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Posted: |
Apr 11, 2014 - 2:31 AM
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By: |
Richard-W
(Member)
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It's about time! If memory serves -- I haven't listened to the commentaries in a long time -- According to Monte Hellman's commentaries on the authorized DVD's released by VCI in 2000, THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND entered pre-production in January, 1965. They were budgeted between $70,000 and $75,000 each a minuscule amount of money. THE SHOOTING was written by Carole Eastman under an alias; she would be nominated for an Academy Award for writing FIVE EASY PIECES in 1971. Jack Nicholson wrote RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND, loosely based on an incident in A.S. Mercer's classic report The Banditti of the Prairie; Or, the Cattleman's Invasion of Wyoming in 1892, first published in 1895 and then suppressed by the Cattleman's Association until 1935. The two westerns were filmed back to back in southern Utah between April and June and delivered to Roger Corman in June, 1965. They had a sporadic release until Jack Nicholson was nominated for an Academy Award for FIVE EASY PIECES in 1971 at which time they were re-released as a double-feature. Both films were restored in late 1998-99 and projected at the Egyptian Theater in a special event sponsored by the American Film Institute. The VCI discs went out of print real fast. Criterion bought the rights over a decade ago and have kept the films out of release ever since. I guess Criterion is finally getting around to them. THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND are dry, austere chamber plays, but not lacking in action and suspense. Although different in tone and approach, they have a lot in common with the scripts Burt Kennedy wrote for Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott in the late 1950s. Monte Hellman pulled off quite a feat in getting them made at all, with hardly any money to work with. Although produced on a shoestring, they don't look cheap. They are stories so well-told that they undercut the bigger, more flamboyant studio westerns of the 1960s. They are extremely well-crafted films; indeed the level of craftsmanship is very high. There are excellent, thoughtful performances by Jack Nicholson and Millie Perkins in both films, by Warren Oates and Will Hutchins in THE SHOOTING and by Cameron Mitchell in RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND. I consider THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND to be among the most important westerns ever made and two of the best westerns of the decade.
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"ride in the whirlwind" DESERVES IT MORE! a much better film bruce
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I don't agree with that. THE SHOOTING has far higher artistic ambitions. That's the problem! brm
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I. After suppressing the films for over a decade I'll believe Criterion is releasing them when I see it. Just watched WHIRLWIND. FANTASTIC TRANSFER!!! Can't believe this was made in "65. The last ride of Nicholson's character is an all-time great cinematic moment. check itout! bruce
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I love that re-release poster! "Ride with the EASY RIDER...." PRICELESS!
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I love that re-release poster! "Ride with the EASY RIDER...." PRICELESS! one wonders if they re-released it after CUCKOO'S NEST what they would have said..... "RIDE with that CRAZY guy..."
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Then why are you ressurecting a thread about THE SHOOTING? Go to the WHIRLWIND thread here: http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=71496&forumID=1&archive=0 Because, Thor theother thread is about the SCORE. THIS thread is about the Criterion release which includes both FILMS! have a nice day bruce In any case, I should get this Criterion release (mostly for THE SHOOTING). Of course you should. THE SHOOTING is the UNDER THE SKIN of westerns LOL! brm
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