nigel-hawkes
Joined Sep 2009
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Reviews5
nigel-hawkes's rating
The lost genre being the good, challenging family/children's movie.
There were many series Westerns, and later TV variants like Cisco and Hoppy, but "Cattle Drive" is a lovely example of a cinema Western movie for kids but also to be enjoyed by the family. Shortish but with barely a false or draggy moment.
From the reviews already logged, it's obviously warmly remembered by those who saw it as children when it first came out.
Here in the UK it has been shown several times in the last few years and, as I write (March 2012) it's getting consecutive airings on a free to view digital channel.
No surprise: it's a terrific little film, one of two or three in similar vein that McCrea made around that time.
Joel McCrea obviously had an affinity with children, but, then again, wasn't he just a marvellous actor in whatever he did?
To the many points mentioned by the reviewers I would add another-the wonderful music.
There were many series Westerns, and later TV variants like Cisco and Hoppy, but "Cattle Drive" is a lovely example of a cinema Western movie for kids but also to be enjoyed by the family. Shortish but with barely a false or draggy moment.
From the reviews already logged, it's obviously warmly remembered by those who saw it as children when it first came out.
Here in the UK it has been shown several times in the last few years and, as I write (March 2012) it's getting consecutive airings on a free to view digital channel.
No surprise: it's a terrific little film, one of two or three in similar vein that McCrea made around that time.
Joel McCrea obviously had an affinity with children, but, then again, wasn't he just a marvellous actor in whatever he did?
To the many points mentioned by the reviewers I would add another-the wonderful music.
A Hollywood remake! A hideous object lesson to all students.
An almost perfect example of how a masterpiece has to be dumbed down to that mythical audience-the American lowest common denominator.
Unwittingly, it insults even that perceived audience.
A good example also of how a usually good actor (Jeff Bridges) wildly misjudges and delivers what the industry knows as a "dog".
But the greatest sadness to all this is that this horror (forgive the pun) is perpetrated by the original director! Why? What motivated him into committing this to film? One of the most bizarre and disappointing recent experiences.
An almost perfect example of how a masterpiece has to be dumbed down to that mythical audience-the American lowest common denominator.
Unwittingly, it insults even that perceived audience.
A good example also of how a usually good actor (Jeff Bridges) wildly misjudges and delivers what the industry knows as a "dog".
But the greatest sadness to all this is that this horror (forgive the pun) is perpetrated by the original director! Why? What motivated him into committing this to film? One of the most bizarre and disappointing recent experiences.
This perfect distillation of the Western is shown very frequently on British TV.
It's difficult to add anything to the interesting and detailed reviews already here. This movie is perfect! If proof were needed in court that a perfect movie can be made in under 80 minutes, this is it. To the long list of items this is also a very touching story; parts of it are heartbreaking.
I'd like to raise an aspect that isn't often explored: the music. Running through the movie is a most lovely theme-for example during the travelling sequences along the river and through the meadows. I have spotted this theme in one or two other films; I can cite "Guns of Fort Petticoat". I have never identified whether it is by Mischa Bakaleinikov (the stated composer) or whether it is a cue by another composer (the databases do mention other contributors). Can anyone through any light on it?
Like many other reviewers I want to visit the locations some day.
It's difficult to add anything to the interesting and detailed reviews already here. This movie is perfect! If proof were needed in court that a perfect movie can be made in under 80 minutes, this is it. To the long list of items this is also a very touching story; parts of it are heartbreaking.
I'd like to raise an aspect that isn't often explored: the music. Running through the movie is a most lovely theme-for example during the travelling sequences along the river and through the meadows. I have spotted this theme in one or two other films; I can cite "Guns of Fort Petticoat". I have never identified whether it is by Mischa Bakaleinikov (the stated composer) or whether it is a cue by another composer (the databases do mention other contributors). Can anyone through any light on it?
Like many other reviewers I want to visit the locations some day.