Granted, Retrofit has been on a bit of a Western kick this week. Thanks to all who shared “My Baby Loves a Western Movie Poster.” We had lots of responses and got that much closer to viral Nirvana.
This week marks a special time in the Retrofit Drive In that appears every Friday or Saturday. In this installment we feature the conclusion to the 1935 WTF serial The Phantom Empire. If you haven’t been following it for the past 12 weeks you can go back to the archive where all the previous 11 chapters are still flickering.
Singing cowboy Gene Autry has fixed up his Radio Ranch where he can broadcast from home in his underwear. Every radio personality’s dream. But dang it all to heck, he discovers a secret Depression era society living a couple of miles down under his privy, and it’s messing with his signals. Something to do with the metal thoughts generated by the robots. Anyway, Chapter 12 wraps this up with “The End of Murania.”
I’m also breaking a cardinal Retrofit rule. Stay out of the 21st Century. But having the ability to screen one of the most fabulous Westerns of all time, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) has made me bend that little rule. The Coen brothers are freaking geniuses and their portrayals of the frontier in this anthology is wacky but honest.
Watch the first story, the tale of Buster himself. It’s ten minutes long and you will be grinning from here to Abilene when the last shot is fired. If you leave the movie after that, you miss an Oscar worthy performance by Tom Waits, “The Gal Who Got Rattled,” and “Meal Ticket.” God bless the Coens, when they take on the Retro past, they leave us with precious memories, like this one from O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000).
For those who have come seeking cheese, there’s plenty in the cult delicacy Sukiyaki Western Django (2007). The Genjis and the Heikes are feuding samurai style once again, so it’s a great backdrop for a prostitute to hire a gunman to settle a few scores. Quentin Tarantino is part of an international cast in this Japanese Western directed by Takashi Miike. The budget was $3.8 million, the box office was $2.73 million, but give it time. It’s a blast.
The international Western theme carries through in the animated “Cowboy Jimmy,” made in 1957 when the country where it was drawn was called Yugoslavia. It is so cool!
Happy trails!
Professor Mikey
Feature: THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (2018)
Serial: THE PHANTOM EMPIRE Conclusion: Chapter 12 “The End of Murania”
Feature: SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007)
Cartoon: COWBOY JIMMY (1957)
Share this post