Bring me the thread of Alfredo Garcia

STN

STN

sou'wester
Okay, I typed the word 'thread' instead of 'head' by mistake but thought it was reasonably funny so haven't corrected it.

I watched it last night and, despite being baffled for the first 15 minutes, I found myself really enjoying it - it kind of dragged me gently along rather than gripping me in an oh-my-god-what's-going-to-happen-next sense. I like the weird relationship the protagonist develops with the head and stuff. The main problem is loads of the lines sound like cliches, simply because some of them are and because he spends lots of time thinking aloud in a slightly silly way. I really can't make up my mind about Peckinpah, is he a great visionary who makes compelling studies of violence etc etc or just a dirty boring bastard? Also, was the film misogynistic or just portraying a misogynistic culture? Overall it struck me as an extremly strange film.

Anyone have any thoughts?
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
Why? It can be if you like, as my original thread is pretty boring isn't it?
 
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dubversion

Guest
Best album title ever?

alfredo.jpg
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
That's funny indeed. Were that lot any good? I don't think I ever heard them...

Does anyone remember that dismal song 'Bring Me the Head of Michael Portillo' by The Family Cat?
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
Sorry, I hope you didn't think I was being huffy when I said 'my original thread was rather boring wasn't it?' I'd actually read my first post back and nearly fell asleep, and to be honest I wish I'd started a thread on I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue.
 
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dubversion

Guest
STN said:
That's funny indeed. Were that lot any good? I don't think I ever heard them...
Click to expand...

I like them a lot - very Modern Lovers / Garage kinda sound, not as goth / Bad Seeds as Gallon Drunk and their other fellow travellers..
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
Was it them who released a CD shaped like a star? That was pretty cool, though the copy my mate had didn't play, which is why I haven't heard them.
 
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petergunn

plywood violin
STN said:
Okay, I typed the word 'thread' instead of 'head' by mistake but thought it was reasonably funny so haven't corrected it.

I watched it last night and, despite being baffled for the first 15 minutes, I found myself really enjoying it - it kind of dragged me gently along rather than gripping me in an oh-my-god-what's-going-to-happen-next sense. I like the weird relationship the protagonist develops with the head and stuff. The main problem is loads of the lines sound like cliches, simply because some of them are and because he spends lots of time thinking aloud in a slightly silly way. I really can't make up my mind about Peckinpah, is he a great visionary who makes compelling studies of violence etc etc or just a dirty boring bastard? Also, was the film misogynistic or just portraying a misogynistic culture? Overall it struck me as an extremly strange film.

Anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...

it's an amazing movie... dark and nasty... some lines may be cliches, but the movie feels real...
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
STN said:
That's funny indeed. Were that lot any good? I don't think I ever heard them...

Does anyone remember that dismal song 'Bring Me the Head of Michael Portillo' by The Family Cat?
Click to expand...

I used to do the sound for The Flaming Stars, so am biased but I think they were a great band sometimes. The greatest hits ( as pictured ) is the one to get.

I LOVE 'Garcia@ as a film, has anyone seen Tommy Lee Jones' 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'? It's kinda a homage and a sequel to 'Garcia' and is definitely up there as my favourite film this year.

I also qualify those statements by saying that I don't normally like 'westerns'.
 
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dubversion

Guest
mistersloane said:
I used to do the sound for The Flaming Stars, so am biased but I think they were a great band sometimes. The greatest hits ( as pictured ) is the one to get.
Click to expand...

They were great. I last saw them at the Dirty Water Club just after Peel died and Max was really choked :(

I used to love that scene - Gallon Drunk (briefly - and unsucessfully - did their PR), Pimp, Penthouse.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
dubversion said:
I used to love that scene - Gallon Drunk (briefly - and unsucessfully - did their PR), Pimp, Penthouse.
Click to expand...

Anyone heard that recording with Gallon Drunk playing while Derek Raymond reads bits ofI Was Dora Suez over the top of it?
 
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dubversion

Guest
Yeh, i have that, it's pretty good..

It was just SO inevitable James would end up a Bad Seed :D :D

this is derailing at high speed, isn't it? :D
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
All the best threads do, I find...

i've always admired Nick Cave's cherry-picking abilities; Gun Club, Die Haut, Magazine, Einsterzende Neubauten etc etc. He assembles wicked bands.
 
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Parson

Guest
peckinpah was a genius

however, while alfredo garcia is considered his most personal film, for me it kinda falls in the category of one of his near misses. right next to osterman weekend, and the wild bunch.

the getaway is a much more successful peckinpah film in just about every aspect i reckon.

his true masterpiece is strawdogs. and i will defend that viciously so don't try to call it mysogonistic because you'll be wrong
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
Parson - how do you feel about Cross of Iron? I really like that one, dodgy German accents (and the fact that James Mason can't even be bothered to attempt one) aside.

Has anyone ever seen Die Screaming Marianne with Susan George? It's miserably dreadful.
 
craner

craner

Beast of Burden
Cross of Iron is great. The David Warner character - I always think that would be Luka Vandross during a war.
 
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