DVD Collectors Online

The Long Riders, a review by Rogmeister

The Long Riders (1980)  99m
Director: Walter Hill
Music: Ry Cooder
Cast: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, James Keach, Stacy Keach, Dennis Quaid, Randy Quaid, Christopher Guest, Nicholas Guest, Harry Carey Jr., Pamela Reed

This was another western about the James-Younger gang but it was done with a bit of a twist.  Each set of brothers was played by a set of actual brothers...so you had the Carradines playing the Younger brothers, James and Stacy Keach playing Jesse and Frank James, Dennis and Randy Quaid playaing the Millers and Christopher and Nicholas Guest playing the Fords.  Pamela Reed also shows up as Belle Starr (no, she didn't look that good in real life).  It's an interesting idea (all those real brothers playing historical brothers) and it results in a fine western, definitely one of the better westerns of the 1980's.  Since this is Jesse James (and company) we're talking about, there is definitely some actual events here though they still make the outlaws perhaps a bit more likeable than they actually were in real life but I still enjoy this film and have no qualms about recommending it.  I've had this DVD awhile and there are unfortunately no real extras...just the trailer.  I would definitely vote for this getting a special edition but this is all we have for now, I think.  A first-rate western.   

(From DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on November 25th, 2009)

Sanshiro Sugata, a review by Antares

Sanshiro Sugata (1943) 3/5 - Interesting for those who want to see what Kurosawa's first film making experience would show, and in that aspect, it's revealing. He already shows a mastery of framing and the use of scene wipes is on hand. Unfortunately with 18 minutes of footage lost due to war time censorship, we' ll never know what a good story this could have been. Of course it was nice to see my favorite actor, Takashi Shimura in a somewhat prominent role, but the rest of the cast is rather lackluster. You can see the seeds of greatness in many shots of the film, namely the finally fight sequence in the open field. Which must have been influential to Masaki Kobayashi, who used similar settings in both Harakiri and Samurai Rebellion. Definitely a film for Kurosawa disciples only, and from that standpoint, an interesting, historical curiosity.

(From Antares' Short Summations on March 13th, 2012)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

(1983/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia EuroVideo (Germany) Length: 965 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles:

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Season 1.01 Der Kurpfuscher / Der Seemann / Der Kraftprotz
Writer: Michael Baier (Writer)
Director: Alfred Vohrer
Cast


(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on November 14th, 2012)