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| | Salesrank: 258210
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| Our Price: $105.00 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Attempting to do for Westerns what his Guns of Navarone had done for World War II action epics, director J. Lee Thompson crafted Mackenna's Gold as a lavish, absurdly ambitious variation on Erich Von Stroheim's Greed, resulting in a last-gasp Western so eager to encompass the genre's traditions that it turns into a big, silly, wildly entertaining mess. Gregory Peck surely had more serious intentions when he signed on, and he brings prestigious gravitas to his glum role as Marshall Mackenna, who gets shanghaied into searching for the gold-filled canyon of an elusive Apache legend. The rest of the 1969 film labors to undermine Peck's respectable demeanor; how else to explain Omar Sharif as a Mexican villain, Julie Newmar as a hot-blooded Apache temptress (with underwater nude scenes that were celebrated in Playboy magazine), and a jaw-dropping finale that's so ridiculous it's impressive in spite of itself?
Formerly blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman and composer Dimitri Tiomkin joined up to coproduce the film, and one can only imagine how Anthony Mann or Howard Hawks might've handled Foreman's sensible script. Thompson goes for scenic splendor, heavy action, and heavier emotions, casting everything at a fever pitch that's wildly enjoyable without betraying his "serious" intentions. A stable of Hollywood veterans (Eli Wallach, Raymond Massey, Edward G. Robinson, and others) appear in lively supporting roles--they're all dispatched in a garish Apache ambush--and Camilla Sparv is an ingénue with plenty of fighting attitude. Gold fever reaches its peak, along with some awesome special effects, and divine intervention reaches new heights of intensity. Top it off with José Feliciano's theme song, and you'll be in zany Western heaven. --Jeff Shannon
Mackenna's Gold [Region 2] Reviews:
Well, I was in 8th grade... 
2009-10-04 - ...so what did I know?! I saw this movie when it came out in the theater in '69. I remembered it as being really good....ha! Yes, it is entertaining, but certainly not anything to take the least bit serious. Was it meant to be a comedy?! The cast pops from one locale to another faster than I can get anywhere in a car...one minute Monument Valley, next a wooded Black Hills-lookalike. Next, back in the desert. Those were some fast horses back then. Beautiful Indian gal-with nicely-done makeup and a Wonderbra. Beautiful white girl with nicely done makeup...and beautifully highlighted hair. In summation, what I'm trying to say is this movie is just plain dumb. The soundtracks from almost any movie made in the late 60's and most of the 70's are always hideous, but the "theme"-although sung very well by Jose Feliciano-was worse than most! Just too funny from start to finish.
Suitable for children?
2009-09-12 - I am a seventeen year old movie buff and am writing a series of reviews on films from the late fifties on so that parents can know what content issues may arise from these films. The sixties and seventies were known for pushing the content envelope to new levels and despite the common "if it's old it's ok for kids," statement, there are many films during this period that are not suitable for children.
After the review, I have also included my personal opinions on whether or not a film is suitable for children and whether or not the film is worth watching. Please do not be offended by my reviews because they are just stating the facts. I am trying to be as un-biased as possible.
Dirty Gold
Summary
Gregory Peck plays a sheriff that stumbles upon a map to a lost city of gold. Omar Sharif is the bandit who forces Peck to lead him there, after Peck burns the map after committing it to memory. The hunt is on as more and more people are drawn into the quest. With Indians and danger at every turn, will Peck and Sharif find the treasure? Will they survive? Do we even care?
Mackenna's Gold (1969) was pushed out by Lee J. Thompson as a chance to do for the western what he did for war films with The Guns of Navarone (1961), make the ultimate super-western. He hired a huge cast of stars including Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Edward G. Robinson, and Eli Wallach. Columbia Pictures pored 14 million dollars into the production and the film was made.
Violence
Fairly violent even by today's standards. Men are shot with arrows, killed with hatchets and shot with rifles and blood is visible many times. The film has a high body count even before the action packed finale. Peck and Sharif have a brutal fight on top of a cliff. A woman falls to her death (shot with a dummy, so the scene is very fake). Torture is implied at several points. We see a man who was blinded by Indian's eyes (fairly scary for little ones) and watch an arrow go through a horses neck (fairly realistic with plenty of blood). Keep in mind, however, that this is sixties blood and will probably not bother teens or adults.
Sexual Content
THERE IS NUDITY IN THIS MOVIE! After the group finds a water hole, an Indian girl and Omar Sharif go swimming naked. The woman is seen completely from behind and from the waist up from the front. Sharif is also highly visible during this scene long scene.
Language
Scattered h-words and d-words that can be counted on one hand.
Viewed in a modern context, the film is fairly lack-luster. The plot is decent, but rather implausible and poorly developed. The special effects are occasionally good (as in the fight on the cliff between Peck and Sharif), but mostly poorly done, even for the time. The acting is good, but the characters are not well defined. Add in a nude swimming scene and some intense action and you have a film that very few kids will be able to watch, even if they want to.
Another Sony Reissue Scam 
2009-03-14 - Three stars for the film, NO stars for Sony.
Columbia Pictures released many of its classic films on DVD in double-sided, widescreen & pan-and-scan format. However, after Sony bought out the Columbia film library, it then proceeded to reissue them in SINGLE-SIDE, PAN and SCAN ONLY format WITHOUT CHANGING THE UPC CODE OR FRONT COVER ARTWORK. Mackenna's Gold is only one example of this.
So because online DVD sellers cannot separate the two versions by UPC code (and some list the wrong aspect ratio or none at all), people who buy these titles for the widescreen content are cheated. The only way to tell the difference is looking at the back cover AFTER receiving the DVD (and sometimes that's wrong too) or by playing it. This is deceptive practice at its worst.
If you're a widescreen fan, beware of any Columbia title released by Sony.
A film pregnant of good intentions!
2009-02-17 - The main factor that one should remark around this movie resides in the best intentions to work out as a deserved homage to Erik von Stroheim's Greed (1924).
The ambition for gold as symbol of power and emblematic icon, permeates a good part of myths, tales and transcendental works (Wagner's masterpiece, for instance) when we have Alberich stating that he would change the possession of gold instead love.
But the best intentions (at least in this case) really fell down when an uninspired script and a very weak direction, twisted the story into simple fragments. The anecdote of the bad guy and the good guy who knows where the gold is supported by common places and untied episodes that seemed to serve as a huge introduction for the final sequence of the holy earthquake, as a clear warning the gold is part of the earth and so no man deserves to acquire it.
And so, we will watch an actor of the stature of Gregory Peck visibly disgusted with a script that simply doesn't resist the implicit transcendence of the portrait.
A majuscule disappointment.
Over-the-top crazy western with huge cast
2009-01-15 - Mackenna's Gold is a western that has a lot going for it, but it's a movie that never really figures out how to put it all together. Out on the trail, Mackenna, a marshal in the town of Hadleyburg, is ambushed by an old Apache man and has to kill him. But before the old man dies, he tells Mackenna of the location of the "canyon del oro," the canyon of gold. The marshal's wary, but before he can get away he's captured by a bandit named Colorado and his gang who've been tracking the Apache. Using Mackenna as their guide, the gang heads for the mythical gold canyon, on the way encountering cavalry, an Apache war party, and a do-good posse out of Hadleyburg. Even at 128 minutes, all these storylines don't blend well together. It's like the producers and directors just threw it all together and hoped it would work. There is enough to recommend, great cast if somewhat mishandled and great locations, but don't go in thinking this is a great western.
Leading a huge cast, Gregory Peck is Mackenna, the straight-laced marshal roped into helping a bandit find the gold canyon. Peck is good, if somewhat out of place because he's so serious throughout. Omar Sharif is the high point of the movie as Colorado, a mysterious but cutthroat bandit, who's still likable, completely driven by the thought of millions in gold. An underused Telly Savalas plays Sgt. Tibbs, a cavalryman who'll turn on anyone. Colorado's gang includes Keenan Wynn, Ted Cassidy, Rudy Diaz, Robert Phillips, and Dick Peabody. Julie Newmar and Camilla Sparv are there for eye-candy, with Newmar doing a memorable nude swimming scene. The posse out of Hadleyburg is a crazy list of great actors including Eli Wallach, Lee J. Cobb, Burgess Meredith, Anthony Quayle, Raymond Massey, and Edward G. Robinson among others. But don't blink, these cameos are quick which is a shame as characters are wiped out left and right.
The DVD is a bit of a disappointment with the standard presentation of the movie, and not that great of a pan-n-scan movie with some fairly obvious scratches. The special features are a let down as well with some talent files in menu-form for cast and crew, a theatrical poster (not a trailer, just a small picture of a poster), and trailers for The Guns of Navarone and Lawrence of Arabia, but not Mackenna's Gold. By no means a classic western, but still an entertaining one, I'd recommend renting this one, or at least looking for a cheap copy.
