Category Archives: Western
Many years ago I got myself coerced into watching a number of Bollywood films by some Asian work friends who, as far as I could tell, thought it was funny that I’d actually watch them. To them Bollywood films was entirely a product of their culture and, by proxy, should make no sense to a silly Englishman such as myself. Over some time I sat and watched Baazigar, Daag: The Fire and Gharwali Baharwali. All of which are damn enjoyable films and quite a good crash course in modern Bollywood movies. None of those movie hold a candle to the film I’m reviewing today though. Sholay goes beyond being a big deal in India. It played solidly in cinemas for 5 years and it still wouldn’t be too hard to find a cinema showing it today some 38 years later. When adjusted for inflation it is the highest grossing Indian film of all time. It also proves that Bollywood films aren’t just for the people of their homeland. I say this because Sholay is one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Click the link for my review.
One who is scared is dead!
Leave a comment | tags: amitabh bachchan, Bollywood, Comedy, Drama, Film Dump, Films, Movies, Musicals, Reviews, Sholay, World Cinema | posted in Action, Bollywood, Comedy, Drama, Genres, Movie reviews, Musicals, S, Western, World Cinema
So here’s the end of my Tarantino review season. Django Unchained is finally out in the UK and so I went to see it last night hoping for something good from Mr Tarantino. His last two films, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds disappointed me in a few ways. Death Proof was full of filler and the same story repeated, Inglourious Basterds had title characters I had no interest in but an incredible sub-plot with Shosanna and her cinema and some of Tarantino’s best writing to date. How to describe Django Unchained then? Simple, pure fecking joy on a grand scale. Click the link for my review!
I like the way you click boy.
Leave a comment | tags: bullet squibs, christoph waltz, Django Unchained, Drama, Film Dump, Films, leonardo dicaprio, Movies, Reviews, Tarantino | posted in Action, D, Drama, Genres, Movie reviews, Western
That is such a straight to video B-Movie title for a film, I think we can all agree. Sounds like something The Asylum would make to shamelessly cash in on a summer blockbuster of a similar title. I should review more of their films. They’re so easy to rip to shreds with a near worrying level of enjoyment. What isn’t easy to rip to shreds though is Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens because it’s actually pretty damn good despite the low rent title. Click the link for my review folks!
Forgot to mention in the review, the aliens look pretty damn cool!
2 comments | tags: Alien, Film Dump, Movies, Reviews, Sci-Fi | posted in Action, C, Genres, Movie reviews, Sci-Fi, Western
I assume the vast majority of readers of my fine (ahem) blog are aware of the hero’s journey. It’s the basic structure of telling a story of a character, in any medium, that goes from relatively basic beginnings to being a hero of the people. Star Wars did it, Flash Gordon did it, the god damn batman did it. It’s one of the most oft repeated character arcs there is. Rango is literally a film about that arc and how much of it is in the control of it’s protagonist. It is also a kids film. A kids film that is about the art of telling stories. Also I liked the bit where he ate the fly…
Of course, I would still like to see a film starring Johnny Depp that wasn’t entirely designed around him.
1 comment | tags: Animation, Comedy, Film Dump, Movies, Reviews | posted in Animation, Comedy, Movie reviews, R, Western
Ever wondered why people keep calling some films remakes when they’re not? For example, the Coen Brothers version of True Grit is not a remake of the John Wayne film from 1969. Yes they share the same story and characters but they’re both based on the same book and so they are adaptations of that book. They share the core aspects of plot, character and setting but the way they play out is full of differences. A film is only a remake if it is A) based on a film that started life as a film and nothing else (the US remake of Godzilla for example) or B) is a near carbon copy of the a film based on a book (For example the 1998 version of Psycho). Why do I make a point of this? Because the Coen’s adaptation of True Grit is a film to be judged on it’s own merits rather than be compared to the much lighter John Wayne movie. And with that, judge it I shall…
The Rooster abides
6 comments | tags: Coen Brothers, Film Dump, Jeff Bridges, Movies, Reviews | posted in Drama, Genres, Movie reviews, T, Western
