Monthly Archives: April 2025

Spellbound (2024)

29 Tuesday Apr 2025

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(For Day 28 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem about “music at a ceremony or event of some kind,” like for instance a birthday.)

“Happy Birthday!” everyone sang.
The sound of unity in my ears rang.
Everyone loved me, at least for a song
That needed more verses to feel at all long,
And oh, how I wished, as the candles were blown,
That mom would stop yelling and put down her phone
And dad would stop cursing and pointing his finger,
That both would just stay as a smiling singer
And love me enough to not hate one another.
Not too much to ask for a father and mother.
I knew what would happen but blew all the same.
Then maybe the candles would carry the blame.
_____________________

MPA rating: PG

Sometimes a film so clearly wants to be like its predecessors that you have to at least admire the effort that went into its earnest attempt. Mary and the Witch’s Flower comes to mind in trying to live up to Studio Ghibli’s legacy, while Skydance Animation’s Spellbound aspires to be like the Disney princess musicals of yore. It certainly has a pedigree with producer John Lassiter, director Vicky Jenson of Shrek, and songs by the great Alan Menken. In it, Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler) of the fantasy kingdom of Lumbria desperately tries to keep secret from the citizens that her royal parents (Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman) have been transformed into animal-like monsters running amok in the palace. Seeking the help of two magical Oracles (Nathan Lane and Titus Burgess as an unspoken gay couple), Ellian takes her parents on a dangerous journey to transform them back to humans.

Spellbound has a lot of great ideas to its credit, particularly in the world-building, from a waterfall used as a massive gate to a desert that turns to quicksand under cloud shadows or a tunnel where sounds become projectiles. The songs are quite good too, though still don’t hold a candle to Menken’s best work, and the voice cast is on point, especially Zegler’s original spunky princess role and John Lithgow as her long-suffering adviser/sidekick. 

But it’s hard to escape the feeling that Spellbound is a pale imitation that needed more fleshing out to avoid its own plot holes, like how the monster king and queen escape the palace when their cages are left open yet had been free to wander the palace for months before that. And then there’s the message that makes itself known rather late in the runtime, clarifying the monster situation as a metaphor for divorce and saying many of the right things for a resolution while not diving deep enough to make it land emotionally. Spellbound is a valiant effort, often funny, cute, and imaginative, but its muddled tone and oversimplified lesson keep it from rising to the level of its forerunners.

Best line: (Queen Ellsmere, to her daughter) “The best thing about us is you. And it always has been.”

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

27 Sunday Apr 2025

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(For Day 27 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem focusing on a detail of a painting, but I think I’ll go off-prompt today and cover a movie I’ve been meaning to review for a while.)

The legends that matter endure through time.
The others are lost with a final breath,
Were not so luck’ly preserved in rhyme,
And died an unremembered death.

What could have saved the tales so lost?
A copied scroll or a memorized line?
What bade a once-loved myth be tossed
Ere passing history’s finish line?

What wonders, horrors, joys, and fears
Have gone extinct with fossils none?
The stories mute for want of ears…
I wish I could read oblivion.
___________________

If you imagine a Venn diagram with anime fandom and Lord of the Rings fandom as the two circles, I would be squarely in the middle of the shared area. Therefore, an anime spin-off film set a couple hundred years before The Fellowship of the Ring was right up my alley from the start. Focusing on one of the legendary tales of the horse-riding nation of Rohan, the story follows Princess Héra (Gaia Wise), daughter of King Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), as she defends her nation from the invasion of Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a former friend bent on vengeance.

The most common criticism I heard about War of the Rohirrim was about the choppy animation, and yes, character movement is a bit stilted at times, particularly at the beginning. Even using a 3D rotoscope-like technology, Sola Entertainment as a studio can’t match the butter-smooth animation of MAPPA or Science Saru, so we can only imagine how different the style might have been in the hands of a different studio. But the animation is still good throughout and even excels in the big action moments, and best of all, the style compliments Peter Jackson’s version of Middle-earth with some outstanding backgrounds and scenery. (Besides, the previous standard for LotR animation was Rankin/Bass or Ralph Bakshi, and this is still a cut above those.)

Beyond the animation, I’ve heard all the complaints, from the plot being too long, the characters one-note, the story being basically female-forward fan fiction since Héra isn’t even named in the Tolkien appendices from which the plot was drawn (and the film doesn’t explain why she was supposedly left out of the official history). And yet, I really liked this movie, my inherent love of the franchise winning out over all else. None of those grievances detracted from the experience of being able to visit Middle-earth again, with Howard Shore’s Rohan theme setting the epic mood and some hype-worthy set pieces bringing the action. A friend who saw it with me thought it went too anime at times, with clearly human characters pulling off superhuman feats as if they were elves, but I saw such moments perhaps as embellishments, considering the story is told as a legend of Rohan by the narrating voice of Eowyn (Miranda Otto). I also thought Héra was a good example of a “strong female character,” by simply rising to the challenge set before her rather than harping about gender differences or whatnot, similar to Miyazaki’s Nausicaä, who was cited as an influence by Wise.

All in all, The War of the Rohirrim is an epic story that continues the tradition of Peter Jackson’s world. Even if it was simply an expendable side project so New Line could hold onto the Tolkien rights, that just makes the care and quality that was put into it that much more impressive. It broke my heart then that, whether due to disinterest or poor marketing, the film flopped last December, failing to even earn back its budget. I don’t deny that it had room to be better with smoother animation or more interesting dialogue, but it met my high expectations for a Middle-earth movie and, in my opinion, deserved better.

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

Dead Man Walking (1995)

26 Saturday Apr 2025

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(For Day 26 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was simply for a sonnet, in my case, a Shakespearean. I enjoy this form, since it lets me delve into heavier themes and my sonnet for Time of Eve is one of my personal favorite NaPoWriMo posts, so here goes another.)

Is death deserved and who decides the guilt?
The question haunts the conscience of mankind.
“Thou shalt not kill,” foundation for us built,
But punishment frets our reluctant mind.
The fear the felling blow perhaps may land
On innocence mistaken for the crime
Delays the price that bloody sins demand
And stretches out their pending ending time.
And what finality to halt a heart,
Declaring second chances null and void!
Not “vengeance is the Lord’s,” but ours, in part,
More death where life’s already been destroyed.
An “eye for eye” or “life for life” is fair
But leaves so very much beyond repair.
__________________________

MPA rating: R (for language and intensity)

It’s rare to find a film that manages to cover every angle of a controversial issue as deftly as Dead Man Walking while also remaining an engaging story. Based on the non-fiction book by Sister Helen Prejean, the film follows the plain-clothes Catholic nun (played by Susan Sarandon) as she becomes the spiritual advisor to Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), a convicted rapist and murderer on Louisiana’s death row. All the arguments for and against capital punishment get their say, and while Sister Prejean’s faith puts her on the pro-life/anti-death side, her conversations with the families of the murder victims make the grief of the opposing side completely understandable. She is criticized for even considering offering comfort to Poncelet as he awaits his execution, and at times, he acts like the unsympathetic monster everyone believes him to be. Yet, just like the old “no atheists in foxholes” saying, Poncelet’s need for forgiveness and human compassion becomes more and more apparent as the end draws nearer.

I get that Braveheart was the epic juggernaut for the 1995 Oscars season, but the sheer emotional power behind Dead Man Walking makes the fact that it wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture a travesty. And the same goes for Nicolas Cage winning Best Actor over both Penn and Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland’s Opus! At least Susan Sarandon won an absolutely deserved Oscar for her nuanced performance, often just sitting and listening to others but mirroring every emotion of the audience with her expressive eyes. Penn proves his acting prowess at every turn (it’s gratifying that he at least went on to win two Oscars to make up for this loss), and his final scene is a harrowing and devastating gut punch, similar to the end of Dancer in the Dark. Director and writer Tim Robbins made a poignant masterpiece with Dead Man Walking, one worth opening up uncomfortable discussions around capital punishment and justice, themes that remain timely even thirty years later.

Best line: (Sister Helen) “Mr. Percy, I’m just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that a person is not as bad as his worst deed.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

Trap (2024)

26 Saturday Apr 2025

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(For Day 25 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem about an experience with live music. Considering most of this thriller takes place at a concert, it seemed like the obvious choice.)

A thrill runs through the crowd and me,
For I am the crowd in part.
Here to laud our artist’s art
Dance and sing with all our heart,
Scream their name till they depart,
Loud is the crowd and me.

No telling who’s here in the crowd and me,
Obscurity safe in swarm.
Stay in the median; stick to the norm;
Cheer when they look at you gladly conform.
This is your cover from out of the storm,
Shrouded in crowd and me.

A drop in the ocean, the crowd and me,
Where malice is easily hid.
I’m like that guy, that girl, that kid,
So in the know, I’m off the grid,
And nobody knows the things I did,
Proud in the crowd and me.
_________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

M. Night Shyamalan had such a slump after his initial success that any film better than his low points is a welcome treat in my reckoning. In Trap, a Philadelphia fireman named Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a massive concert by her favorite pop star Lady Raven (the director’s daughter Saleka Night Shyamalan). While there, he notices increased police presence and learns that the event is intended to capture the serial killer known as “the Butcher,” and since Cooper is the Butcher, he is forced to get creative in escaping.

Seeing Trap the first time in theaters was a fun watch, if a bit far-fetched, and I recall discounting the more vocal criticism I heard against it. Then watching it again with a family member made me notice just how… artificial the dialogue is. Cooper’s interactions with his daughter, a fellow parent, and various people he fools all feel stilted in a way that is likely owed to Shyamalan’s weakness as a writer, but it also kind of works in this context since Cooper’s whole life of normalcy is a facade meant to keep others away from his psychopathic secret. And Hartnett really sells the character, managing that stilted charm and shifting on a dime to darker intentions beneath, the kind of psycho performance that proves an actor’s chops.

Despite that mixed benefit of the script, the film still hinges on a lot of suspension of disbelief with how trusting everyone is and how easily Cooper manages to evade authorities. It’s also a blatant nepo commercial for Shyamalan’s daughter’s pop music career, but I can’t really fault him for wanting to give her the Taylor Swift treatment. Luckily, she is quite talented, and the background of original pop songs gives the film a memorably unique setting. I’ll admit on the second watch that Trap is yet another flawed Shyamalan thriller with unfulfilled potential, but it’s still decently entertaining and, for me, shows his quality is thankfully on the upswing.

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

Here Today (2021)

25 Friday Apr 2025

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(For Day 24 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem about “people making music together,” ideally with a reference to another poem or song, so I took a comedian’s metaphorical view.)

Music can sound like many things,
Beyond the range of voice and strings.
To Andrew Lloyd Webber, the yowls of cats;
To Dracula, ‘tis the shrieks of bats;
To Beethoven, a silent dream;
To Pollock, friendship with a theme;
To writers, their pithier paragraphs;
But in my case, it’s laughs.

I’ve trained my ear here over the years,
And many a friend has shared premieres:
A generous bellow is melody mellow,
And chuckles transport me more than any cello;
A snicker is symphony; cracks, a cornet;
And two people cackling’s like a duet.
I’ve been a conductor of smiles, my dear,
A banter-and-beam balladeer.
________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

Directed and co-written by Billy Crystal (alongside SNL writer Alan Zweibel), Here Today is my kind of film, the sort that critics acknowledge as pleasant while criticizing its sentimentality. Well, maybe I’m just sentimental because I thoroughly enjoyed it! Crystal plays aging comedy writer Charlie Burnz, who is trying to hide his developing symptoms of Alzheimer’s from his coworkers and estranged children. Through a serendipity of spite and epinephrine, he builds an unlikely relationship with a singer named Emma (Tiffany Haddish), who becomes the friend and confidante he needs most right now.

Crystal still boasts an effortless comic touch and manages to mix it with deep pathos as his character feels his life, his work, his memories of love slipping away. I’m generally not a fan of Haddish’s loud-mouthed comedy, but she reins it in somewhat while remaining an endearing contrast to Charlie. (It’s neat knowing they became real-life friends too.) There’s some awkward uncertainty over whether their bond will veer toward romance, but thankfully it stays meaningfully platonic.

Along with some nice cameos, Here Today has several great scenes that could be deemed corny with the right cynicism, like Charlie’s flashbacks to his wife, his epic comedic meltdown during a live show, or Emma’s impromptu singalong at a bat mitzvah, but I like to keep my cynicism low enough to enjoy a film like this. Its release sadly suffered from the lingering pandemic slump, but, in my book, Here Today is another charmer to Billy Crystal’s credit.

Best line: (Charlie) “I’m writing something, and I have to finish before my words run out.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

Flow (2024)

23 Wednesday Apr 2025

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(For Day 23 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem focusing on birdsong. For some reason, I went with a bird of prey’s screech instead of the more pleasant bird sounds. It’s not even that applicable to this film, though there is a bird of prey in it. I’m also sick, which is why I missed yesterday, so I’ll have to catch up later.)

The cry of a bird of prey,
Sharp, shrill shriek,
Looking down from the sky,
Strong far above the weak,
Razor talons, knife beak.

Eyes follow every move,
Sharp, skilled sight,
Spotting each potential meal,
Every morsel worth a bite,
So unlucky lacking flight.

The dive of a bird of prey,
Sharp, still stop,
Then down, down, angle steep,
Silent in its violent drop,
Reaper of the flesh crop.
___________________

MPA rating: PG

As a cat lover and a fan of serious animation, the trailer alone was enough to interest me in Flow, the little Latvian film that could, and did win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Told through a small collection of animal characters entirely without words, the story depicts an increasingly catastrophic flood and the way the wildlife handle their shared struggle for survival. It particularly follows a dark gray cat, who ends up sharing a boat Life-of-Pi-style with a capybara, a lemur, a Labrador Retriever, and a secretary bird.

The wordless interactions between the animals transcend language and are brilliantly rendered via the dynamic animation, surprisingly using only free Blender software, and, without any explanation of what is happening, the viewer is simply along for the ride, taking each danger as it comes with the animals. And despite an absence of human characters, the animals manage to represent human traits without being outright anthropomorphized, such as the lemur’s fascination with shiny things that triggers grief when it loses its possessions to the rising tides. Though a supernatural turn toward the end felt confusingly out of place, Flow is a fascinating adventure in the tradition of silent films, short, sweet, and visually magical; it’s a fine animated film, but I still contend The Wild Robot should have won instead.

Best line: Any meow from the cat

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

It’s What’s Inside (2024)

22 Tuesday Apr 2025

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(For Day 21 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem describing an abnormal version of an event as if it’s normal, so I took an outsider’s view of a wild party.)

The neighbors had another party last night.
I saw from a distance and rolled my eyes.
I got a nice view of each head light
As all of the guests rolled in.
It didn’t take long for the hahs and guffaws,
The drunken cheers and smoky highs.
They probably broke some local laws,
But, hey, I was used to the din.

And then, as usual, the screams began,
The frenzied shrieks of “Eek, he’s dead!”
It must be some weird game they plan
For when the tension loosens.
Threats were yelled and shots were fired, 
But I just tried to go to bed.
I checked in the morning, sore and tired.
More cops… what a nuisance….
________________________

MPA rating: R (for frequent language and brief violence)

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of body swaps; when I was growing up, they always made for especially fun cartoon episodes (and you’d be surprised at how many there are). So a film with multiple body switches at its core had my interest from the get-go. A group of seven college friends reunite after eight years for a pre-wedding party at a remote mansion. To their surprise, an estranged pal of theirs named Forbes (David Thompson) shows up as well, bearing a mysterious device and inviting them to play a game in which they all trade bodies and then must guess who is who. When an accident leaves, shall we say, fewer bodies to go around, chaos breaks out as their weird fun transforms into competing self-preservation.

It’s What’s Inside gets a lot of mileage out of its uniquely trippy take on a timeworn concept, even if it can be confusing to keep the ensemble cast straight as they swap bodies and sometimes lie about who they really are. There’s initial interest from the idea of being one’s own friend temporarily and how that can affect one’s self-esteem and ambitions, but, once the shoe drops, the second half is a twisting whirlwind of intrigue and backstabbing that makes for a wild ride. I had some reservations about the ending, though, particularly how one character is punished excessively for more of an interpersonal offense, but It’s What’s Inside was still a fun watch exploring the dangers of body-swapping.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2025 S.G. Liput
807 Followers and Counting

The Gorge (2025)

20 Sunday Apr 2025

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(Happy Easter to all! For Day 20 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for “a poem informed by musical phrasing or melody,” with the suggestion of rewriting a song’s lyrics. I’ve done that plenty of times before, so I considered the theme of long-distance relationships and rewrote the irregular lyrics of “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Perfume Genius, which was prominently used in this film.)

Distance, not too far
To meet your eyes.
Though I know where you are,
And you likewise,
Must, must wishes on a star
Be squandered on this expanse
That spans our hearts?
I’ll never mind the gap in between
Your heart and mine.
Standing on a cliff,
I see your sign.
I’ll never mind the gap in between
Earth and its star.
Never mind what if;
It’s not so far.

Lover, I wait and watch
With bated breath.
If you shoot, I won’t dodge
A welcome death,
But if you can stand the thirst,
That suffering deserves quite a dance,
Our favorite parts.
I’ll never mind the gap in between
Your heart and mine.
Standing on a cliff,
I see your sign.
I’ll never mind the gap in between
Earth and its star.
Never mind what if;
It’s not so far.
I’ll never mind the gap in between
Souls biding time,
Standing on a cliff
That’s worth the climb.
___________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

It’s unfortunate that films deserving of a theater release can easily be overlooked when only available behind the walls of a particular streaming service. Luckily, Apple TV+ is among my subscriptions, allowing me to watch The Gorge, which caught my interest just from the trailer (which gives way too much away, in my opinion; don’t watch it first). Directed by Scott Derrickson of Sinister and Doctor Strange fame, the film stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy as a pair of world-weary snipers, one American and one Lithuanian, who are tasked with guarding remote outposts on either side of a deep and mysterious gorge. Despite the pit between them and orders not to communicate, they gradually develop a relationship, even as the secrets at the bottom of the gorge threaten to emerge.

I’ll say up front, as many critics have complained, that the premise of The Gorge does take a massive amount of suspension of disbelief. The secrecy around the giant hidden trench begs a lot of logistical questions (like how many giant pieces of paper did the eastern side keep in stock?), and the action of the latter half, often putting Derrickson’s horror roots to good use, does strain credulity. Yet this is one of those cases where I just didn’t mind, thanks in large part to Teller and Taylor-Joy, who share a remarkable chemistry and one of the steamiest dance scenes in recent memory (set to that wonderfully atmospheric Yeah Yeah Yeahs song). Taylor-Joy especially has never looked better, so maybe I just have a new celebrity crush. The Gorge is popcorn entertainment sadly relegated to small-screen streaming, a far-fetched but very watchable mashup of genres that I highly recommend.

Best line: (actually quoting T.S. Eliot) “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2025 S.G. Liput
806 Followers and Counting

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

19 Saturday Apr 2025

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(For Day 19 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a story poem “in the style of a blues song or ballad,” and the mention of crimes and murder ballads brought to mind this classic.)

The money could run and the tellers could hide,
But that meant fun for Bonnie and Clyde.
Never was a danger from which they shied.
Ride or die were Bonnie and Clyde.

The banks would quail at the loss of pride,
Left in the trail of Bonnie and Clyde.
Withdrawals like theirs couldn’t be denied;
Ride or die were Bonnie and Clyde.

Warn all the wimps and stay inside
If you get a glimpse of Bonnie and Clyde.
Quick with a trigger and wild-eyed,
Ride or die were Bonnie and Clyde.

Gotta get caught to be cuffed and tried,
And they were not, not Bonnie and Clyde.
Famed and feared both far and wide,
Ride or die were Bonnie and Clyde.

King and queen of the homicide,
None came between ol’ Bonnie and Clyde.
Couldn’t last long till they lost their stride;
Ride and die did Bonnie and Clyde.
_______________________

MPA rating: R (for violence, though closer to PG-13 by today’s standards)

I saw Bonnie and Clyde more out of deference for its reputation than personal interest, since I’m not typically a fan of crime films known for their violence. (This was before the passing of Gene Hackman that made the recent watch even more worthwhile.) But I was very pleasantly surprised.

Faye Dunaway’s Bonnie Parker and Warren Beatty’s Clyde Barrow are quintessential anti-heroes, earning sympathy with their romantic chemistry and Depression-relevant targeting of banks yet allowing their bad choices to spiral further and further into infamy. They eventually form a gang with Clyde’s brother Buck (Hackman), Buck’s excitable wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons), and a mechanic accomplice C. W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard), terrorizing the countryside and evading the law, for a while at least.

The film is full of little moments that make the characters more than one-dimensional villains, like the head-butting between Bonnie and Blanche or the brief kidnapping of a young couple (including Gene Wilder in his film debut) that reveals Bonnie’s aversion to any reminder of death. Bonnie’s brief reunion with her mother (Mabel Cavitt, a local extra chosen for the role) especially brings home how much their crime spree has ruined a chance at a normal life, something with which they may never have been satisfied anyway. I also quite liked the inclusion of a poem the real Bonnie Parker wrote about themselves, which would have made my Poems in Movies list had I known about it then.

Bonnie and Clyde is famous for its taboo-breaking depiction of violence, though it’s quite tame compared with even TV shows these days, and it serves the story well, especially in the famous final scene. The film is also beautifully shot, and all the major performances excel and were Oscar-nominated, though Estelle Parsons (probably the weakest link) was the only one to win, along with the cinematography. Combining history, romance, and tragedy, Bonnie and Clyde certainly deserves its status as a classic.

Best line: (Clyde, responding to Bonnie’s poem) “You know what you done there? You told my story, you told my whole story right there, right there. One time, I told you I was gonna make you somebody. That’s what you done for me. You made me somebody they’re gonna remember.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2025 S.G. Liput
806 Followers and Counting

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

19 Saturday Apr 2025

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(For Day 18 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem about singing in a car, incorporating a song lyric. Well, I went the simpler, time-saving route of a couple haikus. Doesn’t everyone do this at some point in NaPoWriMo?)

Friendship only lasts
As long as the unforked road.
After that, farewell.

The West was not won;
It was lost, shot by dead shot.
Its carcass is home.
________________________

MPA rating: R (for violence and nudity)

There’s something to be said for the clear black-and-white heroics of the old-fashioned western, with the likes of John Wayne and Gary Cooper, but I can appreciate the grayer areas represented by films like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Directed by Sam Peckinpah, the film dramatizes two big names of the Old West, notorious outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson) and his former friend-turned-sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn). After Garrett becomes a lawman, he warns the unperturbed Billy that he’ll have to bring him to justice, and so he does, with many deaths, escapes, and betrayals along the way.

Coburn and Kristofferson make a great pair of leads, the former sporting an icy glare confirming when he means business and the latter full of smirking charisma even when he’s being threatened. They’re surrounded by a who’s who of excellent character actors of the time, most notably Bob Dylan in a self-insert kind of role on the sidelines, owing to the fact that he also wrote the score and the anachronistic but strangely fitting song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” used to haunting effect during several death scenes. The shootouts are often the best parts, particularly Billy’s escape from custody, where he shoots and drops a one-liner straight out of a Home Alone gangster movie.

While Garrett’s pursuit of Billy is clearly driven by justice, there are several reminders of the blurred morality of the West, from Garrett’s visit with prostitutes (one of the more unnecessary R-rated scenes) to Billy’s defense of a Mexican family being raped by men working under a local cattle baron. By the end, both men have killed enough to be guilty, and neither is pleased with the prospect of felling a friend. Though bloodier than I like in its violence, as was Peckinpah’s trademark, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is quite an engrossing western, fueled by the excellent performances of its dual antiheroes.

Best line: (Billy) “Ol’ Pat… Sheriff Pat Garrett. Sold out to the Santa Fe ring. How does it feel?”
(Pat) “It feels like… times have changed.”
(Billy) “Times, maybe. Not me.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

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