Fresh out of law school, 54-year-old James Stewart is traveling to the small
western town of Shinbone when the stagecoach is held up by local bandit Liberty
Valance. He beats the poo-poo out of Stewart and leaves him for dead on
the side of the road. Luckily, John Wayne happens to find him and takes
him into town for some medical attention. Shinbone is a small town, not
much bigger than a tumbleweed, and it doesn't have a lawyer or much of anything
for that matter. Mostly bars, drunks, a one-man newspaper written by
Edmond O'Brien and a restaurant waitressed by Vera Miles.
It's Miles who nurses Stewart back to health. She even gets him a job
washing dishes, since there's no need for a lawyer. As things progress and
the locals faces off against the large ranchers in a fight of statehood vs.
territorial control by the ranchers, Stewart is obsessed with seeing Valance
face the justice of the Law. At the same time, Valance and his gang
continues to terrorize the local population and Wayne sees that his secret love
for Miles is in danger of being crushed by her admiration of Stewart.
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE isn't your standard western with the wide shots
of the beautiful desert vistas, cattle drives and everybody riding horses
non-stop. Most of the action takes place indoors with people
talking. Now whether that was was done by choice or lack of financing I
don't know, but it works thanks to the strong script and the fact that TMWSLV
has pound-for-pound one of the most impressive casts ever! It's
amazing! There's one scene (the steak on the floor scene) where you have
John Wayne, Vera Miles, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Strother
Martin, Woody Strode, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Van Cleef and John Qualen all in one
area together! Not to mention Andy Devine ducking out the back door.
That's mind-blowing.
Great story, amazing cast, Strother Martin giggling, Montie Montana's horse
drinking out of a water pitcher, tons of familiar faces (including Denver Pyle,
Willis Bouchey, Robert F. Simon, Carleton Young, Ted Mapes, Jack Pennick and
more), good pace, costume design by Edith Head, John Carradine monologuing and
one of my favorite Edmond O'Brien performances ever. I have no idea why
this film only received one(!!!) Oscar nomination.
Highly recommended.
Showing posts with label Vera Miles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vera Miles. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Friday, August 2, 2013
THE INITIATION (1984)
Lesser known 80's slasher that's actually a lot of fun. College freshman Kelly has been having nightmares about a burning man for years. What can it be? Her imagination? A repressed memory? Freddy Krueger? Well, her professor wants to find out so he's putting her through a series of tests. At the same time Kelly is pledging to get into a fraternity and of course that means pranks, parties and initiations. One of the initiations is to sneak into a large shopping mall and get the security guards clothes by whatever means necessary. Sounds fun and it would be too if there wasn't a meddling psychopath going around stabbing people to death. What a party pooper!
When I sat down to watch this film I didn't know anything about it, so not only was I shocked to see Vera Miles and Clu Gulager on the opening credits but also because I actually enjoyed the film and even watched it twice. Interesting story that's strong throughout the entire film, good acting, passable special effects, little blood, zero gore, best looking non-main chick got naked twice, dream sequence, frat costume paaar-tay, 80's as fuck fashions, awesome 80's hair. It's not scary in the least, but it's still a fun film. Recommended for 80's slasher fans.
When I sat down to watch this film I didn't know anything about it, so not only was I shocked to see Vera Miles and Clu Gulager on the opening credits but also because I actually enjoyed the film and even watched it twice. Interesting story that's strong throughout the entire film, good acting, passable special effects, little blood, zero gore, best looking non-main chick got naked twice, dream sequence, frat costume paaar-tay, 80's as fuck fashions, awesome 80's hair. It's not scary in the least, but it's still a fun film. Recommended for 80's slasher fans.
What is the point of that shirt?
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