Once Upon a Time in the West

POSTED BY: cljohnston108
UPDATED: Tuesday, March 6, 2007 12:31
VIEWED: 2291
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CLJOHNSTON108

Saturday, March 3, 2007 12:54 AM

Last Saturday, I caught a free showing of Once Upon a Time in the West on the last day of the Los Angeles Italia film festival.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0064116/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_the_West

I'd never seen a Sergio Leone film, and I'd heard this was one of his best, so I wanted to see it in its native habitat.

I found the perfect spot: halfway up the stadium seats and dead center.

Even though the print was scratchy and faded, my jaw was on the floor beneath my bugged eyes the whole time!

Possibly the most perfect cinematography I'd ever seen in a Western (or anywhere else, for that matter).
The framing was breathtaking!

I just found a used copy of the 2-disc Collector's Edition DVD for $7.99 at Amoeba! < http://www.amoeba.com>
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Henry-Fonda/dp/B0000AUHPG

Every scratch & dust speck removed! And the black levels... forget about it!
This joins The Final Countdown as one of my two best DVDs!

Anybody else a fan of this film?

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

VETERAN

Saturday, March 3, 2007 1:55 AM

I think I read somewhere that Gina chose the cut off lever action to honor Woody Strode. Who appears at the begining of the film.

REGINAROADIE

Saturday, March 3, 2007 2:12 AM

I love this movie too. Out of all the films I have in my DVD collection, this is the only real western that I have in the collection. And even though it's insanely cheap, it's one of my prized titles. It's just so fracking amazing. How basically, it's almost all visuals and the majority is all build-up and suspense.

I didn't notice there was a reference to ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST in FIREFLY/SERENITY. Glad to know there is one.

You're lucky you saw it in a theater. The only time I came close to that was last summer in Swift Current where I worked that one awful week on the Thermite Gang. When I went to the library to check my internet, I saw a flyer for a screening of it there at the library a few weeks later. I so wanted to go to that and see it, but I ended up transferring to a new gang that was in Wadena for six weeks.

**************************************************
"Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?"
"No."
"Have you ever fired ONE gun whilst jumping through the air?"

PENGUIN

Saturday, March 3, 2007 2:16 AM

One of my favorite westerns!

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

CLJOHNSTON108

Saturday, March 3, 2007 12:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Veteran:
I think I read somewhere that Gina chose the cut off lever action to honor Woody Strode. Who appears at the begining of the film.

Yeah, Woody Strode was great!
When he puts his hat back on after the water starts dripping on him, and the next drop hits the hat, his face does this amazing thing as he relaxes. Ever so subtle, just an unclenching of the jaw. That's acting!

http://www.fireflywiki.org/Firefly/ZoesCarbine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe_Washburne
"Her weapon of choice appears to be identical to the Mare's Leg, a custom Winchester Model 1892 rifle used by Steve McQueen's character Josh Randall in the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive. Joss Whedon calls the Mare's Leg his "favorite gun of all times". The actual gun she uses in the series was originally used in the series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.."

Of course, Gina's love for Woody Strode nicely dovetailed with Joss' love of the Mare's Leg on that score!

And speaking of Steve McQueen: My favorite movie of his is Le Mans, which is another staggeringly visual film with almost no dialogue.

FOLLOWMAL

Monday, March 5, 2007 2:52 AM

This was my Dad's all time favorite movie.

Excellent and breathtaking.

I grew up watching this.. loved every minute of it.

My Mom has it on tape... I'm going to have to find it on DVD!

Go to www.drivefans.com for more info!

Ask me how to join the Appreciatin' Nathan crew!

When we're down, don't frown. Come join the camp-out at serenitymovie.org. Someone think of a name and we'll start a crew over there!

JORUNE

Monday, March 5, 2007 11:15 PM

Yes I am, it is one of the best westerns with a stirring soundtrack.

DAVESHAYNE

Monday, March 5, 2007 11:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:

Last Saturday, I caught a free showing of Once Upon a Time in the West on the last day of the Los Angeles Italia film festival.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0064116/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_the_West

I'd never seen a Sergio Leone film, and I'd heard this was one of his best, so I wanted to see it in its native habitat.

I'm not saying it's not a good movie but I think 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' is better. It's got a better score, a better cast (Henry is ok but he's no Lee Van Cleef) and more interesting cinematography. The camera work in 'Once Upon a Time in the West' is quite beautifull but the camera in 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' is the fourth character. Adding (along with the score) mood and tension to almost every scene.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

CLJOHNSTON108

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 3:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
I'm not saying it's not a good movie but I think 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' is better.

Kinda why I said "one of his best".

The "Dollars" Trilogy is next on my list!

DAVESHAYNE

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 4:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:
Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
I'm not saying it's not a good movie but I think 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly' is better.

Kinda why I said "one of his best".

The "Dollars" Trilogy is next on my list!

You might want to watch 'Yojimbo' (Dir. by Kurosawa) before A 'Fistfull of Dollars'. It's the original and a fine piece of film in it's own right.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

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