The first reason is because it's based on the classic tale as written and directed by Akira Kurosawa,
"Shichinin No Samurai," also known as.....
"Shichinin No Samurai," also known as.....
"The Seven Samurai!"
"These are the guys, the Seven Samurai," aka.....
"The Magnificent Seven," and even though they have flaws, this is truly a magnificent group of guys on more than one level! This is Hollywood at it's finest!
And, so, no more screwing around, here they are.....
the other seven reasons!
Yul (The King And I, The Ten Commandments, Westworld) Brynner as
Chris Larabee Adams!
Steve (The Blob, Wanted: Dead Or Alive, The Great Escape) McQueen as
Vin Tanner!!
Charles (House Of Wax, Man With A Camera, Death Wish) Bronson) as
Bernardo O'Reilly!!!
Robert (Teenage Cave Man, Man From U.N.C.L.E., Starship Invasions) Vaughn as
Lee!!!!
James (The Twilight Zone, Our Man Flint, Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round) as
Britt!!!!!
I just did a search, and I can't really believe it, but Netflix doesn't have even one film to offer that has James Coburn in it! That is truly appalling!!
A new version of "The Magnificent Seven" came out three days ago, and I just found out about it three minutes ago since I don't keep up with current affairs, but I just watched the trailer a few minutes ago on the IMDB, and I'm sure a whole lot of people are going to go apeshit for it, but all I can say is Good Luck! A group of talent like this only happens once in a lifetime!
Brad (Asphalt Jungle, Between Heaven And Hell, 13 Fighting Men) Dexter as
HARRY LUCK!
Last but by far not least, is the cool German actor Horst (La Noia, The Catamount Killing, Fuga Dal Paradiso) Buchholz as
Chico!!!!!!!
This was the big break for McQueen, Bronson, Coburn, and Vaughn, helping them graduate from the "B" to "A" list.
ReplyDeleteYul wore the same costume in Westworld.
A Fistful of Dollars was a remake of Yojimbo, and The Outrage was a remake of Rashomon, but, AFAIK, The Magnificent Seven was the first Western remake of a samurai movie.
As for the new version, I think I would rather re-watch the original than a remake. Or, in this case, re-watch the first remake rather than a remake of the remake.
The 1960 western had three sequels ("Return of the Seven," "Guns of the Magnificent Seven," "The Magnificent Seven Ride") in the sixties and early seventies, and all were really more like remakes. (In each, Chris recruits six gunfighters to help him defend a village from bad guys.) There was also a TV series in 1998-2000.
ReplyDeleteThere was a sci-fi version sometime around 1980, "Battle Beyond the Stars." Then a sword & sandal version, "The Seven Magnificent Gladiators," a few years later.
Marvel Comics even did a sci-fi version of their own in Star Wars #7-9 in the late 1970's, with Han Solo recruiting and leading a gang of alien soldiers of fortune (including a six-foot green rabbit).
(BTW, Robert Vaughn was in Battle Beyond the Stars, playing a character similar to the one he played in 1960. He was also a semi-regular in the 1998 TV show.)
None of this means that the new remake won't be any good. But, with a story that has been retold so many times, it will be hard to come up with something that audiences haven't already seen before.
And there is even talk that the next Star Wars movie's plot will be Rey recruiting and leading a team of half a dozen space cowboys for a dangerous mission.
Truer words have never been spoken TC!
ReplyDeleteGreat xtra info Anon! And let us never forget all the cool musics, the Soul Kings 1969 release on the Blue Cat label, and The Clash's 1980 release called "The Magnificent Seven" among others!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the AWESOME theme music by Elmer Bernstein! Nobody (dare I say it - even John Williams) makes movie music like that anymore.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I've never known it too well (which is the usual thing for me and westerns, even famous ones), though coincidentally I saw the last parts less than two weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of remakes (including very loose ones), there's a really odd adventure film called "The Invincible Six," about American and European adventurer types helping Arab peasants against a bandit leader. It has Stuart Whitman, Curt Jurgens and Elke Sommer (as an Iranian!).
Well, I'll have to track down "The Invincible Six" for sure!
ReplyDelete