Episode Four (3:10 to Yuma)

3:10 to Yuma (1957)

Director: Delmer Daves

Writers: Halsted Welles (screenplay), Elmore Leonard (story)

Stars: Glenn Ford, Van Heflin and Felicia Farr

Very solid western drama with great performances from the two leads and a memorable theme song. Great dialogue and does a great job of ratcheting up the tension, but it all leads to somewhat of a disappointing finale compared to the remake due to the black-and-white nature of Hollywood storytelling during that period. It's all wrapped up a little too nice and neat to come off without seeming at least a little cheesy  That said, it moves along at a nice pace, which is the one place where I'd say that this version is distinctly superior to the remake which gets a bit sidetracked from time to time. Overall, a very enjoyable viewing experience.

Score: 6 / 10


3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Director: James Mangold
Writers: Halsted Welles (screenplay), Michael Brandt (screenplay), Derek Haas (screenplay), and Elmore Leonard (story)

Stars: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Ben Foster

Yes, indeed I own both versions. This one clocks in at 30 minutes longer than the original film adaptation and wastes, err... spends a decent chunk of that extra time on "big, dumb action." It doesn't have that memorable theme song either. However, it also takes more time to deepen the characterizations beyond the original, lending this one a bit more emotional weight. A couple of small steps back don't quite wash out the giant step forward in how well the characters are written here. Ben Foster is also an improvement as Crowe's villainous right-hand man and steals pretty much every scene he appears in. A rare remake that surpasses the original, if only by a narrow margin.

Score: 6 / 10


I know, I know. You're saying "you said the remake is better but you gave it the same score as the original!" Such is the weakness of a 10-point scale. Let's just say I'm rounding up to six for the original and down to six for the remake and leave it at that, ok?

Episode Three (2001: A Space Odyssey / The 39 Steps)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) and Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay and story "The Sentinel")
Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester

I kept putting it off and putting it off. I was afraid to watch it because I was absolutely convinced that there was no chance it could live up to its reputation and I would be dealt a crushing disappointment. However, this fear was totally groundless. I sincerely doubt that I'll ever truly grasp its full meaning, but by the end was convinced that the only two legitimate scores one could give this film are 10 or 0. Considering the overwhelming feeling of awe I had throughout, it must be 10. The film is visually stunning (Kubrick knew how to capture an image, that's for sure) and has a brilliant selection of classical pieces to accompany the beautiful and iconic imagery. Exploring themes of evolution, technology and man's place in the universe, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is not a film that will leave your mind anytime soon - regardless of whether you find the actual execution enthralling or boring and tedious (both points of view which I can understand).

Score: 10 / 10


The 39 Steps (1935)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: John Buchan (novel), Charles Bennett (adaptation), and Ian Hay (dialogue)
Stars: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll and Lucie Mannheim

It is very difficult to watch this movie while already being quite familiar with Hitchcock's later, and far superior, Hollywood films. Still, it has its share of suspense and humor and it's easy to see this as something of a "prototype" of the superior thrillers that he would make in later years. Honestly, there's nothing here that Hitchcock didn't do much better later on in films like "Saboteur," "North by Northwest," "Foreign Correspondent," etc. Overall this is some lightweight fun, but I'd only call it a "must-watch" for Hitchcock fans who have already made their way through his Hollywood catalog and still crave more.

Score: 5 / 10

Theater Interruption (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey / Django Unchained)

Occasionally, my journey through the discs on my shelf will be interrupted by a trip to the theater (to see movies alongside real, live people *ick*) or some work getting done on my Netflix queue. This is the first such interruption.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens (screenplay), Peter Jackson (screenplay), Guillermo del Toro (screenplay), and J.R.R. Tolkien (novel "The Hobbit")

Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage

Just from the source material, it was clear that The Hobbit could never match up to the LotR trilogy - however, it has more potential than this film shows. Here we are treated to great performances from the main characters, a fantastic interpretation of "Riddles in the Dark" and New Zealand scenery which is still a gorgeous stand-in for Middle-Earth. However, almost everything else is weak, or at least weaker than what one might have expected: from the average score (outside of the "Misty Mountains" tune, which is admittedly spectacular), to the needlessly CGI'd orcs and goblins, to the crude jokes and Disney-esque (in the worst possible sense) portrayal of Radagast... hopefully this is just a stumble and not a trend. I certainly understand that The Hobbit is a much more lightweight tale than that of LotR, but the cartoonish nonsense (bunny sleigh, messenger goblin, etc.) was just taken too far and is too jarring in a film that tries so hard to remind you that this is the Middle-Earth that you fell in love with in the theater a decade ago.

Score: 5 / 10

Django Unchained (2012)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Writer: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio

Simultaneously the most hilarious and the most brutal film of 2012. This revenge flick may be nearly three hours long, but it seems to absolutely fly by. Foxx, Waltz, Jackson and DiCaprio are all impressive to watch, particularly in the "dinner scene" (sure to be regarded as a QT classic). Tarantino's dialogue is pitch-perfect (as usual), his directing is stylish and I particularly loved the typical-Tarantino soundtrack - ranging from Morricone material to classical pieces to rap. Honestly, I can't find much to fault in this one. Tarantino has done an amazing job of merging genres - blending scenes that could have been in Blazing Saddles with ridiculously violent grindhouse-style shootouts, all the while paying homage to the classic spaghetti westerns in an almost seamless fashion. Haven't had this much fun in a theater in a long time.

Score: 9 / 10