Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) (IMDb) is a really great movie. A classic, #23 in the top 250 IMDb list, which I never saw until a few years ago. Why did I wait so long to watch this classic? Well, I postponed it everytime. No problem, you might think. And that is what I was thinking too. I always postponed it because the movie is quite long (2,5 hours) and there seemed always ‘other things’ to be done which looked to be even more fun, or so I reasoned. So, I postponed it with ‘I will watch it later’ … and I used that ‘excuse’ for 25+ years (since my student years).
So, iirc, 2 years ago I was at home, a saturday evening late, 23.00h. And for me that is normally a time to pickup the controller for some XBOX gaming, or perhaps do some internet surfing or photo processing using Lightroom or whatever. I seldom watch TV or movies anymore (gaming/pc/internet/music/photo hobby took over).
But I still have this thought in the back of my head that I’ve NOT seen all great, classic movies. Movies in the top 250 list on IMDb. And ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ is one of them. Movies that I really should see, during THIS life if possible;)
So, my wife went to bed, and I wanted to switch off the TV but fun/zapped through some channels before switching off … and hit upon a movie that just had started … Once Upon a Time in the West!
A thought came up. The usual thought;)
– Max: ‘Hmmm, I will watch it later. Now I want to play some games’.
But I had not counted on another Max (Max2) appearing on the scene and starting a ‘discussion’ with the first Max (Max1)
– Max2: ‘Look Max(1), you always come up with that excuse. When WILL you watch this movie?’
And now I suddenly had this conversation with myself;) (with the movie already running)
– Max1: ‘Yeah, I know. But I can rent it or download it and watch it when I have some time. Now, I want to play some games’
– Max2: ‘Games, games? Always those games? What about watching the movie NOW! ?’
– Max1: ‘Now? … as in Right Now?’
– Max2: ‘Sure mate. Right Now! Because you are postponing watching this movie for over 25 years now. And in another 25 years you are DEAD!’
– Max1: ‘….errrr, Dead?’
– Max2: ‘Braindead, of all that Call of Duty and Battlefield gaming nonsense. Look, in another 25 years you will be 70+ with death closing in fast!’
– Max1: ‘Hmmm, perhaps you are right. I DO postpone it everytime’
– Max2: ‘So, will you watch the movie?’
– Max1: ‘Well, I could start with watching, and see …’
So, I started to watch this movie, but a few times during watching, Max1 reared his head and tried some pityfull attempts at yet another postponement:) …. like in this attempt (30 minutes into the movie) …
– Max1: ‘Errrr, Max2, perhaps I could now stop watching this movie, which is really great and all, and watch the rest at a later time? (cause I really want to play some games)’
– Max2: ‘SHUT THE FUCK UP AND WATCH THE GODDAMNED MOVIE!!!!!’
And so, me, Max1 and Max2 watched this fantastic movie till the very end. Is the movies so ‘slow’ for real or was that just to tease me even more? I mean, the last shoot out was only a few minutes, feeling like 1000 light years;)
But here you go. The ‘voices in my head’. Max1 and Max2. Always argueing what is ‘best’ for me. But I’m really glad that Max2 had his way. I DID see ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’, and heard the fabulous music score (shivers) … now I have only 249(*) other ‘classics’ to go:)
Once Upon a Time in the West: 10/10
— Max
(*) A matter of speech of course. Because I did see a lot of those movies already. But there are also a lot of movies on that top 250 list which I still have to see first time (yup, time IS running out;)
Encounters with Reality 