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Movies You Ought To Like Pt. 1
January 27, 2004
Hello everyone. Once again it is my turn to spice up this internet coffee shop we call Dead End Days. Now as the director of this illustrious project many of you might expect me to sit here and wax poetic about the rigors of making a no budget indie film series that heartily yet meagerly tries to reveal the world that lies behind the spider web of the shattered crystal shroud that blinds us from the truth blah, blah, blah. Fortunately for you, I’m not going there. Jay, Shane and now Rob have all painted an accurate picture of what our day to day is like (the glamour, the tantrums and so on). I thought it would be far more interesting for you, the loyal DED reader to discover some of the influences that have helped shape this big idea into the little film that it is. So I now unleash a string of essays outlining the films that have touched a place in my heart and soul and have ultimately gone on to make me the director that I am. These essays will be called:
MOVIES THAT YOU OUGHT TO LIKE (and if you don’t like them you suck) BY MATT HOOS
So without further ado I present to you…
YOUNG GUNS II
In 1988 Morgan Creek pictures released what could be seen as the return to the great American Western by finally committing to film the story of one of the worlds most notorious outlaws, Billy the Kid, in a movie called Young Guns. This film told the true story of a group of young men without homes who were taken in by the generous John Tunstall and given a place to work and learn on his farm. After their teacher and mentor was killed by a cattle baron by the name of Murphy, the young fellers were made deputies and were instructed to round up the Murphy boys (all the dudes who worked for Murphy). Well things got a little out of hand when one of the deputies by the name of William H Bonney starts going ape shit and killing everybody. He and his band of deputies (lead by the reluctant Charlie Sheen) become outlaws themselves and are henceforth known as “the young guns”. The whole thing ends in a big bloody gun battle where all but three people die. Now most would end the story here, but not the geniuses at Morgan Creek. See they didn’t tell the most important part of the story in the first film (where Billy the Kid gets chased down and killed by Pat Garrett) presumably so they still had something left to base a sequel on. The only problem with this plan was, that by all accounts, that particular part of the story was brief and fairly uninteresting. So what did they do? A thing of beauty: Make the first movie again - from another point of view! Brilliance! They dug up a story about some crack- pot who wandered out of the New Mexico desert in the 1950’s claiming to be a very-much-alive Billy the Kid and they told the whole sordid tale again from his particular viewpoint. The really beautiful part of this approach is that the “Billy the Kid” version of events was far more interesting than the original film, allowing the sequel the rare feat of surpassing its predecessor!
“So?” You say, “the movie still sucked.” But did it?
Lets run through the cast shall we: Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, Balthazar Getty, a towering James Cobern and everybody’s favourite King of Gondor -Viggo Mortensen. Impressed yet? You know you are.
If you’re not sold on star-power alone, check out some of the choice dialogue; Lines like James Coburn’s “Billy the Kid, you think you know New Mexico, BY-GOD-I-AM-NEW-MEXICO!” Or how about this Keifer Sutherland Classic: “You rode a 15-year-old boy straight into his grave, and the rest of us straight to Hell…straight to Hell.” Finally there is the classic climactic exchange between Billy and Doc just before the big shoot out that goes:
Doc: William H Bonney, You…Are Not…A God!
Billy: Why don’t you pull the trigger and find out?
Gives you shivers Huh? Huh? You know it does.
If the stunning has-been cast, the sweeping vistas and the choice lines still haven’t sold you on the greatness of the fillm how about the soundtrack? THE SOUNDTRACK! 15 entire songs “inspired” by the movie and sung with passion by the one and only Jon Bon Jovi. Try as you might, you will never forget “Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory”.
[He's got a point, I've been trying to forget "Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory" for years to no avail... in fact, I'm humming it now -editor]
So there you have it three great reasons to run out to your nearest Monopoly Video and rent Young Guns II!
Just one more thing, this wouldn’t be much of a directors essay if I didn’t let you know a thing or two about the director of this early nineties slice of heaven. His name is Geoff Murphy, a New Zealand native who attacked Hollywood in the eighties with his little film “Goodbye Pork Pie”. He then went on to direct other classics such as “Freejack”, “Under Siege 2:Dark Territory” and everybody’s favourite Canadian Co-pro “Fortress II: Re-entry”. Well How do you top a resume like that? By getting a real job. In the year 2000 Geoff did what every New Zealander did, he went to work for Peter Jackson. Geoff was the Second Unit Director on all 3 Lord of the rings films. Awww, what a happy ending. I too can only hope to make one great but relentlessly mocked film, then a string of looser sequels (not counting the above-mentioned movie) only to have my dignity handed back to me on a billion-dollar silver platter by my best friend, Bradley can you hear me?
Peace.
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