Hard Times (1975, D: Walter Hill) (Bronson, Coburn, Ireland)

[Solid Snake PAC]

Soooooooo saw this movie on Hulu. I'm not necessarily a big Bronson fan. I've seen about maybe.....10? Maybe a bit more. The man has his mystique and it works amazingly. I do acknowledge that he's a great guy to have on screen and am a fan of his..just...haven't seen enough of him. Once Upon A Time in The West, Dirty Dozen, Death Wish, The Great Escape, and etc. The norm one would expect to see of him.

Here's the plot:a drifter who travels to Louisiana during the Great Depression and begins competing in illegal bare-knuckled boxing matches.

<iframe width="520" height="415" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u1N0s4n5blA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This was also Walter Hill's directorial debut. And it's a pretty solid one. I REALLY love the angles he gives on the fights. Specifically the cage fight. Almost at the 53:00 mark you get a semi low shot of Bronson and the other big fuck and it's a gorgeous shot. Like..I'd kill for that shot as a poster. Bronson is 52 when he made this film..and he looks fucking amazing. I'd kill for that body at my age, 25.

Anyway...to the meat of this. It's a pretty good movie. I'd love to get this on Blu, which I don't think we'd ever get....which is a goddamn shame. My only quibble would be the slight pacing...maybe a bit...just a weeeeee bit faster. Not a big deal though. The direction is very matter of fact and isn't fancy cuz it doesn't need to be. Pretty much like Bronson was for this film. I can't say how much the fights are really enjoyable in this. It's got this great level of "oomph" I like to call. Again not flashy just matter of fact. The plot overrall is good, kind of general but done well. Coburn is always a lot of fun, as the guy who manages the drifter but also has some debts to pay, to have against Bronson....being well Bronson. Kind of wish we had more manly type of films that didn't didn't need a lot of flash.

[KillerCannibal]

I went to a Hill retrospective at the Aero in L.A. a few years back, Hill was there. They showed this and The Warriors. I've enjoyed watching this on DVD for a few years, but nothing compares to seeing it on the big screen, even if the print was a little worse for the wear.

This has always been one of my favorite Bronson films, and I'm a big fan of his work. He's such an unstoppable force here, and Coburn is so slick you can see him sliding all over the screen. This was a perfect role for Bronson since he was a man of few words in real life.

[Dr Mabuse]

I couldn't say how many times I've watched that, but it's a lot, starting decades back.

Solid film.

You will definitely want to see him in 'Death Hunt' with Lee Marvin and Carl Weathers. Another really good Bronson film.

[Solid Snake PAC]

Death Hunt..it has been noted.

Yeah....I'm going to have to go with that this is my fav Bronson film. It just works so well w/ him.

[JumpCutz]

Saw this once a long time ago....liked it a lot. Been revisiting Hill recently (The Driver, Southern Comfort, The Long Riders), probably time to give Hard Times another spin.