THE DANMAN CAN

Review

For some reason I thought I had never seen Scrooged (1988) so I went into this viewing believing it was my first time. But I basically remembered all of it as I watched (and not just because I'm familiar with  Charles Dickens 's 1843 novella  and its many, many adaptations).  It's kind of a sloppy movie (known for behind the scenes clashing between star Bill Murray and director Richard Donner ), but it's very funny at times. The cast is wonderful, but the tone is a weird mix of cynicism and sudden sentimentality that isn't entirely convincing. Overall though, it's highly enjoyable. You can find my Richard Donner Feature Films Ranked list here .

Review

Review

Well, I finally got around to seeing Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2  (1987). While I can't say that it will become a yearly tradition for me to watch this, as I almost always do with its 1984 predecessor (my review here ), I still had a good deal of fun with SNDN2 . Eric Freeman 's overacting, overactive eyebrows, and maniacal laughter are all greatly amusing. His rampage in the second half of the film is pretty hilarious, full of crazy carnage and memorable dialogue (and one infamous moment). Honestly, the film could have been a trash classic in its own right if the filmmakers hadn’t chosen to recycle so much of the first film (seriously, I think there was five minutes of new footage in the first forty of this sequel).  The voice-over during all that recycled footage is funny but having just watched the first film immediately before this one, it was a chore to sit through. There’s a scene in a movie theater where a character says, “This movie’s so bogus”—that about sums u...

Review

Review

Review

Gianfranco Parolini 's Sabata  (1969), the first in a trilogy by the director, is a playful, ridiculous, self-parodizing  Italian Western like no other. Like the best parodies that simultaneously work as strong examples of the genre, this one comes from a place of love—the cinematography, performances and score are all top-notch.  Lee Van Cleef 's invincible titular character grins mischievously throughout.

Sergio Corbucci 's  The Mercenary   (1968) is a fun, comedic " Zapata "  Italian Western  that amusingly (as they are both Italian actors) pairs  Franco Nero  (as a self-serving Polish opportunist) with  Tony Musante  (as a Mexican revolutionary). The two work together to different ends, with a common enemy in a sneering  Jack Palance  (because that's what Palance does in westerns). Ennio Morricone provides a memorable score, complete with whistling galore.

Man, Pride And Vengeance (1967), based on Prosper Mérimée 's  Carmen   (1845) is an atypical Italian Western  that plays out more like a film noir , complete with femme fatale, impressive camerawork, and a whopper of an ending. The sadomasochistic, love/hate relationship between ruggedly handsome Franco Nero  and devastatingly gorgeous (those eyes!)  Tina Aumont  is at the heart of this melodramatic tale of a soldier who falls into a life of crime when he falls for a deceiving, manipulative gypsy.

Released the same year as his classic  Django  (1966) ( review ) as well as two other films, one of which is another Italian Western that I have yet to see), Sergio Corbucci 's  Navajo Joe is not nearly as good, but it's an entertaining, well-shot film with a stellar Morricone score ( those main titles !) and a great standoff during the finale. There's no deep characterization, but, provided you're not offended by Burt Reynold 's bronzed, unconvincing portrayal of a Native American, or the fact that he's basically referred to as "that damned Indian" every five minutes or so, the film delivers what you'd expect in an Italian Western—brutality, machismo, gunfights, and revenge.