Garden of Evil

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Blu B I've seen a lot of Westerns and overall it's a very high quality genre. This is not only one of the worst Westerns I've seen in quite a while but also one of the most boring. The acting isn't good at all. Widmark is alright and probably the best thing. Gary Cooper...my god...this is probably one of the worst performances from a famous Golden Era actor I have ever seen. He truly does not care, beyond wooden, no emotion in the freakin slightest, the most monotone delivery I've ever seen. He truly coud not care less with being in this. He isn't good at all and neither is Howard. Too melodramatic and wooden as well. The dialouge is meandering as anything and I truly can't tell you what any of their character is. I'm not sure if it's because I was so bored out of my mind I stopped paying attention or if the dialouge was so poorly done I could'nt figure it out. Everyone is super forgettable. Literally we're just introduced to everyone with no buildup at all. The cinematogrpahy isn't that good either. Yeah sure there is lots of great horizon shots but the characters are so lifeless with no chemistry at all and the direction and camerawork is soooo basic. It pops but at the same time nothing pops if that makes sense. The action is super basic and forgettable also. It just has nothing going for it visually that makes it stand out besides the backgrounds of certain shots which are great. Music is alright. Man it's trying to ramp things up and get you psyched up but it just can't lift any life into this. Editing is ok and pacing is subpar because of how boring this is. This is basically a adventure mixed with a love triangle sort of deal which I was so bored I reallly couldn't figure out the particulars of it. I think that's the second biggest problem is in between the adventure of riding from Point A to B and fighting Indians and all it feels like the romance part is hammed in and doesn't really ever tie to much. If anything it feels like it has to be there because it's a movie not that it adds anything core to the story. The journey still happens even with out it. The journey makes sense but it just feels like also stuff just happens at certain points more so than others. I really can't even recommend this to fans of any of the 3 leads. Skip this. This just has nothing going for it at all. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/30/25 Full Review Audience Member Really enjoyed this one. Yes I recommend it James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, May 6, 2023. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/08/23 Full Review Audience Member To begin with, the storyline is a bit far fetched. If Indians are killing white men on a particular day, wouldn't that be well known amongst all white men? So why would four total strangers risk their lives to save one man with the real possibility of them all dying? Would one woman have that much influence over the hearts of these men? Is she that bewitching? On top of it all is a poorly written script that tries to come across as soulful philosophy, great insight into the human condition but hits wide of the mark in corny aphorisms. Finally, this is the first time I've seen Gary Cooper, and I was far from impressed. He comes across as cold and stiff, no indication of the alleged "great actor" anywhere in sight. If I were you, I'd spend a few hours on something more interesting. Paint Your Wagon with superior writing and an A+ performance by Lee Marvin thats just classic, would be a great choice. Oh, and Clint Eastwood singing romantic tunes is a once in a life time hoot. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review gene d Susan Hayward hires Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark, Cameron Mitchell, and Victor Manuel Mendoza to help her go down in Mexico where her husband, Hugh Marlowe, is injured and waiting for rescue. Mountains, deserts and natives complicate the journey. A blazing Bernard Herrmann score propels the action. The scenery is gorgeous and severe, and the characters are as well-drawn as you might expect from such a cast. A very young Rita Moreno appears as a cantina singer. Find this movie. It will reward multiple viewings. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Scenery and music are great. Gary Cooper is a great actor. The story line is very average. Worth watching for scenery, music and Cooper Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Classic western tale of adventurers biting off more than they can chew. Some of the dialogues are a bit stilted by today's standards and there isn't much action to speak of before the really decent showdown. It's entirely driven by the characters and has some really pretty matte paintings and unusual filming locations to offer. Only the final message of greed = bad feels so much more forced than the film established earlier. It's also not particularly flattering in its Native American portrayal, but we're still talking about a 1950s Western here. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Garden of Evil

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