"I have vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals."

I can’t remember how old I was when I first saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but I do remember liking it instantly. I think it was my mom who suggested I see it, as was the case with most of the memorable movies from my childhood. And whenever I happened to come across it on TV I would always stop and watch whichever scene happened to be playing; there were no boring ones. I finally picked up the recent Ultimate Collector’s Edition version of the film on DVD and watched it with some really good friends. Almost 40 years after its initial release, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remains one of the best films in Hollywood.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford star as the title characters, respectively, and base their performances on the real life members of the Wild Bunch gang (though in the film the group is referred to as the Hole in the Wall gang due to Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Wild Bunch’ film which was released the same year). Butch and Sundance’s gang was responsible for a number of bank and train robberies in the old west. They were eventually forced to flee to Bolivia when a highly skilled law enforcement posse began hunting down the infamous duo. The majority of the film retells the story of Butch and Sundance’s illegal exploits while avoiding “those guys”.

“Who are those guys?”

For someone who hasn’t actually seen this movie it probably sounds like any other western film. I haven’t seen all that many western movies but I would venture to say that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is unique in many ways. First and foremost is the amusing relationship between the main characters. Newman and Redford became famous for the entertaining quality of their on-screen partnerships and this movie is no exception. The banter between the two is the meat of this film and provides for many memorable and quotable lines. And the delivery is perfect with Newman and Redford giving a performance that would have them teaming up again for the Academy’s Best Picture winner ‘The Sting’ 4 years later.

In the spirit of Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Bonnie & Clyde the film instantly has you cheering for the bad guys, although they are portrayed in a light that makes you wonder who the real bad guys are. Despite their thieving, fighting, shooting and blowing things up, you can’t help but like Butch and Sundance. It makes the relentless hunt that much more engaging and you find yourself watching right up to the climactic ending, hoping the anti-heroes will ultimately make their escape.

“Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?”

Despite the fact that the film was first released in 1969, the restored DVD looks pretty darn good. Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen the video image is colourful and clear throughout. I was actually surprised at the picture quality in a few of the scenes as I had always remembered the film as a grainy, washed-out, old-west flick. Now there are still some grainy scenes and I did notice a definite aging of the film, but overall it still looks good and doesn’t detract from the storyline at all. The Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack is also quite good, considering the age of the film.

The Ultimate Collector’s Edition DVD comes with a second disk of special features including a couple of commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, documentaries and interviews. All Of What Follows Is True: The Making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the better making-of documentaries I’ve seen for a film. Both actors, the writer and producers take a look back at Butch and Sundance and offer their thoughts on the huge popularity of the film. There are numerous insights and facts given about the movie and how it was originally conceived and created. Definitely worth a watch.

“Kid, next time I say “Let’s go someplace like Bolivia,” let’s GO someplace like Bolivia.”

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid went on to earn 7 Academy Award nominations and won 4 of them, including Best Song for ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’ (now you know where that song came from). Although it was initially panned by the critics it became a huge success and remains one of the most popular westerns of all time. If you haven’t seen this classic Newman/Redford film you owe it to yourself to watch it as soon as possible. Having said that, I get home around 5:00pm so bring your popcorn and we’ll starting watching at 5:01. Don’t be late; the opening scene is very good. So is the one right after it. And the one after that…and the next one…

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gets 9 and ½ sticks of dynamite (out of 10).
Reach for the sky, then click here for ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ trivia.

"Must go faster."

It’s been a busy summer for me this year. It seems like it’s gone by in a blur. There was a vacation in Penticton where I actually burned my feet on the sand, literally. There was a camping trip that almost didn’t happen, a wedding celebration where I learned the art of the ‘sandwich’ (thanks Anthony), a weeklong camp with teenagers (yes, I’m insane) and a couple days at the Baker’s cabin where I water-skied for the first time. Sort of.

So basically, it’s been a terrible summer…for watching movies.

I have some serious catching up to do, but in the mean time here’s a rundown on the few flicks I did manage to watch.

When I was in high school a friend of mine and I were addicted to baseball and would spend all our time sorting through boxes of baseballs cards, practicing our curveballs in the backyard and watching Major League. While there are a few campy moments and a completely unnecessary romance plot, the finale of this film is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. It’s a rousing, roaring celebration that comes together perfectly. An incredibly fun film with some hilarious acting by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and a chameleon-esque performance by President David Palmer.

The Great Escape deserves a full length review, as does the excellent 2-disc Collector’s Edition DVD. For now let’s just say that if you haven’t seen this World War II classic then you owe it to yourself, and the rest of film-lovers everywhere, to see this one as soon as humanly possible. It’s the true story of a group of Allied POWs who plan a mass escape from a German prison camp and stars some of Hollywood’s most famous actors including James Garner, Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. Despite being released more than 40 years ago The Great Escape remains exciting and entertaining.

The quintessential gangster movie, Goodfellas pretty much defines the roles that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci have become famous for. The film is based on actual events, which is scary considering the kinds of things going on throughout. Goodfellas gives a no-holds-barred look at mob life in the 60s, 70s and 80s and uses clever voice-over narration to describe the thoughts and ambitions of each character. Ray Liotta gives a terrific performance in the lead role but is easily overshadowed by De Niro and Pesci who were simply born to play these characters. Another classic that deserves your attention.

I recently finished reading the non-fiction book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. It’s easy to see how it inspired Ridley Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer to team up and create Black Hawk Down, a film based on the events of Mogadishu 1993. After finishing the book I was eager to watch the film again. It’s a completely different experience when you are familiar with the individual soldiers involved in the conflict and are aware of how they were feeling during the battle. Although a very hard movie to watch for some (it’s basically the Saving Private Ryan of modern war) I think it’s an important one. And it just happens to be incredibly exciting and entertaining as well.

It’s hard to give Hotel Rwanda a proper review (even a mini-review) since I’ve only seen it once, several weeks ago. I was so wrapped up in the drama unfolding on-screen that I never really considered how it measured up as a film. Maybe that’s a good thing for a movie that is simply retelling events that actually happened (I seem to be watching a lot of those lately). I do recall thinking that Don Cheadle is an amazing actor. Just watch Ocean’s 11 (Basher) and then Hotel Rwanda (Paul Rusesabagina). He never has to worry about getting typecast, that’s for certain. The movie itself is definitely engaging and worth seeing. I would like to learn more about the real story and watch it again before giving my full opinion though; I’ve heard rumblings that some key elements may not be entirely accurate.

Independence Day is just plain fun. What else would you expect from a movie about aliens attacking earth? This film is all about the script. When Dave and I first saw this together at the theatre back in 1996 (whoa, that’s 10 years ago!) we were quoting the film backwards and forwards every chance we got. Will Smith steals the show with his hilarious quips and Jeff Goldblum is a terrific addition. Although I felt the film was a little too patriotic, it was to be expected (it is named after the single most important American holiday). The Limited Edition DVD includes some additional footage but not much. All in all it’s just a great ride and one that will give any action/adventure seeker his fill.

That just about brings us up to date. I did manage to watch three films while at Camp (of course I did), but I’ll leave that for another day. Right now I must start watching more movies!