mr. sardonicus

Death Wish is a movie for all of the people who have to wade through the legends of scum that inhabit the streets of America's urban wasteland. Liberals hate this film because it appeals to a very real desire in many Americans to see the streets "cleaned up." It is often portrayed as horribly violent and as nothing more than an "exploitation" movie--I'm not so sure that it is either. Yes, the film "exploits" the very real feelings people have toward violent wanton crime, but this story could have been a lot more exploitive than it is. Rather than roaming the streets armed to the teeth, as we might see in a more modern film, Paul Kersey takes on the criminals of New York with a .32 revolver. This is not a "gun nut" blowing people away with a .44 magnum or a .308, rather it is a guy who knows so little about firearms that he uses a pathetically underpowered gun to defend himself. That's the point of the movie. Paul Kersey is not a Special Forces Vietnam vet returning home to clean up America with overwhelming firepower--he is an architect and a liberal--in other words, just a regular guy. That's what is so forceful about the movie. Most people hold liberal views about criminals and violent crime because they have never had it hit close enough to home to shake them out of their liberal, hypothetical, text-book way of thinking. This movie seeks to do just that. As difficult as the rape scene is to watch, it is absolutely crucial to the plot because it tries to put the audience in the place of an innocent victim of violent crime. Talk to people who have lost children or parents to violent offenders and see if they support liberal coddling of violent criminals--you'll find few that do. Death Wish makes a simple point: if the law can't or won't protect innocent people, then maybe someone else should. Is vigilantism scary? Yes, of course it is, but then so is the liberal tradition of accepting violent crime as a "normal" aspect of society. Death Wish is a good movie; it's many sequels are not. Don't confuse the original with the real exploitation movies that follow it.

While definitely not in the same class with The Night Stalker as far as made-for-TV movies go, Gargoyles is still worth a peek. I agree with Gallard-2, that the director definitely over-exposes the gargoyles and in doing so lessens the effect of these creatures. The makeup and gargoyle designs were, I think, first rate, but you see them so often that it is easy to start looking too closely and pick them apart as costumes. The first half of the movie is the best, because the director maintains some suspense before we start seeing too much of the gargoyles. The premise of the film--gargoyles taking over the earth--is a little bit silly. I think the film would have worked better if less was explained and more mystery had surrounded the creatures--it certainly would have been scarier. Cornel Wilde is good as the human foe, but I can't help but think that if the creatures had been kept a little more in the shadows that this movie might have been a true TV classic. But even with its faults, it is worth a look, and it actually may be a little too much for young children.

It's difficult to comment on this movie because there are so many threads running through it. John Ford certainly deserves credit for creating this western classic, but it is John Wayne's acting and presence which makes this a masterpiece of western cinema. For all those yokels who think that John Wayne could not act, this film stands as solid evidence to the contrary. There is one scene where Ethan is in the presence of two white girls who had been captured by the Commanches he so bitterly hates. In this shot, he reels around and shoots a contempt filled glare at these two girls that is numbing in its effect. Wow! Rarely can an actor say so much with just a look. No doubt, this movie will be criticized for portraying the Indians as the bad guys, and, certainly, the film does show its 1950s stamp, but as a study of character, this is far from a black and white affair. Ethan is a complicated man who demonstrates the best and worst of American traits. All in all, this film deserves its place as one of America's best. I'm not sure that I would agree that it is the best film of all time, but it is without doubt one of the best westerns ever filmed.