Just getting back to NYC after a weekend in prosperous little La Plume, PA, visiting my old boss and his family. We've known each other for years, all the good semi-bullshit stories have been told, so in between poker and chess games, serious talk, and really filthy jokes,
we watch good flicks: this time, HIGH NOON, 4 TWILIGHT ZONE episodes, OPEN RANGE, THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT, OUT OF TIME. MONSTERS INC. (with his children Sunday morning, while Dan and his bride Lisa were still in the rack--no sleepyheads here!), and RUNDOWN (utterly preposterous on every level, but doing what American films have always done best--entertain...eat yer heart out, Trufinni!) OPEN RANGE amazed, how good it was.

OPEN RANGE amazed, how good it was.

I had heard it was good . . . turned out to be better than I had heard.
In the Western catagory, it's definitely in my top ten . . . top five maybe.

Best shooting sound effects I have EVER heard . . . EVER!

Ken V.

The Event is a poignant look at assisted suicides. For the most part it is exceptionally well made; Parker Posey (who I usually like) wasn't all that convincing as a DA.

Scott

I had heard it was good . . . turned out to be better than I had heard.
In the Western catagory, it's definitely in my top ten . . . top five maybe.

Best shooting sound effects I have EVER heard . . . EVER!

Ken V.

I didn't like it that much. The ending was way too long-winded and sappy.

I didn't like it that much. The ending was way too long-winded and sappy.

Now you know exactly why I DID like it!

Ken - long winded and sappy - V.

I had heard it was good . . . turned out to be better than I had heard.
In the Western catagory, it's definitely in my top ten . . . top five maybe.

Best shooting sound effects I have EVER heard . . . EVER!

Ken V.

Here's a quote from a review of OPEN RANGE from the 4/04 issue of UNCUT (Brit music/film zine): "...and the glorious climactic gun battle, which has to be seen/heard to be believed." At first I didn't think the Charley Waite/ Sue Barlow romantic subplot was necessary, but upon reflection, I think it was very necessary. Crucial, even. Boy, what a good flick. =Everybody= did themselves proud.

Here's a quote from a review of OPEN RANGE from the 4/04 issue of UNCUT (Brit music/film zine): "...and the glorious climactic gun battle, which has to be seen/heard to be believed." At first I didn't think the Charley Waite/ Sue Barlow romantic subplot was necessary, but upon reflection, I think it was very necessary. Crucial, even. Boy, what a good flick. =Everybody= did themselves proud.

Yep-yep! I just moved it up to TOP THREE! Have you noticed that in modern westerns, they are finally beginning to pay attention to authenticity in weaponry? This is the first movie where they actually paid some attention to the sounds made by those weapons.

Black powder was beginning to be replaced with smokeless powder in the late 1880's. The earliest rifle I own which is made for smokeless powder is a Marlin Model 1893. The barrel is stamped "SPECIAL SMOKELESS STEEL."

Winchester's first rifle to use "smokeless" was their Model '94 chambered for their brand new 30 WCF cartridge in 1895.
(The 30 WCF -- Winchester Center Fire -- was the straight-walled 38-55 cartridge shortened about a tenth of an inch, and necked down from a .375 bullet diameter, to a .308 bullet diameter. Today, both the rifle and cartridge are commonly called .30-30 Winchester. By the way, the rifle is still in production -- after 110 years! Winchester has made well over six MILLION of them!)

Black powder has a very distinctive sound. A deep throated BOOM compared to the BANG of smokeless.


SPOILER!

SPOILER!(maybe.)

And it's not just that, remember the scene where Charlie gets down on his knees and is picking up the clumps of dirt he and Boss tracked into the house on their boots? It's the little details like that which really helped to round out the movie. Real cowboys would do things like that -- be respectful of the homeowner.

END SPOILER!

Back to guns again.

Talk about inaccuracy. In the John Wayne movie, THE COMANCHERO'S, Wayne is carrying his ubiquitous Colt Model 1873 revolver, Winchester Model 1892 lever action rifle, and "trading" 1860 Henry rifles to the Comanchero's. This wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that at the beginning of the movie, it is shown on the screen that this is all taking place in 1843!

In the Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer movie TOMBSTONE, the opening scene shows a pair of hands loading a Winchester Model 1873 carbine. Then the actor levers a round into the chamber. The sound they used was that of a Winchester '92-'94. It didn't have the heavy "clank-clank" sound produced by brass rising block of the '73. I sure took notice of THAT! If they are going to use the authentic firearm, why couldn't they use the authentic sound as well -- I mean, after all, they had it right there didn't they? Why would they dub in the wrong sound? :confused:

In OPEN RANGE, the pistols Boss and Charlie are carrying are respectively, the Remington Model 1875, and Colt Model 1873.

The only complaint I have of the movie, is where the bad guys hit by shotgun blasts are litterally lifted and THROWN a good distance by the blast. The law of physics says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If the blast can lift and throw the shootee ten feet, it will also lift and throw the shooter the same distance.

Ken - somebody shut me up - V.

Here's a few good ones, too...

"Das Boot" - Story of German sub crew (by Wolfgang Petersen). Gives a look at what sub-life was like back in the war. Basically the movie "U-571" ripped off this movie and made a few changes.
"Legends of the Fall" - Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn. Great movie.
"Quigley Down Under" - Tom Selleck western. Pretty good movie, plus has Alan Rickman who is a great villian for any movie.
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" - It's Monty Python....enough said.
"The 5th Element" - Sci-Fi with Bruce WillisAnd Gary Oldman. Plenty of action and comedy. Great movie.
"L.A. Confidential" - Excellent movie. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Danny Devito. Cop movie set in the 50's(??).
"Silverado" - Western w/ Kevin Kline, Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn.
"True Lies" - Action/comedy w/ Scwarzeneggar and Tom Arnold. Very funny and great action.
"The Professional" - Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman. Reno is a hit man and Oldman is a drugged-out cop. Cool flick.
"Patton" - George C. Scott. WOW!!
"Murder in the IFrst" - Kevin Bacon, Christian Slater, Gary Oldman. Drama about the trial that shut down the "dungeons" of Alcatraz. Bacon is fantastic.
" Searching for Bobby Fischer" - If you like to play chess this is a good one. About a 7 year old chess prodigy.

That's about all off the top of my head. I have about 400 movies in my collection but this post is long enough as it is.

Check out The Fisher King - Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mecedes Ruehl (Oscar winning performance).

Playing by Heart - Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillippe - Excellent character driven movie.

Here's a few good ones, too...

"Das Boot" - Story of German sub crew (by Wolfgang Petersen). Gives a look at what sub-life was like back in the war. Basically the movie "U-571" ripped off this movie and made a few changes.

Don't forget the classic sub movies: "The Enemy Below" and "Run Silent, Run Deep".