Wednesday, October 19, 2005
***A luminous scoop!***
Anyone up for an exclusive? A *luminous exclusive*...? Here it is... First exclusive look at a movie review pending approval on... IMDB! The famed Internet Movie Database! A review by yours truly, of course - you will recognize my luminous style here - I do not merely review the film in question (which is, by the way, a 1969 overlooked classic - yeah, another one of those; and those who know me know that overlooked classics from '69 are a cause I have taken up much to heart...!)... I make a number of my trademark luminous connections, for a greater understanding of it all...! It's all in the context, folks...!
Thus, without further ado - *before* it shows up on www.imdb.com - my luminous 13th movie review / commentary (no - I am not superstitious!).
Look at the stars of 1969's Guns of the Magnificent Seven - George Kennedy, James Whitmore, Monte Markham, Reni Santoni, Bernie Casey, Scott Thomas, Joe Don Baker... though the latter one matches, in sheer inexpressiveness, one Robert Vaughn - the rest of the cast hardly matches up with the star-studded original line-up (the Brynners, McQueens, Bronsons, Coburns & co.). Yet this film is indeed far-more action-packed than its illustrious predecessors (who all had tough gunslinger Yul Brynner in them; but then again, so did Westworld and... ugh... Futureworld! But that is another story...)
Thus, I am tempted to theorize that, not just here but around the world, 1969 was dominated by... props! The true stars of so many mainstream releases were the premises, the themes or the sets - and, in this case, as the title clearly emphasizes, the guns! Let's face it, most of these guys are not "magnificent" - but they are reliable TV actors for the most part - and they delivered the goods here! And this was seen in many more 1969 productions - the new Bond was unknown George Lazenby, who mattered less than all the gizmos 007 used... There was a sequel to the Planet of the Apes released too - it mattered not that it really starred James Franciscus throughout the film and merely had a cameo by Charlton Heston near the end of the film - what mattered was that the planet was revisited (and re-exploited!). Closer (in spirit as in style) to Guns, The Wild Bunch was all about gunfire and violence - it mattered little to the average moviegoer that it gave a slightly over-the-hill William Holden another chance... and co-starred Ernest Borgnine in the closest thing to a major role he'd get since Marty... Need I go on...?
George Kennedy and William Holden almost - ALMOST - could have switched films in 1969... and few would have noticed! (Sam Peckinpah would have though - and that is what really matters!).
James Whitmore is a solid, rock-solid actor - I will always remember his many guest spots on various TV dramas - most notably his turn as an alien in The Invaders!
Michael Ansara makes for a debatably adequate villain of service... him I remember for rather silly appearances in shows such as Lost In Space! He matched up well with Guy Williams - when Guy was Zorro too!
Note the presence, also, of an illuminary here - Fernando Rey, the Portuguese actor who, in typical Hollywood supporting role attribution fashion, is given a bit part here... Hey - Hollywood had no clue what to do with enchanting leading ladies such as Romy Schneider and Catherine Deneuve when THEY came to Tinseltown... Thus, it comes as no surprise to me that the pet actor of the great film director Luis Bunuel -Rey- was so poorly treated in the USA! Fernando Rey was, at best, an exotic flavour du jour for casting agents - and on par with the likes of Charles Durning or E.G. Marshall... maybe! He was, by sharp contrast, a major actor in Europe - and Portugal's answer to Laurence Olivier, no less! Then again - what did Hollywood really do for Laurence Olivier himself, ultimately...?
Most people will completely miss Fernando Rey's performance here - if they blink an eye! What a shame really...
All in all - in conclusion - Guns of the Magnificent Seven is a good one... a very good one! Lots of action - and more than meets the eye, on many levels!
Comments:
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The other titles I have reviewed before on IMDB include...
1.) "Amor com Amor Se Paga" (1984) 20 January 2004
2.) Dernière femme, La (1976) 24 August 2004
3.) "Emma" (2001) 13 February 2004
4.) Fräulein Doktor (1969) 27 February 2004
5.) "Guerra dos Sexos" (1983) 11 February 2004
6.) "Lagardère" (1967) (mini) 6 February 2004
7.) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) 20 January 2004
8.) "Rainha da Sucata" (1990) 6 February 2004
9.) "Salvador da Pátria, O" (1989) 20 January 2004
10.) "Sol et Gobelet" (1969) 20 January 2004
11.) Testament d'Orphée, ou ne me demandez pas pourquoi!, Le (1960) 11 February 2004
12.) The Wrecking Crew (1969) 20 January 2004
Admittedly, these are over a year-old and I have since... other, far greater spiritual concerns!
1.) "Amor com Amor Se Paga" (1984) 20 January 2004
2.) Dernière femme, La (1976) 24 August 2004
3.) "Emma" (2001) 13 February 2004
4.) Fräulein Doktor (1969) 27 February 2004
5.) "Guerra dos Sexos" (1983) 11 February 2004
6.) "Lagardère" (1967) (mini) 6 February 2004
7.) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) 20 January 2004
8.) "Rainha da Sucata" (1990) 6 February 2004
9.) "Salvador da Pátria, O" (1989) 20 January 2004
10.) "Sol et Gobelet" (1969) 20 January 2004
11.) Testament d'Orphée, ou ne me demandez pas pourquoi!, Le (1960) 11 February 2004
12.) The Wrecking Crew (1969) 20 January 2004
Admittedly, these are over a year-old and I have since... other, far greater spiritual concerns!
Return... of the less-than-magnificent Paul as well!
Wow - when it rains, it pours!
Paul e-mailed me this comment:
''Your dirty dozen worth of film picks there sure shows one thing - you give crap a chance! Over quality material - over the classics! COME ON MAN - WHERE'S CITIZEN KANE!!!!!!!!''
HA.
Sorry ''bud'' - but I will review those that have ZERO REVIEWS first! Adding my own two-cents worth of commentary to a well-known film that has already garnered hundreds and thousands of reviews will not exactly make much of a difference; and be effectively lost in the shuffle! I want to make a significant contribution - and no one but me on IMDB seemed to know about Sol et Gobelet, Emma, Guerra, Amor, Lagardère & Testament!
So THERE!
My duty was clear! ;)
Wow - when it rains, it pours!
Paul e-mailed me this comment:
''Your dirty dozen worth of film picks there sure shows one thing - you give crap a chance! Over quality material - over the classics! COME ON MAN - WHERE'S CITIZEN KANE!!!!!!!!''
HA.
Sorry ''bud'' - but I will review those that have ZERO REVIEWS first! Adding my own two-cents worth of commentary to a well-known film that has already garnered hundreds and thousands of reviews will not exactly make much of a difference; and be effectively lost in the shuffle! I want to make a significant contribution - and no one but me on IMDB seemed to know about Sol et Gobelet, Emma, Guerra, Amor, Lagardère & Testament!
So THERE!
My duty was clear! ;)
I think it is great that you don't just go review the most popular movies that get tons of reviews.
I know I like lots of movies that other people ignore or don't give a chance.
You have the most movie knowledge in your luminous brain than anyone I have ever met! You are the best one to give movie reviews! Great Job!
Of course you know lots of other useful and improtant facts too! Your brain is like the most souped up computer that has ever been made, and then some!!
You're the man Luciano!! ;)
Keep on Blogging
God Bless You Luce (\ô/)
Countes
Post a Comment
I know I like lots of movies that other people ignore or don't give a chance.
You have the most movie knowledge in your luminous brain than anyone I have ever met! You are the best one to give movie reviews! Great Job!
Of course you know lots of other useful and improtant facts too! Your brain is like the most souped up computer that has ever been made, and then some!!
You're the man Luciano!! ;)
Keep on Blogging
God Bless You Luce (\ô/)
Countes
<< Home
