Screen Junkies » the wild bunch

7 Classic “Just One More Job, Then I’m Out” Movies

Joseph Gibson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:00:06 +0000

If you saw the critically acclaimed and universally hailed Drive last year, then you watched a film that’s part of a long tradition and you may not have even known it: The “One More Job” movie. In case you’re unfamiliar with this iconic genre, it goes like this: The main character is a career criminal who wants to finally get out of his life of crime. But before he can, he has to pull “one more job” so he can get out for good. This almost always goes badly.

In honor of the January 31st release of Drive on Blu-ray^TM and DVD, here are seven of the best examples of this storied subgenre.

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The Asphalt Jungle

Sterling Hayden plays Dix in this, the original heist movie. All he wants is to escape his horrible crime-ridden city to a farm on the country, with horses and stuff. But, as is usually the case, in order to do this he has to participate in One More Job. It should go off without a hitch, but you can guess that it doesn’t. Spoiler alert: He actually ends up making it to the farm, but it’s anybody’s guess how long he’ll be alive to enjoy it.

The Wild Bunch

Sometimes you don’t just want to get out of your outside-the-law lifestyle because you feel like it – sometimes that’s just the way the world around you is going. That’s the case in The Wild Bunch, in which a bunch of western cowboy outlaws (headed up by a never-grizzlier William Holden) seek to make one last big score before hanging up their hats and riding off into the sunset. They end up going on a bloody odyssey to hell, but that’s the risk, right?

7 Classic Action Films Even A Film Snob Can Love

Joseph Gibson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:00:38 +0000

David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai came out on Blu-ray a few weeks ago, the latest in a series of classic movies recently given the HD upgrade. Film snobs know that this is one of the greatest action/adventure movies ever made – and since I’m feeling generous, here are seven classic action films that can satisfy both the boring-film snob and the action-craving frat boy in all of us.

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The Bridge on the River Kwai

In addition to being a classic action film featuring one of the all-time great screen ‘splosions, The Bridge on the River Kwai has many things a true film snobs will appreciate: immaculate compositions, a refined sense of tension and suspense, great performances from William Holden, Alec Guinness, and Sessue Hayakawa, and a classic and unforgettable score. On the other hand, action fans will appreciate the exciting plot and the famous railroad explosion at the climax of the movie.

The Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosawa‘s pioneering action movie has the battle scenes that both film snobs and their less-evolved brethren will appreciate, albeit for possibly different reasons. They’re exciting, dramatic, and technically impressive. But they’re also highly influential among later action movies. Just one example of this is Kurosawa’s use of slow-motion, now a familiar device in action movies to make something look extra badass.

Tony Scott Says ‘I Want A Remake, Too’, Enters Talks For ‘Wild Bunch’

Penn Collins — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:46:26 +0000

If you thought Tony Scott would sit idly by while his brother Ridley announced a Blade Runner reboot, then you are a fool. A damn fool.

On the heels of Ridley’s announcement this morning that he will be returning to the world of Blade Runner, Deadline reports that Tony is in talks to take a pass at the 1959 Sam Peckinpah classic The Wild Bunch. The original followed an aging gang of gunslingers as they shoot for one last score near the Mexico border in 1913.

The premise is universal enough that studios have attempted a variety of remakes in different settings, but none have stuck. However, with the Tony Scott name behind it, this iteration could get a fair amount more tractions than earlier attempts.

With most action stars finding themselves approaching old age these days, there is no shortage of talent from which to draw.