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From: andy@Shasta.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: "Silverado"
Message-ID: <6843@Shasta.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 17:07:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: Shasta.6843
Posted: Fri Jul 12 17:07:28 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 15:30:09 EDT
References: <6280@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 33

Peter Reiher (reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP) writes:

> By any standard, "Silverado" is a terrific Western.  No apologies,
> caveats, or or provisos are necessary.  "Silverado" is rip-roaring
> Western fun, not the West the way it used to be, but a thoroughly
> plausible and adventurous West, a West suitable for modern tastes.
> Lawrence Kasdan has never made a better film than "Silverado", and it
> is more fun than Westerns have been since Sergio Leone stopped making
> them. ....

"Silverado" is a wonderful movie, but not all of it's modern western
features are an improvement.  Before Sergio Leone, the big battle at
the end was marked by some cooperation between the good guys (and
often among the bad guys as well, but it didn't help them).  High
Noon-types are an exception, but is is important to their plot that
Cooper stand completely alone.

Various other details keep it from being a great western, although it is
a better movie than it is a western.  (There are better Westerns that
aren't as good movies and some that are better both ways.)  The "elemental"
bad guys die too easily, although this is also due to time constraints.
(I didn't like the order they died either, but couldn't come up with one
that was substantially better.)

While "Silverado" may not revive the Western genre, there are at least
two hooks for a good sequel; one of them is in the middle of the Cleese
scenes.  I would like to see some of these characters in another story.
I'm going to see them again in "Silverado".

-andy

ps - I seem to be the only one that thinks Scott Glenn imitates David
Caradine's role in Kung Fu every time he stops moving.