Il Postino: The Postman (1994)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 5/5

 

 

PROS –
1) A fictional story of real life Chilean poet Pablo Neruda in exile, where he forms a friendship with a simple Procida postman who learns to love poetry.
2) A heartfelt movie with tragic end. What a sad ending to a simpleton postman! The real life death of Massimo Troisi (who played the postman) just after completing the movie is equally devastating.
3) I Suoni dell’isola · Luis Bacalov.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
“You have to find the right moment, use your manners. If he’s thinking up a poem, maybe even political, and you bother him for his signature, and he forgets it, you’ll have caused a world-wide disaster.”

The Mercenary (1968)

STORY – 0
DIRECTOR – 0
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 2/5

 

 

PROS –
1) A Mexican mine-laborer turned revolutionary hires a gringo mercenary to learn from him how to lead a revolution.
2) Tony Musante is impressive as the unhinged wannabe revolutionary Paco Román.
3) L’ arena – this epic composition from Ennio Morricone is bigger than the movie.

 

 

CONS –
1) A forgettable western from Sergio Corbucci.

 

 

QUOTE –
“Good luck, Paco! Keep dreaming, but with your eyes open!”

Chino (1973)

STORY – 0
DIRECTOR – 0
ACTOR – 0
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 0/5

 

 

PROS –
1) A tragic tale of a lonely part-Indian rancher who gets into trouble after he fell in love with the sister of a rich rival rancher.

 

 

CONS –
1) The story of a poor man and rich girl is quiet straightforward and there is nothing for the actors or the director. There is little to no action at the end of the movie.

 

 

QUOTE –
Jamie : I ain’t never going to get mixed up with women folk.
Chino : Well, what a man says and what a man does doesn’t always end up the same thing.

They Call Him Cemetery (1971)

STORY – 0
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 3/5

 

 

PROS –
1) 2 Irish brothers arrive in a town to join their father where he’s being harassed by a local gang. The plot follows the two brothers fighting the gang where they are helped by a man named Cemetery and his shady friend Duke.
2) Bullet For A Stranger theme by Bruno Nicolai. An extraordinary theme for an average Spaghetti Western film.
3) Duke’s unmissable drinking glass. Cobra Ramirez is another noteworthy character.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
John: This place Harlingan, did it have an epidemic?
Undertaker: Yes indeed. And it’s still going. And let’s hope it continues.
George: Good heavens. What is it the plague?
Undertaker: Much worse. [pointing towards his gun] The common cold.

Ace High (1968)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

VERDICT – 4/5

 

 
PROS –
1) Cat and Hutch’s story picks up from where we left last time in God Forgives… I Don’t! (1967). In this movie, they are joined by Cacopoulos, a man poised for revenge from his 3 heist partners who put him in jail for 15 years.
2) Eli Wallach’s performance as Cacopoulos is funny as well as emotional as we came to know about his back story. His grandfather’s quotes are equally amusing.
3) The final Casino heist.
4) Hutch’s boxing match.

 
CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Cacopoulos: My grandfather used to say, ‘One partner is not enough, two is too many.’

God Forgives… I Don’t! (1967)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 0

 

VERDICT – 3/5

 

 
PROS –
1) A train is robbed and the man (Bill San Antonio) suspected of the robbery had been supposedly dead long before.
2) Being the first film in Terence Hill & Bud Spencer series of adventures, we can see how different the characters really are in this movie. It’s not a comedy western but an out and out Spaghetti Western. While Terence Hill (as Cat) is playing the usual drifter character, Bud Spencer (as Hutch) is playing an insurance agent in search of the stolen gold.
3) Bill San Antonio‘s monologue before the duel where he faked his own death.

 

 

CONS –
1) This story deserved a better execution with a better soundtrack.

 

 

 

QUOTE –
There’s one thing you haven’t got clear, dead man. I’m dealing the cards this time.

Trinity Is Still My Name (1971)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

VERDICT – 4/5

 
PROS –
1) The action-comedic brother duo return of another laugh-riot. This time the audiences got a glimpse of their equally idiosyncratic parents as well.
2) Trinity’s card game with Wild Card Hendricks.
3) Bambino’s confession scene with the monk. His scene in the French restaurant is another treat.
4) The final brawl with the arms-traffickers at the mission.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Older monk: It is Lucifer. Lucifer in person!
Trinità: You know him?
Bambino: No, I’ve never heard of him. He sounds like a professional from back East.
Trinità: Hmm. Well, this Lucifer or whatever shows up, tell him to go to hell.

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

VERDICT – 5/5

 
PROS –
1) A heart-rending father-son movie for generations. The right blend of comedy and despair. One of the best Holocaust movies ever made.
2) A man trying to protect his son using his wit and humor in the most desperate times. This movie belongs to the ranks of The Kid (1921) and Bicycle Thieves (1948).
3) Life Is Beautiful – (Main Theme) by Nicola Piovani
4) The ominous first hour of the movie appears like a Disney movie with the amusing performance of Roberto Benigni.

 

CONS –
N/A

 

QUOTE –
Guido: What are your political views?
Man: Benito, Adolf! Sit down! Sorry Guido, what did you say?

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

VERDICT – 5/5

 
PROS –
1) A grand tear-jerker. A movie tapping the element of nostalgia. A simple story but everyone can relate to it. There is no tragedy, no villains but still, it’s deeply touching.
2) A man coming back to his small town for his mentor’s funeral. The good screenplay did great character development for even minor characters with negligible screentime.
3) The full-filling “kissing scene” montage. A moment for movie aficionados.
4) The enchanting character of the projectionist Alfredo played by Philippe Noiret; a man quoting John Wayne, Clark Gable, etc. as life lessons.

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 
QUOTE –
Alfredo: Living here day by day, you think it’s the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything’s changed. The thread’s broken. What you came to find isn’t there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time… many years… before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It’s not possible. Right now you’re blinder than I am.
Salvatore: Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?
Alfredo: No, Toto. Nobody said it. This time it’s all me. Life isn’t like in the movies. Life… is much harder.

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

VERDICT – 5/5

 
PROS –
1) Though it is inspired from Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961), it’s an original in its own terms. The film marks the birth of the iconic reticent cigar-smoking gun-slinger – the “Man with No Name”.
2) Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable soundtrack.
3) Gian Maria Volonté plays the merciless primary antagonist Ramón. One can wonder how he wasn’t part of the final Dollars Trilogy movie – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
4) The final duel with steel chest-plate. A battle between Colt .45 Revolver and Winchester Rifle.

 

CONS –
N/A

 

QUOTE –
When a man’s got money in his pocket he begins to appreciate peace.