Monte Walsh
Reviews
John Chard
I ain't spitting on my whole life. Monte Walsh is the debut feature of cameraman-turned-director William A.Fraker. It stars Lee Marvin (Monte Walsh) & Jack Palance (Chet Rollins) as two ageing cowboys who find that the era of the cowpoke is coming to an end - and that work for them is now very hard to come by. Adapted by David Zelag Goodman & Lukas Heller from Jack Schaefer's novel, Monte Walsh is a gentle but astute telling of men who have outlived their time (think Will Penny/Ride The High Country). Though very sedate in pacing, and almost elegiac in tone, the film constantly remains interesting because the characters are so well written. That they are given quality portrayals by Marvin & Palance, the latter of which is nicely cast against type, is possibly of no surprise to most genre fans. But both actors push themselves to really make the film work, even exuding believability in the process. Thus when the story takes its potent laced turns we are with them all the way, for better or worse. John Barry provides the music and the film opens with a delightful and ironic tune called "The Good Times Are Comin" sung by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan too. There's also much humour in the piece, such as a cooks revenge that is laugh out loud funny. While there's action moments like a taming a bronco sequence to ensure the story is not solely interested in playing out as a sad atmospheric tale. But it's really all about Marvin and the character he plays, with Fraker guiding him to emotional depth, Marvin makes Monte Walsh an essential viewing for fans and interested newcomers alike. 7/10
Wuchak
**_The fun and challenges of the dwindling cowboy way-of-life_** As the open-range West dies in the 1890s with corporations taking over the ranches, two aging cowhands try to survive in the new era of fenced-in land (Lee Marvin and Jack Palance). While they set their eyes on women and possible marriage (e.g. Jeanne Moreau), out-of-work cowboys become desperate (e.g. Mitchell Ryan). "Monte Walsh" (1970) is similar to Charlton Heston’s “Will Penny” from 2.5 years earlier, but it cost almost four times as much and yet “Penny” is arguably the better Western. They’re at least on par, although “Penny” is hampered by its subplot of cartoony villains and an ending that leaves a sour taste. This was remade in 2003 with Tom Selleck, Keith Carradine and Isabella Rossellini in the key roles, the difference being that this version was shot in Arizona whereas the newer one was filmed in Alberta. Each locale fits the story but they offer dissimilar milieus, which makes both worth checking out. The story starts sorta dull as it shows the everyday mundane life of the cowhands mixed with the camaraderie and humor necessary for enduring such an existence. The second half, however, takes a heavy, dark turn and is more compelling with a highlight being the knock-down drag-out bronco busting scene that damages an entire town (back in the day when there was no CGI and so sequences like this were actually staged & shot). I also liked the palpable love displayed between Monte and his woman, as well as the subplot of desperate men doing foolish things in desperate times. The story is nigh elegiac in tone as we witness the limited opportunities for tough Westerners as their way of life is stifled by progress. The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes. GRADE: B
Movie Recommendation
The Fatal Glass of Beer1933-03-03The prodigal son of a Yukon prospector comes home on a night that "ain't fit for man nor beast."More...
Ramrod1947-05-02A cattle-vs.-sheepman feud loses Connie Dickason her fiance, but gains her his ranch, which she determines to run alone in opposition to Frank Ivey, "boss" of the valley, whom her father Ben wanted her to marry. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.More...
Panda2014-06-12Two teenagers are playing by night in a dirty parking lot. After they are driving on an empty road, they start to tease each other on the way to the sea, but they seem to be too young to drive and the road is a bit strange.More...
They Were Witches2025-09-08Mia, an expert speaker in witchcraft, takes a trip to see a therapist. On the way she meets a group of young people who will begin to die one by one to bring an evil spirit back from death.More...
Earth Summit Mission: Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Team2022-08-05"Earth Summit Mission" is the first 4K documentary recording a scientific expedition. The 60-minute Earth Summit Mission documentary is a record of the second Chinese scientific expedition to Mount Qomolangma which took place in the summer of 2022. It involved around 200 scientists, led by Yao Tandong from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the course of the expedition, the scientists set a number of records, from collecting ice and snow samples from the highest point on Earth and setting up the world’s highest weather station, to sending up an observation aerostat to an altitude of over 9,000 meters.More...
Insane Fight Club II - This Time It’s Personal2015-01-21Insane Fight Club is back. This year the boys are taking their unique form of entertainment to England as they stage fight nights in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle.More...
Serial Killers: The Real Life Hannibal Lecters2001-01-01This documentary examines a selection of real life serial killers and compares them to the fictional Hannibal Lecter.More...- EVOLVE 892017-07-09EVOLVE 89 was an event put on by Evolve which took place on July 9, 2017 at the Marietta Event Hall in Marietta, Georgia.More...
Medidas Extremas2016-05-29There is no descriptionMore...
The Work Wife2018-06-20After a tense few months following a miscarriage and an unemployment spell, things are finally looking up for Sean and Lisa Miller when Sean lands his dream job at an advertising firm. But when Sean’s assistant, Jen, his self-proclaimed “Work Wife,” begins vying for his affection, it soon becomes clear that she will stop at nothing to rip their marriage apart and claim him as her own.More...
Gara-Gara Warisan2022-04-30Three brothers who never get along are forced to compete for the inheritance in the form of a guest house owned by Dahlan, their father. Adam, the eldest son who blames his father's harsh attitude for his life's failures. Laras, the middle child who is independent and idealistic. And Dicky, his father's favorite youngest child who was pampered since childhood and grew up as a naughty young man. Who will be the heirs of choice?More...
Kitten Party2010-10-12Meet Whiskers and all of his kitten friends as they throw a fun filled Kitten Party! Educational for kids Fun for animal lovers of all ages! Over 50 kittens from a dozen different breeds. Hilarious kitten antics and cuddly kitten moments! Three sing-along kitten songs! Two bonus playpen chapters for more kitten fun! Shot in high definition!More...
Tukuma1984-02-24Stunning photography of icy tundra does not make up for dramatic weaknesses in this average story about a brother searching for clues to the death of his sibling in a forbidding environment. Erik (Thomas Eje) is newly divorced and a depressed, despairing man who arrives in Greenland after his brother died in a hang-gliding accident. He eventually moves in with an Inuit woman Soerine (Naja Rosing Olsen) and her son Nikki, whom Erik suspects is his dead brother's child. His search and suspicions are punctuated by other subsidiary, mini-dramas, and long, sweeping vistas of the ice-bound landscape.More...
A Maine Movie2018-06-11A group of mismatched friends spend a weekend together in Maine.More...
The Third Key1983-03-28A young couple have settled in a new flat. Soon somebody begins watching them and they receive great amounts of money from an unknown sender.More...
Launder Run2014-09-01Launder Run tells the story of Jake, a man returning to his gritty hometown after years away, carrying the weight of a troubled past. The film opens on a rainy Saturday afternoon as Jake trudges through a bleak estate, visibly exhausted and clutching a plastic bag. Arriving at his sister Sue’s chaotic, unkempt flat, he confronts the ruins of his old life—a dirty fridge, a cluttered bedroom reduced to storage, and the ghosts of a once-close family. Seeking solace, he revisits his old pub, a place teeming with memories. As he steps inside, the bartender recognizes him with shock, hinting at Jake’s mysterious past and the reasons for his long absence. “Lounder Run” explores themes of homecoming, redemption, and the unshakable grip of one’s origins.More...
Rahul Subramanian: Kal Main Udega2018-03-16Rahul Subramanian's stand up comedy solo 'Kal Main Udega' is filled with unrelated topics, no transitions, inconsequential takes on consequential subjects and also a bit of mildly bad dancing.More...
Fishing Without Nets2014-07-30In Somalia, principled, young husband and father Abdi turns to piracy to support his family. While his wife and child wait for him in Yemen, an outdated and fragile satellite phone is his only connection to all he truly values. Abdi and his fellow pirates hit the high seas and capture a French oil tanker, demanding a hefty ransom. During the long, tedious wait for the cash to arrive, Abdi forges a tentative friendship with one of the hostages. When some of the pirates resort to violence, Abdi must make dramatic choices to determine his course.More...
Tora-san's Grand Scheme1970-02-26After winning big at the races, Torajiro Kuruma wants to take his aunt and uncle on a trip to Hawaii to partly pay the great filial debt he feels he owes them, but the plan hits a snag. Also, a pretty kindergarten teacher rents a room at Toraya.More...
Similar Movies
Hannie Caulder
1971-11-08After she's raped by the outlaw trio who murdered her husband, a frontierswoman hires a bounty hunter to instruct her in the ways of a gun in order to exact her revenge.Stories of the Argent...
2023-12-01At a tabern in the argentine interior, xenophobia among gauchos is in charge of blurring the line between the law and the trap.A Visit from the Incu...
2001-10-27Lucy, a young Victorian woman in the Old West, is being tormented by nightly visits from an incubus. Her friend Madeleine tries to console her, but is unable to help. A fallen woman, Lucy gets a job singing at the local saloon. However, the Incubus has followed her there; and things take an unexpected turn as Lucy and the Incubus, amidst the rowdy cowboys and saucy can-can girls, have their final showdown.Dead Noon
2009-02-03With the powers of hell at his disposal, Frank, a blood-thirsty outlaw from the old west, is resurrected to seek his revenge on the present day town of Weston.Outlaw Johnny Black
2023-09-15Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that's been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.Carry On Cowboy
1965-11-26Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a 'sanitary engineer' named Marshal P. Knutt is mistaken for a law marshal. Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable. Marshal has two aids—revenge-seeking Annie Oakley and his sanitary expertise.VeggieTales: Moe and ...
2007-03-03Meet Moe (Larry the Cucumber), a good-natured cowboy living high on the hog out in Dodgeball City while his kinfolk work their fingers to the bone digging the Grand Canyon. When Moe asks the heartless mayor to let his people go, he refuses and a heap of trouble comes to town. Can Moe help free his people from bondage and flee Dodgeball City once and fer all? Saddle up fro a rootin' tootin' Bible adventure as VeggieTales® heads west and teaches a lesson in followin' directions! Yee-Haw!From Dusk Till Dawn 3...
2000-01-18Narrowly escaping death, outlaw Johnny Madrid goes on the run with the hangman's sensuous daughter Esmeralda by his side.Bad Girls
1994-04-22Four former harlots try to leave the wild west (Colorado, to be exact) and head north to make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately someone from Cody's past won't let it happen that easily.The Revenant
2015-12-25In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.Tall in the Saddle
1944-09-29When Rocklin arrives in a western town he finds that the rancher who hired him as a foreman has been murdered. He is out to solve the murder and thwart the scheming to take the ranch from its rightful owner.Soldier Blue
1970-08-12After a cavalry group is massacred by the Cheyenne, only two survivors remain: Honus, a naive private devoted to his duty, and Cresta, a young woman who had lived with the Cheyenne two years and whose sympathies lie more with them than with the US government. Together, they must try to reach the cavalry's main base camp. As they travel onward, Honus is torn between his growing affection for Cresta.Peacemaker
2023-01-02United States-Canadian border 1891: Twenty-three nuns and seven priests are found dead at a burned down monastery. U.S. Marshall William James Richford and Mounted Policeman Richard Custer need to work together to find one of the most ruthless gangs of their time.Renegade
2004-02-09U.S Marshal Mike Donovan has dark memories of the death of his first love. He keeps peace between the Americans and the natives who had temporarily adopted and taken care of him. The evil actions of a white sorcerer lead him to confront the villain in the Sacred Mountains, and, through shamanic rituals conquer his fears and uncover a suppressed memory he would much rather deny.Savage Land
1994-09-13Two women and two kids are stranded in the Old West when bad guys (posing as Indians) try to snag the stagecoach's cargo. Pitted against nature, time, and the pursuing baddies, this unlikely team must trek over the mountains to reach safety.Apache Blood
1975-01-06After a massacre of an Indian village by the U.S army, a survivor, Yellow shirt (Ray Danton) goes after them for revenge. His journey becomes a deadly adventure. His life will be threatened by the hostility of the desert, snakes, hallucinations and of course his encounter with his enemies…Pardners
1956-08-01Rich momma's boy Wade Kingsley Jr. an Eastern dude, tries to follow in his murdered father's footsteps by returning to the West to partner up with Slim Moseley Jr.,the son of his father's former partner. Wade overcomes Slim's initial reluctance to accept him by using his fortune to buy a prize cow and new car to help Slim in his job as foreman on the Kingsley family ranch, currently under siege by a gang of outlaws called "masked raiders." Wade generously tries to pay off the ranch's mortgage with $15,000 of his own money, but unfortunately neither "pardner" realizes that respected banker Dan Hollis, the son of their fathers' murderer, is the leader of the gang.The Red Pony
1949-03-08Peter Miles stars as Tom Tiflin, the little boy at the heart of this John Steinbeck story set in Salinas Valley. With his incompatible parents -- the city-loving Fred and country-happy Alice -- constantly bickering, Tom looks to cowboy Billy Buck for companionship and paternal love.The Cheyenne Social C...
1970-06-12Two cowboys inherit a "social club" specializing in satisfying men.Boss Nigger
1975-08-17Two black bounty hunters ride into a small town out West in pursuit of an outlaw. They discover that the town has no sheriff, and soon take over that position, much against the will of the mostly white townsfolk.