Duck, You Sucker (1971)

Featuring: Rod Steiger, James Coburn. Director: Sergio Leone.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

Look at that cover. Look at it. How could anyone not be intrigued by the possibilities? A cover like this one is only found on two kinds of movies. Awful movies, and awfully awesome movies. Luckily, this one is representative  of the latter. I should have known that after I saw the king of spaghetti westerns, Sergio Leone, was at the helm.

The first ten minutes of this film are strange, confronting and to be honest made me a little queasy - in a good way. The rest of the film is partly hilarious, a bit over the top, and disturbingly tragic. Needless to say there is a lot going on this film.

It stars James Coburn as an IRA explosives-man on the run in Mexico during the revolution. Coburn's character meets up with a bandit, played by Rod Steiger, who is out to make the score of a lifetime and just happens to need a man that is good with dynamite. The two are rivals and confrontational at first but eventually build enough mutual respect to become friends. I won't really go into where the story goes from there, except that to say it goes all over the place and not in directions you will expect.

This is one of those movies you find yourself enjoying way more than you thought you would. It's a roller coaster ride, filled with  the ups and downs, the fear and all the excitement that goes with it. Check it out, you'll either love it or hate it. But, you're queue will look much cooler with that cover in it.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Look at that cover, seriously.

Is it artsy? Not at all.

What stood out the most to you? From the disturbing opening ten minutes I was hooked.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for something over the top, a little disturbed and different.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.  

Tweet

Giant (1956)

Featuring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean. Director: George Stevens.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

You can't really go wrong with a cast like Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Each of them were legends in their own right. I also believe that Hudson and Dean gave the best performances of their careers in this movie (Hate to admit it, but I think Rebel Without a Cause is a bit overrated).

Hudson was wonderful as a wealthy, traditional Texas rancher who falls for the strong-willed (surprise, surprise) Elizabeth Taylor the moment they met. This is really a tale of their marriage over the years, and the dysfunctional family the two of them produced. The charisma between Hudson and Taylor is absolutely fantastic and some of the most memorable scenes are the two of them in bed arguing like an old married couple. It's hard to pull off those simpler moments in life and make them relateable and the two of them are very convincing.

James Dean plays Hudson's rival who has a huge chip on his shoulder and uses that motivation to work his way from the bottom to build his own empire. He creates a complex, if troubled character and portrays a man with an inferiority complex wonderfully. Overall, this is a fantastic epic well worth the over three hour run-time. You will witness some of the greatest actors of all time doing what they do best, creating characters that are believable, like us yet different and very compelling. You should definitely check this one out.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'm in love with Elizabeth Taylor, and not in some creepy necrophilia kind of way either you sicko.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? The chemistry Taylor and Hudson had as an old married couple could be really funny at times.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to watch a good movie with humor, intrigue and interesting characters. Also, you should have about three and a half hours because it's pretty long.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

Tweet

Winchester '73 (1950)

Featuring: Jimmy Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson. Director: Anthony Mann.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Dec 29th. Act fast!

As some of you may know, Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors of all time. He had a presence like none other and had more acting chops than I think a lot of people give him credit for. They think of him just as sweet George Bailey and forget how many diverse roles he was in. However, until a couple of westerns showed up on Netflix streaming, I had never, ever pictured Jimmy Stewart being in a western. It just seemed like a strange fit that would never work. Then I saw Destry Rides Again and realized it could work very well in a western with a lighter tone.

Winchester '73, however, has a much more serious tone. Jimmy Stewart plays a man who likes guns and is out for revenge. I kept thinking of George Bailey. I couldn't help it. Stewart gave a good performance, the supporting cast was excellent and the story was decent. I just couldn't get past the fact that Mr. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was determined to murder someone. That's just my own bias though. This is a solid western, and if you enjoy the genre I recommend it. Just don't spend the whole time wondering if a devil gets his horns every time you hear a gunshot and you'll enjoy it more than I did.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 12/29/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Jimmy Stewart.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? Jimmy Stewart being driven by revenge.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking to get your western fix.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

Tweet

Man in the Shadow (1958)

Featuring: Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles. Director: Jack Arnold.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

Orson Welles is probably the most interesting figure in the history of the silver screen. He directed what is widely considered the greatest movie of all time and is also acclaimed by many as one of the best actors of all time. He was larger than life and the legacy he left behind was even greater. I think it is perfectly fair to consider him a genius.

The trouble with geniuses, however, is that they see things before the rest of us do. Insert your favorite "ahead of his time" cliche here. Today, directors like Scorsese can produce some of their best work late in their careers. When Welles got started, the term "filmmaker" wasn't something that carries the weight that it does now. The movie going-public today (or at least a segment of it) is more educated and interested in risk taking in the cinema. Sadly, Welles' failures at the box office left much of his career's potential untapped. Instead of crafting masterpieces, he was relegated to acting in b-movies such as this one. That makes me sad, but such is life.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad movie. It features Welles as a plantation owner out west who is the lord over all of the migrant workers at his establishment. Welles character is charming and slimey all at once and the protagonist (Chandler) does a good job playing a straight arrow of a sheriff who is determined to get to the truth no matter how powerful the toes that he is stepping on may be. This is a decent movie with political undertones that are very relevant today, but it still makes me sad. Mostly because instead of directing his version of The Departed, he was acting in a b-movie with a predictable plot. Such is the curse of genius.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Pretty much anything with Orson Welles is in my queue.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? That conditions for Mexican immigrants have only marginally improved in the last 60 years.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? You should be an Orson Welles aficionado. It isn't his best work, but he's still interesting.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

Sorry, couldn't find a trailer for this one. 

Tweet

Destry Rides Again (1939)

Featuring: Jimmy Stewart, Marlene Dietrich. Director: George Marshall.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Dec. 25th. Act fast!

I've always associated the holidays with Jimmy Stewart. His charm, the peculiar way in which he talks and the morally upstanding, but mischievous characters he plays, give me the warm and fuzzy feeling I crave in between thanksgiving and new years day. Before I decided to watch It's a Wonderful Life for the millionth time, I thought I'd see what else ol' Jimmy had on Netflix. I came across a few movies and the one I decided to watch first was Destry Rides Again.

I picked this one mostly because I had no idea how the hell a guy like Jimmy Stewart would fit into a western genre known more for violence and rough characters than that aw-shucks charm Mr. Stewart is famous for. Throw the always intriguing Marlene Dietrich into the mix and I just couldn't resist. This movie wasn't at all what I expected when I turned it on, but after watching it, I thought that it was exactly what I should have expected. Jimmy Stewart fit in the way he always fits in, with that unique force of nature he seems to possess.

Having Marlene Dietrich playing opposite of him made this movie quite the treat. She played a wild and sometimes venomous woman that was always interesting when on screen and her chemistry with Stewart was wonderful. Stewart played a sort of pacifist sheriff out to bring law and order to a wild west town. The premise is a little silly, but the performances of Dietrich and Stewart make the end product wonderful. If you like westerns, and/or Stewart and Dietrich, queue this one up immediately.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 12/25/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I just couldn't imagine what Jimmy Stewart would be like in a western.

Is it artsy? No, its good raunchy (for the time) fun.

What stood out the most to you? How wild Marlene Dietrich could be.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to watch an old movie that will make you laugh.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

Tweet

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the story of the famous wild west bank robbers of the same name. It stars legendary actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford who have a silly romp through the old west and Bolivia. Newman in particular is awesome as always and you can tell he had a really good time making this film. Redford seemed a little stiff to me and he didn't really have the comedic timing Newman did. Of course, that could be because the writers gave him some pretty corny jokes.

This is a hard movie to categorize. It isn't really a western, it isn't really a drama and it really isn't a comedy but somehow it is all three of those things. It worked sometimes but at others I thought to myself, what the hell is the director thinking with this movie? Apparently the score won an Oscar but in my opinion it is one of the most bizarre scores for a movie I've ever heard (and not in a good way). Overall, I think the movie felt pretty dated and a little bit confused but it is worth watching because anything starring Paul Newman is.

Click here to add this movie to your queue.

Movie will stop streaming on Netflix 2/11/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Paul Newman is one of those actors I'll watch in anything.

Is it artsy? No, but I think the director might have tried to make the score seem artsy. It wasn't.

Best thing about the movie? The weird ass bicycle riding scene, didn't get that at all.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a good silly time.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 
 

Tweet

Fort Apache (1948)

I've only just recently started watching old westerns so the expectations I had going in is that they'd be about a bunch of cowboys killing a bunch of Indians wearing feathers. I wasn't really expecting much depth or attention to social issues. I was more expecting overtly racist films just churned out for profits. While I'm sure that is out there I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised so far.

In John Ford's classic Fort Apache the Native Americans aren't treated as blood-thirsty savages but as a nation trying to take care of it's people. The movie stars Henry Fonda as a military officer who has fallen out of favor with the army brass so gets transferred to the sleepy western outpost Fort Apache. His hubris and desire to be restored to a better post lead him to underestimate the Apaches and as a result the soldiers under his command and members of the Apache nation needlessly pay the price. John Wayne plays the counter to Fonda's arrogance. Wayne's character has been stationed at Fort Apache for a number of years and as a result respects the cunning of the Apache people and instead of wishing to attack them would much prefer a peace treaty.

The more I watch his movies the more I am beginning to realize that John Ford is one of those rare directors that can handle the complexity of controversial historical and social issues and still make an entertaining movie out of it. John Wayne and Henry Fond were both very good in their respective roles and if you're looking for a good western this would be a great place to start.

Click here to add this movie to your queue.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I've been meaning to watch more westerns and I think it's required to start out with John Wayne and John Ford.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? The way they portrayed the folly of a commanding officer who underestimates his opponents.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? For some westerny goodness.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

Tweet

The Searchers (1956)

When you sit down to watch a John Wayne movie you have an idea of what to expect. You know there are going to be bad guys and you know the Duke is going to be the hero. I thought all John Wayne movies worked like that but this one threw me off. John Wayne played a real S.O.B. in this one. At times I really couldn't stand his character and wish he'd be the one getting gunned down. This film made me realize that John Wayne wasn't just a guy who created an iconic character that he milked in most of his films but an actor who could put on a hell of a show when presented with the right subject matter.

The Searchers isn't your run of the mill formulaic western. It deals with hatred, revenge, bitterness, loss and shows a bit of how hard of a life it was being a settler in the old west. This movie doesn't waste it's time glorifying the old west like a lot of westerns do. As a result you get a movie that is compelling and interesting to watch even if some of it seems dated and the Native-Americans are just Puerto Ricans wearing feathers. If you have any interest in westerns give this one a look. I suspect it is one of the better ones out there.

Click here to add to your queue.

This movie is scheduled to stop streaming on 1/1/2011.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Sometimes I get in the mood for westerns and John Wayne is the go-to guy outside of Clint Eastwood.

Is it artsy? No, it's the Duke, he doesn't do "artsy".

Best thing about the movie? John Wayne being an ass to everyone.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood for some old fashioned gun slinging with an interesting story.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

Tweet