The Quick and the Dead
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Movie Reviews of The Quick and the Dead
Movie Review: Quick Flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Yadda, yadda, yadda...this movie has been picked apart by every film critic for the lack of a "deep story" or "not adhering" to the rules of how a true spaghetti western should be created. One can see why Sharon Stone seemed to immensely enjoy her role; she broke the age old "western" notion/tradition that the town's mysterious stranger has to be a man. Her role as Ellen/Lady is both sexy and intelligent (albeit at times her moves and mannerisms too choreographed and lines predictable...so what).This role is far from her glamorous usual roles (yet she still looks good !). What's enticing about this film is how the pace of action and story telling moves at an alarming rate without losing the viewer's interest.The entire cast is great, almost too great for a mere 108 minutes of film time. But that's the beauty of this flick. Also, the direction or production is pure Raimi style with the intense close ups and bigger than life picturesque back scenes. Yet, an underlying tone of tongue in cheek caricaturism of the typical spaghetti western style exists ;it's almost an homage. Hackman is at his evil best as Herod (think of King Herod from the bible) and a young DiCaprio shows he's not just a young kid playing "The Kid". This was also one of Russel Crowe's lesser or better known roles before Gladiator or The Insider. Early versions of this dvd do not bare his name or photo on the front cover as later versions do after making it to Oscar status for Gladiator. Crowe's laid back and reluctant character Cort has that seething hatred and vengeful agenda hidden beneath his cool and composed surface just as Stone's character does. While this film is nowhere near the classics by Eastwood it is engrossing entertainment at its best that engages a viewer to find out what's going to happen next. Yes, the ending may be too neat and tidy but overall it's a great rental at best and maybe somewhat a keeper for those who like this genre or the actors...maybe both !As far as the technical aspects of the dvd transfer, both video and audio are clean and void of any major artifacts that plague so many dvds in this great digital, almost perfect age. The 5.1 surround is spectacular ! It truly demonstrates what surround speakers and a subwoofer are for. You will be thrilled with the rocking explosions, bullets ricocheting,wind howling, rain pouring, thunder and lightning dancing around. You will hear dogs barking behind you and a gamut of other special efects that will put some newer, bigger budgeted action dvds to shame ! Bravo for the sound mixers and editors for their Dolby Digital wizardry for this dvd !!!...
Movie Review: A Question of Viewer Expectations
Summary: 4 Stars
After a recent viewing of this movie, I was surprised at the negative reaction to it of some viewers and critics. It is handsomely produced, with plentiful action, capable performances from the actors, a sprinkling of humor, and a sequence or two that almost reminded me of the Coen Brothers. It was hardly the greatest film I have seen, but I very much enjoyed the over-the-top way it re-visited a host of archetypal western conventions. Upon reflection, I think the negative reviews result from a problem I have seen many times before, with many other films. The whole thing comes down to what you were expecting when you first approached the film. The recent admirable film, "Appaloosa", with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson conveys a powerful sense of realism and the feel of a serious western drama. Films like "Cat Ballou" or "Blazing Saddles" take the western genre into the realm of outrageous comedy. "The Quick and the Dead" seems to me to deliberately go in neither of these directions. It might be viewed as a comedy, but I don't think that this was the director's intention, and the actual laugh-producing gags are not found here in abundance. In some ways, it reminds me of Eastwood's "High Plains Drifter", which is another film that does not ask to be taken too seriously; however, this one seems to be more deliberately flashy and extreme. Right from the opening scene, you are confronted with situations that can clearly not be seen as realism. One critic stated that he felt that Sharon Stone had not brought the desired amount of psychological depth to her portrayal. This strikes me as nonsense. This character, in the context of this movie, is not about psychological depth. She is deliberately a stone-faced stereotype of a gunslinger, with the somewhat incoherent quality of being too superstar beautiful for the part. This works like yet another tipoff that the viewer is not to be seeking realism but, instead, a sort of Hollywood send-up reality. In flashbacks, the Stone character might well be the 19th Century melodrama "Little Nell", victim of a dastardly villain, so cruel and vicious that you have no question as to the violent comeuppance they must inevitably face at the conclusion. It seems to me that some folks expected an out-and-out comedy, while others expected more realistic, serious action fare. The problem with this movie is that it is neither. You can accept this or not. I very much enjoyed it for what it is.Movie Review: The Quick and the (Evil) Dead
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the sort of movie that strikes you as just plain odd when you first see it (fairly typical of Raimi flicks, really). But also typical of Raimi flicks, this film rewards you the more you watch it.Everything in this film (with the possible exception of the Swedish gunslinging champ Gutzon) is an archetype from the movie Western: Gene Hackman as Herod is as evil as anyone could be; Russel Crowe as Cort, the gunslinger-turned-preacher; Leonardo DiCaprio as The Kid--every fast talking quick-draw teen; Lance Henriksen is Ace, the fame-seeking showman; and on and on, down to the blind shoeshine boy, the bartender, the undertaker, and the grizzled ol' doc.
And then, into this mix, they throw The Man With No Name--in this case a woman, Sharon Stone. She rides into town looking for vengeance but she doesn't have the squinty-eyed serenity of a Clint Eastwood. She has a desperate, feminine quality. In-between her world-weary cynicism is a kind of innocence, fear, self-doubt, self-loathing--things far out of the usual band of emotions for a spaghetti western.
And all these characters are played straight, with no winking at the camera, no self-referential humor, nothing. In the hands of a more pedestrian director, it probably would have come off as a movie-of-the-week feminist statement about empowerment or something.
Instead, we have Sam Raimi, and in his hands, well, we have something completely different. In his hands, the genre itself becomes a character: zooms, close-ups, long-shots from boot level, bullet-cams, and myriad other dizzying techniques that result in a western like no other.
Ultimately we end up with a film that blurs the edges which, to my mind, explains the tepid reception this film got (and continues to get from some) in the USA. We like our Westerns to be Westerns. If it's going to break genre conventions, we want something like "Unforgiven", where it still more-or-less looks like any other Western, but gives us some unusual content.
So if you're just an average movie-goer looking for an average Western, this probably isn't the film for you. If you're a film fan, though, this is a must-see.
Movie Review: Linguine Western
Summary: 4 Stars
I will first agree with the negative aspects. This is not a western. As much as it looks like one, it really isn't. The dialogue could be easily placed in a new york gang atmosphere and flow fine. The way the characters act and their mannerisms doesn't fit the time period either. This I agree with.But lay off it a bit guys. I can understand if you're fully gung-ho on westerns, and if theres one film thats masked as a western but actually contains more satire, you blow your top and dub the film a fake and a horrible act of God. True, there is a style of the great Sergio Leone's "The Good The Bad, And The Ugly", but that wasn't a western either. Spaghetti westerns were films that took place in the wild wild west, but were actually filmed in Italy, where they really had no clue what the west was like. So most of those westerns had a "light-heartedness" to them. Sergio Leone was famous for making a western seem comical. And I believe, Mr. Raimi just took that idea and did it again. Only this time with his directing flair, which is so fun to watch, I wet myself everytime I watch it (lets flash to the fight scene between spiderman and green goblin, supposed to be serious, but actually very light-hearted). During a showdown, Raimi would do an excessive amount of fast zooms on everything! The two guys fighting, the people watching, an inanimate object. I was laughing so hard! And of course, who can forget when the bad guy finally gets what he deserves via Raimi's trademark. POV of bullet! BAM! right in the face, followed by an "Army of Darkness" flip for a finale. My point is, this film is not meant to be taken seriously. But the plot was horribly serious, and Gene Hackman plays an evil man very well, nothing like his cowardly Lex Luthor role (bad analogy, my friend). So the mixture of the serious plot with the directing didn't quite fit. But thanks to Raimi, this film is filled with whacky camera angles, and comic uber spaghetti western themes. Thicker than spaghetti, linguine. Enjoy it!
Movie Review: entertaining comic book style Western
Summary: 4 Stars
Sam Raimi was still untamed by Hollywood, and determined to be as innovative as possible, when he did this Western. The overall memory you will take away with you, is not the performances (which are fine, but hampered by the shallow characterisation in the script) but the distinctive angles and point of view shots that made the Evil Dead series so memorable.
The story is stolen from a number of different famous spaghetti Westerns - virtually everything you see could be described as an homage to one spaghetti Western or other, such as Sharon Stone's motivation, which is almsot straight from 'Once Uopn a time in the West. Even the music has Jews harps and cracking whips... Sadly, the effect is only to remind you that they don't make them like they used to. ...
The story is uncomplicated - Sharon Stone is the (wo)man with no name who rides into town bent on revenge, with the town mayor (Gene Hackman) in her sights. Hackman rules the town with an iron fist, and he has organised a gunfight competition, bringing the fastest shootists around to win the cash prize. Also in the competition are his son (Leo deCaprio) and unwilling participator The Preacher (Russell Crowe).
Sharon Stone had a producers role here, and isisted on the casting of then-unknowns Leonardio DeCaprio, and Russell Crowe.. the casting alone is enough reason to buy this film. Gene Hackman gives a menacing performance, and Stone is OK, but truth be told unconvincing in the role.
In short, this is a wild ride of a film, with lots to enjoy in the acting line-up and highly stylised visual look. Just don't expect something thought provoking - This is a comic book style version of a Western.. it's ironic that Raimi had an even more comic book style here than he did in Spiderman! Well worth its budget cost for the curioisty value..