Month: May 2017

Returning to the Spaghetti Western and the films of Sergio Leone, this episode focuses on the middle entry in the Man With No Name trilogy, For a Few Dollars More. Bringing back Clint Eastwood’s iconic gunslinger and adding Lee Van Cleef’s mysterious counterpoint, it’s the most underrated of the series, and a whole hell of a lot of fun. In talking about this film, we also get into Dad’s specific disinterest in the stylistic cheapery of these films, as discussed in such previous episodes. They’re just not his thing! As it turns out, they are kind of my thing, and we discuss the reasons why this might be. Topics of conversation include such Spaghetti Western hallmarks as bad ADR and unusual sound effects, the film’s ‘procedural bounty hunter’ story, the possibility that the central characters in this film are inhuman aspects of the West, or perhaps just death-worshipping lunatics, the greatness of Van Cleef, and the decadent mania of the villain El Indio. There’s a part where I stumble about trying to articulate whether these are the definitive cinematic bounty hunters and their place in history, leading up to Dog the Bounty Hunter. Dad shuts me down.

There’s a bit of conversation at the end about the new Alien: Covenant, and its ambitions to be a deep space Frankenstein story about the end of God. I found it very interesting. In the next episode, we’ll be talking about our first Sam Peckinpah film, Ride the High Country, starring Randolph Scott and Joel McRea. You can reach us online at westernswithdad.com and email us any thoughts you’ve had or questions you’d like us to answer in the next episode at westernswithdad@gmail.com. And why not leave us reviews and ratings on iTunes, which helps improve our visibility! Thanks a lot!

For a Few Dollars More was directed by Sergio Leone and stars Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef.

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In attempting to examine the breadth of the Western genre, we want to focus on films from all eras, and that includes the modern movie landscape. So this week, we’re taking a look at The Salvation, a genre exercise from only a few years ago! Starring acclaimed actor Mads Mikkelsen, this is a modern version of the familiar revenge thriller, set in the old west. It features a pretty terrific cast and a solid set-up, but both Dad and I feel it doesn’t quite do enough to distinguish itself, especially in failing to fully embrace the things that make it unique. In particular, the character’s status as Danish immigrants, a tantalizing plot and thematic idea that ends up not going much of anywhere. Topics of conversation include the Dogme 95 movement and provocateur filmmaker Lars Von Trier, the constant use of dark, oily filters, the sometimes in-your-face nihilism of the chosen subject matter, how terrific Mads is as the new Hannibal Lector, how terrific costar Eva Green is on her own TV show, Penny Dreadful, the surprisingly nasty and evil townspeople presented in the film, the enigma of the titular Salvation, and my speculation that the film is actually about what drives people who have been constantly victimized to survive, although that may actually be reaching a bit. This has a bit more digressions than usual, but then, it’s not a film with an excess to discuss, I’m afraid.

At the end, we discuss Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and its very charismatic use of Tombstone actors in prominent roles. There’s also a bit of talk of the new Dark Tower trailer, and the ways it may overlap into the Western genre. Please visit us online at westernswithdad.com, where you can hear back episodes of the show, and also hey, how about leaving us ratings and reviews on iTunes? That’d work out great for us! Next week, we’ll be talking about the middle segment in Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name trilogy, For a Few Dollars More!

The Salvation was directed by Kristian Levring and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Jonathan Pryce.

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