Comments on: The Last Hard Men http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/ Mainly Western and Noir reviews Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:05:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-50 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:06:37 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-50 TBH, I wasn't aware that there were any OAR versions out there (which is why, buttons or no, I've steered clear). Thanks for that info Ian. TBH, I wasn’t aware that there were any OAR versions out there (which is why, buttons or no, I’ve steered clear). Thanks for that info Ian.

]]> by: Ian W http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-49 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:26:33 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-49 I think McLaglen had a knack for working with big name actors who were a little past their prime and it's generally those names that draw me to his films rather than McLaglen's. You can almost always rely on Heston or Coburn to entertain even if the film as a whole is a little lacking. John, that Region 1 Mountain Men DVD is very cheap but it's also 4:3. I've got the Spanish DVD which is anamorphic widescreen and can be had for 7 Euros (plus shipping)at dvdgo.com (and The Last Hard Men for 9). I think McLaglen had a knack for working with big name actors who were a little past their prime and it’s generally those names that draw me to his films rather than McLaglen’s. You can almost always rely on Heston or Coburn to entertain even if the film as a whole is a little lacking.

John, that Region 1 Mountain Men DVD is very cheap but it’s also 4:3. I’ve got the Spanish DVD which is anamorphic widescreen and can be had for 7 Euros (plus shipping)at dvdgo.com (and The Last Hard Men for 9).

]]> by: livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-48 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:31:10 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-48 Cheers Mike. Coming from a respected reviewer like yourself, I'll take that as high praise indeed. Nice to see some love for 'The Wild Geese' - I, too, think it's a lot of fun. I suppose many of us do have some grudging admiration for McLaglen after all. Cheers Mike.
Coming from a respected reviewer like yourself, I’ll take that as high praise indeed.

Nice to see some love for ‘The Wild Geese’ - I, too, think it’s a lot of fun. I suppose many of us do have some grudging admiration for McLaglen after all.

]]> by: Mike Sutton http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-47 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:14:38 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-47 Nice review Livius. I quite like McLaglen's ramshackle old-men action films made in 1978-80 - The Wild Geese, The Sea Wolves and North Sea Hijack. As a Western director I thought he was never more than efficient - but he was generally efficient and having recently watched Big Jake, I think it could have done with some of McLaglen's simple professionalism. Nice review Livius.

I quite like McLaglen’s ramshackle old-men action films made in 1978-80 - The Wild Geese, The Sea Wolves and North Sea Hijack. As a Western director I thought he was never more than efficient - but he was generally efficient and having recently watched Big Jake, I think it could have done with some of McLaglen’s simple professionalism.

]]> by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-46 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:46:12 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-46 Blimey; 10 here too surprisingly! 'Mountain Men' is, BTW, available for buttons in R1 land. Blimey; 10 here too surprisingly! ‘Mountain Men’ is, BTW, available for buttons in R1 land.

]]> by: livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-45 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:26:26 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-45 Thanks for that, Ian. I agree that the opening and closing shots of Wayne in 'Chisum' are iconic images. Like you I was surprised to find that I have ten of McLaglen's movies on DVD - I think that may be because, although he was no great director, he did turn out a lot of reasonably entertaining product. Thanks for that, Ian.
I agree that the opening and closing shots of Wayne in ‘Chisum’ are iconic images.

Like you I was surprised to find that I have ten of McLaglen’s movies on DVD - I think that may be because, although he was no great director, he did turn out a lot of reasonably entertaining product.

]]> by: Ian W http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-44 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:59:21 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-44 I’ve got this lined up for viewing soon, along with a couple of other Heston films – Will Penny and The Mountain Men, the latter like The Last Hard Men is available in Europe though not the UK. I’ve always rather liked The Last Hard Men but it’s one that I enjoy more for the pairing of the two legends than for being a great film. Looking forward to seeing it again though as I haven’t watched it for several years. As for McLaglen, he’s rarely more than adequate but I too have a soft spot for Chisum. The shot of John Chisum looking out over his land is one of the strongest images from latter day Wayne westerns. Like you I also enjoy Johnson’s performance but I can’t say I’m that enamoured of the final fight between Wayne and Tucker or perhaps I should say their stunt doubles as the scene has some of the most obvious doubling I’ve ever seen. My vote for McLaglen’s best film would go to McLintock, it’s not high art but it has a raucous charm that’s hard not to like. What’s surprising, given what a mediocre director he was, is how many of his films I have on DVD (11!) I’ve got this lined up for viewing soon, along with a couple of other Heston films – Will Penny and The Mountain Men, the latter like The Last Hard Men is available in Europe though not the UK.

I’ve always rather liked The Last Hard Men but it’s one that I enjoy more for the pairing of the two legends than for being a great film. Looking forward to seeing it again though as I haven’t watched it for several years.

As for McLaglen, he’s rarely more than adequate but I too have a soft spot for Chisum. The shot of John Chisum looking out over his land is one of the strongest images from latter day Wayne westerns. Like you I also enjoy Johnson’s performance but I can’t say I’m that enamoured of the final fight between Wayne and Tucker or perhaps I should say their stunt doubles as the scene has some of the most obvious doubling I’ve ever seen.

My vote for McLaglen’s best film would go to McLintock, it’s not high art but it has a raucous charm that’s hard not to like. What’s surprising, given what a mediocre director he was, is how many of his films I have on DVD (11!)

]]> by: livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-43 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:25:39 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-43 Ah, there's so many things I enjoy in 'Chisum' - Ben Johnson mumbling his way through the film, the great brawl with Forrest Tucker, and that showdown at the river 'So, if you want these horses I'll sell them to you. Did you bring some gold with you?' 'No.' 'Silver?' 'Just lead.....'   :cool: Ah, there’s so many things I enjoy in ‘Chisum’ - Ben Johnson mumbling his way through the film, the great brawl with Forrest Tucker, and that showdown at the river

‘So, if you want these horses I’ll sell them to you. Did you bring some gold with you?’

‘No.’

‘Silver?’

‘Just lead…..’  

:cool:

]]> by: John Hodson http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-42 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:42:59 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-42 'Chisum' has a great singalong credit sequence doesn't it, and that nice little piece of dialogue from Wayne (when he'd almost - almost - stopped being an actor and become a living national monument): '...Then I thought about something Henry Tunstall once said. He watched a man walk to the gallows... saw him hang. He said it was ghastly. Well, I've seen men hang, and that's the word - ghastly. You two are going to hang.' ‘Chisum’ has a great singalong credit sequence doesn’t it, and that nice little piece of dialogue from Wayne (when he’d almost - almost - stopped being an actor and become a living national monument): ‘…Then I thought about something Henry Tunstall once said. He watched a man walk to the gallows… saw him hang. He said it was ghastly. Well, I’ve seen men hang, and that’s the word - ghastly. You two are going to hang.’

]]> by: livius http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-41 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:23:21 +0000 http://filmjournal.net/livius/2007/12/10/the-last-hard-men/#comment-41 Thanks for the comment John. Strange that a man could spend so much time around Ford and yet fail to capture something of his genius. I suppose it just shows why those "special" people really are special. Regarding McLaglen's other films, I have to confess to having a real soft spot for 'Chisum'. Thanks for the comment John.

Strange that a man could spend so much time around Ford and yet fail to capture something of his genius. I suppose it just shows why those “special” people really are special.

Regarding McLaglen’s other films, I have to confess to having a real soft spot for ‘Chisum’.

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