Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Tom Thurman

Writer:

Tom Marksbury (writer)

Release Date:

25 July 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Western

Plot:

Spattered with blood and controversy, Sam Peckinpah's Westerns revolutionized their genre. SAM PECKINPAH'S...

Plot Keywords:

Filmmaker | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Sam Peckinpah	...	Himself (archive footage)
Kris Kristofferson	...	Narrator / Himself (also archive footage)
Fern Lea Peter	...	Herself
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Himself
Matthew Peckinpah	...	Himself
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Himself
L.Q. Jones	...	Himself
Garner Simmons	...	Himself
David Thomson	...	Himself
David Weddle	...	Himself
Garth Craven	...	Himself
Paul Seydor	...	Himself
Elvis Mitchell	...	Himself
Michael Madsen	...	Himself
Roger Ebert	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (self applied) | USA:TV-14

Company:

FBN Productions

Quotes:

Paul Schrader: Sam's contribution to the Western was like Orson Welles' contribution to film noir - which is that he chistled the gravestone.

Movie Connections:

References "The Westerner" (1960)

Excellent look at a troubled director

I saw this as part of the bonus features of my WILD BUNCH special edition DVD. I've always been a fan of reclusive director Sam Peckinpah, as THE WILD BUNCH is one of my top 10 favorite movies, and I wanted to learn more about his life. This documentary details Peckinpah growing up on a California ranch, which led to his fascination with the wild West, and his desire to create Western films.

SAM PECKINPAH'S WEST portrays him as a genius filmmaker, but also puts a focus on his troubled life. In particular, the trouble he had with studio executives, and especially his personal life. Sam Peckinpah was a raging alcoholic who later became addiction to cocaine, and the abuse he put on his wife and children.

This film also offers insights from people who worked with him, such as L.Q. Jones, Kris Kristofferson (who narrates), as well as production assistant and archive footage of James Coburn and Ben Johnson. My only complaint is that this film focused only on Peckinpah's Westerns, rather than other controversial films he made such as STRAW DOGS and CROSS OF IRON. Other than that, a must see for any Peckinpah fan.