Moviedrome Mondays: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

by John Charet

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introduction to director John Landis 1981 horror classic An American Werewolf in London. My readers can also read Cox’s transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 22, 1990 (read here). Though I greatly admire Joe Dante’s The Howling and Michael Wadleigh’s Wolfen (also from that aforementioned year), I greatly adore An American Werewolf in London, which towers above them all as the best of the bunch. Along with The Howling, it features quite possibly the most spectacular werewolf transformation sequences ever displayed on film – courtesy of makeup effects artist Rick Baker. Last, but not least, Landis blending of comedy and horror here is seamless. Before I post the links, let me borrow a quote from the film to send to you dear readers: keep off the moors, stick to the roads. The best to ya… 🙂

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to An American Werewolf in London

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: The Loved One (1965)

by John Charet

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introduction to British director Tony Richardson’s 1965 film The Loved One – adapted from the 1948 novel of the same name by celebrated British writer Evelyn Waugh. My readers can also read Cox’s transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 15, 1990 (read here). This film version of Waugh’s aforementioned book hits and misses for the very same reasons Cox so eloquently states in his intro. I also agree with this very fascinating write-up about the film on the TCM website (read here).

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to The Loved One (the sound comes on at the 0:15 mark)

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

John Charet’s Favorite Westerns

by John Charet
  1. The Great Train Robbery (1903) (Dir: Edwin S. Porter)
    (Short Cinema)
  2. Hell’s Hinges (1916) (Dir: Charles Swickard)
  3. Just Pals (1920) (Dir: John Ford)
  4. The Mark of Zorro (1920) (Dir: Fred Niblo)
    (Adventure-Western)
  5. The Paleface (1922) (Dir: Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline)
    (Comedy Western)
    (Short Cinema)
  6. The Iron Horse (1924) (Dir: John Ford)
  7. Go West (1925) (Dir: Buster Keaton)
    (Comedy Western)
  8. 3 Bad Men (1926) (Dir: John Ford)
  9. The Wind (1928) (Dir: Victor Sjostrom)
  10. Hell’s Heroes (1929) (Dir: William Wyler)
  11. The Big Trail (1930) (Dir: Raoul Walsh)
  12. Stagecoach (1939) (Dir: John Ford)
  13. The Dark Command (1940) (Dir: Raoul Walsh)
  14. The Return of Frank James (1940) (Dir: Fritz Lang)
  15. Western Union (1941) (Dir: Fritz Lang)
  16. Canyon Passage (1946) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  17. My Darling Clementine (1946) (Dir: John Ford)
  18. Pursued (1947) (Dir: Raoul Walsh)
  19. 3 Godfathers (1948) (Dir: John Ford)
  20. Fort Apache (1948) (Dir: John Ford)
  21. Red River (1948) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
  22. Colorado Territory (1949) (Dir: Raoul Walsh)
  23. I Shot Jesse James (1949) (Dir: Samuel Fuller)
  24. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) (Dir: John Ford)
  25. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) (Dir: George Sidney)
    (Musical Western)
  26. The Baron of Arizona (1950) (Dir: Samuel Fuller)
  27. Devil’s Doorway (1950) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  28. The Furies (1950) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  29. The Gunfighter (1950) (Dir: Henry King)
  30. Rio Grande (1950) (Dir: John Ford)
  31. Stars in My Crown (1950) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  32. Wagon Master (1950) (Dir: John Ford)
  33. Winchester ’73 (1950) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  34. Man in the Saddle (1951) (Dir: Andre De Toth)
  35. Bend of the River (1952) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  36. The Big Sky (1952) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
  37. The Lusty Men (1952) (Dir: Nicholas Ray)
  38. Rancho Notorious (1952) (Dir: Fritz Lang)
  39. Ransom of Red Chief (1952) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
    (Segment of: O’ Henry’s Full House)
    (Anthology Film)
  40. Son of Paleface (1952) (Dir: Frank Tashlin)
    (Comedy Western)
  41. The Naked Spur (1953) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  42. The Far Country (1954) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  43. Johnny Guitar (1954) (Dir: Nicholas Ray)
  44. River of No Return (1954) (Dir: Otto Preminger)
  45. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) (Dir: Stanley Donen)
    (Musical Western)
  46. Silver Lode (1954) (Dir: Allan Dwan)
  47. Track of the Cat (1954) (Dir: William A. Wellman)
  48. Vera Cruz (1954) (Dir: Robert Aldrich)
  49. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) (Dir: John Sturges)
    (Neo-Western)
  50. The Last Frontier (1955) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  51. The Man from Laramie (1955) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  52. The Naked Dawn (1955) (Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer)
  53. Run for Cover (1955) (Dir: Nicholas Ray)
  54. Stranger on Horseback (1955) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  55. Wichita (1955) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  56. Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre (1956-1961) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  57. Great Day in the Morning (1956) (Dir: Jacques Tourneur)
  58. The Searchers (1956) (Dir: John Ford)
  59. Seven Men from Now (1956) (Dir: Budd Boetticher)
  60. Forty Guns (1957) (Dir: Samuel Fuller)
  61. The Halliday Brand (1957) (Dir: Joseph H. Lewis)
  62. Have Gun – Will Travel (1957-1963) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  63. Maverick (1957-1962) (Dir: Various)
    (Comedy Western)
    (TV Series)
  64. Run of the Arrow (1957) (Dir: Samuel Fuller)
  65. Sugarfoot (1957-1961) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  66. The Tall T (1957) (Dir: Budd Boetticher)
  67. 3:10 to Yuma (1957) (Dir: Delmer Daves)
  68. The Tin Star (1957) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  69. The True Story of Jesse James (1957) (Dir: Nicholas Ray)
  70. Wagon Train (1957) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  71. The Bravados (1958) (Dir: Henry King)
  72. Bronco (1958-1962) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  73. Gunman’s Walk (1958) (Dir: Phil Karlson)
  74. Lawman (1958-1962) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  75. Man of the West (1958) (Dir: Anthony Mann)
  76. The Rifleman (1958-1963) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  77. Terror in a Texas Town (1958) (Dir: Joseph H. Lewis)
  78. Bonanza (1959-1973) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  79. Day of the Outlaw (1959) (Dir: Andre De Toth)
  80. No Name on the Bullet (1959) (Dir: Jack Arnold)
  81. Rawhide (1959-1965) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  82. Ride Lonesome (1959) (Dir: Budd Boetticher)
  83. Rio Bravo (1959) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
  84. Comanche Station (1960) (Dir: Budd Boetticher)
  85. Sergeant Rutledge (1960) (Dir: John Ford)
  86. The Westerner (1960) (Dir: Various)
    (TV Series)
  87. The Deadly Companions (1961) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  88. One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (Dir: Marlon Brando)
  89. Two Rode Together (1961) (Dir: John Ford)
  90. The Civil War (1861-1865) (1962) (Dir: John Ford)
    (Segment of: How the West Was Won)
    (Anthology Film)
  91. Lonely Are the Brave (1962) (Dir: David Miller)
    (Neo-Western)
  92. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) (Dir: John Ford)
  93. Ride the High Country (1962) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  94. Cheyenne Autumn (1964) (Dir: John Ford)
  95. A Fistful of Dollars (1964) (Dir: Sergio Leone)
  96. Lemonade Joe (1964) (Dir: Oldrich Lipsky)
    (Satirical Western)
  97. For a Few Dollars More (1965) (Dir: Sergio Leone)
  98. Major Dundee (1965) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  99. A Pistol for Ringo (1965) (Dir: Duccio Tessari)
  100. The Return of Ringo (1965) (Dir: Duccio Tessari)
  101. The Big Gundown (1966) (Dir: Sergio Sollima)
  102. Django (1966) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  103. El Dorado (1966/67) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
  104. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) (Dir: Sergio Leone)
  105. Massacre Time (1966) (Dir: Lucio Fulci)
  106. Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) (Dir: Monte Hellman)
  107. The Shooting (1966) (Dir: Monte Hellman)
  108. A Bullet for the General (1967) (Dir: Damiano Damiani)
  109. Day of Anger (1967) (Dir: Tonino Valerii)
  110. Death Rides a Horse (1967) (Dir: Giulio Petroni)
  111. Django Kill… If You Live, Shoot! (1967) (Dir: Giulio Questi)
  112. Face to Face (1967) (Dir: Sergio Sollima)
  113. The Hellbenders (1967) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  114. Requiescant (1967) (Dir: Carlo Lizzani)
  115. The Great Silence (1968) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  116. The Mercenary (1968) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  117. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) (Dir: Sergio Leone)
  118. Run, Man, Run (1968) (Dir: Sergio Sollima)
  119. The Price of Power (1969) (Dir: Tonino Valerii)
  120. The Specialists (1969) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  121. The Wild Bunch (1969) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  122. The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  123. Companeroes (1970) (Dir: Sergio Corbucci)
  124. Rio Lobo (1970) (Dir: Howard Hawks)
  125. Duck, You Sucker (1971) (Dir: Sergio Leone)
    (a.k.a. A Fistful of Dynamite)
  126. The Hired Hand (1971) (Dir: Peter Fonda)
  127. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) (Dir: Robert Altman)
  128. Whity (1971) (Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
  129. Junior Bonner (1972) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
    (Neo-Western)
  130. Ulzana’s Raid (1972) (Dir: Robert Aldrich)
  131. High Plains Drifter (1973) (Dir: Clint Eastwood)
  132. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
  133. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) (Dir: Sam Peckinpah)
    (Neo-Western)
  134. Four of the Apocalypse (1975) (Dir: Lucio Fulci)
  135. Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) (Dir: Robert Altman)
  136. Keoma (1976) (Dir: Enzo G. Castellari)
  137. The Missouri Breaks (1976) (Dir: Arthur Penn)
  138. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) (Dir: Clint Eastwood)
  139. The Shootist (1976) (Dir: Don Siegel)
  140. A Man Called Blade (1977) (Dir: Sergio Martino)
  141. China 9, Liberty 37 (1978) (Dir: Monte Hellman)
  142. Bronco Billy (1980) (Dir: Clint Eastwood)
    (Neo-Western)
  143. Heaven’s Gate (1980) (Dir: Michael Cimino)
  144. The Long Riders (1980) (Dir: Walter Hill)
  145. Pale Rider (1985) (Dir: Clint Eastwood)
  146. Near Dark (1987) (Dir: Kathryn Bigelow)
    (Horror Neo-Western)
  147. Walker (1987) (Dir: Alex Cox)
  148. Unforgiven (1992) (Dir: Clint Eastwood)
  149. Dead Man (1995) (Dir: Jim Jarmusch)
  150. Vampires (1998) (Dir: John Carpenter)
    (Horror Neo-Western)
  151. Ravenous (1999) (Dir: Antonia Bird)
    (Horror Western)
  152. Deadwood (2004-2006) (Dir: Various)
    (Cable Series)
  153. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) (Dir: Andrew Dominik)
  154. No Country for Old Men (2007) (Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen)
    (Neo-Western)
  155. Meek’s Cutoff (2010) (Dir: Kelly Reichardt)
  156. True Grit (2010) (Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen)
  157. Rango (2011) (Dir: Gore Verbinski)
    (Neo-Western)
    (Animated Film)
  158. Django Unchained (2012) (Dir: Quentin Tarantino)
  159. Bone Tomahawk (2015) (Dir: S. Craig Zahler)
    (Horror Western)
  160. The Hateful Eight (2015) (Dir: Quentin Tarantino)
  161. Westworld (2016-Present) (Dir: Various)
    (Science-Fiction-Western)
    (Cable Series)
  162. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) (Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen)
    (Anthology Film)
  163. Deadwood: The Movie (2019) (Dir: David Minahan)
    (Cable Film)

P.S. the only reason 1969’s Tepepa is not on here is because I have not seen it, but I am hoping it comes to DVD here in the States one day.

Moviedrome Mondays: Ulzana’s Raid (1972)

by John Charet

Once again, I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Robert Aldrich’s 1972 underrated revisionist western masterpiece Ulzana’s Raid, so readers will have to rely on the transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was July 8, 1990 (read here). Based on what I have read from Cox’s intro, he seems to admire the film as a whole, but with reservations. He is a fan of his films, but Cox seems to come off as a little more reserved on some of his later work (i.e. The Grissom Gang). As for myself, I absolutely adore Ulzana’s Raid – it has a thought-provoking script from the always fascinating late screenwriter Alan Sharp (Night Moves) and, as to be expected, expert direction from Robert Aldrich. As others have implied, the film also works as an insightful allegory to the United States then involvement in the Vietnam War.

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: The Honeymoon Killers (1970)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introduction to one-time director Leonard Kastle’s once rarely shown 1970 lovers-on-the-lam cult item The Honeymoon Killers, readers will have to rely on the transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was July 1, 1990 (read here). Along with George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead from two years earlier, The Honeymoon Killers has often been cited (and deservingly so) as a genuine cult classic. Shot on a low-budget with black-and-white cinematography that resembles a style similar to that of a documentary, the film’s disturbing true-life subject matter and it’s unglamorous depiction of it (loosely based or otherwise) would arguably influence equally masterful later day entries like director John McNaughton’s 1986 (though first released in 1990) serial killer masterpiece Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Trivia:  this serves as the only film that Kastle ever directed and it also reportedly served as French New Wave filmmaker Francois Truffaut’s “favorite American film” (read here).

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: The Terminator (1984)

by John Charet

Sorry for posting this a day late – family emergency. I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s introduction to director James Cameron’s 1984 seminal sci-fi action classic The Terminator. My readers can also read his transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was June 24, 1990 (read here). Once again, there is nothing more I can add that has already been said about this timeless cinematic gem – except that I personally prefer it to the bigger-budgeted 1991 sequel, which was Terminator 2: Judgment Day. As much as I greatly admire the latter, the earlier film is so tightly executed in every single way that it can’t help but feel subtly unique at the same time. When all is said and done, it makes Terminator 2: Judgment Day (even with all of it’s spectacular special effects) look conventional by comparison.

Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to The Terminator

Here is a youtube video link to one of it’s two theatrical trailers

Here is a youtube video link to the second of it’s two trailers

Moviedrome Mondays: Dead of Night (1945)

by John Charet

Once again, I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing Ealing’s 1945 British anthology horror classic Dead of Night, so readers will have to rely on the transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was June 10, 1990 (read here). I agree with everything Cox has said about this masterpiece of horror especially the ventriloquist segment.

Since I could not find a good trailer for it online, do various research on it because it is genuinely frightening.

Moviedrome Mondays: Goin’ South (1978)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director/star Jack Nicholson’s 1978 curio western comedy Goin’ South, readers will have to rely on a transcript of his introduction instead (read here). The episode’s original airdate was May 27, 1990 (read here). Goin’ South was Nicholson’s second film as a director – seven years after his previous film Drive, He Said and 12 years before The Two Jakes (a sequel to Chinatown). The third title was very good, but as with Drive, He Said, Goin’ South are little more than good. Make no mistake, this is not a bad film, but as a comedy, it is only half as funny as it should be and as a 70’s western, it lacks everything that made both The Hired Hand and The Missouri Breaks so poetic (like the former) or deeply fascinating (like the latter). I agree with everything Cox says about it, especially how it pales in comparison to the latter from two years earlier in 1976 (read here).

I can’t really seem to find a theatrical trailer to it so I am afraid you dear readers will have to read it’s wikipedia or watch youtube clips of it.

Moviedrome Mondays: Get Carter (1971)

by John Charet

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox introducing director Mike Hodges 1971 British gangster classic Get Carter, readers will have to rely on his transcript (read here). The episode’s original airdate was May 20, 1990 (read here). Nothing more I can say here about this great film except that I agree with everything Cox said about it.

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer