There are particular actors that just seem to fit a little too well in certain movies. It’s like they were made to be living in the genre that inhabit on screen which adds to the precious realism that I covet in film. The western genre is one that I have a longstanding enjoyment of, no matter the subject matter. So while we equate westerns with gunfights, lots of brooding from a disdained hero and more gunfights, the harshness of the open plains leaves a bit more room to look upon the land and oneself. Appaloosa is more than just gunfights and killing, but a chance to build and flesh out the characters in the harsh western setting.
Boy am I happy to be talking about these two trailers this week. Frankly I can never get enough of western films and Blackthorn looks to brings back Butch Cassidy in an interesting way with Blackthorn. Last is a trailer from the Tsui Harks latest creation starring Andy “Motherfucking” Lau as a Sherlock Holmes style detective in Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Blackthorn:
If you have never seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you are missing out on of the best western films out there. So if you have a little knowledge about the legend of Butch and Sundance, you know that they were supposedly killed in a standoff with the Bolivian army. Blackthorn tells the story of how Butch Cassidy survived the standoff and is living out his old days under the name of James Blackthorn. Sam Shepard (awesome) plays Blackthorn as he sets out on one last journey to to America to see his family before he dies. Along the way home he gets himself mixed up with a young criminal and has to embark on one last gunfight. I am stoked for this movie to make its way to my neck of the woods. As much as I loved Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, having a continuing story about Butch is a great plot device and story to be told. The film looks gorgeous and the pace of the trailer has a nice mix between gun play action and some long stretches of Butch reflecting on his life. If you like westerns, this is going to be your kind of movie.
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame:
So ignore the dubstep soundtrack for a second, while cool and paced well with the trailer, focus on what you just saw. If you aren’t familiar with Tsui Hark’s work, well let me tell you that this looks like one of his most ambitious and visually stunning movies to date. Mixing mind bending action scenes and unique, over the top visual style, and great story about a Sherlock Holmes style character and you got an exciting film on your hands. Tsui Hark is bringing the big guns with Detective Dee and it seems like it will be an incredible ride with Andy Lau playing the decorated detective trying to solve the mystery behind 7 murders for the empress. High-wire kung fu, fast pacing and unique flair not seen in a lot of Chinese films, means Nick is going to chomp at the bit when this comes anywhere close to my theater area.
