Sam Peckinpah (1925-1984)

The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
Ride the High Country (1962)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Major Dundee (1965)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Junior Bonner (1972)
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
The Killer Elite (1975)

The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) trailer
Ride the High Country trailer
The Wild Bunch trailer
Major Dundee trailer
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid trailer
Junior Bonner opening
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia trailer
The Killer Elite trailer



Sam Peckinpah -
Sam Peckinpah WikipediaSam Peckinpah - IMDb

c/p

David Samuel "Sam" Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 - December 28, 1984) was an American director who really hit the big time with his western, The Wild Bunch (1969). He became one of those heavyweight directors of the seventies—mostly because of how he reinvented action and violence through such an explicit lens, plus his whole revisionist take on the western genre. Peckinpah’s movies usually dug into the friction between core values and ideals, and the sheer corruption of violence within human society. His protagonists are almost always loners or losers trying to hold onto some sense of honor, even when they're forced to make compromises just to survive in a brutal, nihilistic world. Honestly, though, his combative nature—fueled by years of battling alcoholism and addiction—ended up overshadowing a lot of his professional legacy. A ton of his films are famous for the behind-the-scenes warfare with producers and crew members, which definitely took a toll on his reputation and his career.

It’s easy to see himself in those (anti)heroes he loved to portray, judging by this description... but when you have guys like Martin Scorsese and John Woo citing him as a major influence when they were starting out, the story gets a lot more interesting. I first stumbled into his work through The Wild Bunch, and ever since then, I’ve always had a craving to watch anything that carries his signature—which, thanks to the era of high-speed internet, has become way easier to track down 😁. The guy is a legend by any standard; an auteur who, much like his predecessors and successors, didn't get the credit he deserved for trying to revitalize genres and push boundaries until a decade or two had passed (in Peckinpah's case, he didn't even live to see or read the massive critical praise his body of work eventually garnered). Since I’ve always leaned toward "retro" directors—I actually have The Getaway queued up to watch again today—I figured I'd check in here to see where he stands with the local forum crowd, and which of his films holds the highest rank in your filmographies or your personal favorites...

I'm putting my vote in for this classic...😁


Cross of Iron (1977)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Osterman Weekend (1983)
Convoy (1978)
The Getaway (1972)

Straw Dogs (1971) - Trailer
Cross of Iron (1977) - Trailer
The Osterman Weekend (1983) - Trailer
Convoy (1978) - Trailer
The Getaway (1972)- Trailer

Same as always... a little bit of material regarding the director.

Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1992) The Wild Bunch: an album in Montag
The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage (1996)

Two documentaries covering Peckinpah and his filmmaking process, plus this book filled with his interviews... Only a few chapters are available from the book, but it's pretty decent reading...

My absolute favorites the former friend Kid, and I have a real soft spot for The Ballad of Cable Hogue!

The only one I haven't checked out yet is The Killer Elite Is it even half as good as his other stuff... or was it just some quick attempt to boost his market value?

Exactly the same thing...

Convoy (1978) 👍

One of my absolute favorites.

Between the absolute masterpieces that are Ride the High Country, The Wild Bunch, and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, there are several other solid entries—though I unfortunately haven't sat down with Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia yet. All things considered, this represents one of the most powerful chapters in the history of American cinema.

I’ve always been a huge fan of his full-length debut, The Deadly Companions, starring Maureen O'Hara.

We all have our favorites... which just goes to show how much of an impact Bloody Sam had 🙏

Straw Dogs. I still can't wrap my head around that whole censorship mess over here in the States:

Censorship

Back in 1984, Straw Dogs actually became even more infamous in the US after the MPAA stepped in following the Video Recordings Act, mostly due to the violent rape scene involving Amy Sumner. The movie had already hit theaters in the US, grabbing an 'X' rating back in 1971, and later saw an 18 rating for a cut version in 1995. By 1999, a partially edited version of Straw Dogs was denied a license once again, because the MPAA felt there was a "clear indication that Amy comes to enjoy being raped".[17]

It wasn't until July 1, 2002, that Straw Dogs finally got the green light for unedited video and DVD release.[1] This version was totally uncut, which meant it included that second rape scene—the one where, in the eyes of the MPAA, "Amy is clearly demonstrated not to enjoy the act of violation".[18] Interestingly, the Board pointed out that “the cuts made for American distribution, which were intended to shorten the sequence, actually ended up making things worse regarding the first rape, leaving the audience with the impression that Amy actually liked it. The Board took the view in 1999 that the pre-cut version eroticized the rape and therefore raised concerns with the MPAA about promoting harmful activity.

The version they looked at in 2002 is pretty much the original uncut film, bringing back most of that undeniably grim second rape. Having that second scene provides the necessary context for the ambiguity of the first one, making it perfectly obvious that sexual assault isn't something Amy is welcoming.

🙂

Those censors at the MPAA are honestly just a step behind the rest of us. 🤷

Offtopic: Sorry, I really have to do this—it's a matter of defending Sam Peckinpah's honor. 😁 To the Emir Kusturica crowd over at The New York Times:

The American censor has requested he cut a scene from his latest film, Life Is a Miracle—a typical, high-energy romance set during the war—where a cat jumps on a dead pigeon.

"I simply don't understand. The pigeon was already dead; we found it lying in the street. No other censor has said a word. What is wrong with you Americans? You've killed millions of Indians and Africans, yet you lose your minds over the specific circumstances surrounding the death of a single pigeon. I'm touched that you care so deeply about the lives of Mexican birds, but you're insane. I'll never grasp how your minds operate."

Source

🤣🤣🤣

Straw Dogs 👍

The Getaway with Steve McQueen is actually quite good.

briskhound2 said:The only one I haven't sat through is The Killer Elite. Is it even half as good as his other stuff, or was it just some attempt to chase a bigger paycheck?

It’s definitely worth at least half as much as the others... though, if I'm being honest, it didn't exactly leave a lasting impression on me.

@ Nicholas Walker3: yo!

Convoy (1978).

Straw Dogs-Wild Bunch-The Getaway-Pat Garrett. Tim's putting them back in order.

👍briskhound2, the beast is finally out of the cage. You certainly gave me a run for my money there.

Mark Wood79 said:briskhound2, the big beast is finally in play. You really put me through the wringer with that one... 👍

Glad to meet you... 😁 It isn't really "voting" if you don't actually sit down and wrap your head around the movie first—but Bloody Sam certainly gives you enough to chew on. As wiredbison82 and Nicholas Walker3 have pointed out, he’s got one of his most powerful works under his belt... there's honestly something in there for everyone...

granitebison262 said:It’s probably worth a look, I guess... but honestly, nothing about it really sticks with me...

First thing regarding that movie—as soon as I track down a copy, I'll drop a comment and let you guys know what I thought of it... Thanks.

Not bad, briskhound2. It’s a fascinating cast, especially with two heavy hitters from The Godfather—James Caan & Robert Duvall—working together here.

By the way, Peckinpah & Coburn were actually guests at the Puls Film Festival 1977, which makes perfect sense given they were there to promote Cross of Iron, which was filmed right here in the States. For that same reason, the old master was also a guest at FEST in New York City, which gives rise to that famous anecdote about a waitress at the FEST diner. Having absolutely no clue she was chasing down a slightly tipsy director, she comes running after him, shouting:

"GIVE ME THAT GLASS BACK, YOU ROGUE!"

🤣🙂👍

Straw Dogs.

One of my all-time favorites, honestly. If I had to pick the one movie that truly rattled me, this might just be at the top of the list.

Then again, it’s probably the one film I’ve actually watched the fewest times out of all my old classics. Heavy, heavy, heavy stuff.

But hey, it’s a hell of a lesson.

I guess.

🤷

Christian Taylor3 said:film censorship

Amy does enjoy being raped, and honestly, that’s the best part—or the absolute worst, depending on how much you hate this godforsaken movie.

By the way, you can actually pick up this absolutely incredible documentary now
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content/id...John Ford.html

A Ballad from Switzerland