History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys | Golden Skate

History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Anyone else watching the mini-series? I missed the start of it yesterday and am catching up tonight. I'll admit one of the big reasons I was even interested is because Kevin Costner is in a starring role. I love Costner in just about everything, but he's a bad dude in this! :laugh: Bill Paxton (Twister, Titanic) is also in a starring role as Costner's rival.

So far it's pretty good... but there's a lot of language that I could definitely do without.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I missed it, but it's gotten great reviews. I love Costner too. Have you ever watched his visit to the show Inside the Actors Studio? It's on YouTube, and it shows his warmth, generosity, and humor. Field of Dreams is one of my favorite movies, and Dances with Wolves is heartbreakingly beautiful. I also enjoy Bull Durham and Tin Cup.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
It has a lot of language - and not just your typical TV-14 rating language... that's the only thing that I think is not so great. It's also very violent, but that was a given considering the subject.

Those people were nutso.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
No, I haven't, and I'm told A Perfect World is excellent. There's a Gary Cooper quality about Costner. He's unadorned, minimalist, and completely believable. One exception: Robin Hood. I gather he took the part to help out a friend, but it just wasn't for him.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Prince of Thieves is my favorite Kostner movie! No dissing it!

He was actually told not to do an English Accent... hence the reason he's the only American accent speaking Robin Hood in film to date lol
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I defer to your greater film expertise, Toni, and I like Kostner enough to let this one through. Besides, it's also got Morgan Freeman in it, whom I just adore. And, of course, Alan Rickman, plus that lovely music.

The thing about Kostner is that he obviously loves making movies so much. It's always a pleasure to hear him talk about how he worked on various movies. When he directs or produces, he seems to treat his actors with such respect.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
He definitely seems to be one of the few true "good guys" in hollywood - as far as work ethic, respect of coworkers, etc...

PoT isn't one of the best movies of all time, but it's a feel good piece. Pure action adventure. And anything with Freeman and Rickman is pretty good in my book (though I am not a fan of Harry Potter). Shoot I even like Galaxy Quest (rickman stars in it) and that movie is L-A-M-E!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I love Galaxy Quest. It touches all the notes of fan ardor, and the fact that the fans really do help save the world is so sweet. I also enjoy Tim Allen, who doesn't have huge range as an actor but is always warm and relaxed as Mr. Everyman. (I happen to like Harry Potter as well, though I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea.)

As for Prince of Thieves not being a movie great, that's not necessary for one's favorites list. All you need for a movie that you watch again and again is for it to push your buttons in the right way. Maybe it's the one film that perks you up when you're down in the dumps, or you have special affection for the star, or it can relax you when you're tense. One of my favorite films is Music and Lyrics, with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. There's something about the way they build the song they're composing throughout the movie that I find just enchanting, and then two or three of Grant's lines just make me smile every time I hear them. Nearby on my list of dependables is Doc Hollywood, with its town of eccentrics and Michael J. Fox as a fish out of water. And my favorite Hepburn-Tracy film isn't Woman of the Year or Pat and Mike, the two generally acknowledged gems of their pairing, but Desk Set, possibly because with its office setting it reminds me of my own life. None of these, except perhaps Desk Set, is an immortal example of filmmaking. But I'd rather watch any of them than Citizen Kane or Some Like It Hot or High Noon. I know you understand!
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Well the finale was a real downer. This whole miniseries (6 hours in all) is not a feel good epic at all. It was really well done. Still too much language to make it be something I'd recommend for all, but it'll be in my collection when it comes to DVD.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Well the finale was a real downer. This whole miniseries (6 hours in all) is not a feel good epic at all. It was really well done. Still too much language to make it be something I'd recommend for all, but it'll be in my collection when it comes to DVD.


Not entirely surprised to hear that. Rule of thumb: when you can't see the leading men's faces because of so much beard and clothing, it's probably gritty and completely free of silver linings in the clouds. But I gather it was very good, or you wouldn't be looking forward to the DVD.

The storyline makes you realize how easy it is to fall into a neverending cycle of retribution for the last thing your lifelong enemy did to you. After all, what else are the McCoys and the Hatfields known to history for, except a feud to the death? No artists, no inventors, no explorers. All that land around them, and they remained in the same spot only to get back at the other guys. I don't know if you're old enough to remember the Bosnia war, but the reasons many people on both sides (Serbian and Bosnian) cited to justify their actions was a 500-year-old battle. That or a disputed pig: the children bleed to death the same way.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
There's a debate going on if it was the PIG or Hatfield's dissertion during the Civil War that started it. The Mini Series covered both...

It's just living proof that holding hate in your heart leads to pain and suffering for generations to come... sins of the father pass down for at least three generations. According to the fine print at the end of the movie... in 2003 (?) the descendants of both sides finally signed a treaty ending the 138 year feud. Crazy.
 
Top