Monday, January 11, 2016

Cinema Cycle - The Frontiersman


CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

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DATE REVIEWED: 01/11/2016


FORMAT: VHS

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 14 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 17.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 3866.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: A ranch foreman solves a cattle rustling problem while mentoring a spoiled young child and a new school teacher.

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CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   American propaganda in the western genre.  It has singing school children, right has might iconic imagery and lots of spanking.

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PROS AND CONS:  Whether or not you believe this is a good movie depends on your frame of mind.  It is a propaganda film for the American way of life and the concept of core values that the media and the government at the time wanted to indoctrinate its viewers with.  

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This is not the real west.  This is the sanitized view of the past were American values were fostered and grew into mighty cultural oaks. A past where the young children were taught to learn to use their minds and not their guns.  Any reference to morphine addiction, prostitution, manifest destiny (at the expense of indigenous peoples) or general lawlessness are never uttered.  This is the promised land, not a cesspool of humanity.

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So it is somewhat comical to watch while wearing the mantle of political correctness that we have today.  While William Boyd’s portrayal of ‘Hopalong Cassidy’ was very popular in its day, he seems almost comical by today’s standards.  All dressed in black, with a huge black hat, pearl handled revolvers and a white stallion, he appears to be making more of an idealized fashion statement and seems out of place in a rough and tumble environment such as the old west.  



To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

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