Empire's Top 10 Greatest Shootouts!
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Empire's Top 10 Greatest Shootouts!
I'm not a fan of Empire Magazine - too much fluff, not enough Kim Newman - but I do like their monthly top tens.
The Top Ten Greatest Shooutouts
First of all (I like their sidebar that explains the criteria) - there's no mexican standoffs, since they're not shooting, they're standing. No duels - too organized. No war battle scenes. No silliness - lightsabers, laserguns etc. Only one gunfight per director. Just unruly gunfighting with characters you're supposed to love/hate.
10. Cop Land
- The final shootout, as we follow along the deafened shotgun-toting sherriff
9. Open Range
- Realistic, dirty gunfighting between the freegrazers and ranchers
8. State Of Grace
- Stylish slo-mo homage to old westerns, as Terry goes to work in the bar while the St. Patrick's Day parade goes by outside
7. Leon (The Professional)
- The climax, where Stansfield attempts to get rid of the thorn inhis side by bringing "Everyone"
6. The Matrix
- The lobby scene, as a regular gunfight is elevated to new coolness by bending the laws of physics
5. The Untouchables
- Another homage, this time to Eisenstein, as the G-men square off on the steps of the train station, innocents - and a baby - in the crossfire
4. Once Upon A Time In The West
- Sloooooooooow buildup with a niiiiiiice payoff, as three gunmen await Harmonica at the train station - only to find they've brought two horses too many
3. Heat
- How do you make a gunfight in LA look realistic? Have De Niro, Kilmer et al get trained by the SAS. Result; bloody magnicent cinema.
2. Hard Boiled
- The hospital gunfight; it's long, it's got a huge body count, and yet no-one runs out of bullets or hits a baby.
1. The Wild Bunch
- The "Battle Of Bloody Porch", which used more firepower than was used in the actual conflict the film was set against...
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So, whatdya think? I think it's a fairly good list, though I'd throw the hotel shootout in True Romance in there somewhere.
The Top Ten Greatest Shooutouts
First of all (I like their sidebar that explains the criteria) - there's no mexican standoffs, since they're not shooting, they're standing. No duels - too organized. No war battle scenes. No silliness - lightsabers, laserguns etc. Only one gunfight per director. Just unruly gunfighting with characters you're supposed to love/hate.
10. Cop Land
- The final shootout, as we follow along the deafened shotgun-toting sherriff
9. Open Range
- Realistic, dirty gunfighting between the freegrazers and ranchers
8. State Of Grace
- Stylish slo-mo homage to old westerns, as Terry goes to work in the bar while the St. Patrick's Day parade goes by outside
7. Leon (The Professional)
- The climax, where Stansfield attempts to get rid of the thorn inhis side by bringing "Everyone"
6. The Matrix
- The lobby scene, as a regular gunfight is elevated to new coolness by bending the laws of physics
5. The Untouchables
- Another homage, this time to Eisenstein, as the G-men square off on the steps of the train station, innocents - and a baby - in the crossfire
4. Once Upon A Time In The West
- Sloooooooooow buildup with a niiiiiiice payoff, as three gunmen await Harmonica at the train station - only to find they've brought two horses too many
3. Heat
- How do you make a gunfight in LA look realistic? Have De Niro, Kilmer et al get trained by the SAS. Result; bloody magnicent cinema.
2. Hard Boiled
- The hospital gunfight; it's long, it's got a huge body count, and yet no-one runs out of bullets or hits a baby.
1. The Wild Bunch
- The "Battle Of Bloody Porch", which used more firepower than was used in the actual conflict the film was set against...
------------------------
So, whatdya think? I think it's a fairly good list, though I'd throw the hotel shootout in True Romance in there somewhere.
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Re: Empire's Top 10 Greatest Shootouts!
Originally posted by DonnachaOne
Cop Land
Leon (The Professional)
The Matrix
The Untouchables
Once Upon A Time In The West
Heat
The Wild Bunch
Cop Land
Leon (The Professional)
The Matrix
The Untouchables
Once Upon A Time In The West
Heat
The Wild Bunch
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Originally posted by RyoHazuki
Thats actually a pretty good list. Leaving "The Killer" off is unforgivable though.
Thats actually a pretty good list. Leaving "The Killer" off is unforgivable though.
#9
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I don't see what is so great about the hotel shootout in True Romance. Its just a bunch of guys pointing guns at each other and a bloodbath ensues. The pillowfeathers add some atmosphere but to consider this one of the best of all time is going overboard.
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The warehouse scene in Hardboiled is superior to, albeit shorter than, the hospital scene, I think. Also, one of the best shootouts I've seen comes at the end of an otherwise lame HK movie called Pom Pom and Hot Hot.
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The end shoot outs in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Reservoir Dogs, L.A. Confidential, High Noon, Unforgiven.
Or the one chaplin did, don't remeber the name of the film.
Or the one chaplin did, don't remeber the name of the film.
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Originally posted by lukewarmwater
The end shoot outs in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Reservoir Dogs, L.A. Confidential, High Noon, Unforgiven.
Or the one chaplin did, don't remeber the name of the film.
The end shoot outs in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Reservoir Dogs, L.A. Confidential, High Noon, Unforgiven.
Or the one chaplin did, don't remeber the name of the film.
Took the words out of my mouth
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Not a bad list. It's nice to see HARD BOILED at number 2, but the list needs more Woo. Also, the nightclub shootout at the end of Ringo Lam's FULL CONTACT was very innovative at the time, with its "bullet's eye view" type camera work, and still looks great.
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Originally posted by lukewarmwater
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
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Originally posted by lukewarmwater
The end shoot outs in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Reservoir Dogs...
The end shoot outs in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Reservoir Dogs...
As for LA Confidential, I don't the shootout's that great - just a necessary step toward the magnificent end.
As for the hallway scene in Equilibrium... oh yeah, I'd add that. All dark except for gunblasts? Perfect!
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Originally posted by DonnachaOne
They're not 'shootouts' as far as the list is concerned. One criterion was that there be no mexican standoffs - which is exactly what they are.
They're not 'shootouts' as far as the list is concerned. One criterion was that there be no mexican standoffs - which is exactly what they are.
I did love the shootout in "Grosse Point Blank" with John Cusack and Dan Akroyd that ended up with Dan
Spoiler:
#21
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Originally posted by devilshalo
Time and Tide by Tsui Hark has some good ones. The train station, the apartment complex and the depository.
Time and Tide by Tsui Hark has some good ones. The train station, the apartment complex and the depository.
In terms of silliness- my fave shootout or battle is the ending of 'Robocop II - let's see how many innocent bystanders can we mow down.
Last edited by Giles; 07-09-04 at 09:03 AM.
#22
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Originally posted by RyoHazuki
Thats actually a pretty good list. Leaving "The Killer" off is unforgivable though.
Thats actually a pretty good list. Leaving "The Killer" off is unforgivable though.
That was my immediate reaction to reading the list....
#24
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Amazingly, I pretty much agree with the whole list. I'd change the order around slightly, but if I had to choose 10, odds are I'd pick the same films (with the exception of Cop Land perhaps).