MODERN HORSE-OPERA ‘RUNNING WILD’ REVIEWED, PLUS ‘UNDERGROUND’ RETURNS, ‘THE SON’ AND ‘THE HERO’ ON THE WAY, AND MORE!

RUNNING WILD – A Film Review

What do you do when you’ve gone through all of your wife’s money, incurred tremendous debt, and still failed to save her family ranch?  One option is to drive your truck headlong into a tree at 80 miles an hour.  The young, sheltered and coddled socialite widow, Stella Davis (Dorian Brown Pham) is blissfully unaware of her dire situation until, with her husband’s death, she learns that she’ll lose everything she owns in ninety days.  Compounding her worries, several starving horses have wandered onto her property, and though she can barely afford to feed her own stock, she hasn’t the heart to push them out.

Stella gets more bad news

Desperate to create some income, she and her foreman Brannon (Jason Lewis) sign the ranch up for a prison program that prepares convicts for freedom by teaching them to train horses – the same program, Stella learns, that Brannon came out of.  Now Stella must contend with debts, surly and dangerous cons (including SONS OF ANARCHY’s Tommy Flanagan, Tom Williamson and Michael Girgenti), and ‘friends’ like Jennifer (Christina Moore) who say they want to help, but would love to acquire Stella’s ranch and stud horse at a fire-sale price.  But the biggest threat comes from Jennifer’s sister, Meredith Parish (Sharon Stone), a richer-than-Trump widowed animal-rights loony who thinks that all horses should be free – saddling one is tantamount to slavery!  And she’s a media darling with the meanness, savvy and power to destroy Stella.

The animal activists you love to hate!

Effectively written and acted, populated by interesting characters – particularly the cons – whose stake in the outcome grows as the story progresses, RUNNING WILD is an entertaining and enjoyably hopeful film.  French-born director Alex Ranarivelo has gone from zero to sixty practically overnight, from directing shorts to directing six or eight features back-to-back for ESX Entertainment, of which RUNNING WILD is the first to be released.  And he has a skill with both drama and action – no surprise with the latter, considering his background in street racing.

Interestingly, some of the on-screen talents are stretching their legs in unexpected sides of the production.  Sharon Stone, clearly willing to be beautifully detestable, is one of the producers.  And her screen sister, Christina Moore, co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Rudnick.

Searching for runaway horses

While the plot is more than ample to hold your attention, this neo-Western has something on its mind beyond the conflict of its characters – exposing the plight of thousands of wild horses, overpopulating government land, left to starve, or rounded up and incarcerated (am I starting to sound like Sharon Stone’s character?).  A related approach to this problem is shown in the fine documentary WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE (read my review HERE ).

Convicts get to ride -- with the law right behind!

 RUNNING WILD is now available at selected theatres, and on demand, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 

Luckily Brannon has a way with horses.

LOS ANGELES-ITALIA FESTIVAL FEB. 19^TH – 25^TH AT THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE!

Franco Nero with Joan Collins

One of the truly not-to-be-missed annual events in L.A., The Los Angeles-Italia Festival, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy, is a week of Italian culture and Italian films, and all of the screenings are free, on a first-come, first-seated basis.  In addition to many American premieres of Italian films, as well as some world premieres, there are many screenings honoring Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, and Italian-American actor Dean Martin.  Some years have included many Italian Westerns, but the pickings are pretty thin this go-round.  On Tuesday, Feb. 22^nd at noon, RIO BRAVO, starring Dean Martin, will screen.  On Wednesday, at 10 p.m., a new Western short starring Franco Nero, ALONG THE RIVER, will screen, and Nero will be present.  To find out about all of the other screenings and events, go HERE. 

UNDERGROUND RETURNS WED. MARCH 8^TH

The second season of WGN’s UNDERGROUND will premiere on Wednesday, March 8^th.  This is a very involving and exciting series about The Underground Railroad, which was smuggling escaped slaves from Southern states to the safety and freedom of the North.  If you missed season one, keep an eye on the WGN schedule, as my guess is that the previous episodes will be replayed prior to the new shows.  I had the opportunity to talk about the design and look of the show with UNDERGROUND’s Production Designer and Costume Designer – keep an eye out for that soon in True West.  In the meantime, here’s a trailer:

THE SON – FIRST FULL TRAILER

THE SON will premiere on AMC on Saturday, April 8^th.  I’ve seen the first two episodes of THE SON, based on Philipp Meyer’s critically acclaimed bestselling novel, and I think it’s terrific, a worthy successor to the network’s HELL ON WHEELS.  The story of a Texas oil family, it’s told in two parallel storylines, both about Eli McCullough.  In 1849, as a teenager abducted by Comanche, he is played by Jacob Lofland.  As a turn-of-the-century oil magnate, he’s played by Pierce Brosnan.  Both story-lines are fascinating, and shockingly true to history.  I was able to speak not only to Meyer, but to producers and several members of the cast – again, coming soon to True West.  And here’s the first trailer --  

SAM ELLIOT IN ‘THE HERO’ PICKED  BY THE ORCHARD AT SUNDANCE

Sam Elliot stars as an aging Western actor coming to terms with his life in THE HERO, which The Orchard has picked up for theatrical release this fall.  His co-stars include his beautiful bride Katherine Ross, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, and Nick Offerman.  Director Brett Haley and writer Marc Basch had previously collaborated with Elliot, when he starred opposite Blythe Danner in I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS (2015). 

While there’s not a trailer yet, here’s an interesting clip.

And here’s a clip from a TMZ show, where an unprepared reporter tries to interview Sam Elliot.

TRAVIS FIMMEL TO PLAY WYATT EARP ON HISTORY CHANNEL

Travis Fimmel, who has a huge following from THE VIKINGS series and the WARCRAFT feature, is finally getting to do a Western.  A few years ago, when there was going to be a feature based on THE BIG VALLEY, he was cast as Heath – and Lee Majors was going to play his dad, the never-before seen Tom Barkley. Sadly, that project shut down when the director went to jail for scamming Massachusetts out of money on another film. But now Travis will be playing Wyatt Earp on a new anthology series for History Channel.  He also wrote the episode, and is producing the series.

 ‘GUNSMOKE’ WRITER-PRODUCER RON HONTHANER DIES

One of the series’ fine behind-the-camera talents, Ron Honthaner, who worked for seven seasons on more than 150 episodes of GUNSMOKE, died on January 10, 2017, after a five-month battle with lung cancer.  After serving four years in the Navy, Ron studied film at U.S.C., and worked on independent features, including the drama THE EXILES (1961), famous for its look at the lives of American Indians in Los Angeles.  A man of many skills, his first job on a Western was on the animated feature THE MAN FROM BUTTON WILLOW (’65). Landing a position in post-production at Columbia—Screen Gems TV, he worked on THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY until, in 1967, he sold a script to GUNSMOKE.  He would eventually sell the series another script – his two episodes are NOWHERE TO RUN (’68) and BLIND MAN’S BUFF (’72) – and he became Post-production Supervisor and, later Associate Producer on the series.  

He also worked on the GUNSMOKE spin-off series DIRTY SALLY (1974).

He worked as an editor on several series, and directed the feature THE HOUSE ON SKULL MOUNTAIN in 1974.  When James Arness returned to the west in the HOW THE WEST WAS WON series in 1976, Ron was Post-production Coordinator, as well as being one of the editors on ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE (1976).  He even did a little acting in the Western comedy HOT LEAD AND COLD FEET (1978). 

Lately Ron had turned to prose and written the excellent Western novel THE SHADOW OF THE HAWK (you can read my review HERE ), and you can order it from Amazon HERE .

Ron is survived by his wife Eve, son Jed, daughter-in-law Jackie, sister Joan Campbell, and many nieces and nephews.  Donations in his memory can be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund (www.mptf.com/old/tributegift) or to Hospice Charities of America, c/o Sanctuary Hospice – 150 Paularino Ave., Suite C-125 – Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

AND THAT’S A WRAP!

Please check out my article in the February True West Magazine, featuring actress Constance Towers’ memories of working for John Ford on THE HORSE SOLDIERS, with John Wayne and William Holden.  In the next Round-up, I’ll talk about the red carpet at the RUNNING WILD premiere, review the largely over-looked Civil War picture from last year, FREE STATE OF JONES, talk to stunt ace Walter Scott about his work on THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES and THE COWBOYS, and look in on this weekend’s Civil War Days at Strathearn Park in Simi.  Have a great week!

Happy trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright February 2017 by Henry C. Parke - All Rights Reserved

L.A.\ITALIA FEST OPENS!

Fabio Testi and wife Antonella Liguori

The Tenth Annual Los Angeles, Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest opened on Sunday at the Hollywood & Highland complex, at the Chinese Theatre multiplex.  The second movie shown, at three p.m. that afternoon, was the only actual Western of the week-long event, and a rarely seen one: TWO BROTHERS IN TRINITY, shown to honor its star and co-director (with Renzo Genta), Richard Harrison.  Richard Harrison is a unique honoree at the Fest, for he is neither Italian by birth nor parentage.  But he was a very popular American star of Italian movies. 

Handsome and muscular, he played small supporting roles in U.S. films, usually characters in uniform, until moving to Italy in the early 1960s, where he became a star in sword & sandal films, ala Steve Reeves.   He also starred in spy thrillers, crime films and Spaghetti Westerns, and later on a slew of Ninja films.  TWO BROTHERS IN TRINITY is a likable Western comedy in the ‘Trinity’ oeuvre, although not an official part of the ‘Trinity’ series that starred Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer.  In TWO BROTHERS, two half-brothers from the same mother, Richard Harrison and French-born Donald O’Brien, each inherit half of their mother’s gold-rich property, near the town of Trinity.  Very different in outlook, cad Harrison wants to build a brothel, while his Mormon Minister brother wants to build a church, and they have to fight prospectors, outlaws and each other to get their hands on the gold.  It’s fast, physical and fun, with a good balance of Western and comedy elements. 

Before TWO BROTHERS IN TRINITY screened, an official from the fest apologized for the quality of the copy, explaining that it was the only one available, and was in fact Mr. Harrison’s personal copy.  The color was so washed out as to be in black and white, and the image was grainy and not sharply focused, although happily, as you got involved in the story, you forgot the film’s technical flaws.  But it served to reinforce the importance of film preservation.  When a film like this has been seen around the world and released on video, it’s easy to assume it is ‘safe’ by the sheer number of copies out there; but those copies degrade, too.

At 6 o’clock the Fest red carpet began, and to my delight, the very first man to walk its length was Fabio Testi, star of the astonishing Western FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE, and several others, THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS, and who recently co-starred with Franco Nero in LETTERS FROM JULIETTE.  I asked him, “When are you going to do FIVE OF THE APOCALYPSE?”

FABIO TESTI: (laughs) You mean FOUR.

HENRY: You’ve done FOUR so far; when are you doing FIVE? 

FABIO TESTI:  (laughs) I don’t know.  We did four (westerns), and I hope (to do more), but I think the Western movie, more or less, is finished now.    Or maybe we can make the new one.

HENRY:  We need you to bring it back.

FABIO TESTI:  I’m ready.  We need money and a director – that’s all!

HENRY:  I’ll bring ‘em!

FABIO TESTI:  Thank you, thank you! 

Moments later, along came Hayley Westenra, a singer from New Zealand, who told me about collaborating on an album with the legendary composer Ennio Morricone. 

Hayley Westenra

HAYLEY WESTENRA: An incredible experience as you can imagine, very surreal.  I made an album with him, in Rome, a few years back.  So we spent the summer there, working with his orchestra, his team of people.  And I wrote some lyrics for this album as well, for some of his pieces.

HENRY: In English?

HAYLEY WESTENRA: In English. Gabriel’s Oboe, and some lyrics from a piece from MALENA, one of his films, and La Calipha.  It was an incredible experience. 

Below is a short video on the making of that album, Paradiso, and a cut from it, I don’t own anything, from ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. 

Then along came John Landis. 

John Landis

HENRY:  When are you going to do a Western follow-up to THE THREE AMIGOS?

JOHN LANDIS:  You know what?  Walter Hill once said to me, and it’s true, “If they knew how much fun it was to make a Western, they wouldn’t let us.”  It’s the most fun.  I worked in a lot of Spaghetti Westerns.  But making THREE AMIGOS was such fun – I mean it was a comedy, but it was a Western.  Riding around on horses, it’s the most fun.  I love the genre.  It’s hard to get a Western made these days. 

HENRY:  But they are happening, the last few years.

JOHN LANDIS:  I hope so, I would love to – I love Westerns.

Next I talked to Graham Moore, who has an excellent chance of winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay Adaptation for THE IMITATION GAME. 

HENRY:  How difficult is it to take a story where so much of the action is so cerebral, and try to make it understandable and exciting to watch?

Graham Moore

GRAHAM MOORE:  That was one of the great challenges of making this film, was trying to recreate Alan Turing’s subjective experience of the war, and of breaking Enigma, on screen.  My approach, and all of our approach on the film, was to tell Alan’s story, and to, in each moment, imagine what did this feel like for Alan.  So we wanted the code-breaking section, for example, to feel like a thriller, because Alan Turing experienced it as a thriller.  You imagine he’s this 27-year-old mathematician, he’s never been outside of a university in his life, and now he’s working alongside the head of MI-6 on extremely high-level espionage work.  He’s literally living inside of a James Bond novel.  And we wanted to create that feeling on-screen because that was his experience of it. 

HENRY:  Is this a period, historically, that you were interested in before this project came along?

GRAHAM MOORE:  You know, I had been interested in Alan Turing for a long time.  I was lucky enough to have been exposed to Alan Turning’s story as a teenager.  Growing up I went to Space Camp, and computer programming camp; I was a hugely techy kid, and among awkward techy kids like myself, without a lot of friends, Alan Turing was a source of tremendous inspiration, a great hero.  And it always amazed me after I did not become a computer programmer, but became a writer, that no one had a made a film about him.  I felt like if anyone’s life story deserved to be told on screen, it was Alan Turing’s.   

HENRY:  Is this a story that you wrote and brought to people?

GRAHAM MOORE:  That’s right: I wrote it on spec.  I met our producers, Nora Grossman and Ido Ostorowsky, and they had never produced a film before, and I had never written a movie that had been produced before.  So we all jumped together, and spent a year just working on the script on our own, without any money, any corporate anything behind us, because we thought it was such an important story, such a beautiful story that we wanted to be involved in telling.

HENRY:  What’s your next project?

GRAHAM MOORE:  I’m finishing my second novel.  It’s nice to go back to some quiet time in bookland. 

HENRY:  Do you plan to alternate screenplays and novels?

GRAHAM MOORE:  Yuh, my first novel came out four years ago.  I had this grand plan that I was going to take six months off, write this Alan Turing script, and then go right back into the second book.  (laughs) That was five years ago; for lots of happy reasons it’s taken longer then I might have imagined, but so now I’m very happy to go back to the book, and I might go do a movie after that. 

Next up was Rory Kennedy, a documentary filmmaker who is, indeed, one of those Kennedys.  Her documentary, ETHEL, was nominated for an EMMY, and her new film, LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM, is nominated for an Oscar.  I asked her why she chose to make a film about the mass evacuation from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War.

l to r, Pascal Vicedomini, Antonio Verde,

Rory Kennedy & Fabio Testi

RORY KENNEDY: This is a documentary that I feel very passionate about.  It’s a story that many people in this country think they know; it’s an important chapter in our nation’s history, but few of us actually know what really happened during those last 24 hours.  I think it’s important.  I think it’s relevant today because we’re struggling to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and I think that this film raises important questions about what happens to the people left behind, and our responsibilities to them.  We didn’t do it very well in Vietnam, so I’m hoping we’ll learn a few lessons and do it better as we’re struggling with the same issues today.   

When the red carpet was done, we moved into the theatre, for some entertainment, and presentation of awards.  The Fest coincides with the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Frank Sinatra, and in recognition of that event, opera singer Vittorio Grigolo sang two Sinatra songs beautifully.   Robert Davi, a character actor who made a name for himself as cops and crooks in films like GOONIES and DIE HARD, is also a talented singer who specializes in Sinatra music.  Working with his sextet, which includes members of Frank Sinatra’s orchestra, Davi performed a terrific set with the classic arrangements. 

Robert Davi

One of the high points of the evening was Franco Nero, who was presenting an award to Jimmy Kimmel, telling the story of his meeting Frank Sinatra when he’d flown into the country to make CAMELOT. 

Jimmy Kimmel flanked by Franco Nero and Kimmel's mother

The Fest continues through Saturday.  On Tuesday night at 8:30, MAN, PRIDE AND VENGEANCE, starring Franco Nero, will be shown.  Presented in the guise of a Spaghetti Western, it’s actually based on Carmen, the novel that is the basis of Bizet’s opera.  (Courtney Joyner and I just did audio commentary for BLUE UNDERGROUND, which will be released shortly.)  At 10:15 pm, TIS PITY SHE’S A WHORE will play, starring Fabio Testi, who will attend.  Wednesday at 3:45 pm, BLOOD BROTHERS screens, and Fabio Testi will attend.  At 6 pm, MASTER STROKE, a spy thriller, will play, honoring Richard Harrison, but I don’t know if he will attend.  There will be many other interesting Italian movies playing throughout the week, all of them free, on a first come, first serve basis.  Here is the link for the full schedule: http://www.losangelesitalia.com/

Remember that the Oscars will be held next Sunday, at the same venue, and streets are already being blocked off, so give yourself extra time for finding your way in to parking – you can get parking validation at the Chinese box office.  I would say ‘take the train,’ but check first if you do, as I’ve heard a rumor that the Hollywood and Highland station may be closed.

Franco Nero and Fabio Testi

THAT’S A WRAP!

Have a great week, folks!  Happy Presidents Day

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Content Copyright February 2015 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved

LOS ANGELES ITALIA FEST HIGHLIGHTS!

Angelica Huston and Franco Nero

The 9^th annual Los Angeles, Italia Fest opened on Sunday, February 23^rd, and closed Saturday night, March 1^st.  Held, as always, at the Chinese 6 Theatres at the Hollywood and Highland Center, in the heart of Hollywood, the yearly celebration of film, fashion and art attracts fans and stars, especially those with an Italian background, or an interest in Italian cinema.

With the Oscars being awarded last night, it’s worth noting that among attendees were Best Director nominees David O. Russell and Martin Scorcese; Best Adapted Screenplay nominee Steve Coogan for PHILOMENA; Best Score nominee Alexandre Desplat for PHILOMENA; and Bono, who sings the Best Song-nominated Ordinary Love in MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM.  Al Pacino and Keith Carradine were there as well.

Joe Mantegna with an Italian beauty 

On Sunday night’s Red Carpet, I badgered unsuspecting celebrities about western movies, especially their own.  Joe Mantegna is the Chairman of Los Angeles Italia, and hasn’t done a western since THE THREE AMIGOS.  I asked him when he was going to do another.  “When they ask me.”  I asked him what his favorite westerns are.  “THE WILD BUNCH.  And THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.” 

Mark Canton

I asked producer Mark Canton when he was going to do a western.  “When I’m done with the easterns .  I’m shooting my new TV series, called POWER, for STARZ in New York now.  But in a way, the new ‘300’ has the spirit of westerns, and that’ll be out March 7, so we’re very excited.  I don’t shy away from anything, but it has to be the right script and the right material. ”

Alexandre Desplat

I asked composer Alexandre Desplat whose music he listens to for pleasure. “Quincy Jones.  Debussy.  Many things.”  I asked him if he had any favorites among composers of Western scores.  “For Western movies?  Yes.  Bruce Boughton’s score for SILVERADO I think is fantastic.  I think Elmer Bernstein’s MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.  John William’s MISSOURI BREAKS.”

Franco Nero

I was particularly excited to see Franco Nero, and to quiz him about the soon-to-be-filmed DJANGO LIVES!, where he’ll portray his original character living in early 20^th century L.A., working as a technical advisor on silent westerns, and getting into trouble.  He gave me his charming, enigmatic smile, but wouldn’t talk about the movie.  I think, like so many of us, he’s superstitious about discussing things that haven’t happened yet, though he has signed a letter of intent to the project.   Also starring in the film will be Nero’s co-star from the wonderful Sergio Corbucci western LOS COMPANEROS, Tomas Milian!

Also attending the Fest was actress Angelica Huston, seen at the top with Nero.  Her father, the great John Huston, discovered Nero, and cast him as Abel in THE BIBLE.  The original DJANGO came shortly after.     

Eli Roth

HOSTEL and HOSTEL 2 writer-director Eli Roth had plenty to say about Italian horror (no surprise) and westerns, even before he reached me in line.

ELI ROTH:  I’m happy to come out and support Italian cinema.  I grew up on Italian movies.  I think (Jesse Franco’s) DEMONS was the first one I saw; Italian horror was the most important form of horror.  First I went for American horror, which I became obsessed with. Then I saw Italian horror, which blew my mind.  I was very much influenced by Italian horror from the ‘70s through the ‘80s.  And I’m here to support David O. Russell, who’s a friend.  We’re writing a movie together.  It’s called THE HIVE, and nobody’s read it except me and David.  We’re working on it now. 

LADY NEXT TO ME:  What Italian films have influenced you the most?

ELI ROTH:  CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST by Ruggero Deodato; huge influence.  ZOMBIE 2 by Lucio Fulci – where a zombie fights a shark, one of the greatest movies ever.  And SUSPIRIA, by Dario Argento.  That movie blew my mind.  There were no rules – it was like being in some beautiful, fantastic dream.  And so it taught me that not everything had to add up; you can make abstract horror movies.   Doesn’t have to be so rigid and so linear, so plot driven.  It can be operatic and stylish.  Huge influences, all three of those.

LADY NEXT TO ME:  What’s the difference between Italian horror films and American horror films?

ELI ROTH: The Italian horror films, they came from the spaghetti westerns.  And in the American westerns they never had on-screen violence.  The old fifties movies, somebody’d get shot, and they’d fall down.  You couldn’t show blood in the movies.  You couldn’t show blood onscreen in America.  The Italians didn’t know those rules existed, so they started doing all these on-screen blood shots.  Which then, with Sam Peckinpah, Scorcese, it kind of filtered its way into late ‘60s, early ‘70s American cinema.  But then the Giallo films, the Italian crime films, became the ‘80s slasher films.  They’ve kind of mirrored each other, but the Italians have always pushed it further.  There was this incredible golden age, when Italy was making so many movies in the 1970s and ‘80s, and of course that’s changed now.  Economically, in Italy, they don’t have the same output.  But I just love films of that period.  I think they have an energy and a violence about them, that just anything can happen. 

HENRY:  When are you going to make a western?

ELI ROTH: I don’t know.  I’d have to have a great idea for a western.  I love westerns, but I don’t have an 

idea for a western I want to direct. 

HENRY:  Do you have favorite westerns?

ELI ROTH:  Yeah.  FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE by Lucio Fulci, one of my favorites; a really incredible film.  And SHANE, and THE SEARCHERS.

Vera and Giuliano Gemma at 2013's Fest

The previous two Fests that I attended gave considerable time to the spaghetti western, but there was very little this time.  Sadly, the one Eurowestern-related screening was in tribute to Giuliano Gemma, who died in October, following a car accident outside of Rome.  Starting out in films as a stuntman, he became ‘Montgomery Wood’ and starred in several spaghetti westerns as Ringo, and later played Arizona Colt.  After a long career in major European movies, his final role was as the hotel manager in Woody Allen’s TO ROME WITH LOVE. 

His daughters, Vera and Giuliana Gemma, directed a documentary about their father, AN ITALIAN IN THE WORLD, which was screened on Sunday afternoon.  Last year, Giuliano attended the Fest, when the documentary was first shown, and I had a chance to speak with him.  I asked him which of his Westerns are his favorites.  “You know, I made about seventeen Westerns, but I don’t know the titles in English.  A PISTOL FOR RINGO, THE RETURN OF RINGO.”

“I was just watching ARIZONA COLT last night.  That’s a delightful picture.”

“Ahh…nice!”

“How do you like your daughter’s documentary?”

“She made a good work; it just brings about twenty years of my filmography.   We have to do a second part.”

“And when are you going to do another western?”

“Ahh…the Western, it is finished.  We don’t have the opportunity.  But maybe Tarantino will call me – why not?!”  

On Monday night, Mike Malloy’s documentary, EUROCRIME: THE ITALIAN COP & GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE ‘70S, was greeted with thunderous applause by an enthusiastic crowd.  Mike is one of the producers behind the amazing no-buget western THE SCARLET WORM if you missed my review, here is the link: http://henryswesternroundup.blogspot.com/2013/04/cowboy-festival-brings-deadwood-prom.html

Leonard Mann, Fred Williamson, Mike Malloy

The wonderfully entertaining and informative film traces the largely overlooked (in America) history of the European films that started out imitating DIRTY HARRY and THE GODFATHER, and created a genre of their own.  Among the interview subjects were spaghetti western stars Franco Nero, Henry Silva and Richard Harrison, and blaxsploitation western star Fred Williamson.  Joining Malloy, producer of the upcoming Franco Nero starrer DJANGO LIVES! were Franco Nero, Fred Williamson and Leonard Mann. 

That was it for western fans at the Fest.  Hopefully next year’s event will have more for us!

THAT’S A WRAP!

Well, I’ve got a few other items I was working on, but they’ll have to wait until next week.  

Happy Trails,

Henry

All Original Contents Copyright March 2014 by Henry C. Parke – All Rights Reserved