Why I Think Westerns Are Awesome

Recently I purchased Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly because it was sitting in the western section and giving off a strange luminance that kept catching my eye. And it was on sale. I had seen bits and pieces of it before, but like all good films (or any film really), it can only be truly appreciated when its watched from beginning to end. So I watched it, in its 3 hour long glorious entirety, and I was hooked. It is truly a remarkable feat in cinema, which is no mystery to any of Leone's appreciators. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly masters the techniques that were attempted in his first to films in the series, Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, both starring Clint Eastwood.

Thus, my adoration for the Western genre was sparked. A dirty shot glass full of aged whiskey served with  a dusty revolver in a rustic 1880's New Mexico saloon became my idea of a good time. If I could get away with it, I wouldn't hesitate to wear a poncho and spurs everywhere. I've seen westerns before, but somehow Sergio Leone's trilogy was truly inspirational, and turned me on to an hidden love of a pre-industrialized United States that I didn't realize existed within me. And the ironic thing is that it took a series filmed in Spain by an Italian director to do so.

Leone began what is referred to as the "Spaghetti Western" genre. During the beginning of the 1960's, Italy was still in the aftermath of its postwar turmoils and hurting economically. Consequently, so was its film industry. In an effort to save money, the Italian film industry decided to finance Serigo Leone's Fistful of Dollars, starring young and unknown Clint Eastwood. The relatively inexpensive production costs of western films popularized by American cinema was appealing for the film studios, and after the first movie in the Dollars trilogy became successful, the "Spaghetti Western" genre was born. Thanks to Leone, Eastwood, and the classic composer Ennio Marconie (whose iconic music in each film became a staple of the genre), the film industry boomed with westerns. Over 200 were made during its era, and all were in the style of Leone and Marconie.

Everyone is familiar with the score of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, whether they are aware of it or not. Leone often referred to Marconie as a screenwriter as well as a composer, because the scene could be easily rewritten by Marconie's musical stings that could add tension and suspense to any segment of the film, even one where three character's stare at each other for what seems to be hours in a supremely climaxing apex (below).

These films in many ways, I feel, surpassed the level that American filmmakers like John Ford set when the Western was first invented. Not only are the films remarkable to look at and listen to, but they characterize everything that is awesome about Westerns, and crank up their intensity. As a film enthusiast with a self-proclaimed motto that movies should be enjoyed on a deeper level then simply the context, I cannot help but feel like a wide-eyed child admiring Eastwood's bad-ass-itude, and sit hoping one day I'll be able to live with fellow outlaws.  Shotguns, tequila, saddles, and cabaret dancers. There is something about the cinema that makes these things fantastic.

If nothing else, this article, though lacking any real film study, may just be a plea for escapism and its justification. But if any words in this has peaked any interest in the Old West, I highly recommend purchasing any of Leone's films. Immediately. And you too might find yourself in a situation where your  stagecoach has been ransacked by Injuns or some dude cuts you off on the freeway, and ask yourself "What Would Eastwood Do?"

For more on The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, check out: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly IMDB
For more on Sergio Leone, check out: Fistful-of-Leone.com

For more Movies To Love, check out: MoviesToLove Blog

Recommended Films:
Stagecoach
Fistful Of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Once Upon A Time In The West
Dances With Wolves

Why I Still Can't Sleep at Night

Maybe I have a weaker tolerance for horror films then most people, but I can man up and admit that last Fall, Paranormal Activity scared the holy hell out of me. The buzz around the film was that if it didn't terrify you to tears the in the theatre, then at least be impressed by its budget. The entire film cost just about $15,000 to make, which is pennies compared to let's say Saw VI, which was made for about $10 million. But beyond its success and underdog status, director and screenwriter Oren Peli's technique is something to be noted, and his low budget to be considered his blessing.

The theory in horror films is that longer you don't see killer (albeit spirit, creature, human, whatever), the more terrifying it becomes. Think of Steven Spielberg's 1977 hit, Jaws. The audience barely sees the shark in its entirety throughout the whole film. Only the musical sting (provided by the legendary John Williams) and the shark's ominous fin was enough to stop movie-goers from also becoming beach-goers for many summers after its release. We all know the classic tale about how the mechanical shark never worked, and how Spielberg had to work around it, and the story described every time you take the Backlot Tour at Universal Studios, Hollywood. But it says a lot about how to scare your audience. And I believe Paranormal Activity uses the same effect.

Now which came first, the chicken or the egg, for Paranormal Activity, I'm not sure. Did Peli get stripped of his budget and had to make due, or did the movie start small and escalate enormously? I'll have to ask him one day. But let's marvel at the fact that by not showing the demonic presence once in the entire film, it made it so much more terrifying. Nothing is scarier then our own imaginations. This point is proven by the film.

And how does one go about making an unseen presence in a house disturbing and frightening? Proper use of filmmaking techniques, of course. By only using only sound and lighting, and maybe a door slamming, Peli creates the illusion of a unholy demon, completely invisible, but nonetheless horrifying. Really think about everything that you saw in the movie (oh and delayed spoiler alert: its not real. Sorry). About 3/4 of the film was that one shot in the bedroom, and the rest was a shaky camera around the house. Now think about the staging of that one shot in the bedroom, and divide it into 3 parts: Katie's side of the bed, Micah' side of the bed, and the empty hallway framed by the open door. Filling two spaces with characters, Peli fills the void of the hallway with strange lighting and sound effects, so we assume there's another character there. Yikes.

from Paranormal Activity (2007)

Also, think about how important the sound is in the movie. It's no secret to directors or audiences that the best way to make someone jump is to make everything quiet, then blast a loud noise out of nowhere. But what works even better is when the audience knows its coming and sits and waits for it. Paranormal Activity uses this technique perfectly. Every time the film faded into that one bedroom scene, you knew something was gonna go down. All you did was watch and wait. Then all of sudden an abnormal scream hits the house like a demonic jet crashing into the roof, the only aftermath being a swinging light. And the audience is left completely freaked out.

I highly recommend watching this film again, this time thinking "This is only a few shots and loud sound effects, and I've just crapped myself! Again!" What's really terrifying about Paranormal Activity is its good directing. I applaud director Oren Peli's accomplishment of using almost no special effects (I think only about 3 seconds worth at the end of the film) and relying on basic film techniques to scare the (in some cases) metaphorical crap out of everyone.

For more on Paranormal Activity, check out: Paranormal Activity on IMDB

For more Movies To Love, check out: MoviesToLove by James Knapp