True Grit

Over the years, I have seen the original True Grit with John Wayne and Glen Campbell more than once to say the least. Admittedly, it was a very good movie that has endured and been rerun a multitude of times over the years, but of all of the remakes of so many various movies, I think the newer version staring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon was one of the few remakes throughout the years that was actually better than the original movie. Even the terrain where the movie was filmed was more realistic. There are no majestic mountains in the Indian territories of Oklahoma, where the Wayne version was filmed in the most mountainous area possible for visual effect. This backdrop presented in the Bridges movie was authentic. Just more realistic throughout the movie. A great remake. Better than the original.

I honestly can not think of any remake that was better than the original than the 2'nd take of True Grit.

Do you have a movie where the remake was better than the original?

A superb remake!

a reply to: CharlesT

No remake is ever better than the original.

Logic puzzle..

If it was significant enough to spur a remake, why would the remake at a later date, through a reductive lens, be any better?

So something was good, but in hindsight we remove key elements, and make it better?

Really?

a reply to: MisterSpock

Each to his own opinion but I think True Grit #2 is the exception to your rule.

originally posted by: CharlesT
a reply to: MisterSpock

Each to his own opinion but I think True Grit #2 is the exception to your rule.

Hey, I'm no fan of the duke(seemed like a flag to me, certainly not a masculine idol to me).

But generally s "I can take a cinematic milestone and do better" angle is 99 percent self indulgent folly.

This might be the actual 1 percent rule though.

a reply to: MisterSpock

Not talking masculine idols and such nonsense. Talking about a well made movie made better the 2nd time around.

a reply to: CharlesT

I didn't mind the remake at all. I found Bridge's voice a bit hard to take but then you have Wayne's "Wagons Hoe."

I would like to see a remake of my favorite western, the Sam Peckinpah movie "The Wild Bunch". Would take some good actors to emulate that film.

Kind regards,

Bally

a reply to: bally001

I agree that one would be hard to beat. Would take exceptional acting and direction to better the original.

Remakes, hard to say
But sequels
Mad Max 2
Dead Pool

I did like true grit, John Wayne was never a fave

a reply to: bally001

Generally, I'm partial to all of the older movies. What is being produced today is just, well, what can I say, crap maybe?

a reply to: MisterSpock

Key elements being story, characters, actors?
What is different? Besides a later date and better overall actors? Same story and setting but just a better movie because of the times.

a reply to: Raggedyman

Bridges was just more original and naturally believable. Wayne stuck to his Hollywood persona and showed little diversity and originality in his acting over time. In his later movies, you saw Wayne in one movie and you have seen him in all of his movies. One and only one personality in all of them.

a reply to: CharlesT

Lol, yeah, I get ya. "Cowboys versus Aliens"

snort chuckle chortle.

What's you fav modern western?

kind regards,

bally

a reply to: bally001

Django Unchained was not bad.

The Revenant

Tombstone ( Kurt Russell )

Unforgiven

There is more that I thought !

a reply to: bally001

What? You didn't like Cowboys versus Aliens? That is one of the greatest western of all times, not.
You ask a tough question. Grit #2 was produced in 2010 and I can't think of any western relatively before or after that compare to it. I guess I'd have to consider Grit#2 takes the top spot. Tom Selleck stared in Monty Walsh where he played a cowboy during the last days of riding range and had to pursue and kill one of his friends. Monty Walsh was a good one.
Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood was another good western.
There are some memorable westerns.


myfavoritewesterns.com...
HOME
GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS
PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID
THE GREAT WESTERN DIRECTORS
THE HIRED HAND
MFW COWBOY HALL OF FAME
THE UNFORGIVEN / 1960
THE APPALOOSA (1966)
ONE EYED JACKS / 1961
THE WILD BUNCH
QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER (1990)
JOHN FORD
BUCK (2011)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960)
3:10 TO YUMA (1957)
MONTE WALSH … 1970
THE BIG COUNTRY
THE APPALOOSA (1966)
MURPHY’S ROMANCE / 1985
THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER
OPEN RANGE
THE MASK OF ZORRO
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE
VERA CRUZ
JEREMIAH JOHNSON
HOMBRE
THE PROFESSIONALS / 1966
HIGH NOON
THE UNFORGIVEN / 1960
THE HIRED HAND
THE GREAT WESTERN DIRECTORS
PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS
GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL
MFW COWBOY HALL OF FAME

THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER That was pretty good.

Open Range and Lonesome Dove were good westerns.

Red River would be a potentially good remake.


The Searchers

a reply to: CharlesT

'Quigley Down Under'. A good laugh from an Aussies point of view. I actually visited one of the sets much later and saw the fake caves paintings.

I couldn't call the 'Man from Snowy River' a western. While there was some well known Aussie actors and extras in that film, I understand the aussie director and Kirk Douglas had some rivalry going over Kirk's attempts to assist with the directing.

I liked Eastwood's character in "The Outlaw Jose Wales." "The spaghetti westerns" with Clint and Lee Van Cleef were entertaining and as a young bloke I enjoyed the first 2 "Trinity" Movies for a special laugh.

Kind regards,

Bally

a reply to: Timely

Yeah, I liked "Tombstone". Funny thing, I was only reading up on Wyatt Earp the other day. I found a link to the Royal Australian Navy that had a ship named, "HMAS Wyatt Earp". I spent a good hour reading it's history. It was serving during WW2. Antarctic research ship and provisions ship.

I never knew and I served in the navy here.

Kind regards,

Bally

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: CharlesT

'Quigley Down Under'. A good laugh from an Aussies point of view. I actually visited one of the sets much later and saw the fake caves paintings.

I couldn't call the 'Man from Snowy River' a western. While there was some well known Aussie actors and extras in that film, I understand the aussie director and Kirk Douglas had some rivalry going over Kirk's attempts to assist with the directing.

I liked Eastwood's character in "The Outlaw Jose Wales." "The spaghetti westerns" with Clint and Lee Van Cleef were entertaining and as a young bloke I enjoyed the first 2 "Trinity" Movies for a special laugh.

Kind regards,

Bally

Unfortunately we don't see too many foreign English speaking films over here. One I do remember is, oh hell, what's the name of it with Mick Jagger as an outlaw in the outback? I enjoyed that.

Ned Kelly

4.5/5

Would shoot whiskey bottles again.

a reply to: CharlesT

Hahahaha, That was flamin "Ned Kelly" mate. Jagger was panned for that part and the movie was not true to the real story..

My take on westerns really comes from american films. Wild west stuff.

We have a few famous outlaw movies here but they're not really westerns in the true sense. More like historical recounts.

kind regards,

bally