McKenna's Gold (1969)

[Scott]

Just seen MCKENNA'S GOLD (1969) yesterday on Encore Western Channel. The film stars Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif. It also has Telly Savalas, Edward G. Robinson, Eli Wallach, Burgess Meredeth. Its the search for mythical gold in the West. The photography of some the canyonlands of Arizona are some of the best ever in film. It's like a good western then it borders on fantasy with the discovery of gold in a hidden canyon. Great film. Loved it. Some of the special effects were fun also.

My list below is based on recent purchases and available rentals to view in the future:

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Sons of Katie Elders
McCabe and Mrs Miller
Andrei Rublyov (1969)
Navajo Joe (Western)
Little Big Man (Western)
Cable Hogue (Western)
Mountain Men (Western)
Purgatory (Western)
Yojimbo (Kurasawa)
Kugemesha (Kurasawa)
Vamp (Grace Jones)
Birth of a Nation (Film History)
John Wayne Films
Puppet Master III & IV
Jason Goes to Hell
Phantasm III (and maybe part II, kinda forgot how that goes)
Lepracaun II & III

Searching For These:

A Bullitt for the General
Comaneros
Keoma
Fist Full of Lead
Texas, Adios
Four of the Apocalypes
El Topo
The Holy Mountain
The Man in the White Suit
On The Beach

[The Burgomaster]

I have ON THE BEACH on DVD. I think it is still available (in fact, I'm pretty sure I saw it in Circuit City for about $10.99). Great movie & excellent widescreen DVD transfer.

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[Neville]

I loved this one since childhood! I happenned to watch it again some months ago on TV and loved it again. It has some problems, like the writers not making clear if they consider Omar Shariff's character a lovable rogue or a villain, or some underused supporting actors, but the fantastic touches work nicely, and so does the imaginative camerawork by J. Lee Thompson (just dig the accelerated images during action sequences, or the imaginative earthquake FX). If you are looking for an original western, watch it right now. How many westerns have you seen that start with an vulture POV and a song by Jose Feliciano?

[BoyScoutKevin]

Imdb.com calls it a sci-fi western, which makes as much sense as anything else I've read about it. It certainly an oddball western. The casting is certainly odd w/ Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Keenan Wynn as a Mexican named Sanchez; Julie Newmar, Ted "Lurch" Cassidy, and Eduardo Ciannelli, as American Indians; and the men from Hadleyburg: Lee J. Cobb, Raymond Massey, Burgess Meredith, Edward G. Robinson, Eli Wallach, and Anthony Quayle in what I take to be his only western.
What else can I remember about the film. Sharif broke his nose during the making of it. Newmar has a skinnydipping scene in it. And the film is loosely based on the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine.
Enjoy the film!

[Neville]

BTW, Scott0, if you still aren't sick and tired of watching spaghetti westerns, I have another recommendation for you: "Face to face", by Sergio Collima. I found it a few days ago in the DVD section of my local library (you'd be surprised of what things crawl in that shelf, I even got a DVD copy of William Malone's "Creature" as well) and it is a hell of a movie. Goes about a ruthless criminal who takes a mild teacher as a hostage and they end up influencing each other, and not precisely for good.

[Scott]

Is this the FACE TO FACE (1952) starring James Mason?

[Neville]

Nope, it is the one starring Gian Maria Volonte: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0061636



Post Edited (04-29-03 12:14)

[Scott]

Thanks Neville, I'm adding that one to my list after reading the reviews on imdb.