02 June 2012

Trad Farfalle Westerns



Cue the Ennio Morricone sountrack, slam down a shot of Mezcal and fire up a Parodi with the strike of a sulfur-tip match. Through June 21st, the West Village Film Forum at 209 W Houston is running a Spaghetti Western Festival. Film director, Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid & Nancy & his own Spaghetti Western, Straight to Hell) reviews lesser known titles running here.

Franco Nero in director Sergio Corbucci's, Django (1966)

The Old Man loved Spaghetti Westerns and I remember being heart broken when he told me real guns didn't sound at all like the 'Spee-Teez' Italian sound effect. Isn't that the point? Nothing is real in a Spaghetti Western. Not even Clint Eastwood. Check out, 'Mrs Eastwood and Company' if you don't believe me.

Film Forum from The Brooklyneer

I caught the 1PM showing of 'Fistful of Dollars' today but not before grabbing a Kimshi hot dog ($6) and a beer ($1 special with the dog) at The Brooklyneer just across the street. Beat the hell out of a flat Coke and popcorn. Cheaper too.

Lee Van Cleef in The Big Gundown directed by Sergio Sollima (1966)

I took a film class at the most progressive of my four high schools. "Film & the Liberal Arts" was taught by a bearded hipster named Bridgman. I liked him a lot. I'll always owe him for turning me onto the very odd and dark, "The Traveling Executioner" with Stacy Keach.

Franco Nero & Tony Musante in The Mercenary by Sergio Corbucci (1968)

Maybe that's where I get my odd taste in film? Anyway, I wrote a paper on Spaghetti Westerns for the class. He didn't think much of them and thought even less of Clint. I didn't think much of his favorite, "The Seventh Seal." But, the Italian Western will always share a place in my heart with my father.

Tony Villeri's, The Price of Power with Giuliano Gemma - Italian Trailer here

The sound effects of a gun shot or a punch. A popped cork of a straw covered bottle. The thin dime ring of a spur. Stubby fingers with bitten dirty nails wrapped around a pistol grip. That lone whistle over taken by Morriconne's horns, choir and drums as they swell to a moment...

Dad sits next to me in a theater. Neither of us saying a word. And for a couple hours -- We're getting along -- just fine.

7 comments:

  1. Firearms do not sound the same in the movies as they do in the real world.
    My wife was shocked by the report that my .45 ACP made when I had her take off the hearing protection. She now knows what I mean when I say that Clint Eastwood, firing a .44 Magnum in an airplane, would make his ears and nose bleed, and cause him to lose hearing for some time (maybe forever).
    I'll never forget when I first heard an M1 fired at PI. Wow!
    George B.

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  2. THE BIG GUNDOWN has one of the great Morricone scores, up there with his Leone work. DJANGO is worth it just for the coffin dragging and the antique machine gun.

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  3. Once Upon a Time in the West is worth the three hours it takes to watch it. I've seen it a bunch of times.

    I think your Dad and I would have been great friends. We could've listened to Sergio Mendes on vinylk and drank canned beer together while we discussd spaghetti westerns.

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  4. I've only seen Sergio Leone's Eastwood output and, of course, the "Once Upon a Time" films. The film historian's commentary track on my Collector's Edition of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is worth watching/listening to on its own.

    Haven't seen Django, but I aim to.

    (Since you asked, my favorite western is also Eastwood: The Outlaw Josey Wales.)

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  5. Mmmm, farfalle. D'oh! Nice blog post title.

    -DB

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  6. pffft. Seen The Proposition?

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