Customer Reviews

Ride in the Worldwind / Shooting [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

THE SHOOTING (1966): Willet Gashade (Warren Oates) and his dimwitted friend Coley (Will Hutchins) are in a state of growing paranoia after their partner is inexplicably shot to death by an unseen assassin at their small mining camp. The murder may have been in retaliation for the accidental trampling death of "a little person" in town, ostensibly by Gashade's brother, who had left camp in a great hurry immediately prior to the shooting. The next morning, while the two remain confused and suspicious over this disturbing mystery, a strange young woman (Millie Perkins) shoots her horse to death outside of the camp and then offers Gashade a thousand dollars to lead her to a place called Kingsley. He accepts even though he makes no attempt to hide his distrust. Intrigued by The Woman, Coley offers to tag along. On their journey, the trio are tracked at a distance by a black clad stranger, Billy Spear (Jack Nicholson). Meanwhile, The Woman laughingly toys with Coley's emotions and refuses to answer any of Gashade's questions. Spear eventually joins them and proves to be a most despicable companion. Hostile and abusive in the extreme, Spear is a gunslinger cohort of The Woman, who is herself quickly revealed to be every bit as wicked as Gashade had suspected from the beginning. Eventually, the strange journey ends in bloody disarray at the foot of a rock-strewn mountain, where Gashade comes face to face with the answer to the mystery, at great cost.

One of the most celebrated of all cult movies, and deservedly so, THE SHOOTING is a truly great example of the once vital western form, a triumphant dying gasp for the genre. This compelling tale of weird vengeance is directed with icy cold brilliance by Monte Hellman. The perennially underrated Hellman works wonders on a lowbudget, with stunning cinematography (by Gregory Sandor) provoking a strong aura of the mysterious and uncanny even in the most realistically detailed scenes.

A small but terrific cast helps brings the occasionally mystical narrative to life. Warren Oates plays the world weary and wise Grashade with his usual gritty style, making him a suitable anti-hero for this dark tale. He's an excellent foe to Jack Nicholson's irredeemably evil Billy Spear, one of the most repulsively mean of all movie villains. As bad as he is, Nicholson is ultimately simply a well armed servant at the beck and call of The Woman, who is beautifully played by Millie Perkins for maximum hissability. Both Spear and The Woman engineer the destruction of Oates' foolish sidekick Coley, whose decency earns him an undeserved fate; Will Hutchins' charmingly sweet performance provides the film with its only moments of gentleness.

Richly ambiguous and by turns realistic and dreamlike, THE SHOOTING is a sporadically baffling but undeniably heady ride into the desert. The creepy ending makes this one of those rare movies that will compel you to immediately rewatch the whole thing from beginning to end, if only so you can try to satisfy your curiosity about what it just might REALLY be all about. Its THAT great of a movie.

The VCI DVD presents THE SHOOTING in a fine, modestly letterboxed transfer that captures the film in all its eerie widescreen glory. Since the film never received a theatrical release and has been shown only rarely on television, this is the first time most people will have ever had the chance to see this film in its intended aspect ratio. The only extra is a terrific and highly informative audio commentary from Hellman and Perkins, who vividly recall with candor and humor the filming of this ultra-cheap, high-class production.

If director Monte Hellman's THE SHOOTING is not the cult movie by excellence, I'm ready to watch the whole production of Jackie Chan available here at ... . DVD's and VHS. Without fast forwarding.

Shot entirely in the gorgeous Utah desert sceneries, THE SHOOTING relates the story of a hunting. Who is hunted and who is hunting is one of the multiple unanswered questions of this unusual western. The name of the character played by Millie Perkins is never uttered, she is only credited as "The Woman". Is she the mother of the child Warren Oates's brother would have hurted during a ride into town ? Just guess.

Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson were both part of producer Roger Corman's unbelievable nest of future stars, they teamed up in 1967 for THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN A WHIRLWIND shot simultaneously. All I can say is that THE SHOOTING is a kind of UFO in the american production of this period and deserves to stay in your collection as an example of what can be done with a restricted budget and a lot of good ideas. Simply amazing.

I had a few problems with the menus of the DVD, never knowing where I was because the different available features were not lightened. But fortunately I know how to count until ten and made my way through the menus where I discovered filmographies, a picture gallery, different trailers and a very informative commentary said by Monte Hellman and Millie THE WOMAN Perkins. I eventually learned that Jack Nicholson was helped by a technical trick when he had to draw his gun. Simple but efficient.

A DVD for your library.

In the spring of 1965, Roger Corman, the king of profitable, low budget movies, helped produce (without credit) two amazing films that have achieved legendary cult status. Now, thanks to VCI Home Video, Monte Hellman's "THE SHOOTING" and "RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND" are available on DVD in pristine, widescreen transfers. The films are subtly interconected.

Both films star a then unknown Jack Nicholson and super starlet Millie Perkins and were shot simultaneously on location in Utah for the modest amount of $150,000. Nicholson also wrote and co-produced "Ride in the Whirlwind" which is a straightforward tale of the making of a bad man and features sharp performances from Cameron Mitchell, the great Harry Dean Stanton, Rupert Crosse and Katherine Squire among others.

After accidentally happening on a group of outlaws, and getting caught in the crossfire by a sheriff and his posse, Wes (Jack Nicholson) is mistaken for one of the gang and escapes. But, in order to defend himself during his flight, has to start killing. By the end of the film he has become a legendary and mythic figure. Quentin Tarantino, a big fan of Hellman, has called this "one of the greatest films ever made."

In the "The Shooting," former bounty hunter turned miner Gashade (Warren Oates) returns to his diggings to find one of his partners, Leland, dead, his brother Coigne gone, and his third partner, Coley (Will Hutchins) holed-up in a nearby cave. Soon, a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) materializes out of nowhere and offers Gashade a huge sum of money to guide her on a journey he soon realizes is a manhunt.

The quirky screenplay is by Adrien Joyce, the odd pen-name of the brilliant screenwriter Carole Eastman who wrote the acclaimed "Five Easy Pieces" which also stars Nicholson.

What "The Shooting" is actually about is anybody's guess. It has been called an existential western, or anti western. The super low-budget enforced a minimalist, almost surrealistic style that is terrific and timeless. The stark outdoor locations add immensely to the mood and of this this strange, enigmatic story that seems to reflect mid 60's paranoia and disillusionment.

Since their initial release, both films, though seldom seen, have become critical favorites, and have attained cult film status here and in Europe. Both discs include an entertaining and revealing commentary by director Monte Hellman and actor Millie Perkins with additional informed commentary by American Cinematheque programmer Dennis Bartok.

The Shooting is an offbeat 1966 Western directed by Monte Hellman, with a screenplay by Carole Eastman (using the pseudonym "Adrien Joyce"). The story is about two men (Warren Oates and Will Hutchins) who are hired by a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) to accompany her to a town located many miles across the desert. During their journey, they are closely tracked and later joined by a malevolent black-clad gunslinger (Jack Nicholson) who is known by the woman.

This early Nicholson vehicle is definitely worthwhile especially if you have a taste for out-of-the-ordinary films. Millie Perkins is quite fetching and Will Hutchins is a convincing youngster sidekick, while Oates is a good every-man protagonist and Nicholson just oozes ee-vil. The film is also a must for anyone who likes lost-in-the-wilderness flicks (like me).

I was almost going to give the film 3 Stars because of the nonsensical ending. What's wrong with the ending? [SPOILER ALERT!! Don't read anymore unless you've seen the film]. As the story progresses it becomes clear that the woman is hunting Oates' brother who apparently killed a child or a midget, likely the woman's child. When they finally catch up to him at the very end we discover that the supposed murderer is Oates' TWIN brother who looks exactly like him. Since this is so, why didn't the woman assume Oates (Willett Gashade) was the person who killed her child since he looks exactly like the one who did (Coin Gashade)?

If anyone can shed some light on this mystery I'd appreciate it. I suspect that there is no answer, which makes the film pointless. Why go through all the expense and trouble of making a film that doesn't make sense?

Regardless, "The Shooting" is a worthwhile independent 60s Western with occasional flashes of brilliance. Some have called it the first "acid Western" but I wouldn't go that far. It has some weird touches, but not too weird.

I've wanted to see this film for the longest time -- ever since I first read about it in the book "Cult Movies" by Danny Peary. I was not disappointed. "The Shooting" is one of the most interesting -- and one of the weirdest -- Westerns ever. Imagine a Spaghetti Western written by Rod Serling, adapted from a Samuel Beckett play. Throw in the following: the great Warren Oates, an evil Jack Nicholson, a bitchy Millie Perkins, some hellish desert locales, and a truly bizarre ending -- a definite must-see.

The film itself deserves 5 stars -- but Madacy's DVD transfer is...well, not bad, but hardly the best. (Well, at least it's letterboxed.)

There was a top-quality DVD put out by VCI a few years back: digitally-restored, with a commentary track by director Hellman and Millie Perkins. (VCI provided the same treatment for their DVD of the companion film, "Ride the Whirlwind", also directed by Hellman and starring Jack Nicholson.)

Both "The Shooting" and "Whirlwind" VCI DVDs are now sadly out-of-print -- here's hoping for a re-issue of those restored transfers!

I consider this one of the strangest,umpredictable film I have ever seen. It starts with a simple but deceptive story that grows into a complex plot filled with hidden messages that only a pacient viewer will get it. Once you watch this film for the first time, it's for certain you gonna watch it again, 'cause it's full of little details. Look out for that finale, It's astonishing!

This DVD release of THE SHOOTING from Passion Productions is NOT the version that comes with trailer and commentary released several years ago. This release has absolutely no extras. Yet, if you can't find the other (as I haven't been able to do), then this version is a decent transfer and it's certainly worth it to see this odd, esoteric, existential Western from Monte Hellman.

Let's hope the previously released version with commentary from Monte Hellman, Millie Perkins and the American Cinematheques Dennis Bartok is released again. The commentary for this and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND were terrific.

Monte Hellman directed the influential 1967 flick, "The Shooting." The movie opens with Will Gashade (Warren Oates), a former bounty hunter, returning to his small mining camp. One of his partners, Coley Boyard (Will Hutchins), tells him that the camp was attacked earlier, and Will's brother (Coin) took off into the night. The next day, a mysterious woman (Millie Perkins) appears at the camp and hires Will to take her to a nearby town. Will is hesitant to accept the job from this rude woman who refuses to tell him why she needs a guide or even her name. However, when she offers Will and Colley $1000, they finally accept. Things don't go as expected, and they are soon joined by a hired gun, played by Jack Nicholson. This wild ride culminates in a doozey of an ending.

"The Shooting" is seen by many as the first acid western - a genre of revisionist Western incorporating a sixties hippie aesthetic and existentialist sensibility. It's like combining "Easy Rider" and "The Unforgiven." As such, "The Shooting" is an interesting movie that should interest fans of offbeat 60s cinema. However, be advised that it's a low-budget affair (made for just $75,000), with occasional shoddy acting and camera work; the sound is also fairly bad, with some dialogue nearly inaudible. The story by Carole Eastman ("Five Easy Pieces"), though, is an interesting twist on the typical revenge/hired gun western. The movie was filmed all on-location in the Utah desert, making it one of the more austere westerns and adding to its feeling of authenticity. Hellman also used all natural light, again adding to its starkness and realism.

Monte Hellman previously had worked extensively with b-movie genius Roger Corman, which is how he met a young Jack Nicholson. He was just starting to become the auteur he'd later become with 70s mini-masterpieces like "Two-Lane Blacktop" and "Cockfighter." Although rough around the edges, stick with "The Shooting" and enjoy the ride.

I'm not sure about the other DVDs in their catalog, but I was pretty happy with the Madacy transfer of THE SHOOTING. It's the first time I've found it letterboxed (although it looks like it might by 1:76 rather than 1:85, barely noticable by how closely cropped the credits are) but otherwise the color and picture is brighter and sharper than I've ever seen. There is some slight distortion from time to time (from what looks to be degeneration of a video master) but this is rather slight and probably only noticeable to those who are picky about such things. Sure, I'd love to see Criterion release this (along with Hellman's CHINA 9 LIBERTY 27) but for a bargain DVD the Madacy disc left me more than satisfied.

Not your father's western.

Almost the entire film consists of Millie Perkins, Warren Oates, Jack Nicholson, and Will Hutchins walking and/or riding through the Utah desert to the accompanyment of melodramatic music that foreshadows virtually nothing. This may attract some people on an existential level, and there is something to be said for that interpretation. But if it's a traditional western you're looking for, you're looking in the wrong direction.

Director Monte Hellman was one of several directors who grew up under Roger Corman in the 60s. Hellman did two westerns in 1965, the other being "Ride the Whirlwind" and they both featured Hellman's good friend and sometimes collaborator Jack Nicholson, himself a protoge of Roger Corman. Corman financed the films.

Both of Hellman's films are considered to be "acid westerns", a sub genre that refers to a counter cultural look at traditional standards. Indeed, the 90 minute trek across the desert resembles one long trip, in both meanings of the word.

Warren Oates is one of the best character actors and he's especially good in westerns. His work in "The Wild Bunch" (1969) is exemplary, but so is his work in a dozen other films like "Ride the High Country" (1962). "Dillinger" (1973), and "Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" (1974). But he gives a much below par performance in this one, which is all the more curious since Oates worked with Monte Hellman in the cult classic "Two Lane Blacktop" (1971) in which he gave a bruvura performance.

"The Shooting" is pre "Easy Rider" (1969. Nicholson is just awful in this film. He plays a fast draw gunslinger with about as much conviction as a wet noddle. Hellman maintains that Nicholson's character was a satiric counter-point to Alan Ladd's "Shane", but personally it just looks like bad acting to me.

At some point before the long trek, Oates and Perkins have a strange conversation at the end of which Oates says "I don't see no point." Perkins responds "There isn't any." That, more of less, sums up the film. Is it a parody of traditional westerns? Is it a re-telling of the Kennedy assassination? Or is it just a bad movie?