There's a Death Wish joke in here somewhere...
September 1, 2003 2:50 AM   Subscribe

Charles Bronson (1921 - 2003)
The BBC were showing Once Upon a Time in The West last night. I guess he died while I was watching it, which is kind of odd...
posted by tomcosgrave (17 comments total)
 
Well let's face it, he made so many Death Wish films that they are probably always on TV somewhere.

RIP Chuck.
posted by Frasermoo at 2:56 AM on September 1, 2003


It's hard to think of him being over 80 years old, it doesn't sound right.
posted by mathowie at 3:05 AM on September 1, 2003


. . .
posted by scottymac at 3:36 AM on September 1, 2003


The true Bronson fan should make sure and check out a lesser-known film, the excellent Città Violenta, and there's a bonus -- the Ennio Morricone score

I, for one, don't care much about his Death Wish series work (not to mention the ridiculous later episodes, with senior-citizen Bronson killing bad guys with bazookas).
One just needs The Great Escape, Once Upon A Time in The West, Valachi Papers, The Dirty Dozen -- a canon of cinematic badassdom

And remember kids, there's the nice Tarantino hommage that put Bronson in the immortal Reservoir Dogs' Like a Virgin speech

Whenever the Hollywood hype machine tries to build a new action-hero movie actor out of thin air (I mean, Vin Diesel, anyone?) I think of guys like Bronson and Lee Marvin and Sterling Hayden and George C Scott. These guys could kick the collective Vin Diesel-Ben Affleck-Colin Farrell ass without even breaking a sweat.
posted by matteo at 4:03 AM on September 1, 2003 [1 favorite]


Oh yes, and Jill Ireland was a marvelous actress and a very sweet lady. May she rest in peace, too
posted by matteo at 4:06 AM on September 1, 2003


MR. BLONDE: Joe, you want me to shoot him for you?

MR. WHITE: Shit, you shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize
posted by Keyser Soze at 4:59 AM on September 1, 2003


Harmonica Frank  Did you bring a horse for me?
Bad Guys            Looks like we're - (laughs) looks like we're short of one horse.
Harmonica Frank  You brought two too many.

Once Upon A Time In The West


It's the Andy Griffith Show! Guest Starring Charles Bronson!

Barney                 Where's Otis? He's not in his cell.
Andy (Bronson)      I shot him!
Barney                 Well, that!?! What??
Andy (Bronson)      Now, I'm going down to Emmit's fix it shop. To fix Emmit!

Simpsonscalifragilisticexpiala-d'oh-cious
posted by y2karl at 7:04 AM on September 1, 2003


Keyser, not sure what the exact origin of that line is, but it wasn't RD. Spike Lee used it in Do the Right Thing (but with punching, not shooting).
posted by dobbs at 7:13 AM on September 1, 2003


These guys could kick the collective Vin Diesel-Ben Affleck-Colin Farrell ass without even breaking a sweat.

Ben Affleck? ho ho

HA ! HEH HAH !

*wipes tear*

oh that was a good one..

hoo hoo
posted by Frasermoo at 7:21 AM on September 1, 2003


oh, I forgot another cool Tarantino Bronson-related quote:

Marty, you know what we got here? Motherfuckin' Charlie Bronson.

(True Romance script, .pdf file, for educational purposes only, bla blah blah)
posted by matteo at 7:40 AM on September 1, 2003


So, we can pry his gun from his cold dead hand now?
posted by trondant at 8:25 AM on September 1, 2003


Wow, I never realized that Chuck was so on in years. I think this leaves Robert Vaughn as the only surviving member of the Magnificent Seven.

My favorite Bronson movie is still Red Sun, where he plays Owen Wilson to Toshiro Mifune's Jackie Chan. Only, you know, thirty years earlier and a hundred times better.
posted by majcher at 8:44 AM on September 1, 2003


I liked 'Telefon' and 'Honor among Thieves' (Adieu l'ami)

i think charlie woulda scared the likes of affleck and damon with a just look.

Rest well Mr. Bronson.
posted by clavdivs at 9:47 AM on September 1, 2003


Bronson was a legend. He was also an incredible painter. The links escape me at the moment, but I'll be raising a glass to Charles Buchinsky tonight.
posted by mad at 10:09 AM on September 1, 2003


What majcher said -- Bronson didn't really seem to have an "age." Timeless, eh?
posted by davidmsc at 10:26 AM on September 1, 2003


Robards: "A town... built around a railroad. You could make a fortune. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hey, more than that. Thousands of thousands."

Bronson: "They call them millions...
*
Trivia about Once Upon a Time in the West:
*Al Mulock, who played one of the three gunmen in the opening sequence, committed suicide on the set.
*The role of "Harmonica" was originally intended for Eastwood, Clint.
*Fonda, Henry originally turned down a role in the picture. *Director Leone, Sergio flew to the United States and met with Fonda, who asked why he was wanted for the movie. Sergio replied, "Picture this: the camera shows a gunman from the waist down pulling his gun and shooting a running child. The camera pans up to the gunman's face and... it's Henry Fonda."
*The credits run over the first 14 minutes of the film.
*Director's Trademark (Sergio Leone):[theme]: Harmonica, Frank, and Cheyenne.
*Henry Fonda prepared for his role as the villain "Frank" by arriving in Italy with a pair of brown colored contact lenses. When Sergio Leone saw them, he ordered them removed. Leone had planned an important close-up shot of Fonda and wanted those blue eyes.

posted by Shane at 10:54 AM on September 1, 2003


Wow, what an awesome film poster, Shane.
posted by nthdegx at 6:15 AM on September 2, 2003


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