I absolutely adore Walter Hill. One of the most criminally underrated filmmakers ever. I cannot get enough of his movies like The Warriors, 48 HRS, Southern Comfort, and my absolute favorite of his and one of the greatest (and most underrated) action/Neo-Westerns, Extreme Prejudice. It is criminal that movie does not get more attention!
Hill is one of those directors that doesn't shout out "look at me, I'm a director!" with his images and just tries to nail a tone. Solid-ass genre movies made with the audience in mind.
Walter Hill is quintessential in the American Genre space imo - The Warriors, The Driver, 48 Hrs, Extreme Prejudice, The Long Riders, Last Man Standing, Streets of Fire, Southern Comfort....all bangers. The ultimate "dudes rock" director imo.
Excellent essay. Some of my favorite Walter Hill movies are The Getaway (screenwriter), 48 Hours, Brewster's Millions, Crossroads, and Wild Bill (director and screenwriter).
I love the way everyone goes flying in those shootouts in Last Man Standing lmao (neo-western/heroic bloodshed is such an awesome genre fusion too). And now I want to rewatch The Driver thanks to this vid, it’s such a cool and moody noir. My favorites are The Warriors, 48 Hrs, Extreme Prejudice (which was basically a huge homage to Sam Peckinpah - Hill wrote his film The Getaway), and Streets of Fire. The latter of which whose influence can be seen and felt in a couple of really cool games and ‘80s anime.
Gotta commend you for doing Hill. I forget which of his movies struck me first, "Warriors" or "Driver" but I was knocked out by "Driver." I didn't know the influences he'd copied from yet so a emotionally understated crime film with killer car action was a complete revelation to me. I still love and recommend it. BTW, to chat briefly about another fav, "The Warriors," I interviewed David Patrick Kelly when he was doing "Dreamscape" and couldn't resist asking him about his beloved "Warrrrriorrrrrrrrrsssss" scene. I forget the exact question but they wanted something annoying and snotty and Kelly came up with it. He chuckled and said he knew that's the scene he'd forever be remembered for...
Last Man Standing is one of the most underrated films of all time. I recommend it on a weekly basis. The soundtrack, production design, over the top action, and bombastic soundtrack/sound design. All top notch. Hell, I own 2 1911s because of this film.
I grew up on Walter Hill films, to me he is highly underrated when people talk of great directors but he has also produced and written scripts. Hard Times is my favorite though. Bronson and Coburn at their best.
Good video. Hill is a good director who needs more appreciation. And you're right, Isabel Adjani automatically improves any movie she's in. As for my favorites, Red Heat and Geronimo.
I've only seen The Warriors and Streets of Fire (one of my favorite movies) from Walter Hill, looks like I'll have to take a tour through more of his filmography.
Just saw Streets of Fire for the first time recently! Somehow its an imperfect movie and yet also isn't? It's just so charming and such a beautiful watch that you can't help but fall in love. Would say the same for something like Highlander.
Nice to see someone finally make a ewwtoob vid on Hill. He's one of our few genre monsters who delivers without let up or pause; he is dedicated, imaginative, honest, and has a touch of class and pathos.
First gained exposure to Hill through his work on Tales from the Crypt and have been a fan of his ever since. (The episode "Cutting Cards" in particular is pure visual eye candy with a hilariously deranged performance from Lance Henriksen to top it all off). This video reminded me that I should probably check out more of his stuff though so thanks for that man!
To me Walter Hill's muscular directing (along with Peter Hyams, Ridley and Tony Scott and James Glickenhaus) made me want to understand the process of film making and gave a love of Kick ass movie's as a kid in the 80's . From Southern Comfort, Red Heat and Extreme Prejudice- his films always delivered the goods.
My favourites are Southern Comfort, The Long Riders, Johnny Handsome and Trespass. I also love The Driver, too. There are several ones which i think are underrated. Pictures like Another 48 Hrs., Wild Bill or Geronimo.
Southern Comfort is fantastic. This kind of reciprocal dialogue between directors is the kind of thing that could be traced out to the ends of time, which is why I limited myself to these two films. Though that one, itself a riff on Deliverance, likely influenced subsequent Vietnam cinema in its handling of visuals and moral parable narratives.
@@WildFlicks southern comfort is so underrated and much better than deliverance although I can see deliverance as being a breakthrough for the time it came out, where as Southern comfort got overlooked for when it did
@@WildFlicks I think it could even be interpreted as a mirroring of the American Civil War and the Vietnam War, as if history is repeating itself in multiple contexts.
Finally have seen a good portion of Hill's filmography, including the Warriors, the Driver, 48hrs, and Streets of Fire. I think one that goes very much understated though is Southern Comfort, which came off as a great exploration into the aspects that masculinity can take and how they fair under pressure. Its also by far his most suspenseful work, and the last 20 or so minutes seem to rival many horror movies, at least for me. Great job on your videos by the way! You clearly have a knack for properly explaining the thought process these filmmakers take while also showing the nuances that you enjoy on a personal level; honestly these have to be some of the best reviews/analysis's I've seen for many of these films. Keep up the great work!
Southern Comfort definitely needs more attention, and it’s a shame it got so little upon initial release… a fascinating study of masculinity with a lot of complexity in its setup and characters, more so than some of the films you could argue it inspired. Even the two guys who agree the situation is fubar - an El Paso boy and a city boy - disagree constantly and are antagonistic about how to address the problem. Wields the condescension of Powers Boothe so well, haha. And thank you so much for the kind words! I’m glad you’ve dug the videos, and it’s always nice to hear I’m doing right by the films.
I recall seeing The Driver in the cinema on release. I have not seen it since, but I remember it clearly. Well, not clearly enough, so I need to see it again. Good job!
It’s very obvious that The Driver was highly influenced by Melville’s Le Samourai including the leads having very little dialogue. Nice that you mention Le Cercle Rouge as well. I would also recommend Le Doulos of his crime films. He made the best film ever about Nazi resistance (and there are many) called Army Of Shadows. He was in the French resistance and it shows in the film. It’s brilliant. Walter Hill is hit or miss as a director just like most that have made a lot of films. He had quite a good run to start his career as a director starting with Hard Times through Streets Of Fire then it gets a little more hit or miss after that. I saw a screening of The Driver almost 20 years ago and he did a q and a afterwards and it was great.
Walter Hill’s streak of kick ass, manly action movies from Hard Times through Last Man Standing is unrivaled in Hollywood. Hard Times, The Diver, Southern Comfort, 48 hrs, The Warriors, The Long Riders, Streets of Fire, Extreme Prejudice, Another 48 hrs. And producer and writer credits on Aliens to boot? Who else stacks up?
"Streets of Fire" was helpful for me. Not a perfect movie, but it pulled me out of the funk I was in. I was raised Catholic. That and my own nice guy attitude were causing me pain. I had come to the end of those behaviors. Thanks Walter Hill and Tom Cody.
Interesting visual essay, well produced and presented. Hill’s art of pacing is rarely mentioned as arguably his strongest talent. Even in his lesser films one never feels ensnared in tedium and impatience. Personally, I rank him higher than Woo as Hill seems to invest more intelligence and less superficially visceral thrills than Woo. In other words, Hill always seems to have a focused thought behind his action set pieces. For Woo it’s more just action.
Thank you! I agree that Hill has a great sense of pacing, and there’s an intelligence and economy to his action scenes. You could accuse some of Woo’s American films of being empty spectacle, but I think the action scenes in his Hong Kong output often serve as an extension of the operatic emotions of the story.
Another thing I’ll say about the Driver is that it’s amazing How similar the performances by O’Neill and Gosling could be, yet O’Neill pulls it off perfectly, where as Gosling just looks flat and too obvious
I love Walter Hill’s work. My favorite movie from him are Warriors and Southern Comfort. Last Man Standing is one of the few movies he did that I didn’t like mainly because it a Yojimbo rip off.
The Driver is as cool and great as you say, well done, Drive on the other hand was a silly and cheesy attempt-Super shiny and polished where it shouldn’t have been. Anyways, From what I gathered from your other posts, my request for an insightful video tribute would be… Romeo is bleeding
Well, I personally do love Drive as well. I remember seeing a workprint when it came out (I was 18) and it’s held up for me, though it’s always seemed to be a love-it-or-hate-it. I think it’s good for very different reasons - if The Driver is closer to Melville’s cool realism and Mann’s procedural detail, Drive I see as more starting there, and blossoming into a surreal, grand guignol arthouse love story. I always liked how Gosling and Carey Mulligan communicate deeply like genre characters, using few words, and everyone else in the movie is a chatterbox saying nothing. I haven’t seen Romeo is Bleeding in ages! Definitely a rarer one, I remember loving Gary Oldman and Lena Olin in it.
@@WildFlicks check it out I think you’ll find it holds up very well, especially the performances 😉 ….I’m figuring that you saw Drive first, before the Driver, by the way, I did like only God forgives, which is both Ryan and Director again, and Ryan’s performance is actually very similar to Drive, but it works much better for me in OGF
Wish Walter Hill made more movies. Straightforward economical storytelling and visceral action. Love The Driver And Last Man Standing, Extreme Prejudice and even Red Heat.
I absolutely adore Walter Hill. One of the most criminally underrated filmmakers ever.
I cannot get enough of his movies like The Warriors, 48 HRS, Southern Comfort, and my absolute favorite of his and one of the greatest (and most underrated) action/Neo-Westerns, Extreme Prejudice. It is criminal that movie does not get more attention!
I’ve never seen a Walter Hill movie I didn’t like. Even his misfires are amazing.
Hill is one of those directors that doesn't shout out "look at me, I'm a director!" with his images and just tries to nail a tone. Solid-ass genre movies made with the audience in mind.
Exactly, well put. I think that’s why he’s been more “quietly” influential to directors who do shout that out.
Walter Hill is quintessential in the American Genre space imo - The Warriors, The Driver, 48 Hrs, Extreme Prejudice, The Long Riders, Last Man Standing, Streets of Fire, Southern Comfort....all bangers.
The ultimate "dudes rock" director imo.
Excellent essay. Some of my favorite Walter Hill movies are The Getaway (screenwriter), 48 Hours, Brewster's Millions, Crossroads, and Wild Bill (director and screenwriter).
I love the way everyone goes flying in those shootouts in Last Man Standing lmao (neo-western/heroic bloodshed is such an awesome genre fusion too). And now I want to rewatch The Driver thanks to this vid, it’s such a cool and moody noir.
My favorites are The Warriors, 48 Hrs, Extreme Prejudice (which was basically a huge homage to Sam Peckinpah - Hill wrote his film The Getaway), and Streets of Fire. The latter of which whose influence can be seen and felt in a couple of really cool games and ‘80s anime.
Great picks - I’d totally forgotten Hill wrote The Getaway! The man is everywhere! One of Peckinpah’s best, IMO.
Gotta commend you for doing Hill. I forget which of his movies struck me first, "Warriors" or "Driver" but I was knocked out by "Driver." I didn't know the influences he'd copied from yet so a emotionally understated crime film with killer car action was a complete revelation to me. I still love and recommend it.
BTW, to chat briefly about another fav, "The Warriors," I interviewed David Patrick Kelly when he was doing "Dreamscape" and couldn't resist asking him about his beloved "Warrrrriorrrrrrrrrsssss" scene. I forget the exact question but they wanted something annoying and snotty and Kelly came up with it. He chuckled and said he knew that's the scene he'd forever be remembered for...
Last Man Standing is one of the most underrated films of all time. I recommend it on a weekly basis. The soundtrack, production design, over the top action, and bombastic soundtrack/sound design. All top notch. Hell, I own 2 1911s because of this film.
I grew up on Walter Hill films, to me he is highly underrated when people talk of great directors but he has also produced and written scripts. Hard Times is my favorite though. Bronson and Coburn at their best.
Its only now at age 50 I realised ive been a huge fan of his films for decades
Good video. Hill is a good director who needs more appreciation. And you're right, Isabel Adjani automatically improves any movie she's in. As for my favorites, Red Heat and Geronimo.
I've only seen The Warriors and Streets of Fire (one of my favorite movies) from Walter Hill, looks like I'll have to take a tour through more of his filmography.
Just saw Streets of Fire for the first time recently! Somehow its an imperfect movie and yet also isn't? It's just so charming and such a beautiful watch that you can't help but fall in love. Would say the same for something like Highlander.
Nice to see someone finally make a ewwtoob vid on Hill. He's one of our few genre monsters who delivers without let up or pause; he is dedicated, imaginative, honest, and has a touch of class and pathos.
Very good stuff! Thank you.
First gained exposure to Hill through his work on Tales from the Crypt and have been a fan of his ever since. (The episode "Cutting Cards" in particular is pure visual eye candy with a hilariously deranged performance from Lance Henriksen to top it all off). This video reminded me that I should probably check out more of his stuff though so thanks for that man!
And I should probably check out Tales from the Crypt - Walter Hill and Lance Henriksen is a pretty unassailable combo!
To me Walter Hill's muscular directing (along with Peter Hyams, Ridley and Tony Scott and James Glickenhaus) made me want to understand the process of film making and gave a love of Kick ass movie's as a kid in the 80's . From Southern Comfort, Red Heat and Extreme Prejudice- his films always delivered the goods.
My favourites are Southern Comfort, The Long Riders, Johnny Handsome and Trespass. I also love The Driver, too. There are several ones which i think are underrated. Pictures like Another 48 Hrs., Wild Bill or Geronimo.
Southern Comfort is fantastic. This kind of reciprocal dialogue between directors is the kind of thing that could be traced out to the ends of time, which is why I limited myself to these two films. Though that one, itself a riff on Deliverance, likely influenced subsequent Vietnam cinema in its handling of visuals and moral parable narratives.
@@WildFlicks southern comfort is so underrated and much better than deliverance although I can see deliverance as being a breakthrough for the time it came out, where as Southern comfort got overlooked for when it did
@@WildFlicks I think it could even be interpreted as a mirroring of the American Civil War and the Vietnam War, as if history is repeating itself in multiple contexts.
Love Walter Hill. He's one of few directors I follow. "Undisputed" might be the best boxing flick ever made.
Both great movies. The Long Riders too.
Finally have seen a good portion of Hill's filmography, including the Warriors, the Driver, 48hrs, and Streets of Fire. I think one that goes very much understated though is Southern Comfort, which came off as a great exploration into the aspects that masculinity can take and how they fair under pressure. Its also by far his most suspenseful work, and the last 20 or so minutes seem to rival many horror movies, at least for me.
Great job on your videos by the way! You clearly have a knack for properly explaining the thought process these filmmakers take while also showing the nuances that you enjoy on a personal level; honestly these have to be some of the best reviews/analysis's I've seen for many of these films. Keep up the great work!
Southern Comfort definitely needs more attention, and it’s a shame it got so little upon initial release… a fascinating study of masculinity with a lot of complexity in its setup and characters, more so than some of the films you could argue it inspired. Even the two guys who agree the situation is fubar - an El Paso boy and a city boy - disagree constantly and are antagonistic about how to address the problem. Wields the condescension of Powers Boothe so well, haha.
And thank you so much for the kind words! I’m glad you’ve dug the videos, and it’s always nice to hear I’m doing right by the films.
He directed a two-part TV western called Broken Trail. First-rate.
I recall seeing The Driver in the cinema on release. I have not seen it since, but I remember it clearly. Well, not clearly enough, so I need to see it again. Good job!
It’s very obvious that The Driver was highly influenced by Melville’s Le Samourai including the leads having very little dialogue. Nice that you mention Le Cercle Rouge as well. I would also recommend Le Doulos of his crime films. He made the best film ever about Nazi resistance (and there are many) called Army Of Shadows. He was in the French resistance and it shows in the film. It’s brilliant. Walter Hill is hit or miss as a director just like most that have made a lot of films. He had quite a good run to start his career as a director starting with Hard Times through Streets Of Fire then it gets a little more hit or miss after that. I saw a screening of The Driver almost 20 years ago and he did a q and a afterwards and it was great.
Army of Shadows is probably my favourite Melville, gun to my head. Just an astonishing film, the ending floors me every time.
Walter Hill’s streak of kick ass, manly action movies from Hard Times through Last Man Standing is unrivaled in Hollywood. Hard Times, The Diver, Southern Comfort, 48 hrs, The Warriors, The Long Riders, Streets of Fire, Extreme Prejudice, Another 48 hrs. And producer and writer credits on Aliens to boot? Who else stacks up?
This guy gets it. I'd add JOHNNY HANDSOME to the list and also mention the scripts he wrote for THE GETAWAY and HICKEY AND BOGGS in 1972.
One of my favourite directors, I've seen all but one of his films (crossroads)
Hey Man, that was pretty cool. I just subscribed.
"Streets of Fire" was helpful for me. Not a perfect movie, but it pulled me out of the funk I was in. I was raised Catholic. That and my own nice guy attitude were causing me pain. I had come to the end of those behaviors. Thanks Walter Hill and Tom Cody.
Interesting visual essay, well produced and presented. Hill’s art of pacing is rarely mentioned as arguably his strongest talent. Even in his lesser films one never feels ensnared in tedium and impatience. Personally, I rank him higher than Woo as Hill seems to invest more intelligence and less superficially visceral thrills than Woo. In other words, Hill always seems to have a focused thought behind his action set pieces. For Woo it’s more just action.
Thank you! I agree that Hill has a great sense of pacing, and there’s an intelligence and economy to his action scenes. You could accuse some of Woo’s American films of being empty spectacle, but I think the action scenes in his Hong Kong output often serve as an extension of the operatic emotions of the story.
I really love Streets of Fire.
Another thing I’ll say about the Driver is that it’s amazing How similar the performances by O’Neill and Gosling could be, yet O’Neill pulls it off perfectly, where as Gosling just looks flat and too obvious
Streets Of Fire "
I love Walter Hill’s work. My favorite movie from him are Warriors and Southern Comfort. Last Man Standing is one of the few movies he did that I didn’t like mainly because it a Yojimbo rip off.
The Driver is as cool and great as you say, well done,
Drive on the other hand was a silly and cheesy attempt-Super shiny and polished where it shouldn’t have been.
Anyways, From what I gathered from your other posts, my request for an insightful video tribute would be…
Romeo is bleeding
Well, I personally do love Drive as well. I remember seeing a workprint when it came out (I was 18) and it’s held up for me, though it’s always seemed to be a love-it-or-hate-it. I think it’s good for very different reasons - if The Driver is closer to Melville’s cool realism and Mann’s procedural detail, Drive I see as more starting there, and blossoming into a surreal, grand guignol arthouse love story. I always liked how Gosling and Carey Mulligan communicate deeply like genre characters, using few words, and everyone else in the movie is a chatterbox saying nothing.
I haven’t seen Romeo is Bleeding in ages! Definitely a rarer one, I remember loving Gary Oldman and Lena Olin in it.
@@WildFlicks check it out I think you’ll find it holds up very well, especially the performances 😉
….I’m figuring that you saw Drive first, before the Driver, by the way, I did like only God forgives, which is both Ryan and Director again, and Ryan’s performance is actually very similar to Drive, but it works much better for me in OGF
Last Man Standing was a remake of Kurosawa's Yojimbo.
The Driver is great.. but Last Man Standing is shit... sorry,,,
last man standing is one of his best.
Wish Walter Hill made more movies. Straightforward economical storytelling and visceral action. Love The Driver And Last Man Standing, Extreme Prejudice and even Red Heat.