Movie Review: "Two Rode Together" (1961; Columbia Pictures/Twilight Time)

...often times, even without the grapevine sensationalism, those privy to the behind-the-scenes 'making of' stories, hear tell about how difficult this or that star was to work with, or how difficult this or that director was to work with...even situations and productions where the performers and filmmakers genuinely went out of their way to actually make things difficult,,,make things uneasy and unpredictable. And yet, despite such difficulties, some absolutely wonderful films have been derived...a testament to the overall professionalism of those in front of the camera, as we as behind. Such was the case, with regards to the actors and filmmakers, whom have had the initial displeasure, then ultimate satisfaction with working with famed and renowned filmmaker, John Ford. Antagonistic. Keeping his performers out of the loop, as far as letting them know what he wanted, or what he expected...taking his frustrations out on his performing entourage...making those under his direction, uneasy, wary and suspicious of each other...this was his style, and despite such erratic instability of direction, the best of classic Hollywood nonetheless flocked to work with him...actors, like John Wayne, Henry Fonda and James Stewart...the latter of which collaborated with Ford on three of the greatest westerns set to celluloid...1964's "Cheyenne Autumn", 1962's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", and the slightly lesser, though no less compelling, sweeping 1961 western drama...their initial pairing..."Two Rode Together", which herein is given the exclusive 'Twilight Time' treatment...

Movie Review: "Sheriff of Contention" (2010; Rock Wayne Org./High Frontier Vent./Lionsgate)

...from studio to studio...from distribution company to distribution company...they say that for every great film script, pull out from the endless sea of extensive literary meanderings & cinematic hopefuls, and given it's due, there are at least two dozen or so others...some good, most bad...left to languish, lost and unnoticed. Occasionally, the cinematic powers-that-be, do take a gamble on a forlorn concept...one of those thought lost and discarded scripts, which most have turned their discriminant nose up at...save for that rare and singular moment of unconvention, who keenly eyes a laid-aside script of potential...something which elicits a thought-provoking 'hmmm, that's interesting'. A story interesting enough to warrant engaging, even in the midst of what might be considered muddled thespian in performance, and untried in direction & editing. Such might well have been the case, with the respectably thrilling and intriguing 2010 old-westerner, "Sheriff of Contention", which sat collecting dust on a shelf...that is, until Liongate, of all surprising distributors, recently saw fit to shed an indiscriminate and opportunist spotlight on the little film...to the delight of us devotees of the type of period Wild West melodramas, which in this case, unconventionally assume contemporary conventions, albeit on a forgiveably less-than perfect level of presentation...

...Sheriff Peavy is in the throes of almost overwhelming pressure; the people, whom he serves in the dusty frontier town of Contention City, have expressed a growing loss of faith in his abilities, saying that he is 'used up and burnt out'. The sheriff's gun-happy right hand man, Deputy Conley, has made no secret of his ambitions, in possibly replacing the sheriff, in view of his seemingly diminished stature...and even the town's mayor himself has expressed and encouraged such a prospective changing of hands. And in the midst of such personal turmoil, the sheriff...as well as the townspeople...are horrified and perplexed at a ever-increasing series of heinous and ruthless killings, which have targeted the town's womenfolk...

Movie Review: Desperadoes of the West (1950; Republic/Cheezy Flicks)

...I really envy my late grandfather's days, when it came to visiting the local cinema. Back in the '30's and '40's, for a measly ten cents, eager movie theater attendees of all ages, were privy to TWO feature films, which were proceeded by, and sandwiched a handful of movie trailers, a cartoon, a newsreel...and a weekly chapter of the latest serial, or cliffhanger. Never mind the pre-set allure and attraction of the feature films, each week...those cliffhanger chapters were definitely a great crowd-drawing gimmick, as...providing the serial was suspensefully engaging enough...people clambered back to the theaters each week, to see what happens to the cliffhangers' various characters, who were in dire straits and peril at the end of one week's episode, only to emerge from such peril, relatively unscathed, in the onset of the following week's vignette. It is somewhat surprising that in this day and age, when a hefty price at the movies (...nearly 100 times that of the aforementioned good old days, and thus driving folks further away from the auditoriums, and into their homes, where their wall-sized LCD television reigns movie-supreme) provides only ONE feature film, two or three trailers...AND commercials, no less...that movie distributors and movie house managers haven't considered reviving the movie serial, if at the very least, an able-bodied money-grubbing attempt to draw and keep theater patrons' butts in their seats. And this viewer, who WOULD gullibly, albeit gleefully venture regularly to the local cinema, in response to any such revival of the cliffhanger, can't help but think that THIS movie serial, a nostalgically wild and wholly, rip-roarin' action-packed, Old West six-shooter western from 1950, called "Desperadoes of the West", most assuredly had to have been one of those likably exciting chapter serials, which brought 'em in droves, back in the day...

Movie Review: Exit Humanity (2011)

by Peggy Christie

Exit stage left? Nope, Exit Humanity. The beginning voice over tells us that there’s a war between the living and the dead. This zombie plague has nearly wiped out the human race. Wanna know how it started? Conveniently, we found this diary of a Confederate soldier, dating back to the end of the Civil War.
Edward Young has seen Hell. His first zombie sighting is during a battle. Though he can’t imagine the cause, he accepts it and tries to return to a normal post-war life with his wife and child. Unfortunately, the dead won’t let him.

After having to kill his family, Edward decides to make his son’s resting place one of peace – a water fall he saw during the war that he drew for the boy and promised to visit with him one day. Only in death will the boy get to see it.