The Sacketts (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a motion picture I could watch over again and again, if only to see the terrific collection of Western film icons. An early scene features Ty Sackett (Jeff Osterhage) trying to sign on with a cattle drive. Around the campfire sit the owner of the cattle (L.Q. Jones), the foreman (Glenn Ford), and the top hand (Ben Johnson). Right then the viewer knows that he's in for first-rate entertainment.
The story line is split between Tell Sackett (Sam Elliott) trying to steer clear of three brothers (Jack Elam, Gene Evans, and Slim Pickens) out to revenge Tell's killing of their card shark brother, and Orrin and Ty Sackett (Tom Selleck and Osterhage) doing their best to bring law and order to Sante Fe despite the diabolical dealings of the town's richest man (the always oily John Vernon).
But the focal point of the picture is the underrated Glenn Ford as the mysterious Tom Sunday -- one time attorney, marshal, and even murderer. He begins the film as a mentor to Orrin and Ty, but eventually time and fate pit the three against each other.
Don't get me wrong, "The Sacketts" is not in the league of "The Wild Bunch," "High Noon," or "Ride the High Country," but I can't think of a much better way to spend three hours of my time.
Except for maybe doing a little riding on my old Buckskin on a cool, clear Saturday morning.

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Chisum (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)Based upon historical fact, this film follows the famous range war in which Billy the Kid made his name, but chiefly from the viewpoint of aging cattle baron John Chisum (Wayne in the title role). It's 1878 in New Mexico Territory, and Chisum rides into the local town of Lincoln to meet his niece Sallie (Pamela McMyler) off the stage. His foreman and long-time Good Right Hand, Pepper (Ben Johnson practically stealing the movie--he should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor), remarks upon the many acquisitions being made by would-be real-estate magnate Lawrence J. Murphy (Tucker in a cheerfully malevolent role), but Chisum isn't looking for trouble. Still, he is inexorably drawn into the escalating situation when lawyer Alex McSween (Andrew Prine), whom Sallie befriended on the journey, finds it impossible to turn a blind eye to Murphy's machinations, and helps stake the idealistic Easterner to a store to run in competition with the one Murphy bought out from under its original owner. Not until his friend and neighbor, Britisher Henry Tunstall (Patric Knowles), is murdered on the road by two deputies of Murphy's hand-picked sheriff (Bruce Cabot), does Chisum's temper finally come unglued, and the story continues through the siege (canonical) of the McSween store by Murphy's forces, the shooting down of McSween in the street, and at last a classic brawl (in an ultimately burning building) between Chisum and Murphy that always reminds me of two old range bulls butting heads. As always, the supporting cast adds immeasureably to the movie: Geoffrey Deuel as Billy Bonney; Christopher George (who also played a villainous role in the Duke's "El Dorado") as his old enemy, gimpy, half-crazy bounty hunter Dan Nodeen; Richard Jaeckel as Jess Evans, with whom Billy once rode; Glenn Corbett as Billy's friend (and future killer) Pat Garrett. The mild liberties that are taken with history (such as Sallie's attraction to Billy) only serve to fill out the characters better. There's plenty of classic Old West action and a good score (Merle Haggard's vocal, "Turn Me Around," should be released on a retrospective of his songs), and Chisum is portrayed as a decent man who loves the land and wants the best for the people who live on it (interestingly, he isn't expected to carry a romantic relationship at all, though it's strongly hinted that he came close to marrying Sallie's mother). A solid entry to the Wayne oeuvre and one well worth your time.

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Chisum showcases John Wayne in the twilight of his remarkable 200+-film career. As John Chisum, a real-life cattle king determined to protect his empire against a land-grabbing developer (Forrest Tucker). Wayne's no-nonsense persona snugly fits this lively reworking of the events of New Mexico's 1878 Lincoln County War. "Directed in fine sagebrush style by Andrew V. McLaglen and beautifully photographed by William H. Clothier" (The Warner Bros. Story), Chisum is the kind of sweeping, brawling Western that made Wayne endure as a star. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary w/ Andrew McLaglen Featurette:"John Wayne and Chisum" Theatrical Trailer

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John Wayne Legendary Heroes Collection (Blood Alley / McQ / The Sea Chase / Tall in the Saddle / The Train Robbers) (1944) Review

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(More customer reviews)When you look at the MASSIVE number of feature films John Wayne made in his nearly 50-year career, some films link together easily (the Howard Hawks' westerns, the John Ford 'Cavalry' trilogy, most of Duke's War-themed movies), but many enjoyable features aren't as easily combined, and the "John Wayne Legendary Heroes Collection" offers a strange but entertaining mix of several different genres, from three eras in the Duke's career.
From the 1940s comes the best film of the collection, "Tall in the Saddle", one of the finest 'B' westerns ever made. Written by lifelong friend, actor Paul Fix (who plays a villain), and co-starring two Wayne favorites, Ward Bond and Gabby Hayes, the film is really a 'whodunit' set in the Old West, spiced up with liberal doses of humor and sex appeal (provided by smouldering Ella Raines). Tightly scripted, with a short (87 minute) running time, this RKO release makes up for any lack of polish with plenty of excitement, and the Duke's sexy 1940s charisma.
The 1950s are represented by two Warner productions; "Blood Alley", the more entertaining of the pair, is a farfetched but enjoyable anti-Communist adventure set in China, as captured sea captain Wayne is rescued to transport a Chinese village to freedom, in a run-down steamboat. Lauren Bacall is one of his romantic interests (an imaginary girl Wayne created to stay 'sane' in prison is the other), with Paul Fix, Mike Mazurki, and even Anita Ekberg(!), playing 'Chinese' villagers. Cheesy, but it offers plenty of action, and does keep your attention! "The Sea Chase" is another story; starring Wayne as an anti-Nazi German ship captain(!) attempting to return his vessel to the Fatherland at the start of the war, the film manages to be both boring AND unbelievable, with little chemistry between him and Lana Turner (in their one teaming, together). Paul Fix again appears in a small role, as does James Arness, Wayne's protege and future star of "Gunsmoke". Wayne looks suitably serious in the role, but is totally miscast.
Skipping the 1960s, the collection finishes up with two more Warner films from the twilight of Duke's career, in the 1970s. "McQ", Duke's late entry into the 'Maverick Cop' genre that Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen had made popular, was, in a sense, making up for his turning down "Dirty Harry", a few years earlier (he was offered the role, before Clint Eastwood!) As a grizzled veteran cop investigating his partner's murder, Wayne discovers a trail of corruption leading back into his department, and in true 'Duke' fashion, he gets hold of a lethal-looking machine pistol and starts blowing away the bad guys! Honestly, he was looking far too old and tired for high-speed chases and hopping into the sack with Colleen Dewhurst(!), and seems distinctly ill-at-ease in the role (he would be far better in his next 'Cop' film, "Brannigan").
Fortunately, the collection finishes up on a brighter note, in Burt Kennedy's "The Train Robbers". While this comic western is, at best, a pale shadow of Duke's classic oaters, it does team him up with long-time friend/co-star Ben Johnson, as well as Rod Taylor (who works surprisingly well with the two western 'veterans'). Best of all, Wayne and Ann-Margret are terrific together, with teasing asides of her obvious sex appeal and his being too old to take advantage of it! Forget the plot, of a buried payroll and the various people out to get it; enjoy the easy comraderie of a group of screen pros!
While this collection certainly isn't the finest of the Duke's work, there are some good titles, here, and these ARE 'New to DVD'...If you are a John Wayne fan, you certainly have reason to celebrate!


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Major Dundee (The Extended Version) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, I've seen the extended version, and even if they added only 12 minutes, out of a possible forty I guess, it still makes so much more sense now it is totally worth it. Kudos to the editors behind this reconstruction. I didn't have any problem following any of it, and I'm not really bright at complicated plots. All the main outlines of the drama became extremely vivid and clear; the tension between the Confederates and the Union soldiers; the dilemma about the French army; the massacre of the family at the beginning that causes Major Dundee to go all medieval and turn over command at the prison to his skeptical sub-lieutenant. "Maybe there's a reason why you're a jailer, not a soldier, Amos." They keep saying this as though being a jailer were something terrible.
Charlton Heston's descent into a delirium of infection is painful to deal with, very real. Now we see him drawn to the Mexican woman who brings him food; he's so out of it he finds himself having sex with her for the comfort it brings, and then of all times that's when Senta Berger shows up at his door on her own mission of mercy. She sees the naked back of the Mexican woman and you can see the pain in her eyes. Heston's pretty covered up but you get the picture, and he's man enough not to lie about what happened.
Richard Harris looks great and brings a rebel energy to the movie. Warren Oates' death scene is pure poetry, shot through with genius. What a ham he is! And oh, that is ham deluxe, 100 percent pure gold!
Michael Anderson, Jr. is excellent in his role as the young bugler, so much better here than in his other parts. He's sort of playing the Claude Jarman role, or maybe the part Brandon De Wilde played in IN HARMS WAY. The scenes where he meets Begonia Palacios in the ruined town where Senta Berger works as a doctor are credible and hilarious because he's so much in lust he can't see anything else but "Linda." Equally funny is the aftermath of the skirmish in which he's been shot in the butt and then they try to fix him up by tearing out the seat of his pants and stitching up what looks like his bare ass (kind of daring nudity for 1965). Anderson's got game and you can see why Peckinpah made him so prominent in this movie.
[SPOILER]
The chronology straightens itself out and before long we come to the scene where the troops find the crucified corpse of their Indian scout, whose trustworthiness the previous version had left in doubt. Somehow it is nice, after all these forty years, to have at least one MAJOR DUNDEE mystery cleared up, and also to find that that Riago was loyal after all!
[END OF SPOILER.]
At the end a whole bunch of us (film geeks I expect) clapped at the final credits. PS, the new music is outstanding, though I'm glkad the forthcoming DVD will give you the option to hear the old sing-along theme too.

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MAJOR DUNDEE (EXTENDED CUT) - DVD Movie

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