I have to start by saying that I enjoyed this film way more than I expected to. Not being a fan of Westerns or Russell Crowe, I wasn't expecting great things, but this film surprised me by keeping my entertained and completely 'in' the film the whole way through. The scenery and direction is superb, the acting is mainly good, the story, although implausible at times, was fun and interesting enough to keep me watching and the overall package makes for two hours of film viewing that is not too heavy and with plenty of fights and action sequences to boot. The actor who plays 'Charlie' is especially good and Crowe even managed to endear himself to me this time. For fans of the genre you may either love this or be disappointed depending on your ... Read More:
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...this is a fine set, you get Hang 'Em High in addition to the traditional 3 film set, usually refered to as the man with no name films, although he does have names, Joe, Manco and Blondie (nickname?) if I remember correctly.
I'm only writing this review as I think the one star is unfair as loads of boxsets are repacked from other sets.
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A fine DVD of the classic western famous for the witty by-play between Newman and Redford and the luminous photography by the distingushed Conrad Hall,this has some interesting extras,most of all a rarely-seen documentary of the film with fascinating behind the scenes footage, narrated by the director George Roy Hill.PARENTS BE WARNED!! though;Hill comes out with a few choice expletives during his commentary,so it should not be shown to young children.The DVD notes should've made this clearer,but barring this minor quibble it's an excellent all-round package of one of Hollywood's best remembered westerns.
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There are several adjectives that describe this film, and ponderous is the first that came to my mind after watching it. The second was pretentious. Whilst Brad Pitt gives a creditable performance other actors are wooden and wholly unconvincing. The film could quite easily have been edited down from two and a half gruelling hours to a more tolerable 90 minutes without losing a word of dialogue or even any of the "moody" shots that supposedly lend it its contrived atmosphere. Other relevant adjectives: boring, disconnected, and of course predictable, since we already know the ending before it begins. In short, eminently forgettable.
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Sergio Leone is unique in his field, and particularly in the western genre. He was in his fourth year of spaghetti western, let's say in full swing, in this film. You know it is Sergio Leone by several elements that do not tell a lie. The music always has the same texture, the same taste, the same sonorities, with the eternal harmonica. Then the landscape, the sunshine, the light, the vegetation and of course practically no fauna, and in this one, not even a snake. Hardly a few horses, a couple of partridges, or whatever, and a pair of chickens. Nothing to brag about. Sergio Leone is concentrating anyway on the human animal and there the menagerie is by far diverse and grotesque enough. Then the economy of the dialogue is also typical because Sergio Leone ... Read More:
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my boyfriend had gone on for ages about how good this film was so when i went away for a week i stole it out his dvd case to watch. Mel Brooks has a particular style which is so recognisable that you don't even have to check who the director of the film is. The one highlight of this film for me is Gene Wilder whom I think is fabulous. To be honest the three stars predominately go to him rather than the actual film, which is humorous in its own way, although sadly there is something lacking. I felt the film would have more of a kick of constant and intelligent humour rahter than lukewarm gags here and there. However its a good enough film, so worth a watch.
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Whilst this probably isn't the best western ever made its certainly up there amongst the top flight. It was fortunately made a few years before 'A Fistful of Dollars', which changed westerns and what was expected from them.
Take the classic Kurosawa film 'Seven Samurai' (which is given its due in the opening credits) and reinvent it in the American west. Then add the staggeringly good cast of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, James Coburn and Robert Vaughan and what you have is a near perfect piece of Cinema. Some of these guys (like McQueen) were not the bigshots they would later become, but they are incredibly cool. Just a look is enough for these actors. For example, James Coburn hardly says a word throughout the film, and he has arguably the best ... Read More:
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You've seen your Ford westerns, Your John Wayne Westerns. Your Spaghetti westerns. Simply put this is Shakespearian Western. With lots of modern profanity. Why not? Shakespeare told human interest stories modernised for his then sophisticated Elizabethan audience. So it is with Deadwood. You can watch it as a very entertaining high adventure or enjoy the powerful subtext and character interaction. Monologues from the characters worthy of Macbeth or Hamlet or Richard III lace the tales and give a rich tapestry to the story of Deadwood. True love mirrored in moral abiguity. The profanity is as much of poetic license as used in many a 'foul' Jacobean drama. Contrasted with the almost Jane Austen politeness in certain interactions this is a powerful use of language in every sense. Best of all, it never ... Read More:
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These are classic films and the DVD set is a fantastic buy. The movies on offer are brilliant entertainment and great examples of westerns. This is a brilliantly enjoyable collection of films and well worth owning.
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Having been impressed by the first two series of Deadwood, I was expecting another well written dramatic jewel. What a disappointment. The plot, such as there is, meanders along, with new (superfluous)characters thrown in with the obvious intent of providing continuity for the next (never to be completed) series, more incoherent drunken ramblings from Calamity Jane, a pointless cameo from Wyatt Earp and a finale that, by the time it arrives, is so overdue that it comes as a relief from the tedium, despite it's complete lack of drama.
Series 3 of Deadwood is rubbish. It could have been a masterpiece. However, having said that, the acting of Ian McShane et al is still superb. Pity the poor actors who have to work for such idiots as HBO - a gang of con-artists to release this and let it ride on the ... Read More:
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