others, find some resolution by the end of the movie. By the way, the conclusion to "The Great Silence" is not at all what you would expect from a movie in this genre. I think the end alone qualifies this movie as a must see for the spag western fan. It's unique in its grimness. "The Great Silence" is really a fairly standard revenge film of the type often seen in the spaghetti western canon. What sets Corbucci's picture apart is the distinctive atmosphere, the unusual backdrop against which the characters play out their fates. Most low budget Italian western films take place in blasted, desert like landscapes full of wind, dust, and tumbleweeds. The sun beats down on the characters in these films with an unrelenting intenseness, throwing off shadows that stretch for miles, turning faces into dry leather masks, and drenching every living being in a constant sheen of sweat. "The Great Silence" definitely doesn't take place in a desert. Instead, Corbucci opted for snow-covered mountains, ice covered lakes and rivers, and a town with streets mired in deep mud. The freezing cold of winter in the "The Great Silence" acts as a metaphor of sorts, an external symbol of the icy detachment of a speechless gunslinger as he methodically and ruthlessly tracks down his enemies. Throw in a pounding score from veteran Italian master Ennio Morricone and you have all the elements of a great western. I've seen films in the genre that are better than "The Great Silence," but not very many. A few extras on the DVD version of the film are noteworthy. There's an alternate ending for the film, a "happier" ending without any audio that employs a standard "last minute save" technique seen in dozens of other films. Corbucci apparently shot this conclusion in case audiences rejected his downbeat original idea. I think the film works great with the original ending if for no other reason than it is more realistic. You'll want to pick up Corbucci's movie if you like westerns. The picture quality is quite good, there are extras, and it's just plain fun to watch. Pick up "Django" while you're at it and make it a double feature.
True Detective (2014)
This series is a huge threat to Breaking bad if it keeps going this way
in my opinion true detective is the next great series after Breaking Bad, everyone says how Breaking Bad is the best show of all time, ill agree its one of the best but not the best, this show if it keeps going this way could be one of those shows to remember. why because true detective is brilliantly shot, edited, the scenes create a sinister and disturbing feeling to it. the characters are amazing especially Mathew macaughney. the series is brilliantly written. the beginning of the series is also brilliantly set up. the camera angles and music is brilliant. overall I have not seen a series like this before, a time of disturbing mystery crime thriller. overall I have to give it a 10 out of 10 words cannot explain how good this is
I giorni dell'ira (1967)
One of the best spaghetti westerns
DAY OF ANGER stars two of the spaghetti genre's superstars. Lee Van Cleef is the fast gunslinger, Giuliano Gemma is the young man, son of a prostitute, made fun of and treated shamelessly by the town that is taken under the wing of the older, more experienced man. Scott Mary(his mother's name) is tutored in the use of a short gun, he seems to have a natural talent, and he and Van Cleef take over the town.
Van Cleef is righting old wrongs, but he goes to far with the only man who ever treated the young man decently and it causes a confrontation between the pair in the finale of the film. Day of anger was voted by spaghetti western database as number 14 in the top 20 spaghetti westerns and number 7 by Tarantino in his top 20 favourite spaghetti westerns.
Yôjinbô (1961)
One of the best
Yojimbo is one of the best foreign films of all time, this movie played a huge role in inspiring a fistful of dollars, this movie was also inspired by American westerns. the movie is shot in a similar way to those of the old black and white American western films. however this movie is by far in my top 10 favourite films. the movie also has brilliant music which you will get Goosebumps on your neck when hearing during the film. the sword fighting scenes are perfect, pure Japanese samurai style. the main character played by Toshiro Mifune is perfect and one of my most favourite main character of all time. this movie is perfect and original, flawless an absolute masterpiece from the master Akira Kurosawa.
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
Love it
I absolutely loved this film when I saw it 10 years ago, this is one of those movies that you could watch time and time, over and over again without getting bored even one slight bit. the good, the bad and the ugly is my most favourite movie, Clint Eastwood's character Blondie who is the good is one of my most favourite heroes of all time and Lee van Cleef's character angel eyes who is the bad certainly without a doubt is my favourite movie villain of all time. I also loved how the scenes were set and shot in this movie especially the Mexican standoff scene one of the most iconic scenes of all time. the music is also brilliant and hugely iconic and inspiring for many generations, the opening theme is also one of the most well known movie songs of all time. overall this movie is a 10 out of 10
Jing wu men (1972)
Better than enter the dragon
in my opinion enter the dragon is a good kung fu movie but I have to say it is overrated. why because its often picked best kung fu movie because its in English and most of the people who rate it the best kung fu movie of all time have not seen any other kung fu movie like the golden harvest or Shaw brother movies. Fist of Fury is better because it is original and focuses full on lees character unlike enter the dragon which has cheesy American characters. Fist of fury also has a iconic story set during the foreign occupation of china when china was humiliated and scene as the week country of the east by many imperia pompous nations like the British, the Japanese and the French. as a result of his master death Bruce Lee swears to take revenge against the Japanese. don't get me wrong Enter the dragon is a good kung fu movie in the top ten but it certainly isn't the best kung fu movie, I would probably put this or the 36th chamber shaolin as the best kung fu movie.
Se ying diu sau (1978)
One of the greatest chan movies
for me this is Jackie second best film behind drunken master 2 and in front of drunken master why because the movie fight scenes, training scene and music especially jean Michel jarre's ogygen part 2 and magic fly by space. Jackie chan character is lovable, a orphan who is bullied and used as a punch bag by his martial art school trainers. even the villains are likable. why I have chosen this movie to be better than drunken master 1 is because of Jackie character who is more likable than the one in drunken master 1 who is a hooligan and enjoys picking on people. Also because of the story is more likable as well, the script is good, the movie is well shot especially the camera angles and filming location. overall for a martial arts fan I would have to give it a 10 out of 10, brilliant film
Baai ga jai (1981)
Disappointed
I was so disappointed when watching this film after having read such great reviews about it. Whilst there are some decent fight scenes, it would seem that those who rate this film highly do so for romantic reasons, being familiar with the actors back in their heyday. I must admit to yawning a lot & being quite bored. There were only a few scenes that got my full attention. Comedy varies from culture to culture, I know, but even as a comedy, this film failed for me. It was cheesy and almost slapstick for too much of the time. The star of the film was overly gullible and stupid, & so I struggled to take him seriously even if he did something good. I don't mind martial arts comedy - I prefer Jackie Chan's films to Bruce Lee's, for example - but I regret this purchase. The only unenjoyable martial arts film I've bought in recent times.
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
Timeless
this has to be one of the best films I have seen, the film maybe in black and white but its surely one of the greatest. why because the story id perfectly simple about a village which get constantly raided and robbed of its food and crops by bandits. the village decide to hire seven samurai in order to protect their village against the bandits, I don't want to give too much away but this film is absolutely flawless, the movie is well shot bot movement and angle wise. the characters are brilliant and well remembered especially the one played by Toshiro Mifune one of the most well known Japanese if not foreign actors. I have to give this movie an perfect 10 out of 10. the movie is flawless and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Kozure Ôkami: Ko wo kashi ude kashi tsukamatsuru (1972)
Brilliant, greative and bloody
I found out about this movie after just getting into the whole Japanese Samurai Genre movies. I have to say that I absolutely love this movie it is one of the best and most iconic movies I have seen due to the fact that story and characters are highly likable and lovable the weapons each of the characters use are brilliant and the settings for each of the scenes make this movie a classic. the movie takes place probably in the 1700s where a ex shogunate executioner family is killed along with his local residence upon discovering this, he is met by the local authorities who are also ordered to kill him this results in him wondering the lands of japan with his toddler son, I wont give any more of the story away but I loved this movie and I highly recommend it to gore lovers.