This film is more of a Bronson classic to many but it is also unintentionally funny. It seemed that anything that came out of actor Al Lettieri's mouth had me cracking up but he can play a good bad guy in most things he's in.
I can even remember the commercials for this film as a child where they were tieing it in the with Ford pickup truck. I remember Ford having a good year behind this...
Mr. Majestyk is one of my and my brother's favorites; Bronson at his coolest and surrounded by a very colorful cast. Paul Koslo makes for one really gutless sleazeball as Bobby Kopas and Al Lettieri is great as Frank Renda, the crook who bites off more than he can chew when he runs afoul of Bronson, the world's most dangerous melon picker. )
If you're in a Bronson mood, I'd also strongly recommend The Mechanic, a very different kind of Bronson movie wherein he plays an assassin with a variety of issues who takes Jan Michael Vincent under his wing. A very dark film with some good action, solid performances and genuinely surprising plot twists.
Oh yes, Tony. I have that movie (The Mechanic) too. One of the best endings ever. B-)
I think I stated a few pages back on this thread that it is my favorite Charles Bronson movie.
You and Spec like Majestyk huh? Very cool. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Bronson is so freaking cool! {[] I don't know what it is about him, but every time I watch him, he puts a huge on my face.
(Well, I actualy think I do know. )
A brilliant film. -{ Leone is one of my favourite directors, and although I think I prefer the dollars films, I very much agree that this is a masterpiece.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Sentimental true-life drama about a University rebuilding its football team after a plane crash. Matthew Fox is his reliably haunted self as the assistant coach who handed his place on the plane to another passenger. But Matthew McCounaghey should be arrested for one of the most ridiculously mannered performances I've ever seen as the team's new coach. Just bizarre..
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Bronson is so freaking cool! {[] I don't know what it is about him, but every time I watch him, he puts a huge on my face.
(Well, I actualy think I do know. )
A brilliant film. -{ Leone is one of my favourite directors, and although I think I prefer the dollars films, I very much agree that this is a masterpiece.
Yes, Charles Bronson is THE MAN when it comes to classic action flicks, Dan. He's my favorite from the era hands down.
I was in Best Buy the other night asking whether they had a copies of Telefon, Hard Times & The Stone Killer and the kid asked me who he was; he had never heard of him...
I told him that he should quit his post and didn't deserve to be working in the movie section if he wasn't aware of one of the cinema action greats. I mean that's just disgraceful...
Damn CGI generation.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I was in Best Buy the other night asking whether they had a copies of Telefon, Hard Times & The Stone Killer and the kid asked me who he was; he had never heard of him...
That's horrible. I mean, it's one thing to not have seen a Bronson film, but to not have even heard of him is an absolute crime.
I told him that he should quit his post and didn't deserve to be working in the movie section if he wasn't aware of one of the cinema action greats. I mean that's just disgraceful...
Damn CGI generation.
Tell me about it. 8-) The next thing you know, people will stop appreciating Die Hard because its too old or something.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,703MI6 Agent
That proves my point. Die Hard 4.0 was by far IMO the weakest of the four, and was incredibly OTT and ridiculous due to all that CGI, yet some people think it's a great film.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
It is an amazing coincidence that earlier tonight, I mentioned Sergio Leone, as I just finished watching this particular Western on TV. I love Westerns and I particularly love Leone Westerns. I consider the Dollars films to be cinematic masterpieces and what has always fascinated me about them is that IMO the films got better as they went along. I have always considered A Fistful of Dollars to be the weakest of the Dollars films (with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the best IMO,) and my views have not changed. However, I do think that it is a truly superb film and one of the greatest Westerns of all time. There are moments in this film (such as when Joe kills the first four guys) which are truly extraordinary.
Of the three Dollars films, I think I've seen A Fistful of Dollars the least number of times. Partly because I don't have the opportunities to see it that I do with the two other films, but also because I simply don't enjoy it as much as the other two. It's a bit too rough and loose for my tastes. That said, I do consider it to be a masterpiece and I would in fact compare it to OHMSS; flawed, yes, but a masterpiece, absolutely.
I think it is an awesome film which shows just what extraordinary talents Leone, Eastwood and Morricone are, and although I might have my complaints, it is a film which gives me a tremendous amount of joy. I adore it and, what can I say, it just gets better with age. -{
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Nice suspense/action film. Got a bit tired of the flashbacks by the end but enjoyed the film overall. The flashbacks did do a good job giving more and more tidbits about what was going on and there were a couple plot twists, some I saw coming and one that I didn't. Overall, a decent film with some good suspense. I liked the atmosphere.
The editing on Vantage Point was by Stuart "GoldenEye & Casino Royale" Baird.
And Then There Were None
Atmospheric whodunnit based on a controversially titled Agatha Christie tale. Ten guests pitch up at a mansion on a deserted island, meeting their unknown host. Gradually they find that they are there to be held account for sins in this life. And they start to get bumped off.
Good black and white stuff, though it's 1945 and could be 10 years earlier. However, it's clear that every time one of them confesses to the details of their crime, they then conveniently get knocked off. You'd be better off not owning up to anything! Also, most of their confessions are way too brief and peremptory.
The female love interest is a bit like Diana Rigg in OHMSS.
Good Saturday afternoon entertainment.
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited March 2008
I was in a sci-fi sort of mood last night so I watched:
LOGAN'S RUN
One of my all-time favorite sci-fi films that came out the summer before Star Wars raised the bar as we know now the following year.
About the only thing that I cringe at now, when watching it, are those dated special effects but the campy feel of the technology doesn't deter from the impact of this great film. A little slow in places but what film nowadays isn't on some level?
I don't recall anything like it at the time so it's pretty safe to say that it was original and held in high regard with me still. B-)
then:
SLEEPER
Usually with me, Woody Allen has been a can't miss event since my kid days. I do remember loving this one alot more in my youth but as the years went by, it paled in comparison to other Woody gems like Love & Death and Bananas.
My son's favorite by him of all and it still rustles 3 out of 4 stars from me for its sheer enjoyment. Definetely a must see.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
My brother and I love Logan's Run as well, one of the last of MGM's great sci-fi movies from the 70's. Really great production design in that one and Jenny Agutter was just too cute. :x :x
FX aside, the only thing that ever takes me out of the experience is the masks that everyone in Carousel wears. As a hockey fan I quickly figured out that it was the mask worn by goaltender Eddie Giacomin.
As for Sleeper, I seem to remember having this discussion before but given my sci-fi leanings, that's probably my favorite Woody Allen movie; futuristic setting notwithstanding, there are a lot of great gags in that one. Woof! Woof! Hello, my name is Rags.)
I think it is an awesome film which shows just what extraordinary talents Leone, Eastwood and Morricone are, and although I might have my complaints, it is a film which gives me a tremendous amount of joy. I adore it and, what can I say, it just gets better with age. -{
Fistful of Dollars is a classic; one of my favorites as well. In some ways, I actually like it more than Leone's other efforts. Since Leone was constrained by a small budget, he was forced to deliver a much tighter, leaner, more well paced film that can easily be viewed in one sitting. Definitely a little rough around the edges but still a great great work.
Rogue, most of our sci-fi film collection comes from the 70's - Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, Invasion of the Bee Girls, Soylent Green, Westworld, Rollerball, Demon Seed, Superman the Movie, Alien, The Black Hole, Mad Max and Star Trek the Motion Picture - see what I mean B-)
The editing on Vantage Point was by Stuart "GoldenEye & Casino Royale" Baird.
And Then There Were None
Atmospheric whodunnit based on a controversially titled Agatha Christie tale. Ten guests pitch up at a mansion on a deserted island, meeting their unknown host. Gradually they find that they are there to be held account for sins in this life. And they start to get bumped off.
Good black and white stuff, though it's 1945 and could be 10 years earlier. However, it's clear that every time one of them confesses to the details of their crime, they then conveniently get knocked off. You'd be better off not owning up to anything! Also, most of their confessions are way too brief and peremptory.
The female love interest is a bit like Diana Rigg in OHMSS.
Good Saturday afternoon entertainment.
Now THIS is simply entertainment at it's best. I even hooked a few friends who don't normally go for older movies with this one during the vhs days. Fact I still have that tape somewhere.
If you let it work it's spell beyond the obligatory comic relief character, (who's luckily absent 95% of the time) it's a classic whodunit.
Barry Fitzgerald, (the judge) and Walter Huston (the doctor) steal every scene they're in, but I enjoyed the one upmanship between Bligh and Lombard best. The love interest was a cutie. Great camera angle at the billiards table climax.
Ever seen the '65 version with Golden Girl Shirley Eaton?
Rogue, most of our sci-fi film collection comes from the 70's - Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, Invasion of the Bee Girls, Soylent Green, Westworld, Rollerball, Demon Seed, Superman the Movie, Alien, The Black Hole, Mad Max and Star Trek the Motion Picture - see what I mean B-)
Quite a collection you guys have compiled there...
You like The Black Hole, too? Man, I get ripped by others when I say how much I love this one! I really don't know why... )
Westworld is a film that I would NOT like to see remade. It's honestly good as it is, Spec. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Rogue, I agree 100%. Unfortunately, in Hollywood today, it is easier to do a remake (in most cases an inferior version to the original) than come up with a fresh idea.
This has similarities with the Pierce Brosnan movie, The Matador, although its not quite as much fun. Ben Kingsley is in fine form as a killer sent to AA by his bosses after falling asleep on a hit. There's some nice dialogue and decent support from Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina, and Luke Wilson, but this is predictable stuff.
Definitely a little rough around the edges but still a great great work.
-{
An interesting sidenote is that my brother (who has probably seen the film before but I'm not certain) stayed up to watch it.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited March 2008
In The Mouth Of Madness
Classic John Carpenter horror. There are many funny parts in this picture and I'm starting to believe that it was intentional as if the director was showing his odd sense of humor.
Regardless of that, it still retains its eerie feel and Sam Neill is great in the starting role and co-star Julie Carmen, who's very attractive to me, complimented him well.
"Did I ever tell you that my favorite color is blue?")
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
In The Mouth of Madness is probably the best HP Lovecraft story that HP Lovecraft never wrote. The movie is practically a love letter to Lovecraft (combined of course with a heavy dose of Carpenter's usual cynicism towards mankind) and if you liked it, you should definitely check out some of his writing.
Comments
Oh yes, Tony. I have that movie (The Mechanic) too. One of the best endings ever. B-)
I think I stated a few pages back on this thread that it is my favorite Charles Bronson movie.
You and Spec like Majestyk huh? Very cool. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Like it? We've seen it so many times we can practically recite it verbatim. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a melon I gotta pick.
"Hey buddy, I told you, you were in the wrong business"
"You make sounds like you're a mean little a**-kicker... only I ain't convinced".
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
(Well, I actualy think I do know.
A brilliant film. -{ Leone is one of my favourite directors, and although I think I prefer the dollars films, I very much agree that this is a masterpiece.
Sentimental true-life drama about a University rebuilding its football team after a plane crash. Matthew Fox is his reliably haunted self as the assistant coach who handed his place on the plane to another passenger. But Matthew McCounaghey should be arrested for one of the most ridiculously mannered performances I've ever seen as the team's new coach. Just bizarre..
Yes, Charles Bronson is THE MAN when it comes to classic action flicks, Dan. He's my favorite from the era hands down.
I was in Best Buy the other night asking whether they had a copies of Telefon, Hard Times & The Stone Killer and the kid asked me who he was; he had never heard of him...
I told him that he should quit his post and didn't deserve to be working in the movie section if he wasn't aware of one of the cinema action greats. I mean that's just disgraceful...
Damn CGI generation.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Tell me about it. 8-) The next thing you know, people will stop appreciating Die Hard because its too old or something.
Maybe the first three, but not Die Hard 4.
It is an amazing coincidence that earlier tonight, I mentioned Sergio Leone, as I just finished watching this particular Western on TV. I love Westerns and I particularly love Leone Westerns. I consider the Dollars films to be cinematic masterpieces and what has always fascinated me about them is that IMO the films got better as they went along. I have always considered A Fistful of Dollars to be the weakest of the Dollars films (with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the best IMO,) and my views have not changed. However, I do think that it is a truly superb film and one of the greatest Westerns of all time. There are moments in this film (such as when Joe kills the first four guys) which are truly extraordinary.
Of the three Dollars films, I think I've seen A Fistful of Dollars the least number of times. Partly because I don't have the opportunities to see it that I do with the two other films, but also because I simply don't enjoy it as much as the other two. It's a bit too rough and loose for my tastes. That said, I do consider it to be a masterpiece and I would in fact compare it to OHMSS; flawed, yes, but a masterpiece, absolutely.
I think it is an awesome film which shows just what extraordinary talents Leone, Eastwood and Morricone are, and although I might have my complaints, it is a film which gives me a tremendous amount of joy.
Nice suspense/action film. Got a bit tired of the flashbacks by the end but enjoyed the film overall. The flashbacks did do a good job giving more and more tidbits about what was going on and there were a couple plot twists, some I saw coming and one that I didn't. Overall, a decent film with some good suspense. I liked the atmosphere.
And Then There Were None
Atmospheric whodunnit based on a controversially titled Agatha Christie tale. Ten guests pitch up at a mansion on a deserted island, meeting their unknown host. Gradually they find that they are there to be held account for sins in this life. And they start to get bumped off.
Good black and white stuff, though it's 1945 and could be 10 years earlier. However, it's clear that every time one of them confesses to the details of their crime, they then conveniently get knocked off. You'd be better off not owning up to anything! Also, most of their confessions are way too brief and peremptory.
The female love interest is a bit like Diana Rigg in OHMSS.
Good Saturday afternoon entertainment.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
LOGAN'S RUN
One of my all-time favorite sci-fi films that came out the summer before Star Wars raised the bar as we know now the following year.
About the only thing that I cringe at now, when watching it, are those dated special effects but the campy feel of the technology doesn't deter from the impact of this great film. A little slow in places but what film nowadays isn't on some level?
I don't recall anything like it at the time so it's pretty safe to say that it was original and held in high regard with me still. B-)
then:
SLEEPER
Usually with me, Woody Allen has been a can't miss event since my kid days. I do remember loving this one alot more in my youth but as the years went by, it paled in comparison to other Woody gems like Love & Death and Bananas.
My son's favorite by him of all and it still rustles 3 out of 4 stars from me for its sheer enjoyment. Definetely a must see.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
FX aside, the only thing that ever takes me out of the experience is the masks that everyone in Carousel wears. As a hockey fan I quickly figured out that it was the mask worn by goaltender Eddie Giacomin.
As for Sleeper, I seem to remember having this discussion before but given my sci-fi leanings, that's probably my favorite Woody Allen movie; futuristic setting notwithstanding, there are a lot of great gags in that one. Woof! Woof! Hello, my name is Rags.
Fistful of Dollars is a classic; one of my favorites as well. In some ways, I actually like it more than Leone's other efforts. Since Leone was constrained by a small budget, he was forced to deliver a much tighter, leaner, more well paced film that can easily be viewed in one sitting. Definitely a little rough around the edges but still a great great work.
If you let it work it's spell beyond the obligatory comic relief character, (who's luckily absent 95% of the time) it's a classic whodunit.
Barry Fitzgerald, (the judge) and Walter Huston (the doctor) steal every scene they're in, but I enjoyed the one upmanship between Bligh and Lombard best. The love interest was a cutie. Great camera angle at the billiards table climax.
Ever seen the '65 version with Golden Girl Shirley Eaton?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072263/
With Gert Frobe and Adolfi Celi in the cast!
And one of them has Christopher Lee and U.N. Owen!
All very Bond-heavy stuff!
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Quite a collection you guys have compiled there...
You like The Black Hole, too? Man, I get ripped by others when I say how much I love this one! I really don't know why...
Westworld is a film that I would NOT like to see remade. It's honestly good as it is, Spec. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Dahlia Lavi and Shirley :x make this well intended misfire worth watching.
This has similarities with the Pierce Brosnan movie, The Matador, although its not quite as much fun. Ben Kingsley is in fine form as a killer sent to AA by his bosses after falling asleep on a hit. There's some nice dialogue and decent support from Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina, and Luke Wilson, but this is predictable stuff.
An interesting sidenote is that my brother (who has probably seen the film before but I'm not certain) stayed up to watch it.
Classic John Carpenter horror. There are many funny parts in this picture and I'm starting to believe that it was intentional as if the director was showing his odd sense of humor.
Regardless of that, it still retains its eerie feel and Sam Neill is great in the starting role and co-star Julie Carmen, who's very attractive to me, complimented him well.
"Did I ever tell you that my favorite color is blue?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
A film that truly captures the spirit and feel of H.P. Lovecraft. Probably my favorite Carpenter horror film next to The Thing.
You're scaring me, Spec...we're agreeing on movies too much!
I love it too. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Also Watched FUNNY FACE with some friends the other night, and had waaaaay too much fun with it.
~Pen -{
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