Guns of the Magnificent Seven

8/27/2015

The cowards die many deaths... the brave only one. Guns of the Magnificent Seven is directed by Paul Wendkos and written by Herman Hoffman. It stars George Kennedy, James Whitmore, Monte Markham, Reni Santoni & Joe Don Baker. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and Antonio Macasoli is the cinematographer. It's the second sequel to The Magnificent Seven which was based on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Plot finds Kennedy and his assembled group of gunmen hired to rescue a revolutionary from a Mexican dictator. Routine but very watchable entry in the "Seven" franchise. It's nicely cast with Kennedy, Whitmore, Baker and Bernier Casey effective, and the photography from Macasoli is pleasing and makes the Spanish location feel period Mexico. There's also good value in the writing as regards the

2/26/2023

**Yet another remake, or just mental laziness to make something new and fresh?** I recently saw the two films that, most notably, precede this film: “Seven Samurai” and “Magnificent Seven”. The same story, in its essence, set in different places and different times, and made by drastically different hands: a Japanese film set in a troubled period of feudal Japan, and the classic American “western” that adapts this story for the palate. west, and which spread internationally. The American film, which I have just mentioned, then had a sequel which, in addition to being redundant and unnecessary, did not have a single point of merit in its favor. It was a mistake. This film, not being a mistake, can only be seen as a joke for the way it insists on repeating the story, the formula and the c

12/25/2025

When a rebel leader is captured and imprisoned in a Mexican fortress under the command of the ruthless “Col. Diego” (Michael Ansara), one of his supporters vows to get him out - alive! Now given that these are locals without two pesos to rub together, you wouldn’t bet much on their chances but luckily he (Reni Santoni) encounters the last man standing from the last time the rural put-upon tried to fight back. “Chris” (George Kennedy) agrees to try and help them out and so sets about recruiting. First, it’s “Levi” (James Whitmore) and then a few more gun totin’, knife tossing, reprobates until he has his seven ready to lead the rebels against the Gatling guns. Now first things first, this doesn’t really bear much comparison with the Brynner et al story from ten years earlier, and if you try