I borrowed the original Get Carter (1971), starring Michael Caine, from a friend. I had seen the re-make with Sylvester Stallone set in Seattle-no comparison. Caine is clearly the superior actor. Sometimes I feel that British gangster films lack teeth, but not this one. Caine is a bad mutha ----er here. Hodges has a new gangster film (I'll Sleep When I'm Dead) out that looks interesting as well, looking forward to seeing it. I like how Hodges incorporated the swinging 60s into the film as well with flashy cars, miniskirts, and rock-n-roll. A forerunner to cool Britannia.
One of my friends expressed an admiration for John Ford westerns (he is convinced the meaning of life is in one), I haven't watched one all the way through as an adult, so I thought I'd take a chance on Rio Grande, which I got for cheap in Korea. And I found it hard to get through, stock character actors, cheesy saccharine musical numbers, stereotypes abound. There's no real discourse on why the Indians attack or what the army is protecting out there. I suppose it supposed to be light entertainment and I realize it is considered minor Ford. I guess I'll have to see Stagecoach or something else, cause this didn't do it for me. But maybe I'm not wired for it having seen too many of these types of film a child where the west has become mythologized. Generally speaking westerns aren't my thing, however I did like Jarmusch's Dead Man and Eastwood's Unforgiven among others.
hey friend ... glad to know there's somebody I can talk about movies with ... speaking of which, is it possible to meet up for coffee? unless you have an utterly jealous g/f that is ....
Posted by: Julia | September 28, 2004 at 07:41 AM
You say a forerunner to "Cool Britannia" (or Britannica - though I usually associate this with the encyclopedias), but I think the 60s was the true decade of British cool - despite recent attempts by the gov't to convince people that the time is now...
Posted by: edward | September 30, 2004 at 05:27 AM