I pledge allegiance to the supercomputer of the United States of Data Mining. And to the dictatorship for which it stands, one nation, under Obama, unencryptable, with tyranny and injustice for all.
I recently posted a list of what I think are the essential movies to watch are. (And I forgot Rocky II and the first Dirty Harry movie.) And while I rediscovered the name of my favorite movie starring Randolph Scott (Western Union) I remembered my favorite line from it:
It was nice meeting you gentlemen...and [turns to a certain guy] you to.
I considered a list of the best movie quotes, but then I remembered that there is no question the best line in any movie comes from Six-String Samurai. And this movie didn't make the list because it is stupid...but in a good way.
Mesh-Head:
If I were you, I would run.
Buddy:
If you were me, you'd be good-lookin'.
No, not that line.
Buddy:
Who are you?
Death:
Death,
Buddy:
Cool.
Still not it.
Head Pin Pal:
Nice tuxedo. Nice tuxedo to die in!
This next one is it, the best movie quote ever:
Ward Cleaver:
You ever try a pink golf ball, Wally? Why, the wind shear alone on a
pink golf ball can take the head off a 90-pound midget at over 300
yards.
Free Northerner has The Free Man's Reading List and its a good list. (I'd drop Seven Habits of Highly Effective People becasue is way too well liked by exactly the wrong sort of people. And Add Robert Ruark's The Old Man and The Boy, because it is exactly the book to understand how a man should be.)
What should a person, if he wishes to think of himself as a free man of the republic, absolutely must read?
Movies are not as important as books. You learn more from books. Books are more interactive. Books have more knowledge and wisdom. [Most] books are not as abridged. And so on.
But movies can be important, inspiring, and other positive words to be inserted here.
Also, I like them.
And the inspiration for this list is becasue I have a coworker who has never seen the The African Queen, and perhaps not even any movie starring Humphrey Bogart. What's up with that?
So here follows a list of movies that, while they don't give you any where near the same sort of physiological knowledge as the book does, nor do they provide any comparable sort of understanding of economics, nor do they provide...
But in order to have experienced the full extent of the classics of our culture a list of only books is incomplete.
(I have not linked to any of these becasue I don't know where or how you may view them.) The movies a modern man should watch (chronological order):
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - The Movies starring Erroll Flynn were never great, but they are entertaining, and who is more alpha?
Stagecoach (1939) - Americans movies are known for westerns. Watch the first big one, the first to really star John Wayne, and one directed by one of the most prolific western directors of all: John Ford.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Western Union (1941) - I knew I needed something starring Randolph Scott, so I went with my favorite one.
Casablanca (1942) - If you're only going to watch one romantic movie, it may as well be the best one.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - Its not money that corrupts, it merely shows us what we already are.
The African Queen (1951)
High Noon (1952) - My vote for the best ever movie.
Sabrina (1954) - If you're going to watch two romantic movies.
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Good Day for a Hanging (1959) - Even though I don't care for most movies starring Fred MacMurry, Good Day for a Hanging is very underrated and comparable to High Noon.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
The Good, The Bad, the Ugly (1966)
Once Upon A Time in the West (1968)
The Wild Bunch (1969) - If you're only going to watch one violent movie, may as well make it the longtime most violent.
Patton (1970)
The Godfather (1972) - Overrated.
The Chinese Connection (1972) - Bruce Lee had to be here somewhere, even if his movies weren't great.
The Sting (1973)
The Godfather Part II (1974) - Also overrated.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Jaws (1975)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Rocky (1976)
Airplane (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
First Blood (1982)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Schindler's List (1993) - I assume so; I haven't seen it.
Fight Club (1999) - I assume so; I haven't seen it.
The Matrix (1999) - I assume so; I haven't seen it.
Fulltime Killer (2001)
Cowboy Bebop (2001)
Rocky Balboa (2005)
Election (2005)
Triad Election (2006)
The Good, The Bad, the Weird (2008) - Because I said so.
---
I recognize that this post is not living up to its title.
Hit me with my horrendous oversights. And don't give me any of that Star Wars/ Trek nonsense either.
Julie & Julia is a movie about a woman who cooked each of the five hundred and some recipes in Julia Child's book [insert book title here].
Apparently they made a movie out of this, a while ago. For whatever reason, it struck me as a movie that I wouldn't mind watching. Recently I acquired a dvd version of this movie (don't ask how). So I watched it.
Before we begin, I'd like to point out that I was thinking about how I would live blog my watching it, but for the fact that Windows 8 does not have a media player, and so my tv, which works as my monitor and dvd screen, but not tv screen, needed a plug switched. I need a version of windows for the programs I run, and I wonder if its worth uninstalling 8 and buying windows 7? AAArgh!!
Also, the last movie that I watched that was not originally done in Cantonese and subtitled was...whenever I last watched a few minutes of the Cowboy Bebop movie, which was well dubbed from Japanese. And the last movie I watched in English was....?
To start with; the last time I watched a dvd (for Johnnie To's Fulltime Killer) it began with lots of previews for movies that I thought looked cool. Despite my inability to remember what any of them were. (I need to watch the movie again, I suppose. Drat. :) ) Julie & Julia started with a government warning about how smoking is bad for you. And that was followed by a preview for a movie starring Hugh Grant and that actress from Sex and the City. And the previews just got better from there. (Wasn't sleepless in Seatle made in the 90's?)
On the bright side, I realized that I was not then yet drunk enough to watch such a movie. Three cheers for Guinness. (I'm pissed as I write this, and I don't speell well sober.)
So the movie...
Meryl Streep, as far as I know, played Julia Child well. Other than the heels, I cannot imagine a much less attractive [thin-ish, clean and healthy] woman. And the modren "Julie" was played by Amy Adams, who looked quite mediocre with short hair.
Despite the young[-ish] (idk) modren actress being more appealing, I noticed that I could not help smiling when Meryl Streep was on, and needing more beer when Amy Adams was on.
As for the story...(how do you spell...meh..bleegh..). It was...whatever.
I wonder if Julia Child was more of an author than a cook, if you believe the movie (don't do that) she seems to have graduated from a cooking school and then wrote the book straight away. Also: who was her co-writer? Why do I not even know her name despite having just watched the movie?
So...whatever.
Luckily I had a palette cleanser to watch afterwords: Samurai Trilogy
Apparently it is not the best adaptation of my third favorite book of fiction, becasue it is TOSHIRO MIFUNE as musashi, and not MINAMOTO MUSAHSI as played by Toshiro Mifune.
Moral of post:
I'm open to watching something else starring Meryl Strep, but have no interest in anything else related to Julie & Julia.
I was wasting time, surfin' the 'net and stumbled across an article about my favorite movie director's latest release.
Inventing new ways to maim, kill, or double-cross: It's a responsibility
that has long vexed 58-year-old director and producer Johnnie To. On
the surface, his movies are consistent with the tradition that produced
him. Like all the rest, they are stories of loyalty and brotherhood
featuring obsessive, hunch-driven cops and swaggering triad gang members
and always ending with bodies scattered everywhere, perforated with
bullet holes.
Unfortunately for you, he hasn't (as far as I know) elaborated on which of Cary Grant's movies you should watch.
If you're lucky, you may stumble across a blog post pointing out the better movies to watch, and which to skip.
If only there was someone who has watched a fair few of those movies and could point you in the right direction....
Arsenic & Old Lace
A movie with a novel idea. Little old ladies who help lonely old men end their [perceived] problem. With a man who thinks he'd Theodore Roosevelt, thrown in to boot!
Cary Grant is recently married and looking to leave for his honeymoon, when he discovers what his aunts are up to and he spends the rest of the movie trying to manage the situation.
A movie well worth watching.
Charge!!
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
If you're looking for a Cary Grant movie to find a lot of wit and amusing lines, then this is it.
Mr. Blandings finds that his New York apartment is too small for his family and he and his wife decide to move to the country. They wind up building a new house and hilarity* ensues.
(*hilarity is a 1940's word, meaning: amusing)
I do wonder about the relationship between Mrs. Blandings and the couple's best friend.
Take note of the prices of things ($10,000 for a new house) and the nature of the world in that time. His daughter's school paper early in the movie is a sign of the doom (feminism) yet to come.
Another good movie.
I was a Male War Bride
A movie who's first half is about a French solider (Grant) and an American solider (don't care) who work together but are constantly fighting each other. If it had ended there I would have liked it fine.
The second half of the movie is not so good.
In the second half, after they decide to get married and move to America, Grant is put through ...situations meant to be amusing during his attempt to move to America as a "war bride."
The "fighting" in the first half of the movie is not bad, and if you like Grant's mannerisms, then the first half of this movie is okay.
Skip it.
The Philadelphia Story
A wealthy socialite prepares for her second wedding while interacting with her first husband (Grant) and a photographer.
Its the movie to see if you want to see the way Grant acts and interacts with others.
Its not the movie I'd watch for entertainment purposes though. Its not my sort of thing. Indiscreet
This is a movie about an actress in London (Ingrid Bergman) who is looking for a man. Cary Grant appears but it turns out that he's married.
This is the movie I'd watch if I wanted to emulate this actor's mannerisms and speaking. You get to see him start a relationship and direct it exactly the way he wants.
I quite like the surprise ending.
This is a good movie to watch through the lens of Game.
Father Goose
This one takes place in the South Pacific during WWII.
Grant's character wants to be left alone on his boat and to avoid the war. A man in the Navy "persuades" him to station on an island as a lookout for Japanese airplanes.
During the movie her winds up rescuing a teacher and her female students.
An entertaining movie; I like it.
The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer (sp?)
A painter and his relationship with a female judge and her young sister.
Once again, its a good movie to watch for the Game aspects but not the sot of movie that I'd care to see again.
***
That rounds out all but two of the movies that I'm aware of Cary Grant making. (I don't remember Bringing Up Baby and don't remember the others title.)
It should start you in the right direction for watching movies by Captain Capitalism's favorite actor.
***
BTW Captain, since you and I seem to like many of the same movies (the above, the man with no name trilogy, and Cowboy Bebop), I recommend that you watch Exiled and Little Big Solider.
***
Update: A commenter reminded me of a few more movies: North by Northwest, Charade, and An Affair to remember.
North by Northwest was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and is good. Charade is fine too. And An Affair to Remember is in the running for my least favorite movie ever.
You ever try a pink golf ball, Wally? Why, the wind shear alone on a
pink golf ball can take the head off a 90-pound midget at over 300
yards.
full movie:
The Kid (after more than an hour of movie time not saying anything): A '56 Chevy Belair could kick a '48 Buick Roadmaster's ass any day, at least in a first quarter mile that is.
Buddy: You come all this way out saying squat and now you're trying to tell me
that a '56 Chevy could beat a '48 Buick in a dead quarter mile? I liked you better when you weren't saying squat kid...
I recently re-watched the original version of Sabrina. A few points about it are interesting in light of game.
The story is about the chauffeur's daughter and the two sons of the house. The older son is hardworking, serious, and responsible. The younger son is irresponsible, married repeatedly, and cannot hold a job. Which son do you suppose that she lusts after?
He ignores her until she returns from a school in France with a new dress and haircut. At this point he forgets most everything but her. An she then decides that she prefers the older brother.
The hardworking guy seems to be boring and she ignores him. She prefers the rascal who ignores her. Once her rascal gives her all of his affections, she decides that she does not like him anymore. She also seems to realize that the boring guy is better and runs away with him instead. She decided that the guy who always did what he wanted was not so boring after all.
Watching old movies with knowledge of game makes them much more interesting.
I'm going to recommend a movie from 1958 with the idea that I doubt that too many people today have watched movies from the fifties. Indiscreet stars Cary Grant, who did many romantic comedies that are actually watchable, unlike modern romantic comedies. It also stars Ingrid Bergman who you would have seen in Casablanca.
I am recommending it because:
Its amusing to watch
The elements of Game are interesting
After a "jump break" I write about the plot and why it is interesting to those who study game.
I thought that I would take a shot at listing my idea of the best movies ever.
My list is a bit different than most because I disregarded those movies that I did not like: Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, etc. There seems to be a surplus of western movies on my list, but most movies, with budgets worth considering, have been American. And westerns are the definitive American genre.
High Noon (1952)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The African Queen(1951)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)
Casablanca (1942)
Shane (1953)
Cowboy Bebop (2001)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Not to be confused with my favorite movies (also a surplus of westerns):
Cowboy Bebop (2001)
High Noon (1952)
Once Upon A Time in the West (1968)
The Sheepman (1958)
Little Big Solider (2010)
Exiled (2006)
Election (2005)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Indiscreet (1958)
Movie I most want to see that I haven't: Gilda (1946).
I'm not a fan of science fiction. Nor am I a fan of things that are very popular with lots and lots of people. But I kept hearing The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien mentioned and I have only read one book of fiction since January 2011, so I decided to read this novel.
The story is pretty good. An unimpressive and unskilled person is tasked with a difficult task in a new and original setting. The setting of Middle Earth is interesting and unique. Many parts of the setting and characters races have inspired lots of other creative works. Even creative works as recently as this year have been inspired by this book.
This book is said to be one of the great classics of science fiction. And the few characters against the world makes for a good story.
But there are problems with it. The unique characters and setting seem incomplete.
For example: a large group of villains in the book are called "orcs." Why are they villainous? What do they look like? Where do they come from? Do they have a society of some kind? I don't know the answers to any of these questions.
Another example: the group of protagonists get chased by a "balrog." Apparently it is a monster that they fear. What does it look like? How big is it? What color is it? How many arms/ legs/ eyes does it have? Where did it come from? I don't know the answers to any of these questions. All the characters fear this monster and I have no idea about what it is.
One more example: The main character spends the first quarter of the book getting introduced and making his way to the city of "Rivendell." Apparently it is the home of some elves. And one elf in particular lives there. I don't know anything more about it. What do the buildings look like? How many are there? Are the citizens mostly elves? Is it located in a valley or mountains or a plain? I don't have the slightest idea.
LOTR is a sequel to another book, "The Hobbit." Perhaps all of these points are covered in it? Perhaps not?
For the first time ever after reading a book, I say, "watch the movies instead." I've seen most of the three movies that were based on this book and I constantly was thinking about it so that I could get some idea of what was going on in the book.
In other books you can read and imagine that you are in the book. That is not the case in LOTR.
When other books are made into movies many parts are cut from the story. That does not seem to be the case with LOTR.
For the first time ever I say, "watch the movies instead." Other books translate very badly to the screen. Other stories lose lots of characters, back stories, or scenes. But despite watching and reading this story I've only noticed very minor differences and only very minor characters removed.
The Lord of the Rings should be praised for introducing a new world, a new setting, and a new section of fantasy. But the missing setting and missing character descriptions leave it lacking.
Its a good story but it seems to be lacking in depth. It uses just enough words to move the story along. I miss knowing what the settings are.
I realize that its a movie, but while watching Election, I can't help but think that I'd rather be shot than beaten or hit with a machete.
When I pointed out that the movie 13 Assassins was very bloody and with swords. I may not have fully expressed the fact that getting shot sounds a whole lot better than getting hit with a sword.
Find part 1 of Triad Election (the sequel to Election) here, and here (part 6 is gory):
American movies have westerns. English movies have feudal kings and knights. The Japanese have samurai. And the Chinese have their Warring States period.
I am very interested in East Asian culture and movies. The large, epic, Chinese stories are, particularly, my sort of movie.
I'm no movie critic, and my writing needs a lot of improvement. But I can at least tell you which movies to look out for. Seven Samurai
Why not start with one of the all-time classic movies?
Directed by Akira Kurosawa, this movie has inspired many other movies, including The Magnificent Seven. Its about a village that is often attacked by bandits. They decide to hire samurai to defend them from the bandits. There isn't a large amount of action, it is the strategy, and some drama, that make this movie interesting.
Its rightfully called a great movie, and its worth a viewing. (It is over two hours long, and it should be.)
A Fistful of Dollars is one of the three movies from Sergio Leone's man with no name trilogy. (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Band, and The Ugly) It was based on Yojimbo. The story is about a samurai who wanders into a town that is having problems with two rival gangs. The samurai decides, "In this town I'll get paid for killing. And this town is full of men who are better off dead."
Another good Akira Kurosawa movie that's well worth watching. I would argue that its better than A Fistful of Dollars; I always prefer the original. Sanjuro
Another movie starring Toshiro Mfune, and directed by Akira Kurosawa.
This movie is a sequel to Yojimbo (unless its the other way 'round). The wandering samurai shows a bunch of kids that its better to side with the ugly, but good guy, rather than the attractive and ambitiously corrupt guy. The samurai repeatedly shows the kids how they should act and they don't learn until the end.
Many people, not me, count this as the best ever Japanese movie.
Another from Akira Kurosawa. This one is based on the story of King Lear. The daimyo has a falling out with his sons who want to fight each other to take control of their father's territory.
Its a movie that is very highly regarded by many movie critics. I do not care for it as much as most of the other movies listed here. I think that its the story and characters that I don't particularly care for. Its not bad but I'd look elsewhere first. Kagemusha
A classic Japanese movie.
If you've read Taiko, one of my favorite books, then you'd be somewhat familiar with the story of Takeda Shingen. He was a great general and lord, who died while Oda Nobunaga was beginning to conquer Japan. His last request was to hide his death from the outside world for three years to give his son time to strengthen his army. This story is sort of like the one about the prince and the pauper. Instead of two guys switching places, however, it is about one guy to tries to take the place of his lord.
Also by Akira Kurosawa, also very good, and also well regarded by western movie critics. But I would prefer to watch any of the first three movies that I've listed here, before this one.
Its very much like The Wild Bunch as a movie. Although with a very different plot. The Wild Bunch was long called, "the bloodiest movie of all time." 13 Assassins is the same way, but with swords and not guns.
Its about a terrible and vicious brother to the shogun. (I didn't really need to see the armless, legless, toungeless girl. How did they find the actress? She was nude, and I almost doubt that they used CGI for her appearance.) Japanese culture prevented this lord's vassels from stopping his viciousness, but all agreed that the country should not have this man in power. So one samurai volunteered to kill this lord. He gathered 12 others and used his strategy to corner and attempt to kill him.
The violence is incredible. And the movie is very striking. I'm not one for gore or gruesome violence in movies, but this one is very much worth watching. Three Kingdoms
From Amazon's product description: "In 228 AD, a time when China was plagued by constant war and divided
among three kingdoms, a hero arose. Zhao Zilong was a common man who
ascended from humble roots to become commander of the army charged with
liberating the land from an evil warlord. He led numerous battles of
strength and wit, but now he must fight against the impossible to defy
the fate of his nation."
Its not bad. I'd watch it only if you are interested in watching all epic styled ancient Chinese movies. There are better movies if you only have a limited time for them.
One of my new favorite movies. This one stars Jackie Chan. And like his other movies it is a martial arts comedy. Before you stop reading here and forget about this movie, let me tell you that this one is good. The action is good, the story is good. And while its not laugh out loud funny, it is amusing and you'll guffaw repeatedly.
The story is of a solider, who is good at playing dead, who captures the wounded enemy's general. He wants to take him to his country for his reward of 5 acres of land and an exemption from all future military service. The movie follows their travels.
The, more serious, ending is very good. The whole movie is "marvelous."
A movie starring Jet Li. He is one of three men who lead a group of bandits in sacking several cities and attempt to become successful generals. But trouble comes when they become powerful and mix with national politics.
A movie starring Jet Li is always good, but I'd skip this one unless you have a lot of movie watching that you want to do.
A movie about a man who insults and disrespects the Shaolin temple. But his second in command turns on him and becomes more ruthless than he was. So the man stays in the temple, and finds himself, or some such baloney. Then he confronts his former number two.
Its a good movie. And I wouldn't mind seeing it again. But there are better movies to watch.
This movie is pretty interesting. One army attempts to conquer another. And there is much debate about strategy and there is quite a large set (or CGI). The strategy, tactics, and internal struggles are all very interesting. Just the scale of the movie, and some of the settings, make it well worth watching.
If you've read a modern translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, then you may have heard of Sun Pin. His story is that he is, at least the intellectual, descendant of Sun Tzu. He also had a great grasp of military strategy. And this movie is about him.
Its a good movie. The one sided animosity of Sun Pin's enemy is interesting to watch. It has a few big battles, but it is otherwise a drama about Sun Pin's life.
I'd recommend it, although rereading the description of Sun Pin in the translated version of The Art of War may be helpful for understanding a big part of the story: the simpleness is all there is.
This is one of those movies that always seemed to me to be over-hyped and too well liked by the general public. I saw it a while ago but don't remember it well. (Not a good sign. Although, I often reject the things that suddenly become popular with the public, for just that reason.)
I first watched it in college while drinking about half of a bottle of vodka. And now I don't want to see it without also drinking too much. Especially while you drink, the bold colors in each of the scenes are great things to behold. In one scene everyone wears red with a background of autumnal leaves. In another scene everything is green inside a forest. etc..
The story is about a man who wants to assassinate a general who is trying to become emperor of all of China.
The movie is pretty good; it stars Jet Li. But it was directed by Quentin Tarantino, who is hardly an easterner.
About the master of master fighter in a city, known for its martial arts schools, in southern China. The main issue comes when the Japanese invade prior to WWII.
Based on a real guy, who is most famous for being the teacher of Bruce Lee. It stars Donnie Yen, who is a common leading martial arts actor. He does not seem as heroic as Bruce Lee or Jet Li, but he is a capable lead.
After the Japanese destroy the city where Ip Man lived in China, he moved to Hong Kong. And he has to establish himself in a new city. The climax of the movie is very similar to Rocky IV. A foreign fighter, this one is British, kills another Chinese fighter during an exhibition fight and Ip Man fights him at the end.
They make a big point about Ip Man being Bruce Lee's teacher in real life.
This movie just missed the cut for my highest recommendations at the bottom of this post.
Dr. Sun Yat sen is going to visit Hong Kong to see his mother. A bunch of pro-democracy activists need to protect him from the anti-democracy assassins. The loyalty and dedication to their cause makes the movie very watchable.
This movie is really cool. The opening scene starts with five guys shooting it out inside of an apartment. And ends with them all patching the bullet holes and helping the one guy and his family move in. They're a group of friends who now serve different bosses. Four of them are split between triads (mafia). They have conflicting orders and go instead out on a job together.
It was directed by Johnnie To. I'd rank his movies with those of Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone as my favorites. Although I enjoy watching Mr. To's movies the most, and more sort of appreciate the movies from the other two.
At the end of this post, when I recommend a few of these movies that stick out above the others this one will be featured prominently.
A Hong Kong triad (mafia) has an election every few years for the position of leadership. The two leading candidates try to sway the influential members to their side. Action and drama ensues. I'm not a big Godfather fan, its too well liked by everyone else, so if I want to see a movie about a mob, I'll watch this.
Its really, really good. Also directed by Johnnie To.
A sequel to Election, this movie is about the next election for this triad. Almost everyone wants the one guy to become the next boss but he doesn't want to run the illegal operation. He has to decide if he is going to run this triad.
Its probably as good, maybe even better, than the first one. But there is one scene that is just too gruesome for my taste. Think dogs + people in hamburger grinders. Its not as graphic as a horror movie would be, but it is more graphic than I care to see.
It could very well be better than Election, which I liked a lot, but that one scene is appalling; even though it really adds to the story. Vengeance
An old French assassin travels to Macau where his daughter and her husband and son were attacked in their home. He goes to get revenge against those who attacked his daughter and her family. But he does not know Macau, and has memory problems, so he hires some locals with their own problems. His memory problems are so bad that he takes a Polaroid of everyone who is important so that he can remember who they are and what their names are.
The story has interesting twists. And is very different from any other revenge story that I've seen. I recommend it. It was also directed by Mr. To.
An ex-detective with a weird mental issue helps a young detective solve a crime. The ex-detective sees people as they really are. He sees cowardly men as boys, and gluttonous thin men as fat, etc.
Also directed by Johnnie To, this movie is quite a bit different to any other detective movie that I've ever seen. I recommend this movie too.
This movie is about a few guys who steal, I'm not sure what, and many problems follow them. It was divided into three parts, each directed by a different famous Hong Kong director.
It was a bit weird. I watched it only as background while I was doing something else, and I did not understand what or why the things were going on as they were. I'd like to see it again, if only to figure out what was going on. Once wasn't enough.
There's a reason one director is used for one movie and not three directors, even of one is Johnnie To.
In some places its similar to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, but not really. It reminds me a bit of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, even though this isn't as good.
Its weird, in a sort-of good way.
Those South Koreans may be odd.
***
Since I would be remiss not to mention Bruce Lee's movies:
These are the east Asian movies that stick out to me. I recently saw a long epic movie (two movies, both over two hours) that took place in feudal Siam. But I don't recollect it well. For whatever reason, I don't seem to find the east Asian movies from outside China or Japan to be all that appealing.
Jet Li made a lot of reasonably good action movies during the '80s and '90s. All of Jet Li's movies are at least reasonably good. I'd be happy to see any of them again.
But of the movies based in east Asia, that I have seen, I'd have to say that the best are:
Seven Samurai
13 Assassins
Little Big Solider
Exiled*
Election
*Watch it. Its very good, even if its trailer does not do it justice:
Did you know that there are musky lures for sale for more than $70? And yet you can buy excellent lures like a Jointed Rapala for less than $9 and Suicks for less than $20
In the movie The Warring States, about Sun Pin, the enemy of Sun Pin could not believe that the answer to his questions, about The Art of War, were as simple as they are. Even if we read the introduction to the Art of War, we'll hear that some people have ignored it because it is too old. How can striking your enemy where he's weakest get old?
Many, particularly on the left, think that the U.S. Constitution is outdated. But is freedom of speech an idea that is too old to be of value anymore?
I like things that are simple. And they are often better than what is expensive.
Disclaimer: Yes, most people who watch Anime seem to be loserly dorky guys. However, no matter the medium, something that is good, is good.
Cowboy Bebop is an Anime (Japanese cartoon) that was made in 1998, and the movie a little later.
Its the only TV show I have on dvd, and the only one I will have.
Movie Trailer:
If you had told me, before I watched it, that I would like a cartoon that was supposed to be about "spaceships," then I would have smiled and nodded and never thought of it again.
In the dvd extra the Japanese voice actor of the star of the show, Spike Speigal, says that if a friend of his watches the first episode and does not like it, then that person is no longer his friend. (I think its so good, that I watched all of the extras. How many dvds can you say that about?)
So the series is about a couple of bounty hunters (cowboys), in space, in the year 2071.
I'd like to point out that sci-fi really isn't my thing.
So they are in the future, on earth, mars, some of jupiter's moons etc. attempting to catch "bounty heads".
I guess that there are three reasons that I like it: the writing, the music, and the fact that Spike is about the coolest character I've ever watched in any movie or TV show, or read about in any book.
One of the subjects about which I think that I know more about than most people is western movies. I've seen quite a few.
I'll start by saying that I think that John Wayne was overrated as an actor. That being said, all of his movies are at least reasonably good.
The earlier, black and white, "b-movies" starring John Wayne are usually preferable to his later movies. It always seems like he was the hero in his later movies in excess. It could be, however, than we're in an age where we expect our heroes to be flawed people. What's the point of Superman if we already know that he is better than everyone else? John Wayne seemed more Superman in his later years, than a flawed hero. Although not to the laughable excesses of Gene Autry's always having the best shot, fastest horse, being the best fighter, the best singer, and the best everything else.
Stagecoach is one of the earliest westerns and its pretty good. The story is about a handful of people, with different backgrounds, who make their way in a stagecoach across indian country. It's more of a drama than an action movie. The Undefeated was my favorite of John Wayne's. The story was about a Union officer and a confederate officer making their way west just after the civil war. It has the good action scenes, honor, betrayal, indian fighting, Mexican fighting, fist fighting, and drama.
Two more good movies with the same leading actor are McIntock! and The War Wagon.
Kirk Douglas was in The War Wagon, another of his was There Was A Crooked Man. This movie always struck me as an interesting one. Its about a thief and his escape from jail. His escape and the reason for his glasses were well worth watching the movie for.
Shane is a classic western movie. About a gunfighter who stays with a homesteading family and who fights for them. One friend of mine always thought that Shane died after riding over the last hill, in the last scene. I wonder if that's true. It's also much more of a drama than an action movie.
The Badlanders, with Alan Ladd (of Shane fame) and Ernest Borgnine, is a movie that I fondly remember, despite not having watched in in forever. "You want me to help you rob my own place?" "A man being rich is exactly like a woman being beautiful." Both a drama and an action movie, its about two guys stealing gold from a man who wronged both of them.
Ernest Borgnine was also in The Wild Bunch, directed by Sam Peckinpah. It was one of the bloodiest movies ever made. I quite like the opening line in the bank, "If they move, kill 'em." Its about some guys trying to survive by any means possible. Its really good. The Ballad of Cable Hogue was the director's next movie. Its a lighter and fun movie about a guy who finds water in the desert and tries to capitalize on his discovery. It stars Jason Robards, who should have been in more western movies.
In My Name is Nobody Sam Peckinpah is mentioned in passing. Starring Terrance Hill and Henry Fonda its about Nobody trying to convince his hero to fight The Wild Bunch so "he'll go down in history." Its a spaghetti western comedy and its a bit odd. "One man against 150 pure-bred sons a bitches." Its music was composed by Ennio Morricone, which always makes a movie better, just ask fans of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. They Call Me Trinity and Trinity is Still My Name are two of the first spaghetti westerns. They star Terrance Hill. They're possibly as much comedy movies as they are westerns. About two brothers who are much faster on the draw than anyone else, and better fighters. One's a thief and one's lazy. They Call Me Trinity is exceptionally enjoyable. Trinity is Still My Name is worth watching just for the two rounds of the card game.
Barquero is a more serious western that stars one of my two favorite actors, Lee Van Cleef. A group of villains want to cross a river on a barge and the barge owner won't let them. A good solid movie.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is rightly considered one of the best westerns ever. I would imagine that I don't need to describe it. The man with no name had two preceding sequels For a Few Dollars More, and A Fistfull of Dollars, all directed by Sergio Leone. Both are good but A Fistful of Dollars was based on the Japanese movie Yojimbo, and I usually prefer the original, including in this case.
High Plains Drifter is my favorite non-dollars trilogy Clint Eastwood western movie. But The Outlaw Josey Wales is good too. Once Upon A Time In The West is my favorite movie, of any genre, also by Sergio Leone. About a widow and her attempt to capitalize on her late husband's wealth. The opening scene is great, the action is great, the drama is great. Three different potential villains, and a great movie.
The Sheepman, The Violent Men, 3:10 to Yuma, and Jubal all star my other favorite actor, Glen Ford. The opening scene to The Sheepman is one of my favorite opening scenes in any movie. It is worth watching if only for that scene and the (approximately) second to last line. The hero goes into cattle country and tries to raise sheep. Oh, that last line is good! The Violent Men has my favorite scene in any movie. The movie is about a group of ranchers fighting each other. My favorite scene has Glen Ford shoot a villain. That doesn't sound like much, but if you watch the movie and see how he did it, it becomes and impressive display of strategy. And villainess happens to be played by my favorite actress, Barbra Stanwyk.
High Noon gets my vote for the best movie of all time. Gary Cooper plays a sheriff on his last day in office, when a villain and his sidekicks ride in to town. The sheriff spends the movie trying to get some help for the final gun fight. The plot, the pace, the music, the fact that its in black and white, and Grace Kelly's first starring role all combine for my vote for the best movie ever. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre stars Humphrey Bogart, which is always good and is about three guys hunting for gold. Its another drama more than an action movie, but the drama is good. Watching the stars personalities change with the finding of gold is well worth watching.
Guns for San Sebastian is about a criminal who helps a town protect itself from the natives.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid must be mentioned with the best westerns, and it is quite good. Following the end of two career criminals, its quite a movie. It is; its good; etc.
Support Your Local Sheriff is a comedic western about a guy taking over as sheriff in a western town. Its reasonably funny and much better than sequel Support Your Local Gunfighter.
Blazing Saddles is the best. No list of western movies would be complete without the best comedic western of all. "Send wire to the main office. Tell them I said, 'Ow.'" First farts in a movie too, which is quite a claim. Watch for the toll booth and Mongo punching the horse.
***
These are the better western movies that I have seen, and I have seen many more, but these are the ones I'd like to see again. There have been some modern westerns made, but for the most part I say, "meh" to them. The best westerns, it seems to me, were made in the fifties and from around '66 to '71.
One more note: none of Randolph Scott's movies made my list. That is not because I didn't like his movies, but because they aren't as well liked, by me, as those listed here. If you are looking for another movie to watch, then I suggest finding Randolph's movie list and picking one at random.
If you're only going to watch, say three of these western movies, go with: High Noon, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Blazing Saddles.
