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Ride The High Country, a review by Jon

Ride The High Country
4 out of 5



In this brilliant, moving film directed by Sam Peckinpah, cowboy icons Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea find roles to match their leathery Western personas, playing aging lawmen hired to guard a gold shipment. They don't have much; a horse each, a couple of dollars. And they have everything; their independence. But the frontier is disappearing - and so is space wide open enough for independent men. With luck, the two will find space enough for this ride and one last payday. They will also find adventure, including the dramatic rescue of a mistreated bride, gun-blazing shootouts and a life-changing betrayal. Both an exciting Western and a heart-lifting homage to the genre, Ride the High Country is a journey into film greatness

This is an early Western from Sam Peckinpah, who would go on to make modern classics, such as The Wild Bunch. Here he plays much it much safer with a knockabout, almost comedy, entry in the genre, with amicable characters and a rather predictable plot. It would seem to fit in well with the later John Wayne movies, with it's watchable laziness and ageing leads.

I do enjoy Joel McCrea's films. He had such a natural, dumb honesty that made him so brilliant in Sullivan's Travels or the early Hitchcock movie, Foreign Correspondent. He is also I think a much better actor than he let most people believe! Randolph Scott plays opposite him and is always value for money. Ron Starr is the young gunslinger who needs a regular lesson in respect and as you'd expect with a fun brawler like this, respect is normally a punch in face! Mariette Hartley is the weakest character as the naive girl entering into a hasty, ill-judged wedding to slimy villain James Drury. She seems to get his brother too, a typically good Warren Oates.

It was here the alarm bells started to go off. I'd thought the Elsa character the weakest, but there was something else. She was getting used and it was leaving a nasty taste in my mouth. This was still coming across a fun Western, yet if you thought about it for any length of time, the events didn't fit in anymore with the supposed light nature.

I'd thought Peckinpah, relatively early in his career, was taking an easy route, but actually this is one of his cleverest and most manipulative films. He was known for his challenging depiction of violence, cruel fates of characters and a fascination with death. His Westerns were always set at the end of the wild west, with cowboys realising their doom couldn't be far off because they were so outdated and going about their business with a tinge of melancholy. Ride The High Country is only different because of it's subversive tone, taking the plot from fun, to uncomfortable, to tangible regret.

It's still ultimately predictable, but certain choices by some characters and a stark depiction of death add some steel to the plot, especially as it's always played straight and the direction is very solid (no slow-motion blood letting here). By promising the viewer such derivative fun yet delivering it with a nasty punch to the gut, he made a masterful film with an albeit awkward tone.

It might be Rio Bravo's cousin, but it's the one the family don't talk about because of the nasty streak. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Anthony Mann sort of Westerns and to anyone who usually dismisses them as too frothy.

(From DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on November 16th, 2009)

Hard Boiled, a review by Rich

Ducking bullets in Hong Kong...



Hard-Boiled is the last film directed by Hong Kong action auteur John Woo before his arrival in the U.S. This 1992 thriller, along with The Killer, is widely seen as one of his best from his Hong Kong days. Every ingredient of the quintessential Woo thriller is present, including his ever-present anti-hero (Chow Yun-Fat). Yun-Fat portrays a maverick, clarinet-playing cop nicknamed "Tequila" whose partner is killed in the dizzying chaos of a restaurant gunfight with a small army of gangsters. It is soon revealed that one of the mob's high-ranking assassins is Tony (Tony Leung), an undercover cop who, despite his badge, is dangerously close to the edge

Is there any other film that lets loose so many bullets?!? Classic Woo HK flick, Yun-Fat in familiar laid-back hero role, Tony Leung again stars and excels in his role. It's not my preferred genre, so I mark it lower than a real fan, but I do appreciate the all action film making style and pulsating pace of this movie. 5/10

(From Around the World in 80 DVD's on March 2nd, 2008)

Babylon 5: Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Sheridan seems to be dead. Mr. Garibaldi is missing. Londo is called back home to the royal court and emperor Carthagia. Carthagia has given the Shadows a base on Centauri Prime on the Island of Selini. Mollari fears for the safety of his homeworld. Meanwhile the alliance against the shadows is breaking apart because the shadows have temorarily retreated and Sheridan has gone.

My opinion: A very slow beginning of a new season. That is somewhat ironic if one knows how packed this season will be. But at least we know that the character of Sheridan isn't out of the game. But it is not clear whether hes is dead or not.


Synopsis: Sheridan is still in what seems to be a cave with a being that identifies himself as Lorien. Lorien claims that Sheridan is dead and all indications point to that being true. Meanwhile G'Kar is looking for Mr. Garibaldi.

My opinion: I really liked the conversation between Sheridan and Lorien who was the very first being in the universe. And again Londo proves that his first priority is the well-being of Centauri Prime even if that means to kill the emperor and/or die in the attempt.

Quote of the episode:
Sheridan: "If you're falling off a cliff, you may as well try to fly. You've got nothing to lose."


Synopsis: Delenn plans to attack Z'ha'dum with the entire White Star fleet and all who are willing to come along. Ivanova tries to find more of the First Ones to join the fight. Meanwhile the captured G'Kar is humiliated in the royal court on Centauri Prime and tortured afterwards. And Ivanova discovers a huge Vorlon fleet in hyperspace.

My opinion: The Vorlons have attacked the Shadows directly. Now it gets really ugly and the younger races are cought in the middle. This episode leaves you with the foreboding of doom. Now it even seems to be pointless that Sheridan has returned from Z'ha'dum. Very depressing.

Quote of the episode:
Drazi: "We thought you were dead." Sheridan: "I was. But I'm better now."


Synopsis: The Vorlons have attacked and destroyed several more planets that were "touched by the Shadows". They use a vast ship called the Planet Killer. Sheridan plans to kill the Vorlon ambassadorand Londo suggests to trial and execute G'Kar on the Narn homeworld.

My opninion: Sheridan plans to kill a Vorlon. That's a though decision that could've turned out very badly. But it was really cool to see an angry Vorlon and then to see two Vorlons fighting. It had to be done and it won't be the only hard decision to make for Sheridan (see next episode). But we also learn that Sheridan has a price to pay for his journey to Z'ha'dum but he has accepted that price for a greater good. Very good episode.

(From Babylon 5: Marathon on November 11th, 2007)