I get yelled at a lot because I can't help but point out every time they change horses.

Thank goodness they used the same horse in Hildago, because that would have been too obvious.

I'm curious. Do you think the jump scene in Butch and Sundance was an influence on the jump scene in Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man?

Wouldn't be surprised, Butch and Sundance are cultural icons now, and references pop up in lots of stuff. "You keep thinkin', Butch, it's what you're good at."

Exactly.

My wife was bragging about some actress who trained for 3 months to get ready for some fight scenes in a film. I told her they were basically teaching her to dance. Michael Jackson would have been able to do it with far less training. Jacko had everything it takes to be a hell of a movie martial artist. He was flexible, had good balance, aThat's all fight scenes are, especially for martial arts films.

Professional fighters usually don't perform fight scenes well in movies.

If professionals did the scenes, the fights would be over in just a few seconds.

Notice how -- in so many films -- one guy does something, then waits for the other guy to do something. You can see openings all over the place, but they don't take advantage of them.

Same thing with sword fights -- Star Wars is a good example.

Ken V.

I wish they sounded that way in real life!

I get kind of annoyed by that actually. Take Quigley Down Under for example: when Quigley/Selleck opens the action on his 1874 Sharps, it makes the same ratcheting sound that a revolver does. In real life not only is there no ratcheting, it hardly makes any sound at all. And when he closes the action there's no ratcheting sound either, just a loud "tink" when the trigger guard/lever hits the lower tang of the frame -- and it makes that sound only if it's closed fast.

I also wish real guns had zero recoil, like in the movies.

I know what you mean. I've often wished that myself.

Ken V.

There was a lot of old combat strategy mentioned in the film. One, where Josey talked about how he chose the order in which to kill several guys. Another was where the old Cherokee talked about Josey keeping the sun to his back on the upcoming confrontation. There were others I can't think of.

Was that from the novel or something added for the film?

I think it was in the novel, but I'm not sure. I do remember him waiting for a certain time of day to come out for a gun fight -- a time when the other guy would have the sun in his eyes. But that was in the second novel: The Vengance Trail of Josey Wales.

They're well worth reading . . . both novels.

Ken-now I'm going to have to read them again-V.

They built the film for that one scene. That was a perfect example of how to finish a movie.

Especially when you remember how they built it up in the dinner scene between Quigley and Marston.

Man, that was a good movie!

Loved the music too. If you've watched Lonesome Dove, you'll notice that the music for both "Quigley" and "Dove" were composed by Basil Polidoris, and you can hear in "Quigley" the same themes used in "Dove" . . . but made considerably bolder.

Ken V.

I get yelled at a lot because I can't help but point out every time they change horses.

That's funny too!

If you've ever seen THE COWBOYS, (starring John Wayne) the scene where the boys are bronk-riding the horse called Crazy Alice, they use three horses:

1. A Sorrel with a mane and tail the same color as the coat.

2. Another Sorrell with a red mane and brown tail.

3. A third Sorrel with a brown mane and tail.

Blasted horse colors are still confusing to me. Where I grew up a Chestnut was a reddish brown (sort of dark copper-colored) horse with a dark brown (almost black) main, tail, and lower legs. But some people call a Sorrel a Chestnut. :confused:

Ken V.

I mentioned both in my top five, you must not have read the whole thread. I'm curious. Do you think the jump scene in Butch and Sundance was an influence on the jump scene in Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man?

Wouldn't be surprised, Butch and Sundance are cultural icons now, and references pop up in lots of stuff. "You keep thinkin', Butch, it's what you're good at."

BCATSK was in mine as well.

"Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?" is my favorite line.

I saw this take on picking top movies lists, and thought of this thread:
http://www.gocomics.com/basicinstructions/2009/10/26/

In no particular order:

Unforgiven
GoodBadUgly
The Wild Bunch
ButchSundance
Outlaw Josey Wales

In my perfect world, someone will create a movie where Pike, Dutch, Lyle and Tector from The Wild Bunch will come and kill the pathetic, whiny brats from Young Guns.