The Shooting (1966)

This is a surprising movie based on when it was released. It demonstrates how much influence Leone had, but this one reverses the trend. Instead of deconstructing the classic Hollywood western and re- tasking it as with the Italian system, this indie take on the genre kicks the can even further down the road.This is art more than a commercial venture, and, accordingly, the consumer mindset addled viewer that wants to be spoon fed pap will recoil in horror that this movie requires them to work almost as hard as the cast. If you're the kind of person that says, "Keep it simple stupid", or gets exasperated with semantic arguments thinking they are pointless, you will not like this movie. It makes you think. It doesn't give you an ending even, if you don't. The "Hey, cut the crap, just tell me how to get what I want" crowd will throw their hands up in horror. Reactions to this one would be a really good test of just how much of a mindless consumer one has become. In our society it is not surprising that there are some really negative reactions to this one. They're the same people that think you're less than a human being- literally- if you don't support the local NFL franchise religiously. That said, if you're not like that and you like Spaghetti genre westerns, this isn't the best, but it is a must see, imho. I have no guess as to why some moan about the cast. They were all perfectly cast. Without giving out spoilers, I have to disagree that there is a surprise ending. It's more that it's a surprise how the ending is crafted, not the actual outcome. But that's the point of a 1965-66 style western deconstruction. It's far more considered than many that were doing that over the following five years. Don't believe the gripe. It's coming from conceptually lazy people. This one is an effort, but well worth it.Food pairing: Venison Chile Cheese Dogs with Shiner Bock

Definitive Cult Film. It languished in Obscurity for Years. The Film never received a Theatrical Release Until 1971. It was a Low-Budget ($75,000) Movie with the help of an Uncredited Roger Corman.All four Actors give believable, Edgy Performances with Warren Oates, Jack Nicholson, Will Hutchins, and Millie Perkins delivering Dialog that smacks of Western Slang along with Gritty Insight and Existential Exuberance.Nothing on the surface is Clear and the Dusty Terrain adds to the Obscurity. In Fact, the Location settings are Stunning in the Sun Bleached Bleakness. Because of its Miniscule Budget and apart from any Studio Interference the Filmmakers were able to Experiment with an Odd and Against the Grain Western Template.It is a Thinking Man's Horse Opera with the four footed Creatures playing a Significant and Symbolic Part. The Movie's parts seem to Come Together in an Off-Kilter sort of Existence where Nothing is Certain and everything Unfolds at a Pace fitting its Stifling Surroundings.Overall, the Ending is one of those that is Ambiguous at First glance, but more Contemplative Viewers will Definitely have Diversified Opinions. Considering what was there to work with it remains an Artsy, Offbeat, and certainly Divisive Western. But the Talent Behind and In Front of the Camera is such that it Cannot be Overlooked or Ignored.

Willet Gashade (Warren Oates), a former bounty hunter, returns to his small mining camp after a lengthy absence and finds his slow-witted friend Coley (Will Hutchins) in a state of fear. Coley explains to Gashade that their partner, Leland Drum (B. J. Merholz), had been shot to death two days before by an unseen assassin. Also starring a young Jack Nicholson.In 1964, Monte Hellman and Jack Nicholson had made two films together, "Back Door to Hell" and "Flight to Fury", which were produced by Roger Corman and filmed back-to-back in the Philippines. This film was very much in the same vein, this time shot back-to-back with "Ride in the Whirlwind". Nicholson's history with Corman is well-known, but Hellman's career also came from Corman. His first directing gig was "Beast from Haunted Cave" (1959), a Corman film, which was followed up with an uncredited stint on "The Terror" (with Nicholson). In fact, Hellman did not really blossom outside Corman's domain until "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971).The film was written by first-time screenwriter Carole Eastman, who would soon write "Five Easy Pieces", another Jack Nicholson vehicle (and much later the Nicholson film "Man Trouble"). As with many involved, she was a Corman veteran, having been responsible for the music in Corman's "Creature from the Haunted Sea" (1961).It was not until 1968 that the U.S. distribution rights were purchased by the Walter Reade Organization, the same company that distributed "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). No other domestic distributor had expressed any interest in the films. Walter Reade decided to bypass a theatrical release, and the two titles were sold directly to television. In retrospect, it seems bizarre that this film fell into obscurity, but who could have predicted Nicholson's rise to stardom?

Monte Hellman directed this strikingly unique, original, yet experimental western that stars Millie Perkins as a mysterious woman with no revealed name who hires two cowboys named Willit & Coley(played by Warren Oates & Will Hutchins) to track down a man for mysterious reasons, though it appears to be Willit's brother who may have been involved in an accidental death with another cowboy who is later shot dead. Jack Nicholson costars as a cold-blooded gunfighter assisting the woman in the hunt, which leads them to the barren hot desert and a surprise ending, which will no doubt either intrigue or infuriate the viewer, but fine acting and direction keep it on track, especially by Perkins.