THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (2008, KOREA)

The Great American Western (Though sometimes they make 'em in Korea) (Post 12 of 12)

The Good, the Bad, the Weird

 

Today's movie questionnaire...

Are you a fan of Sergio Leone films? (Check)

Do you think an updated homage (even including the three man final shootout) might be something to your liking? (Check)

Do you appreciate more recent Asian action films to American ones? (Check)

Well, that's three for three. The Good, the Bad, the Weird is well on its way to getting a thumbs up from me.

And a general thumbs up to most of the Western genre films that I've watched this month.

DEAD MAN (1994)

The Great American Western (Post 11 of 12)

Dead Man

"My Name is Nobody"

Shot in glorious black and white and punctuated by Neil Young guitar riffs, this Jim Jarmusch indy Western takes the old story of the meek easterner, an accountant named William Blake (Johnny Depp), who through a series of strange events becomes a wanted outlaw and turns into a most dangerous man.

There's a lot of laughs here, too. Many provided by Gary Farmer as the Indian who thinks Blake is actually the poet of the same name.

And you got to like any movie that has both Iggy Pop and Robert Mitchum in it.

"Every night and every morn, some to misery are born. Every morn and every night, some are born to sweet delight. Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night."

THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

The Great American Western (Post 10 of 12)

 

The Wild Bunch

 

Sam Peckinpah's finest and most famous hour. The Wild Bunch is the story of a group of outlaws past their prime and looking for a big final score. A setup causes their heist to go awry and they spend most of the movie getting tracked by a group of largely incompetent bounty hunters.

They later get caught up in the Mexican revolution where they participate in one of the most memorable (and violent) final shootouts ever filmed.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

The Great American Western (Post 9 of 12)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

 

"Who are those guys?"

"Think you used enough dynamite, there Butch?"

"Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals."

"He'll feel a lot better after he's robbed a couple of banks."

Lines from William Goldman's script from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid


After I watched this film for the first time in years, I listened to the commentary track by the outspoken screenwriter, William Goldman. It was almost as entertaining as the movie. You can give credit for this movie's success to the stars, the directors or whoever, but it ultimately comes back to Golman's script (punctuated by his years of research on the subject) that truly carries the day here.

"You just keep thinkin', Butch. That's what you're good at."

"If he'd just pay me what he's spending to make me stop robbing him, I'd stop robbing him."

"You should have let yourself get killed a long time ago when you had the chance. See, you may be the biggest thing that ever hit this area, but you're still two-bit outlaws. I never met a soul more affable than you, Butch, or faster than the Kid, but you're still nothing but two-bit outlaws on the dodge. It's over, don't you get that? Your times is over and you're gonna die bloody, and all you can do is choose where."