Post by pimpinainteasy on May 12, 2017 11:25:19 GMT
frankly, this tepid and slightly mediocre spaghetti western is simply gorgeous to look at on blu ray. the locales and the sets look so damn authentic. the setting is unique - a village on the bank of a river with a wharf and a barge. the village bank is robbed by a bunch of bandits lead by WARREN OATES. but the river stands between the bandits and freedom. and the only way they can escape is on the barge owned by LEE VAN CLIFF. but CLIFF is attached to his barge and wont let go. the villagers led by CLIFF and FORREST TUCKER escape to the other side of the river on the barge, leaving the bandits stranded in the village. tensions run deep in both camps regarding the next plan of action.
one of the reasons i bought the blu ray DVD was because the film had LEE VAN CLIFF and WARREN OATES facing off against each other. the muscular and sweaty CLIFF is terrific. i wonder whether the director had a soft corner for him because im sure the ladies would find him to be eye candy. WARREN OATES does not make much of an impression - his role is ill etched and he looks way too slight and wiry compared to CLIFF.
and the supporting cast is poor - the gorgeous MARIETTE HARTLEY in the role of a posh woman coveted by CLIFF's character is irritating at best, the unremarkable MARIE GOMEZ plays CLIFF's girlfriend NOLA, JOHN DAVIS CHANDLER is a poor man's klaus kinski while the pudgy FORREST TUCKER and his torture of the bandits were a distraction at best. the dialogues and plot developments are uninspired. it could have been a terrific little film. it had so much going for it - the basic story and the location were terrific.
the final action scene was pretty cool. everything in the film looks very authentic including the sweaty sex scene between OATES and a mexican prostitute.
it is sort of a huge opportunity lost. i guess its too late to wish for a remake. nobody makes westerns anymore.
(6/10)
one of the reasons i bought the blu ray DVD was because the film had LEE VAN CLIFF and WARREN OATES facing off against each other. the muscular and sweaty CLIFF is terrific. i wonder whether the director had a soft corner for him because im sure the ladies would find him to be eye candy. WARREN OATES does not make much of an impression - his role is ill etched and he looks way too slight and wiry compared to CLIFF.
and the supporting cast is poor - the gorgeous MARIETTE HARTLEY in the role of a posh woman coveted by CLIFF's character is irritating at best, the unremarkable MARIE GOMEZ plays CLIFF's girlfriend NOLA, JOHN DAVIS CHANDLER is a poor man's klaus kinski while the pudgy FORREST TUCKER and his torture of the bandits were a distraction at best. the dialogues and plot developments are uninspired. it could have been a terrific little film. it had so much going for it - the basic story and the location were terrific.
the final action scene was pretty cool. everything in the film looks very authentic including the sweaty sex scene between OATES and a mexican prostitute.
it is sort of a huge opportunity lost. i guess its too late to wish for a remake. nobody makes westerns anymore.
(6/10)