Sam Peckinpah

Well I figured I'd start a thread on Sam "Mad Sam" Peckinpah, I feel he is an incredibly interesting and unique director, but he seems to get very little attention on this board.

Like most people I feel his greatest work is The Wild Bunch, a truely shocking western that completely destroyed the notion of a glorified old west. Peckinpah's use of violence is amazing and I love these words from him:

"The point of The Wild Bunch is to take this facade of movie violence and open it up, get people involved in it... and then twist it so that it's not fun anymore, just a wave of sickness in the gut."

The Wild Bunch is so much more than just a gore fest though, its exploration of the main characters paints an indepth and disturbing outlook on the world. Peckinpah's way of demonizing every one in the movie really pushes forward the moral ambiguity that underlines the film. I find it a refreshing and thought provoking movie that takes the western in a direction no one really touched again until Eastwood made Unforgiven.

Moving to Peckinpah in general I think his influence on film can so clearly be seen in the works of Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese. Especially in relation to Straw Dogs and Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.

Oh good idea. I also think his westerns were a bit more realistic than alot of other directors. Not so squeeky clean.

He made one of my favorite movies. The Ballad of Cable Hogue. It is just fantastic. It is funny, gritty and a bit touching. It stars Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue, when first released in 1970, may have caught the viewing public asleep. But, over the years, people have seen this film for what it truly is--a tribute by director Sam Peckinpah to the passing away of the old west, and a brilliant performance turned in by Jason Robards as a desert hobo who finally awakens to his need for touching base with the human race, ever so often.


The Ballad of Cable Hogue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065446/)

Although I agree with Cicero's views on The Wild Bunch I can't claim it's my personal favourite of Sam Peckinpah..

For me, his two best films (and I don't rate either one higher than the other ..they are both simply brilliant in my opinion) are Straw Dogs and Cross Of Iron. In act I'd go as far as saying Cross of Iron is one of the best WWII films ever made...

In act I'd go as far as saying Cross of Iron is one of the best WWII films ever made...

With you there, Charlie.

Can't say I agree with the underlying theme of the sanctifying nature of combat (even Maximillian Schell's character is "redeemed" at the end by going into action) but the unrelenting force of the narrative carries me along every time I watch it.

Would you say it captures the spirit of Sven Hassel?

As for Straw Dogs: (all together now)

Well, some men go for women
And some men go for boys,
But my love's warm and passionate
And makes a baaaaaaaah-ing noise.

Would you say it captures the spirit of Sven Hassel?

Yes..I thought it was very 'Sven Hassel' when I saw it...

I'm currently reading William Goldman's Adventures In The Screen Trade, in which he mentions that his favourite Peckinpah movie is Ride The High Country. He may have a point. It's been eclipsed by his later blood & guts offerings, but in many ways it probably is superior.

It's certainly one of only two Randolph Scott movies I've felt like watching twice. (T'other was She with Helen Gahagan.)

It's certainly one of only two Randolph Scott movies I've felt like watching twice. (T'other was She with Helen Gahagan.)

Would that be one of the nine film versions of Rider Haggard's 'She'?

It's hard to imagine a modern action movie without The Wild Bunch. I should also mention Major Dundee (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059418/), the film Peckinpah made between what are in my opinion his best films (Ride the High Country and The Wild Bunch), which while certainly flawed, is a pretty interesting film nonetheless.

He made one of my favorite movies. The Ballad of Cable Hogue. It is just fantastic. It is funny, gritty and a bit touching. It stars Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner.


The Ballad of Cable Hogue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065446/)

Yes, Ballad... is in my opinion Peckinpah's best film. The Wild Bunch is great and Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron, and The Getaway are good too, but Ballad of Cable Hogue is still his best film to me. Another good film of his that hasn't been mentioned is Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
As for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, I wasn't too big on that one. I think it might be one of the few films ever that might actually benefit from being remade.

Ballard of Cable Hogue was supposedly a kind of insight into ole Sam himself and I've always enjoyed that movie and Getaway with McQueen is one of my many favs.
Peckinpah has always been one of my favorite directors due to his bluntness and gritty approach, and thanks dime, for mentioning Pat Garret and Billy The Kid. That one never gets mentioned enuff, IMO