The Running Wild Blog
Articles on the craft of filmmaking and the films we create.
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: The Badlanders (1958)
I continue to study the Western genre. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Western films. Listen here I would have seen this a lot sooner if I knew it was a remake/adaptation of the same source material as The Asphalt Jungle. It was already on my list...
Some Thursday Thoughts: WE ALL NEED A CIVICS CLASS
In the last month or two, I've found myself in a position I really have no right to be in: an explainer for how our government works. In conversation with friends or family, whether talk turned to the purpose of the electoral college, the way our judicial branch...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: Heartland (1979)
I continue to study the Western genre. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Western films. Listen here Heartland should be included in every conversation of great Westerns. It may not be a masterpiece but more than any film I've seen, it captures...
MOVIE MONDAY: Reviews of Round Midnight, Murphy’s Romance, Falling in Love, and The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh
My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd. Round Midnight (1986) Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars I really had no business seeing this film two decades ago. I didn't appreciate jazz and certainly couldn't comprehend the Tavernier's complex...
Some Thursday Thoughts: INFLATED MOVIES
Well, I'm starting to feel it. Inflation is affecting the cost of making independent films. And I don't just mean how much it takes to fill my gas tank to go location scouting or get to a movie set every morning. For big films, supply prices and other production costs...
MOVIE MONDAY: Western Movie Reviews – Week 166 – Down the Long Hills
Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Westerns and the overall filmmaking process. Click here to listen. Week 166: Down the Long Hills (1986) Burt Kennedy's 80s work is a series of easy-going...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: The Shadow Riders (1982)
I continue to study the Western genre. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Western films. Listen here This early Tom Selleck/Sam Elliott pairing has the makings of a great film. The story of two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the war,...
MOVIE MONDAY: Reviews of Nope, China Girl, The Reckoning, and The Evil That Men Do
My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd. Nope (2022) Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Stars I was so tempted to give this film an obvious one word review. It seems pointless to list my complaints in the current cinematic landscape but...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: The Bravados (1958)
I continue to study the Western genre. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Western films. Listen here Henry King didn't make a lot of Westerns, not enough to meet the criteria for the book I'm writing, but he certainly made two of the most unique...
MOVIE MONDAY: Western Movie Reviews – Week 165 – Support Your Local Sheriff
Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Westerns and the overall filmmaking process. Click here to listen. Week 165: Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) I did this backwards. I watched...
