Last Man Standing

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Best known for making movies about men and violence, director Walter Hill scored a misfire with this ambitious but ultimately dreary remake of Akira Kurosawa's samurai classic Yojimbo. The story's essentially the same but the setting has been switched to a dusty, almost ghostly Texas town in the 1930s, where two rival Chicago gangs are locked in an uneasy truce. Bruce Willis plays the lone drifter who allies himself with both gangs to his own advantage, working both sides against each other according to his own hidden agenda. The violence escalates to a bloody climax, of course, with Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, and Michael Imperioli as trigger-happy lieutenants in a lonely, desolate war. Fans of gangster movies will want to see this, and, if nothing else, Hill has brought his polished style to a vaguely mythic story. It's far from being a classic, however, and although its action is at times masterfully choreographed, the movie's humorless attitude is unexpectedly oppressive. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Remake of a remake.......2007-08-09

First done by Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo), then Sergio Leone (starring Clint Eastwood - A Fistfull of Dollars) it stands the test of time and the remake with Bruce Willis set in the Depression/Gangster Era. Same story but still a crowd pleaser with plenty of action and gun play.

A Fistfull of Dollars for the Chicago Mob..........2007-08-08

1996's "Last Man Standing" is a remake of the Clint Eastwood classic "A Fistfull of Dollars", itself derivative of an earlier Japanese samurai classic. In this version, Bruce Willis is the mysterious drifter who wanders into a dusty 1930's town in the American Southwest, where two rival gangs from Chicago, one Irish, one Italian, duel over prohibition liquor smuggling from Mexico. As in earlier films, the stranger who calls himself "John Smith" sells his very lethal services to the highest bidder, while the rivalry between the gangs literally becomes a war to the death.

Director Walter Hill is only partially successful in laying down an atmospheric thriller over several gunfight sequences. The respective Irish and Italian gangs seem more like stereotypes than the real thing. Fortunately, the gunfights are nicely staged and excellently choreographed.

Willis is entirely credible as a gunman on the run and down on his luck, injecting his everyman vulnerability into a role more easily played as a heartless killer. A sequence in which "Smith" clears a house of armed gang members, shooting and reloading twin .45 caliber automatic pistols with almost balletic grace, is a highpoint of the movie.

Christopher Walken, pitch-perfect as a psychotic killer for the Irish mob, is "Smith's" most dangerous opponent. The movie implies the two men have a history from Chicago, and their final confrontation will determine the "last man standing." Bruce Dern has a nice supporting role as a corrupt sheriff who waits out the violence to take back an almost deserted town.

This movie is highly recommended as a serviceable action movie. It is too much a copy to become a classic in its own right, but it is certainly entertaining.

Last Man Standing.......2007-07-27

Walter Hill's nod to the gangster and western genres. Bruce Willis rocks, but if you're not into semi cheesy action, steer clear. However, there is Christopher Walken, and who can resist!

Bruce at his best.......2007-07-13

I really enjoyed this movie and don't know how I missed it the first time around. The plot is typical, but the cast always live up to their potential. Fun. I'll watch it again about every six months.

Red Harvest retold through Gun Poetry.......2007-06-29

As far as I know, this makes the second movie produced that's based on Dashiell Hammett's 'Red Harvest' (same guy who wrote The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon). The first was Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo', which is undoubtedly a classic of Japanese cinema, itself spawning a revolution in American movie making when Sergio Leone began making all of Kurosawa's Samurai flicks into what we now know as Spaghetti Westerns.

If you've seen Yojimbo, or its western rendition `A Fistful of Dollars', and enjoyed either one, then you should get quite a kick out of this Bruce Willis Powered send up to Hammett's first foray into grunge fiction. We already know the story (lonely town, gangs, double crossing, woman, money, gunfights, no good guy just bad guys and indifferent guys), so the delivery is what's going to make the movie.

So how's the delivery? Absolutely Gun-alicious!

The whole movie is quite visceral; the gun fights are reminiscent of John Woo (slightly unrealistic, but convincing) and the dialogue is retailored to match the characters delivery, whether it be quiet and whispered, loud and obnoxious, or just mumbles. Bruce Willis was the perfect choice for the lead, menacing and believable as always. My favorite casting choice was Christopher Walken, the great character actor of our generation. The humor and insanity he brought to `Last Man Standing' is what really tied the whole movie together, and earned it 5 solid stars.

The Bottom Line: Know the history of this movie, and you'll enjoy it all the more.

Average customer rating:

Jeremy masterfully portrays F Scott Fitzgerald
The Last of Fitzgerald
GREAT FILM - SAD TRANSFER
such a wonderful film

Last Call
Starring: Jeremy Irons , Neve Campbell , Sissy Spacek , Shannon Lawson , and Paul Hecht
Director: Henry Bromell
Manufacturer: Showtime Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009V7RV
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Description

F. Scott Fitzgerald spent a lifetime battling demons - alcohol and a schizophrenic wife - and yet, wrote some of the greatest novels in American Literature. Despite a tumultuous relationship with his mistress, his ailing wife, declining health, and his daily drinking binges, Fitzgerald secretly wrote a scathing novel about the film industry which some call his best novel. It was his final triumph. Last Call is based on a true story about this troubled genius, starring Oscar, Emmy, and golden globe winner Jeremy Irons, Neve Campbell, and Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek.

Customer Reviews:

Jeremy masterfully portrays F Scott Fitzgerald.......2006-10-29

Jeremy Irons gets inside the head of F. Scott Fitzgerald in his last attempt at a novel. On the outside, Mr. Irons has a perfect Tuxedo Park, NY accent, with strains of the midwest and the south, in which F Scott Fitzgerald lived. On the inside, Irons gets the brass nerve evident in the personality of F Scott Fitzgerald through his books. He portrays the rising to the occasion of writing the book "The Last Tycoon" to a tee, complete with the brass nerve, the games alcoholics play, the eccentricity of Mr. Fitzgerald and the somewhat childlike but occasionally brusque treatment of his secretary, played by Neve Campbell. We never doubt that F. Scott Fitzgerald is a genius and we root for his comeback.

The story moves along at a nice pace, with glamorous sets to boot, one reminiscent of the Brown Derby, where everyone that was anyone in Hollywood hung out. Neve Campbell should not be underestimated as a natural at portraying Mr. Fitzgerald's foil in this, e.g. she picks up his slack, even disposing of alcohol bottles because Mr. Fitzgerald is too paranoid to do it himself. She has a bundleful of feelings for him. We never doubt that F. Scott Fitzgerald is a genius and we root for his comeback.

The Last of Fitzgerald.......2004-09-10

This movie is an interesting docudrama about the last years of F. Scott Fitzgerald as he was writing "The Last Tycoon."

Starring as F. Scott Fitzgerald is award winning actor Jeremy Irons. While I have the greatest respect for Irons as an actor I just didn't feel he pulled off this part. Irons has an evilness that seems to hang around his characters and Fitzgerald never struck me as evil only severely flawed and tempted. So the brooding and self-deprecating Irons never allowed the vulnerability of Fitzgerald to shine through in this role, but he sure plays a mean drunk.

Neve Campbell plays Fitzgerald's faithful and infatuated secretary, Frances. Campbell is pretty good in this role but cowers against the strength of Irons at times. She pulls off the period well conforming enough to the standards of women working during the late 30's. Also appearing off and on as a negative force in the film is Sissy Spacek as Zelda Fitzgerald. I thought the film would have been much more interesting with a little more Spacek and some of Zelda's drama.

I enjoyed this film only because it provided a bit of an inside look into the downfall of the great F. Scott Fitzgerald. It always seems that the greatest minds of artistic people suffer from exactly what makes them brilliant, a very vivid imagination that ends up haunting them into a deep black hole.

GREAT FILM - SAD TRANSFER.......2004-08-03

I originally watched this film on Showtime during its premiere broadcast. It was shown in a letterboxed format.

However, someone at Showtime chose to author this DVD in pan&scan.

The film really loses some of its intimacy betweeen the characters, and much of the wonderful production design. What was sharp and clear in widescreen is now slightly blurred, also.

Bad choice for a really wonderful film. Perhaps Showtime will re-air it in the future in its original format and I can record it off-the-air.

Real shame. Dumb decision, Showtime. HBO gives us their original film content intact, why don't you?

such a wonderful film.......2003-08-20

Another great movie that I stumbled upon. I cannot believe that there was not more written about this one. The beautiful Neve Campbell delivers a remarkable performance and Jeremy Irons along with Cissy Spacek ensure that you will be taken on a highly interesting ride.

Jeremy Irons - arguably the best living actor - truly becomes "Scott" in this harrowing display of creative downward spirals with momentary glimpses of genius.

Instead of glorifying or overly romanticizing the subject, the director paints a picture of the subtle and not-so-subtle relationship dynamics among the characters; particularly the struggles of Fitzgerald and his lovely, devoted and talented assistant.

This is one of those rare finds in the world of movies that falls under the radar but once discovered, becomes a treasure to the viewer.

Customer Reviews:

Great Performance.......2006-11-17

I also ordered the DVD twice and returned them. Then I ordered one from EBay seller and same results on my DVD Players. Download a copy of Power DVD from the internet and it works great especially a older version of PowerDVD. As far as the performance? Robert Gordon and Chris Spedding are a great team that will go down in history as one of the best Rockabilly sounds of all time. Also it is not just Rockabilly, but blues and ballads that only Robert Gordon can sing. Please also buy Robert Gordon's Satisfied Mind album that has some country flair songs that should be top in the country charts. If you enjoy these performances half as much as me it will be your most watched and listened to music!

just to confuse the issue..........2006-10-31

yep, the thing doesn't play on either dvd player. i hooked it up thru my i-book. it is ntsc because it won't play on other formats (Pal, etc.). and to boot, it only has one chapter= to get to a song, i had to fastfwd. unlike another reviewer, i didn't notice a nonsync btwn sound and motion.
that being said...
the performance is amazing!!! both are a bit ponchy at this point in life (like i should talk!) but they can dish it out and perhaps better than ever. both in good form. robt even gives chris a chance to play and sing a half dozen of his own hits midway thru (too bad he didn't do "new girl in the neighborhood" uh-huh. great version of "suspicion" among other classics. notches above georgie fame's and bill wyman's outings (which are both quite good in their own right). the backup rhythm section held its own. a true joy throughout. brought tears to my eyes.

mixed review.......2006-07-14

I have a real mixed review to report on the DVD. The sound is good and the video is good but they are not in synch which I find annoying. There is no menu for song titles or extras. Also, the DVD will play on one of my players but not the other. This is a shame for us Robert Gordon fans who have been hungry for a good concert video from our main man. This product should have been better than it is presented.

Never received the Region 1 DVD.......2006-07-02

Ordered this item only to receive a DVD not playable on American machines. Informed Amazon of the problem and received the same thing again. Beware. O stars.

Average customer rating:

Memory Lane stroll

Last Call at Maud's
Director: Paris Poirier
Manufacturer: Water Bearer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005TSPK
Release Date: 2001-12-18

Customer Reviews:

Memory Lane stroll.......2002-10-17

A great video for watching what "the life" was like in the 50's era. A nicely done movie.

Average customer rating:

Men Behaving Badly - Last Call
Starring: John Thomson
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H6SXZG
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Crack open a beer, grab your remote control and gorge yourself on an extra-large helping of bad behavior, British style. Whether making viewers chuckle or chunder, Men Behaving Badly undeniably and unapologetically became the British sitcom of the 1990s, rivaled perhaps only by Absolutely Fabulous. The antidote to the 1980s "caring and sharing" male, Men Behaving Badly made boorish behavior into a cause celebre. Flatmates Gary and Tony are unabashedly self-centered, rude and crude. They brag, belch, fart, swear, drink beer and fantasize about women with no shame.

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Burnzy's Last Call
Starring: Penn Jillette , Laura Kightlinger , Chris Noth , James Burton , and Michael Massee
Director: Michael De Avila
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005QBYL
Release Date: 2001-12-18

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Last Call
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley , Bastian Bodenhofer , Peter Coyote , Eric Michael Cole , and Garret Dillahunt
Director: Christine Lucas
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OIOPLI
Release Date: 2007-06-05

For the Boys: The Last Days of Patton/At War With the Army/In Which We Serve/Soldier's Revenge

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For the Boys: The Last Days of Patton/At War With the Army/In Which We Serve/Soldier's Revenge
Starring: Thom Adcox , Xander R. Berkeley , Andrew Bilgore , Lada Boder , and Gabe Bologna
Director: Mark Rydell
Manufacturer: Westlake
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000G1R34Y
Release Date: 2006-07-04

Last Call: The Final Chapter of F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Last Call: The Final Chapter of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Starring: Neve Campbell , and Sissy Spacek
Manufacturer: Showtime Networks Inc./ DEJ Productions Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

This a DVD about F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and passing during the writing of his final "scathing" novel about the Film Industry." Based upon the memoir," Against The Current: As I Remember F. Scott Fitzgerald" by Frances Kroll Ring.

Five Lds Film Classics on Dvd Featuring: Cipher in the Snow

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Five Lds Film Classics on Dvd Featuring: Cipher in the Snow

Manufacturer: Covenant Communications
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Includes five LDS film classics on DVD. Cipher in the snow, The phone call, The Emmett Smith story, and John Baker's last race. A timeless collection for any family.

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