Lee Van Cleef is a man who makes it look easy to dominate the screen with his presence, no matter what the film. “The Big Gundown” is purely a western thriller for the Lee Van Cleef fans that want to indulge in the sheer finesse and charisma of Van Cleef when he takes turns as the hero. Or in this case, the anti-hero. Van Cleef takes on the role of John Corbett, a man who is not afraid to gun down people that threaten him, but is never trigger happy. He is one of the best bounty hunters in the west, and is a man devoted to his duties. As Corbett, he’s asked by an aristocrat to hunt down a vicious criminal named Cuchillo. He’s wanted for raping and murdering a young girl, and is currently on the run in the west, giving the law a difficult time of finding him.
Tag Archives: Thriller
Proximity (2013)
Yet another take on “The Most Dangerous Game,” my favorite short story of all time, director Ryan Connolly pulls off an excellent feat in putting a twist on the classic story that works well as a short film, and could easily become a fantastic feature length genre entry. Starring Todd Bruno, “Proximity” is set in a not too distant future where men are being wrangled and set loose to be hunted.
No One Lives (2012)
It’s always some sort of karmic justice when a group of utterly inept killers get what’s coming to them, and director Ryuhei Kitamura delivers not only a comeuppance horror film, but a potentially excellent new horror icon with Luke Evans at the helm. “No One Lives” is that classic comeuppance about a band of moronic and bitter thieves that think they have everything about their operations in check, until their members begin to lose sight of their mission to make money and end up screwing themselves in the process.
All Hallow’s Eve (2013)
Ever since “The Collective” got together to make their own anthology series revolving around demonic VHS tapes, every indie director has been attempting to cash in on the formula. “All Hallow’s Eve” is yet another take off on the concept, except it’s set around Halloween! A hot nanny (Katie Maguire) and two of the worst child actors in history have come back from trick or treating, and the nanny discovers an odd unmarked VHS tape in one of her charge’s trick or treat bags.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) [Blu-ray/DVD] Combo
Director Charles B. Pierce’s murder mystery is still a rather effective horror film, but one that hasn’t aged too well. It tends to watch more like a television movie or two hour special from “Believe It or Not!” rather than an actual horror film. Though very influential for its time, “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” has all the interesting elements for a great horror film, but doesn’t quite stack up to a horror film based on a real life series of murders like “Helter Skelter,” or “In Cold Blood.”
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) [Blu-Ray]
Producer: Larry I love your script.
Larry Cohen: Thank you!
Producer: I mean, Aztec Cults, ritual murders, a crime investigation, it’s wonderful.
Larry Cohen: I also have David Carradine and Richard Roundtree in mind to star.
Producer: Excellent. Just throw in a large monster for no reason and we’ll make your movie!
Larry Cohen: Great! I’ll… wait–what?
Producer: There has to be a large monster wreaking havoc. “King Kong” is still big after all. And make it look like a featherless chicken. That’s the ticket!
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) (Extended Edition) (Blu-ray/UltraViolet)
For a movie with the subtitle “An Unexpected Journey,” Bilbo Baggins really does get a huge notice ahead of time. In fact he has enough notice to run away from his home and let the dwarves wait at his door step. Director Peter Jackson really has his work cut out for him, as he has to adapt “The Hobbit” while also trying to remind the audience that this is connected in a large way to “Lord of the Rings.” So, he shoe horns in a cameo from Frodo Baggins, as played by Elijah Wood, and we then enter in to the rather long story afoot.