3DD!3

You see, in this world, there are two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. So dig. Three gunslingers, one treasure and maybe the best western that I’ve ever seen. This time it’s the ugly Eli Wallach, who accidentally gets involved with the American Civil War, who holds the story together. Lee Van Cleef’s Angel Eyes stands a little aside from the main story line, but he makes up for it with almost textbook villainy. And there’s Blondie Clint who, with Leone, thought up the climax to this dollar trilogy. Including the surreptitious return of the scruffy poncho to the game and the breathtaking three-way duel in the finale.

I used to watch this pretty regularly, but in German (I only understood about half of what was going on) on RTL, SAT 1 or PRO 7 when I was still a young boy. I understood the basic idea of traveling through time through other people’s bodies, but because I hadn’t seen the pilot I wasn’t sure why and mainly how. In the end it didn’t really matter, because it was sort of eye candy for me. Maybe some Czech TV channel will buy it and at last I can find out how it ended.

A memory: I’m about 13-14 years old and I’m resting on the sofa after a hearty lunch. Dad is watching a western on TV and I have half an eye on it too. Then that melody of the pocket watch began to chime and totally captivated me. I couldn’t get it out of my head for like ten years... For a few dollars more is a story about Lee Van Cleef’s Colonel Mortimer than about Clint’s Monk with the snappy lines, but they are given more or less the same amount of room. Leone raises his standard, develops the main characters more and offers a higher quality plot. Really, really good.

This is seriously gross. I grew up reading Asterix books, but this movie has nothing to do with the original, just the title, vaguely the plot and a couple of jokes that fell flat in this movie anyhow. Neither Depardieu nor Delon have any role to play and the new casting of Asterix himself is the peak of desperation. So why did I give it one star? Well, I was pleased to see Schumacher’s cameo.

This is where it all began. For westerns, for Eastwood and also maybe for Leone. The day when a gunslinger arrived in a small town. The story is simple, but nice, the same as the characters in it. And Clint straining snappy lines through his perpetual cheroot is just delicious. When a man's got money in his pocket he begins to appreciate peace.

I’m not completely happy with the four stars I’m giving, but I had a much better feeling from Angels that from the Code (maybe also because I didn’t bother to read the former). In this movie, Tom again has a whistle-stop tour of attractive locations to the booming chorals of Hans Zimmer (who even adds some good old synthesizer) but at a higher speed than before. We still get a lot of talking about all that what, why and how (I usually like this in books, but in movies too much talking does harm) in order to reveal a simple plot spiced up with the heaviest caliber sci-fi (antimatter in a box?!). But as soon as you adapt to the world that is offered to you here, it starts to be pretty entertaining. The actors are all a class above last time, Ayelet Zurer is foxier than Audrey Tautou and also we see the outstanding Ewan McGregor. And the ending is really powerful and as I said, Zimmer’s synths and chorals are simply a lethal combination.

This is as different as a remake can be. Other than that, it’s a chill movie. Tony and Denzel let John join the crew and took a subway ride. When you get what you’re waiting for, you have to be satisfied, don’t you? Travolta as a bad guy is always something and this time he spits venom like there is no tomorrow. I hope that dubbing works out well enough to be a quote-worthy. I was disappointed by how the scene with Mr. Blue on the railway was changed, but then again, it probably wouldn’t have been so effective. It was nice to see John Turturro acting so ordinarily and almost “normal", I couldn’t believe me eyes. Well and lastly I would like to thank FilmBooster and Falcon for the free preview. I hope that even here in Ostrava another similar screening will take place.

After seeing Death Proof, I said to myself that Quentin should have a crack at the Basterds, but I really didn’t expect him to react to my words. But it was a good decision and I can just say: “I’m happy. Good old Quentin is back." The dialogs deserve a chapter to themselves. Tarantino really enjoys himself and the Germans turn into a band of blabbering catchphrase mongers. The same applies to Pitt’s Apache Aldo and to all of them, in fact (yes, Diane Kruger too). Til Schweiger plays the role of his life (I bet his character was originally written for Schwarzenegger). But it’s mainly Christoph Waltz who gives an acting recital, and he literally shines throughout the movie and I think an Oscar nomination is essential. Melanie Laurent absolutely buries Uma Thurman and Kill Bill. Her revenge is far more punch and emotions can be wrung out by the gallon. The climax of the movie is the first chapter which is a western set in World War Two. The atmosphere can be cut with a knife and the unknown actors are completely at one with their characters. And the music by Ennio Morricone sends chills down the spine and the story takes you off into movieland. Beautiful. P.S.: The trailer gives a false impression. It’s more or less only about chapter two. But the main story takes place in the other chapters. Unexpected. P.P.S.: And who didn’t notice that S. L. J. talks about how flammable celluloid is.

Romero transposed some pulp horror stories, by master of the genre Stephen King, to the silver screen. Five tales from the world of dread and horror is peppered with King’s wacky ideas and black humor. At some points I felt disappointed that King hadn’t published them in book form. It would have been a delicious read. Maybe the publishers will get their act together some day and publish the original comics in this country (Czech Rep.). The first tale Father’s Day is special for Ed Harris (with hair!), excellent makeup and rather unusual reason why the deceased father leaves his place of eternal rest for a last bite to eat. 90% The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill brings us Stephen King in the role of a farmer/retard Jordy who, after a meteorite is discovered, starts turning into a... 85% In Something to Tide You Over we meet a wicked Leslie Nielsen who makes two lovers drink sea water. 85% The Crate offers a teacher a way out of a difficult situation. 75% They're Creeping Up on You, for me the most terrifying story, is about a rich man obsessed with cleanliness under attack by vengeful cockroaches. 85% All of the stories are linked by a really nice story about daddies, pulp horror comic books and a voodoo doll.

I’m being really kind with those three stars. Boring, boring, nothing, beautiful countryside and a nicely croaky Vin Diesel. Oh yeah, and Michelle Rodriguez makes a two-minute appearance in a swimsuit. OK, so it’s just a pre-movie, but is it too much to ask to have at least one car chase in this short? They had the cars for it.