One of my top 3 favorites. It never gets old. It is on tonight on GRIT at 8PM. Followed by Return of the Seven, then Guns of the Seven
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The Magnificent Seven
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I like all three versions. The Seven Samurai (the original), the 1960 and the 2016 versions were all enjoyable and entertaining. I just let each movie take me where it wanted me to go.
rockquarry
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The orginal is really the only excellent one, and no doubt John Sturges had a lot to do with that. Sturges was easily the best director of action films ever. Return of the Seven (#2) is worth watching - once. Burt Kennedy directed that one as he did a number of other decent westerns, but a John Sturges he wasn't.
#3, Magnificent Seven Ride wasn't good at all. #4, the one with Denzel Washington can only be described as a genuine loser, worse than #3. Don't waste your time on either.
#3, Magnificent Seven Ride wasn't good at all. #4, the one with Denzel Washington can only be described as a genuine loser, worse than #3. Don't waste your time on either.
NFrameFred
Member
I found the behind the scenes stories from the original with Brenner and McQueen extremely interesting.
Brenner was short, so in his close up scenes with McQueen they used to pile up a mound of dirt where his mark was so he could look Steve in the eye. Between practice/multiple takes McQueen reportedly would kick down the dirt when no one was watching to the ire of Brenner. Watch also in the scenes where Brenner is speaking and McQueen has few lines, he is constantly taking his hat off, putting it on, adjusting his kerchief, dusting off his sleeve . . . anything to draw attention when Yul Brenner was supposed to be the focus of the scene. It did not escape Brenner's notice and caused friction between them on the set. McQueen was right at home as a cowboy and Brenner was playing one for the first time, but had just finished playing the King of Siam in "The King and I" which garnered him an academy award, so he was loathe to share the spotlight with McQueen. This seemed to give McQueen all the more enjoyment in doing everything he could to needle Brenner.
Still great performances from most all of the stellar cast. I particularly enjoyed James Coburn's character. A film I can watch time and again.
Brenner was short, so in his close up scenes with McQueen they used to pile up a mound of dirt where his mark was so he could look Steve in the eye. Between practice/multiple takes McQueen reportedly would kick down the dirt when no one was watching to the ire of Brenner. Watch also in the scenes where Brenner is speaking and McQueen has few lines, he is constantly taking his hat off, putting it on, adjusting his kerchief, dusting off his sleeve . . . anything to draw attention when Yul Brenner was supposed to be the focus of the scene. It did not escape Brenner's notice and caused friction between them on the set. McQueen was right at home as a cowboy and Brenner was playing one for the first time, but had just finished playing the King of Siam in "The King and I" which garnered him an academy award, so he was loathe to share the spotlight with McQueen. This seemed to give McQueen all the more enjoyment in doing everything he could to needle Brenner.
Still great performances from most all of the stellar cast. I particularly enjoyed James Coburn's character. A film I can watch time and again.
rockquarry
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Hard to beat the great cast of the original movie.
sigp220.45
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I have Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven on DVD and the 2016 version in the cloud.
Logan has watched all three with me. He liked them all and drew the similarities and differences.
It's entertainment. Watch what you like.
Logan has watched all three with me. He liked them all and drew the similarities and differences.
It's entertainment. Watch what you like.
Watched it last night. We enjoy the GRIT cowboy channel.
Hard to imagine that McQueen, a Marine that was busted from PFC back to private SEVEN times, would pick on a short Russian.
NFrameFred
Member
Another back story nugget - Eli Wallach (Calvera, the villain) had never ridden a horse much if at all. The extras that played his "gang" for the most part were actual Mexican vaqueros that spoke no English and Wallach at that time spoke no Spanish, but he said they took his position as the "boss" very seriously. They treated him like royalty and always made sure they had his horse saddled and well taken care of and were very protective of him. He said "I wished I had taken riding lessons before the film and wanted to apologize to them because I couldn't ride any better than I did".
Benton Quest
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Not sure McQueen was a good person.
Blasphemy, yes, I know.
Just my theory.
Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk
Blasphemy, yes, I know.
Just my theory.
Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk
NFrameFred
Member
You'd have to understand his background - in that sense he was no better or worse than the rest of us. I recommend the book "Steve McQueen - the Salvation of an American Icon" by Greg Laurie. Fascinating story - a good read.
I remember sitting in my small town theater and watching Magnificent 7. I have always thought the firearms sound louder in that film than most.
It took years, but I finally got a SAA .45 and a lever action rifle. I sold the SAA and kept the rifles.
It took years, but I finally got a SAA .45 and a lever action rifle. I sold the SAA and kept the rifles.
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I can watch the original Magnificent Seven just about daily.... great show....
The follow on versions - well - not so much, but that's pretty much the same with any follow on versions of great shows......
On another note, just about any John Wayne movie is in the same camp....
We are not producing actors/actresses in the same vein as the oldies.... Probably has something to do with how the world is transforming I guess (notice I didn't say progressing..
)........
The follow on versions - well - not so much, but that's pretty much the same with any follow on versions of great shows......
On another note, just about any John Wayne movie is in the same camp....
We are not producing actors/actresses in the same vein as the oldies.... Probably has something to do with how the world is transforming I guess (notice I didn't say progressing..
)........
The dirt didn't have to be very high. McQueen was 5'10" and Brynner was 5'8".
Even as much of a John Wayne fan as I am, 'The Magnificent Seven' is my all time favorite film, regardless of genre.
Cast, score, script, cinematography, direction, all perfect (YMMV).
If I could have had a drink with any of the cast, and just listened, it would have been Eli Wallach. With that one he wrote the book on how to be a bandito leader.
Cast, score, script, cinematography, direction, all perfect (YMMV).
If I could have had a drink with any of the cast, and just listened, it would have been Eli Wallach. With that one he wrote the book on how to be a bandito leader.
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jag312
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rockquarry
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The musical score was done by the best of the era - Elmer Bernstein. He was to film soundtracks what John Sturges was to directing movies.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
She's not in the movie, but Ali McGraw was there to keep Steve's nerve calm at night! The Guild strike in Hollywood is why it was filmed in Mexico. If filmed in Hollywood it would have come off very lame!
Ivan
Ivan
