Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Thursday, February 19, 2009

If you’re a fan of great tracking shots and creative inter-scene movement of the camera in cinema… then you really should check out many Tonino Valerii films! He is one of those rare filmmakers I can feel perfectly his footprint in the flow of how a film is cut, the camera moves and the free flowing yet precise ways he guides his actors/actresses through their marks and character arcs. He’s a Leone disciple done proud. I’m not just saying that because you would also find filmmaker Richard Linklater damn near mirroring my sentiments but because I truly marvel and feel the same way about Valerii.

Here in Day of Anger (I Giorni dell’ira) if it weren’t for Lee Van Cleef getting some of the best dialogue of his career to say, you could almost turn the audio off save for the score by Riz Ortolani, you could experience it as a beautiful silent spaghetti western. The fusion of style, collaboration, energy and resourcefulness of the production designer, Enzo Serafin, Franco Fraticelli and Tonino Valerii make this one of my all-time favorite spaghetti westerns. This one is a real unsung treat that deserves to have a much wider following.

This re-release Japanese poster for the film is a great montage of imagery from the film and the symmetry Giuliano Gemma and Van Cleef share in it really elevates it even more. The only thing in my opinion it’s missing that would really put it over the top are some fiery flames. Regardless this is a stunning spaghetti western poster featuring a really inspired montage and sweaty crackling colors.

Many of the various home video releases of this film have been atrocious to say the least. Most save for the Wild East are too washed out, too cropped and riddled with audio imperfections to really grade it definitively. My recommendation would be to track down a copy of the Wild East DVD release (info) whenever it pops up on eBay. Outside of that I can say seeing this on film is hands down the best way to experience it. I’ve seen it once projected on the big screen and it’s that experience that makes it stand out so much.

Related Coverage:
::: Japanese Poster Celebration Month – January 2009

Image Source:
Official artwork that was used in the original Japanese poster for the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile

As far as westerns go this is a love it or hate it affair with most seeming to like regardless the performances by Lee Van Cleef and Jim Brown. However you feel there is no getting around this outstanding poster for El Condor. Nothing like a great Lee Van Cleef or Jim Brown poster!

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Lee Van Cleef Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: Japanese Poster Celebration Month – January 2009

Image Source:
Official artwork that was used in the original Japanese poster for the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile

Japanese Poster Appreciation Month – January 2009

Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, January 10, 2009

Hopefully everyone had a moment yesterday to take a moment and wish Lee Van Cleef a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and for his memory to live on!

Late spaghetti western (known as “Macaroni Westerns” in Japan) effort from Antonio Margheriti that despite a great cast gets saddled with a bad script that keeps it from ever living up to its potential.

Note to Fellow Bloggers
Now for all you fellow bloggers who are looking to highlight this film anytime soon, I have set aside a special poster only version of this for you that is saved as a PNG file (download here). If you use this I do ask that you link back to my post here. Additionally if anyone needs this poster at a different size for promotion on their site please let me know. Usually when I do this I don’t get much credit back… so if this goes well then I’ll definitely consider doing this again in the future.

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Lee Van Cleef Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)

Japanese Poster Appreciation Month – January 2009 (Archive):
::: January 24 – Violent City (1970)
::: January 24 – Mr. Majestyk (1974)
::: January 24 – Hard Times (1975)
::: January 23 – Bullitt (1968)
::: January 23 – The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
::: January 23 – The Great Escape (1963)
::: January 23 – The Magnificent Seven (1960)
::: January 22 – BRAINDEAD (1992)
::: January 22 – Frontiere(s) (2007)
::: January 21 – The Gauntlet (1977)
::: January 21 – Live Like a Cop Die Like a Man (1976)
::: January 20 – Thunder and Lightning (1977)
::: January 19 – Race with the Devil (1975)
::: January 18 – Car Wash (1976)
::: January 17 – The Living Daylights (1987)
::: January 17 – Licence to Kill (1989)
::: January 17 – The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
::: January 16 – Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
::: January 15 – The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)
::: January 14 – The Graduate (1967)
::: January 13 – Excalibur (1981)
::: January 12 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
::: January 11 – Omohide poro poro (1991)
::: January 11 – The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
::: January 10 – Take a Hard Ride (1975)
::: January 9 – Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
::: January 9 – Yatterman (2009)
::: January 8 – Game of Death (1978)

::: January 7 – Crime Busters (1977)
::: January 6 – Sisters (1973)
::: January 5 – Crime Boss (1972)
::: January 4 – White Lightning (1973)
::: January 3 – The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
::: January 2 – Rolling Thunder (1977)
::: January 1 – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
::: January 1 – Army of Darkness (1992)
::: Preview – Cannonball! (1976)
::: Previous Japanese Posters Featured @ Cinema is Dope

Japanese Cinema Sites I Highly Recommend:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Nippon Cinema
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

* If you don’t see your site listed here and it covers Japanese cinema please comment below so that I can review it and possibly include it in future lists.

About Japanese Poster Artwork Celebration Month:
To kick off 2009, I can think of no better way of doing so than celebrating Japanese poster artwork. The emphasis will be more of western films through the lens of Japanese poster artwork and of course some of my own personal all-time favorites. At a future date I’ll probably have a month devoted to solely Japanese films and their poster artwork. So be sure to tune in each day during the month of January as I have an incredible amount of incredible Japanese posters that will be on display. Hopefully at the end of this I can convert many of you into life long fans of Japanese posters!

Please help and spread the word on the January 2009 themed Japanese Poster Celebration Month here at Cinema is Dope. Tweet your friends. Mention it in your Facebook status or Friendfeed. Link to it on your blog. Any support is greatly appreciated!!!!!

You can follow along at these specific urls/web addresses:
::: www.cinemaisdope.com/category/movie-wallpaper-japanese-poster-celebration-month/
::: http://tinyurl.com/japanese-poster-2009

Starring in these posters will be: Antonio Sabato, Bruce Campbell, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, David Carradine, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, George Lazenby, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Jack Nicholson, James Coburn, Jennifer Billings, Jim Brown, Jimmy Wang Yu, John Boorman, Kate Jackson, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, Michael Caine, Peter Fonda, Richard Pryor, Roddy McDowall, Sergio Leone, Sidney Poitier, Susan Strasberg, Warren Oates, William Devane and many more…

If you’re interested in Japanese cinema, I highly recommend the following Cinema is Dope picks for January 2009. For this months book selection we have Behind the Pink Curtain by Jasper Sharp. For video recommendation this month we have Linda Linda Linda.

Additionally fans of Japanese cinema will want to pick up this amazing Yasujiro Ozu tribute shirt from Mondo Tees!

As always when in Austin, Texas, be sure to check out Weird Wednesday (January/February 2009 lineup) or Terror Tuesday (January/February 2009 lineup) and of course Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

My current favorite restaurants in Austin that are an absolute must visit are Clay Pit (be sure to place an order of naan bread) and Uchi. Be sure to tell them CinemaisDope.com sent you if you visit.

Image Source:
Official artwork that was used in Japanese poster artwork for the film.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile
::: Previous Japanese Posters Featured @ Cinema is Dope

Coming Soon – February 2009 @ Cinema is Dope is Lee Marvin Month!!!

Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, December 20, 2008

Lee Van Cleef vs Warren Oates! Sign me up please.

In this image we see a very taut Lee Van Cleef wearing his trademark scowl and per usual epitomizing the very essence of badass-ness and cinema cool.

Related Coverage:
::: Warren Oates in Barquero Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)

Image Source:
Official still used in the original US release.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile

Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, November 23, 2008

Always a good way to start out a week with an image of Lee Van Cleef.

Related Coverage:
The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow did a tour of Spain earlier this year for the Man With No Name trilogy. Images from these screenings can be viewed below:

::: The Good the Bad and the Ugly at Cortijo los Frailes
::: For a Few Dollars More in Los Albaricoques, Spain
::: Fistful of Dollars at the Cortijo el Sotillo, Spain

Image Source:
Official issued still that was used in its original US release.

Related Links:
::: IMDb Profile