I suppose this should come as no surprise, but I'm quite excited to see the upcoming movie True Grit.
I have never seen the original, although I actually am a bit of a John Wayne movie fan. I have seen about 80 - 90% of the Coen Bros. output, and only once have I really felt like I didn't get something out of the movie. I'm a self-confessed Matt Damon fan, and I trust both Brolin and Bridges.
The Coens shot part of the movie in Central Texas (although from the terrain and snow seen in portions of the trailer, I can assure you, a good portion of the film was also most certainly not shot in these parts). And while I understand some people say they don't like "westerns", its a genre that transcends itself every time someone decides not to settle for making a B-picture.
But I will go ahead and guess that I'm preaching to the choir talking to you guys. I suspect that the same sized audience (or larger) that turned up for No Country for Old Men (one of my favorite movies of the past few years) is going to turn out for this one, too. And I suspect a lot of you are planning to see this one.
It does remind me, though... once again the distributors and studios are dumping movies I'd likely go see at a fairly busy time of the year. I get that its closer to Oscar voting season, but... I kind of have stuff going on right now, and getting the family together to go see Black Swan doesn't sound like a scenario that's going to formulate in too many households (sure, I hope to make time to get out and see it - but, realistically, likely won't make it.).
The effect, I have to assume, is that accountants look at the numbers for a "type" of movie and declare it can't be greenlit because it didn't do as well as, say, Bevery Hills Chihuahua might have in December. Which means critics beat their breast and wag their finger at the public, and we get a trend where we see a lot more talking dog movies and a lot fewer movies that make a good case for getting out to the theater for people over 30.
That's a rant and a tangent, but it also points out that, heck yeah, I'm making time to go see True Grit. And then I'm going to watch the original to see how they stack up.
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I have very fond memories of watching the original with my Grandad. He LOVED John Wayne. It's a good flick. I think this one will also be good. I've heard that the Coens stuck closer to the souce book.
ReplyDeleteI saw Black Swan last weekend, it was pretty haunting and amazing. I'd recommend trying your hardest to see it on the big screen, although the crowd we saw it with seemed a bit odd (Regal Arbor can be like that sometimes).
I never much cared for the western genre until I saw the Leone movies. I get bored at "Shane" and most of the other classics but the Leone films and these gritty "No Country" epics are really great settings for some Greek tragedy setups.
ReplyDeleteYou were bored with Shane? Man! I admit, I first saw it as a kid, so for me, my love for the movie may just be a lot of nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yeah, the Leone westerns are a quantum leap and a great bridge to the modern western. Its still hard for me to top "Once Upon a Time in the West", not just as a western, but as a movie.
But give "High Noon" a whirl, if you've never watched it. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "The Sons of Katie Elder", "Winchester '73" is pretty good. I've never seen "The Oxbow Incident", but its supposed to be a classic.
Whiich Coen movie did you not like and which ones have you not watched?
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