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Is This Movie Good? Would You Recommend It?

Forums: Movies, Film, Discussion, Films, Westerns
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Brandon9000
 
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 08:31 am
I have heard of an old western called "Johnny Guitar," and wonder if I should rent or buy a copy?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 3,101 • Replies: 33
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eoe
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 08:41 am
It's a classic but for reasons I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in. Or maybe you would???

I've never been able to pick up on it but there's always been talk of a lesbian thing between the Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge(?) characters.
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Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 08:42 am
Interesting, but is it an interesting movie apart from that?
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wandeljw
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 08:49 am
I saw this movie only once. It was, of course, released in the 1950's. The American audience at the time probably did not understand it. The story and characters have a "European" flavor. Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden and Mercedes McCambridge give intelligent (although somewhat "campy") performances.
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eoe
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 09:48 am
Two women in charge? At the time, it was very cutting edge I suppose, but interesting? Not really?
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wandeljw
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 11:11 am
Martin Scorcese on "Johnny Guitar":
Quote:
"Johnny Guitar" is one of the cinema's great operatic works -- meaning, that it is pitched from beginning to end in a tone that is compulsive and passionate. There is really no other film quite like it . . . The slow pace, the building intensity, the relentless, haunting score by Victor Young . . .

I remember when I first saw it -- and I enjoyed it. But in the U.S., people expected a Western. Well, "Johnny Guitar" seemed like a Western, looked like a Western, but people didn't know what to make of it, so they either ignored it or laughed at it.


On the other hand, in Europe, taken out of it's American context, they saw a totally different picture. They saw it for what it was: an intense, unconventional, stylized picture, full of ambiguities and subtext that rendered it extremely modern . . .
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 02:56 pm
Scorcese gets the film -- many do not. It's known in Hollywood as "that kinky Western." There is great character development for a Western and the undercurrent is a potent mix of satire and sly, purposeful trashing of stereotypes. Crawford is the female hero, McCambridge the scheming female villain. The inferences that they once had something romantic going on are there in the subtext -- McCambridge being a lesbian in real life with that husky voice, both her and Crawford brilliantly playing the game of the screenwriter and director's intent is something to watch.
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Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 08:37 pm
Lightwizard wrote:
...McCambridge being a lesbian in real life with that husky voice, both her and Crawford brilliantly playing the game of the screenwriter and director's intent is something to watch.

I think she did the devil's voice in "The Exorcist." But, hey, LW, you sure know your cinema, as you continue to demonstrate.
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eoe
 
  1  
Reply Mon 11 Jun, 2007 09:24 pm
Brandon9000 wrote:
I think she did the devil's voice in "The Exorcist." But, hey, LW, you sure know your cinema, as you continue to demonstrate.


That's her.

I remember her best in "Giant" with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Interesting...although I'd never heard that she was gay until today, I picked up on the lesbian insinuations more in that movie than "Johnny Guitar". She didn't seem to know whether to smack Liz for stealing her brother or plant a big fat wet one on her instead.
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Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 04:09 am
eoe wrote:
Brandon9000 wrote:
I think she did the devil's voice in "The Exorcist." But, hey, LW, you sure know your cinema, as you continue to demonstrate.


That's her.

I remember her best in "Giant" with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Interesting...although I'd never heard that she was gay until today, I picked up on the lesbian insinuations more in that movie than "Johnny Guitar". She didn't seem to know whether to smack Liz for stealing her brother or plant a big fat wet one on her instead.

I haven't seen "Giant" since I was a teen-ager and don't remember a single thing about it, but you also clearly know your movies.

Okay, next movie.......

I've heard intriguing things about "Night and the City" with Richard Widmark, but have never seen it. Opinions?
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eoe
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 04:27 am
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 02:25 pm
"Giant" is a gorgeous restoration on the newest DVD and is, I believe, either out in Blue Ray or headed in that direction.

"Night and the City" I haven't seen for many years but it has been on TCM. With a cast like this, how could you go wrong?


Richard Widmark ... Harry Fabian
Gene Tierney ... Mary Bristol
Googie Withers ... Helen Nosseross
Hugh Marlowe ... Adam Dunne
Francis L. Sullivan ... Phil Nosseross
Herbert Lom ... Kristo

The IMDb user rating is over 80%.

Definitely one to add to my NetFlix rental queue.
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Diane
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 03:29 pm
Wouldn't it be fun to have an a2k film party. I somebody has a big screen TV, we could bring our DVD's and spend a couple of days watching our favorites and discussing them later.

I'll bring the popcorn (and maybe some of my famous Alice B. Toklas brownies).
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 03:41 pm
I have a 92" front projector at the showroom but it's in Laguna Beach, CA.
I was actually considering a movie club in the OC. I don't have a space for that system at home but I could buy it pretty cheap.

The Alice B. Toklas brownies would be for "2001: A Space Odyssey," of course.
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Diane
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 06:20 pm
Natch :wink:

California isn't that far away for us. We could pack Osso in the back seat and get a road trip going. Except I really don't know how to get any pot anymore. Sob.
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 06:26 pm
Well, this is Laguna Beach where Timothy Leary used to live. Although I don't really partake and even given up the red wine.
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Diane
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 06:37 pm
Ah poor LW. Dys doesn't do much anymore. People are usually surprised that I'm the stoner, at least when friends come to visit bringing plant life.
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 06:51 pm
Naw, I'm getting high of the street tar they're laying down today. It's even blotted out the nice sea air (we're a block from the ocean). I haven't smoked pot for over twenty years but gave up wine mainly because of the sulfites, although Wild Oats across the street has sulfite free wines. Good red wine is now an expensive habit anyway.
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Diane
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 06:54 pm
Face it, we're all old timer hippies.
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Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Tue 12 Jun, 2007 07:03 pm
I'm afraid I was more of a beach town Ivy League guy back then but several of my friends we're hippies and Laguna Beach was more of a liberal town back then. It still is, but the conservatives would be to the left of the general OC right-wing Republican. Laguna Beach has always been a microcosm of Orange County. We're protected from the Wing Nuts by 1000 foot hills! Very Happy

But we diverse -- and Brandon might boot us out for getting politically left here.

I did get the Richard Widmark film on my NetFlix queue. I can hardly wait (booted it up to #1).
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