Way of the Gun

[OF]

I know there has been mention of this film in other movie-related threads, but I just saw it again (with my new 'NetFlix' account - which is the best thing to happen to movie rental since the VCR, by the way) and thought it deserved it's own thread.

If you haven't seen it, be warned, it's violent and more than a little grody in parts. But the gunplay is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Heat is impressive, certainly, but WotG is top notch.

It's almost like a pistol training video with a plot.

- one-handed reloads
- tactical reloads
- one-handed chamber checks (very cool)
- IWB holsters
- longgun to pistol transitions
- room clearing
- team movement
- sniping with a spotter
- revolvers vs. autoloaders is a major plot device
- all the guns are cool

That's all I can think of right now.

- Gabe

PS: And it has Benicio del Toro, who is IMO the best actor working.

 

[cordex]

Great movie, no doubt about it.

Generally the scene that gunnies are the least comfortable with is when Del Toro takes the Galil and starts peppering the walls. Seems to use up too much ammo, wastes all his ammo & has to dump the rifle and stitches a too-perfect line around the room.

All told, however, it was a good gun movie. Watch the commentary if you've got the DVD.

 

[Devonai]

This movie made me go out and buy more magazines for my 1911, along with a Blackhawk triple mag pouch. One of my favorites.

 

[blackhawk2000]

Awesome movie!

 

[BerettaNut92]

PS: And it has Benicio del Toro, who is IMO the best actor working.

Whether that be so, don't rush out and see 'Hunted' now

 

[spacemanspiff]

i gotta admit, i actually liked "the hunted".
(in addition, there was a b-movie released in 1998 called "the hunted" that starred Madchen Amick, more recognized for playing Tanya Robertson in Stephen Kings "The sleepwalkers", not the greatest actress, but still entertaining to watch)

the story had its flaws, but it left the options open for del toros character to be not only correct, but also a sort of 'hero'. was he left out to dry by his team? is that what triggered his path of destruction? or just the straw that broke the camels back? he seemed to interact just fine with his girlfriend and her daughter. he didnt seem to be a threat to them.

but it did have its flaws, little ones, unimportant ones, and some big ones. for example, freeing a wolf from a trap? throwing a knife through a sapling? making a knife out of rusty old steel with only a small fire to heat it up? and as the story hints, within a couple of hours? i'd assume that would take a couple of days of heating and hammering and finally honing out the edge.

but still, i liked the story, the knife fights, hand to hand combat.

 

[dog3]

Seconded.

The *only* problem I had was with the
"zooming" sight picture during the
"sniping" scene out front of the motel.

That and the "through-the-wall" shots
being way too high for folks that seemed
to otherwise know what they were doing.

I did learn to never go over the berm
into the fountain without looking

 

[OF]

Whether that be so, don't rush out and see 'Hunted' now

Ugh. I heard that wasn't so good. It's a rental! See Usual Suspects, Traffic and Fear & Loathing in LA back to back to get a good dose of del Toro's absolutely amazing range.

The guy is a chameleon.

- Gabe

 

[OF]

The *only* problem I had was with the
"zooming" sight picture during the
"sniping" scene out front of the motel.

I didn't catch that. I'm watching the director's commentary right now on cordex's recommendation (taxes? what taxes?). The technical director was the director's brother, a SEAL. He did a hell of a job training the cast.

- Gabe

 

[dog3]

Maybe zooming isnt' right. But the sight
picture aspect does change.

only movie I've seen where they got
the zzzzip>crack>>bang right.

 

[Correia]

WOTG was a great movie. It wasn't just a good gun movie, but it was a very intense movie even with out the great gun handling.

And I'll second what dog3 says, I'll never jump into a fountain with out looking. Damn that had to hurt.

 

[BerettaNut92]

If I were them, I woulda packed more 20 round .308 mags and less .45 magazines.

But maybe they were CA residents?

 

[Don Gwinn]

That dive into the fountain is one of the most painful things I've seen. You know it always hurts ten times as much when you have half an instant to think to yourself "Oh, man, that looks sharp."

but it did have its flaws, little ones, unimportant ones, and some big ones. for example, freeing a wolf from a trap? throwing a knife through a sapling? making a knife out of rusty old steel with only a small fire to heat it up? and as the story hints, within a couple of hours? i'd assume that would take a couple of days of heating and hammering and finally honing out the edge.

That bit about saving the wolf--the technical advisor was the guy who designed that famous "Tracker" knife in the movie (that TOPS now makes.) On his website, he cites that scene as one of his favorites and says it was gratifying how closely they followed reality. So either he's a bit prone to exaggeration of his bond with all the Earth's creatures (which ain't unheard-of among mystical trackers who offer to teach you the secrets Grandfather taught them as children on the reservation) or he has some good reason to think that scene makes sense. We don't have wolves around here, so I wouldn't really know.

From what I've heard, they really compressed the time on the knife. Also, is this the TOPS Tracker we're talking about? The funky knife with the micarta scales and a bunch of complex grinds that they show in all the commercials? 'Cause ain't nobody who could make that knife with a campfire, some rocks and a leaf spring. It's shocking what you can produce, but not that.

 

[Tamara]

One of the most vital gun scenes in Way Of The Gun to me is when Benicio's character and James Caan's character meet out front of the motel/cantina at night. To show Benicio he is unarmed, Caan lifts his Member's Only jacket above his waist and turns around.

What is the very important point that Benicio missed in that whole scene?

 

[spacemanspiff]

shoulder holster?

 

[Tamara]

His right hand never left his jacket pocket. (Which I am assuming contained that little J-frame snubbie he toted the whole time. )

 

[556A2]

WotG was one of the best movies I have seen recently, in fact the only other movie I've seen recently to be in its league was Goodfellas.

 

[OF]

Tam: the director mentions in the DVD commentary that the pen Caan is holding in that scene outside is actually a little stilleto that looks like a pen.

- Gabe

 

[MiniZ]

Great flick!

Yea, there were scenes that those "in the know" point out as flawed, but I try not to get too into analyzing films that way-I just want to enjoy them.

Heck, I enjoyed "Desperado" if that tells you anything-that show had more gun related flaws than any I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[BowStreetRunner]

Because of this thread I went out and rented TWOTG today and watched
AWESOME!
its up there with Boondock Saints and LA Confidential as my favorite modern film noir movies
BSR

 

[cool45auto]

OMG! WOTG is my new favorite gun movie. I've watched a few times. The gun handling is impressive. Way better than any other gun movie I've seen in a while. I bought the DVD but haven't watched the commentary yet.

 

[Bowlcut]

Yea because of this thread i watched the movie. And liked it A LOT. I like Ryan as an actor and really liked his part in the movie. Yea del Toro made the movie tho . And hush....you are making me want to sit here and watch it again.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I always like Juliette Lewis but I hated the film. I didn't like the opening of the movie -- and still trying to figure out what that obscene exchange was all about. Personally, I prefer John Woo films for gun play, anything with Simon Yam as well -- "Full Contact." Just bought another DVD titled "Double Tap" which is supposed to be a fantastic gun film. We'll see...

 

[Kamicosmos]

The opening of the movie according to the commentary was supposed to be a trailer for the rest of the film. It established that point that these two characters have basically no regard for much of anything: other people, their own lives, nothing. Except maybe that they are adrenaline junkies or something.

Oh, and Tam when Cann is out side and lifts his jacket and rotates to show he's not packing...both hands are actually outside the pockets, holding the corners of the jacket. It also looks like he doesn't have his gun in the pockets, cause they don't sag. Dunno if that's a film fopar or if the character actually isn't carrying at that point cause he knows Launbough would detect the gun anyways...


but, hey....that's nit picking, right?

"A plan is a list of things that don't happen."

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

Damn! Were you watching the commentary on the DVD? I guess the DVD of it that I hired must have been the original release, because it certaily has no commentary that I can find...

Anyway, the thing that I question the most in the film is: did Longbaugh and Parker actually die at the end?

When it cuts to the credits, they're still moving, lying there in trails of blood: but are you supposed to think they die afterwards, or what?

Both of them were shot three times in the leg by Joe's (James Caan) snubbie revolver, in addition to Parker's 'fountain encounter'

So do they bleed out and die? Get up, patch themselves up a bit, and get in their car? What do you think?