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 hereThe 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.
Firearms do not sound the same in the movies as they do in the real world.
ReplyDeleteMy 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteOnce Upon a Time in the West is worth the three hours it takes to watch it. I've seen it a bunch of times.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen Django, but I aim to.
(Since you asked, my favorite western is also Eastwood: The Outlaw Josey Wales.)
Mmmm, farfalle. D'oh! Nice blog post title.
ReplyDelete-DB
seen el topo?
ReplyDeletepffft. Seen The Proposition?
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