OK, I've never seen this movie before, but I heard about John Cleese playing a sheriff in it. I am extremely curious to see it for this one reason. I just want to ask this: how is his American/Western accent? In Monty Python sketches, his American accent tended to be somewhat...shaky. I'd like to know what you all thought of it.
shareSheriff Langston: Well, we'll see about that. I'm Sheriff John Langston. As you may have guessed, I am not from these parts.
Paden: You're kidding.
Long story short, he doesn't speak with an american accent. :)
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Sheriff Langston: Well, we'll see about that. I'm Sheriff John Langston. As you may have guessed, I am not from these parts.
Paden: You're kidding.
Long story short, he doesn't speak with an american accent. :)
he speaks in his normal british voice... why would he do otherwise? people dont realize that in the post civil war west, one person in 7 were british... also one in 7 were black... that is one of the things i liked about this movie... what i want to know is... wheres the sequel???... the last line in the movie was "we'll be back".
i can see the premise/plot... their nephew (kevin costners/scott glenn) in silverado grows up (looks a lot like aston kutcher) and gets into trouble... former sheriff kevin kline cant help... his wife (roseanne arquette) made him promise to give up guns... forcing the uncles to return from california to help their nephew again... in the meantime john cleese has been trying to hunt down his former adversaries seeking to avenge his most embarrasing day, danny glover has become a succesful farmer, sharon stone and kevin costners love child is another trouble maker... pretty good huh????
Right on! Yes I always thought this movie deserved a good sequel. Your ideas definitely have merit. Definitely needs to be some situation that reunites them as decent guys minding their own business but who won't stand by while people in general and especially their friends and family get stomped on by a pack of mean greedy pigs.
I like the idea of Kline giving up his guns and I would add the twist that something heinous happens that changes his wife's mind. Sort of like Patriot Games when Jack Ryan's wife urges him to rejoin the CIA after their daughter is almost killed.
Everyone should boycott all movies until they make this movie! OK, well that might be a bit much. Couldn't live without the movies!
I think in a documentary on the first DVD, Kasdan says he did write a sequel, but felt that too much time had passed since the original and that, with the lives the characters lived, most of them probably wouldn't have been around by the time of the sequel. Also, he said he never really thought much of doing sequels and felt you should just do your best on a film and then move on, so he never really pursued it. Still, I'd love to see what the script was like that he wrote.
shareDidn't he watch his own movie? These guys were bulletproof!
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The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live
"he speaks in his normal british voice... why would he do otherwise? people dont realize that in the post civil war west, one person in 7 were british... also one in 7 were black... "
That is a great observation.
<i>"he speaks in his normal british voice... why would he do otherwise? people dont realize that in the post civil war west, one person in 7 were british... also one in 7 were black... "
That is a great observation.</i>
In a country made great by immigration, I would expect to hear a multitude of different accents.
I wonder when the "American accent" as we all know it (yes, I know there are quite a few different versions) finally stabilised?
Jette-goldie:
I wonder when the "American accent" as we all know it (yes, I know there are quite a few different versions) finally stabilised?
He doesn't have an American Western accent. He just speaks with his normal voice. He's brilliant in this movie.
shareToday, my territory ends here.
Probably misquoted, but I loved that bit.
My favorite John Cleese line is his first, when he enters the bar during Mal's (Danny Glover's) fight with the local rednecks... straight out of a Monty Python sketch.
"What's all this, then?"
Loved this movie. One of my favorite westerns. I thought Cleese was good, and jfemaleder, you're only slightly off. I think he said "my jurisdiction". I loved that part too.
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I love it when he told the bar owner Carter not to push his luck when Carter asks who was going to paid for the damages that was cause by the fight between Danny Glover and Carter's three goons.
shareCleese: "Now, let's talk about you chaps."
Kline: "We'd like to stay."
Cleese: "That remains to be seen."
Funniest scene in the whole movie.
I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time.
That's more a standard English policeman's line like as in "Hallo, Hallo, Hallo, what's all this then?" Certainly predates the Python era.
shareI'm sure it does, but that doesn't change the fact that on Monty Python's Flying Circus they did in fact use that exact line all of the time. Seeing as John Cleese was the one saying it in this movie and multiple times on their TV show, I think it is safe to say that it is a nod to Monty Python's.
shareAccording to the "memorable quotes" section it goes: "Today, my jurisdiction ends here. Pick up my hat."
This was immediately after the rifleman shot his hat off his head.
Pretty close, I have the advantage of watching it on DVR as I type....
Today, my jurisdiction ends here
This role is the sexiest John has ever looked. He's so calm and in charge-- and THAT BEARD!
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John Cleese was not half bad in A Fish Called Wanda. He was rather buff.
Check out the scene where he is hiding behind the picture frame.
Well, the real life Ben Thompson who was a notorious gunslinger and also town marshal of Fort Worth was indeed English.But John Cleese!!!? talk about mis-cast.
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Don't know why an Englishman as a western sheriff is any less believable than a Danish ex-Foreign Legionnaire as a federal marshal or an Irish soldier-of-fotune as a U.S. cavalry officer (real life Dalton nemesis Chris Madsen and 7th Cavalry major Myles Keogh, respectively).
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he didn't throw his hat down, it was shot off. even though he had a couple of funny bits this was probably the most serious role i have ever seen him in. he should have done more.
shareTwo of my ancestors went from England to fight in the American civil war and if the stories told by the family are correct One became a sheriff in Texas and as stated before there was a great influx of emigrants from Great Britain to the US of A at this period of American history.
So why do American's get so huffy about British actors playing in westerns.
I should also add there was horror of horrors a few british out laws in the west.
"I should also add there was horror of horrors a few british out laws in the west."
Most notable, Percy the Kid, aka "Paddlin' Percival" He was infamous for holding up stages, but seemed less interested in the strong box then in making the male passengers drop their trousers and bend over while he spanked them with a large paddle. He wore a Lone Ranger style half-mask, but everyone could reognize him by his notoriously bad teeth.
It's so funny to see Kevin Kline and John Cleese in scenes together in this movie when you know what they were doing just three years later in A Fish Called Wanda.
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“Beer, Norm?”
“Isn’t it early?”
“For a beer?”
“No, for stupid questions.”---Cheers
Best comedic scene is when cleese is playing chess opposite a guy who looks deeply engrossed in the game..when cleese moves his chess piece you expect the other guy to respond and move his chess piece but no!cleese just turns the board around..and continues pondering his next move....he was playing chess all by himself...classic.
shareI couldn't help but wonder if Cleese himself suggested that scene/gag. Hysterical.
sharei just saw this movie, and the part where danny glover is shooting at cleese and his crew while hiding in the high ground. i swore it sounded/looked exactly like him.
funny how it ended up being him in such a random movie. Hes so jokes.
The "problem" with Cleese here is ofcourse that he is know for all his Python and Fawlty Towers work.. I don't think when this movie was made that he had ever had a serious role.. That's the "danger" of casting these known celebs in such minor roles.. You don't see a Sheriff.. you see John Cleese
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@pusterummet, sorry, but there is no "problem" with casting Cleese. Yes, we see the man who engaged in a lot of zany skits prior to this role, but quite frankly, he handles the role with aplomb and carves out a nice little bit of the film for himself. And if you'll notice, this film contains lots of little pieces; this one happened to belong to Cleese, Glover, and Costner.
shareIf we want to enjoy the movie experience, we must suspend all prior knowledge of a famous performer playing a part. Then the actor must work to convince us that he is in character. That's the give and take of the theater.
For instance, John Wayne convinced me that he was John T Chance, Tom Donophan, Rockwell Torrey, Rooster Cogburn, Cole Thornton, and JB Books over a time span of about 15 years. I knew Wayne was in there, but he made these characters live for me. His director contributed to my suspension of belief by making these characters big men of action, and quick moral certainty, who felt a noble generosity toward the town folks he was charged to protect, just like the Duke.
Have you noticed that when we refuse to suspend belief about an actor/actress, or when a major player is poorly cast, we tend not to like the film?
On first seeing John Cleese, I was immediately reminded of Richard Harris playing English Bob in the Eastwood film, albeit Cleese is a comic figure and Bob a tragic one. I felt Cleese was a great western character in this film, as well as English Bob in the Eastwood film Unforgiven. Adding an eccentric English character to the old West has helped to enrich both films.
His scenes in the movie are great, it was great fun to see him play that part
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