Really, this is correct, more so than any other film genre for me. The classic B movie & spaghetti westerns, hell, I'd be hard pressed to narrow a list down to a top 25. High Noon, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Shane & Stagecoach would top my list...I never get tired of watching these. I did like 3:10 to Yuma, a good watch, but the 1957 original with Glenn Ford & Van Helfin was better. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Dances With Wolves," which definitely ranks up there...Kevin Costner before he lost his mind and made three of the worst movies I've ever seen - Waterworld, The Postman, & Wyatt Earp. The Quick and the Dead? Terrible, simply terrible. Sharon Stone really is a god-awful actress.
Yes, but look at the last 50 years of Hollywood "historical" movies: the eccentric and nearly pornographic "Calligula", the crazy "Fall of Rome", a bunch of biblical movies (which I refuse to watch). It pretty much leaves Spartacus, which I enjoyed and should have put in the list, the Sinbad movies (which were really as historical as "1000 and 1 Arabian Nights") Alexander and Troy may have been a disaster but were rich on action, beautiful women, spilled blood and whatever else does a red-blooded man needs? At least, and you have got to give me that, it wasn't {vomitting} maverick {vomitting again}
Never saw "Alexander," but I have to agree with G74, I really liked "Troy." I also liked "King Arthur" & "Kingdom of Heaven" a lot, as well. "Troy," BTW, is on AMC this weekend, both Saturday & Sunday. What better way to celebrate 08 March than ogle & drool at the outlandishly gorgeous Diane Kruger as the Face That Launched 1,000 Ships? (Rose Byrne is mighty tasty eye candy in that flick, as well.) I have never yet managed to make it all the way thru "Caligula." Tried a few times, never understood the buzz about that movie, at all. What a wretched film.
Oh Man! How da hell did I leave Kingdon of Heaven out. Not only was it good, it had a message, Was very short on historical facts and on women. But fighting scenes, especially the siege were epic!!! P.S. I will not throw Diane Kruger out of my bed for eating crackers!!!
if we want to talk about Top 5 films with best Large army battles, it will have to be this: 1. Braveheart 2. Lort of the Rings (3rd part) 3. Lord of the Rings (2nd part) 4. Troy 5. The Last Samurai
I picked up "300" today as a part of the Coka-Cola's Blockbuster Night promotion (it includes 2 free rental, 2 free 20 OZ coke products, and a free tub of popcorn). We'll see what it's all about. I suspect it will be lacking plot, filled with male mucho show-offs pumped up on steroids. But I am going to enjoy the blood and gore.
The original Ben Hur mit Novarro was a myihae, so was El Cid mit Heston + Zorro mit Fairbanks or Powers, ANTONY + Cleopatra mit E.Taylor, Joan the Woman and The Sign of the Cross by DeMille, the original 300 Spartans, Jovovich's + Polanski's Joan of Arc, obviously Spartacus. I dunno if you can count Shakespeare or Dumas or Scott or other classics' film versions as historical dramas?
I thought it was OK, nothing more than that. I suspect that is one of those films that improves 100% when watching one one's new & outrageously expensive HD TV & the Dolby surround setup that costs almost as much. I'd watch it again, I suppose, decent film. Probably should add it to my Netflix queue just so I can burn a copy....
Most men can brag about being with at least one hot woman in their life and hope to marry one like that. I only met one and married the one after her!
I haven't seen all that many true westerns, so my list will have to consist mostly of pseudo westerns and variations on the theme: 1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) 2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) 3. No Country for Old Men (2007) 4. Maverick (1994) 5. Dances with Wolves (1990) I would really be hard pressed to add a 6th title to the list. The movies that comes to mind such as Cold Mountain (2003), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and All the Pretty Horses (2000) all don't belong on any best of list. Mayhaps I am missing some cultural subtext, but I really didn't note anything of particular merit in my viewing of it. What's the big deal about this film?
I didn't think No Country for Old Men was a western but if it is then: 310 to Yuma (with Crowe and Bale) Good Bad Ugly For a few dollars more Unforgiven Once upon a time in the west I really don't like traditional westerns though.
I saw 300. It was terrible. As I suspected it had no plot, very loose with history. Filled with posturing and mucho posing. Not much else.
Top 5 boxing movies: 1. Rocky (1976) 2. Cinderella Man (2005) 3. Million Dollar Baby (2004) 4. Resurrecting the Champ (2007) 5. The Hurricane (1999) And yes, I am well aware of the existence of Raging Bull, but in similar regard to Unforgiven, I just don't see what the big deal is.
Having boxed for most of my high school career, Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby were/are the only two boxing movies I enjoyed.
Best five car chase scene movies: 1. Ronin -sets the modern standard, and a damn good shoot 'em up besides. 2. The Bourne Supremacy - can't beat the idea of that Volga taxi weaving thru Moscow, taking a severe beating & still running. 3. The French Connection - set the original standard 4. The Chase - the delicious Kristy Swanson (the Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, movie version) getting busy in the drivers seat with half the CHP in pursuit. Worth jail time. 3. The Bourne Identity - (Bourne beats on an old Mini-Cooper as the prelude to his putting the Volga thru its paces in the sequel.)
I loved Kill Bill. Top 5 boxing 1. Raging Bull 2. Rocky 3. The million dollar baby 4. Hurricane 5. Rocky II (gotta give love to Drago)