Several years ago European avant-garde composer Pierre Boulez dismissed the cranky, experimental music of American composer Charles "take your dissonance like a man" Ives as "having come from an insurance salesman." By contrast, Boulez' own music is tinkly Euro-avant, a musical tradition that was given freedom towards academic experimentation by old money. Not a single Boulez work can get under the skin like Ives' "Gong on the hook and ladder" or "Symphony 4."American horror has long had a fitful relationship with the American avant-garde; it has also been more genuinely disturbing than anything Europe has produced. Kentucky born Tod Browning produced jagged, feverish dreams while Brit James Whale produced well-crafted, sophisticated, and witty fairy tales. There is something far more unsettling in Lon Chaney painfully looping fishing wire around his eyeballs, or Lon Jr. "accidentally" strangling an extra, than there is in Boris Karloff's passion for cricket. An avant-garde filmmaker even approached the infamous "naive surrealist" Ed Wood, hoping for a collaboration, but by then Wood was too drained and too ravaged by rejection to respond.So, it seems only apt that B-horror maestro Roger Corman financed Monte Hellman's sojourn into a western Oz. Hellman's The Shooting (1967) could be a disturbed and disturbing younger sibling to Maya Deren`s At Land (1944). Carole Eastman's Sarte/Camus-like screenplay is wistfully organic and, simultaneously, startling in its unflinching, unromantic bleak minimalism, assisted greatly by Gregory Sandor's desolate camera work.The Shooting begins where Anthony Mann left off and may well be the defining subversive post-Mann western. Former bounty hunter and miner Willet Gashade (Warren Oates) returns to camp only to find his twin brother, Coin (also Oates) missing and his partner, Leland, shot dead by an unseen sniper. Left in the camp is the hysterical Coley (Will Hutchins) who relates to Willet that he overheard an argument between Leland and Coin. Coin had "ridden down a man and a little person, maybe a child." Coley, who is child-like and slow-witted, tells Willet this several times in a broken, cryptic delivery. Shortly after the argument, Coin rode off and Leland was mysteriously shot dead while brewing coffee. Willet now is determined to track down Leland's anonymous murderer. Before Willet can depart, however, an unnamed Woman (Millie Perkins) walks into camp. She has no horse, explaining that she had to shoot it when it broke its leg. We're first introduced to Woman through a symbolic, fragmentary shot of her gloved hand, which is gently caressing a white horse, before she shoots it.Woman asks Willet to escort her to the far away town of Kingsley, which can only be reached after crossing a dangerous desert. Willet and Coley agree to be her guides. Willett has a vague, ulterior motive to accompany Woman, telling Coley "I have my own reasons," without offering up what those reasons are. Woman too has her unstated reasons for the journey ahead. When Willet discovers that Woman's horse had no broken bones, he asks her "Why did you shoot this animal?" After an elongated silence, Woman responds only with a smile. Their destination becomes increasingly oblique when Woman insists on taking the wrong direction.Coley follows Woman like a little boy following his first crush. Willet mistrusts Woman and is aloof towards her. Willet is concerned with and frightened about their destination, but this is not a journey he can abandon, regardless of the outcome.Woman is the eye of this storm. Is she sociopathic? Eventually, it seems that revenge is her goal, but is it revenge for the murder of Leland? Is it revenge for the murder of the "run-down man and little person, possibly a child"?Halfway through the journey, the three are joined by a deadly gunfighter named Billy Spears (Jack Nicholson). The relationship between Spears and Woman is never clear. Woman envies Billy, but are they siblings? Lovers? Billy and Woman even dress alike and Willet is shaken to the core, enough to ask Billy her name. "I don't see no point in it," Billy replies.Enigmas abound: a child's game and candy shared with a dying stranger lying under an umbrella in the middle of the desert, tension, threats, desertion, a murder, the loss of horses, the crushed hand of a gunfighter staggering aimlessly in the desert and a sharp, final confrontation that plunges the viewer into dizzying, surrealist questions. Hellman has stated that The Shooting is an allegorical reaction to the deaths of both John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald and the lack of answers to those deaths.Regardless, The Shooting is a brilliantly dysfunctional work that transcends any period. This is a powerhouse of underground filmmaking which makes one lament Hellman's lack of recognition.Neither Sergio Leone nor Sam Peckinpah would touch it.*My review was originally published at 366 weird movies.Ride in the Whirlwind- A very good western that had the extreme disadvantage to be packaged with the shooting. A very good performance from Nicholson as a man at the end of his rope due to a series of unfortunate circumstances that come to bear on him. You feel for him and the unfortunate circumstances that have befallen him and his pard'. A good film and really cool performances from the actors. The Shooting- This film was absolutely astounding and while Ride in the Whirlwind was better than good,it plaed compared to this. Warren Oates turned an awesome performance but that is to be expected from Oates, a truly awesome actor who does not get the respect he deserves. His role begins with him returning to camp to find that his brother has been killed after questioning their family friend as to the circumstances, he begins to smell a rat. Post rat scenting, the two are met with by Millie Perkins who seeks their services to get her to a specific location whilst winning over the family friend and estranging the Oates. Oates takes the job and brings the family friend with them. Millie Perkins Begins to throw encumberances on their travels and not just foolish feminine follies but potentially dangerous situations through her caprices. It soon becomes truly apparent that she is in control of this whole situation. This already volatile situation gets a great catalyst in the appearance of Jack Nicholson. She insists that he ride along and Oates further realizes that something is rotten. It begs the question of why not get out? The answer being there is no out for Oates or the family friend. They travel further and further into the desert. The landscape sets a great tone for the all or nothing ending that is coming. I've said too much and loved every minute of it. I have left out a couple of scenes but definitely watch for the loss of the horse, Nicholsons lack of a friend, and Oates rage at Jack, and finally check out the final scene. This movie is insanely awesome, the dialogue is crisp and snappy, the performances are great across the board. Nicholson sizzles as the deadly dandy. Oates is brilliant as the put-upon loyal brother. Millie Perkins may actually take the cake when you bounce it off the character that she played in Ride in the Whirlwind. I love the contrast that exists between the two and it is true credit to her that she brings some serious weight to this ensemble cast. I must state that once again The Shooting takes the cake but Ride in the Whirlwind does have merit and was enjoyable. The dvd also contained the previously mentioned oldies commercials that were really fun to see. You could definitely see this dvd on Quentin Tarrantino's shelf. Watch, love and have some fun, you pretty much can't go wrong with Monte Hellman.The Shooting, a different breed of western directed by Monte Hellman shot in 1966 with an all-star supporting cast, Jack Nicholson, Warren Oates, Millie Perkins. The story is about a strange murder that occurs, whereafter Millie Perkins hires Warren Oates to help track down the killer. Jack Nicholson, also a hired gun Perkins hires on, but little do they know there may be a flip side to the coin. The Shooting on this Catcom 2002 release is presented in the rare 16x9 widescreen. Ride In The Whirlwind, also filmed in 1966 before The Shooting, director Monte Hellman wanted to take advantage of the location and terrain, plus already having all the available actors around and all aboard. Ride In The Whirlwind, presented in full screen was written by Jack Nicholson, Nicholson carefully researched the Library for the true to life western frontier for the screenplay of this film. Jack Nicholson starring, with Cameron Mitchell, Harry Dean Stanton, and Millie Perkins. As far as this dvd is concerned, I'm not sure what the hype is, yes, they are early Jack Nicholson, yes, they are probably out of print, so what. I've seen sellers on Amazon trying to sell this used anywhere from 300 to 700 dollars. What's the deal? Please don't say "Day Of Anger" started this bull_ _ _ _. I bought mine from a seller, new, sealed for ten dollars, anybody who would pay 700 dollars for a dvd, ought to be locked up. This dvd also features the classic cartoon "base brawl" and Marilyn Monroe singing happy birthday to J. F. Kennedy. The transfers and audio are excellent. I'll sell mine for 600 dollars, any takers?I am simply amazed that at this time no one has taken the trouble to review this wonderful little film. I will therefore use that as an excuse to give a longer review than usual. "Ride in the Whirlwind" tends to live in the shadow of it's better known companion piece "The Shooting". Both films were made back to back and filmed in the desert wastes of Utah. They were both directed by Monte Hellman and produced by him with Jack Nicholson. Nicholson also wrote the screenplay as well as acting in both films. As opposed to "The Shooting" this film does not appear in any critics choice of top ten Westerns. After watching "The Shooting" which was a great disappointment to me, I was not expecting much from this film. But I was in for a big surprise. This is a more traditional Western that is not saddled with the pretentiousness of "The Shooting"The film is loosely based on a very interesting Italian film "Bandits of Orgasola"(61), directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film concerns a Sardinian shepherd who is forced to flee through a desolate landscape after being unjustly accused of a crime he did not commit. "Ride in the Whirlwind" concerns three cowboys who happen to come upon a cabin occupied by a gang of stage robbers. The problems begin when they are surrounded by a vigilante mob who mistake them as part of the gang. The three friends are forced to flee for their lives in an inhospitable land. Not all will live to tell the tale.It is interesting to note that before he wrote the script Nicholson studied the diaries of of old Westerners in the Los Angeles library. It was time well spent. The authentic language of the time is used to good effect and the sense of doom that pervaded their hard existences was also shown. There is a tree stump chopping scene that sums up the drudgery of frontier life, that seems to pay homage to a similar scene from "Shane". Nicholson gives a very good performance as the young cowboy and demonstrates what a fine actor he was early in his career. Special mention should be made of Cameron Mitchell, he of "High Chapparal" fame, who gives a marvellous performance as the veteran cowboy. Possibly the finest performance of his career.The film has a wonderful fresh look to it that has not dated at all. The location filming in Utah adds to the downbeat and stark mood of the film. This is an extremely polished Western that should be much better known. It is a simple enough tale but beautifully constructed and acted. It's authenticity makes it totally believable from beginning to end. Highly recommended.What a slow moving movie - Jack Nicholson in his younger years when he wrote it. The title does not match the pace of the film and I am a fanatic for westerns and so I bought it through Amazon out of interest to see if Jack's performance matched his 'Easy Rider' role for pace - it did! The story all revolved around a miscarriage of justice which shows the danger of the lynch-mob mentality. It's OK to watch if you don't have anything better to do.»Niesłusznie oskarżeni» | DVD | Filmostrada, 19?? | 16:9/ 1.78:1 | Subtitles: Polish, noneThe Polish version of Monte Hellman's western »Ride in the Whirlwind», 1966.Picture quality is excellent, and, at least on my screen, anamorphic too. Polish subtitles available (only). Cover is in Polish and there's no information about the year the dvd released. Doesn't bother me.This is not THE classic western perhaps, but it's nice to see Jack Nicholson before the big fame. Millie Perkins ain't bad either. Harry Dean Stanton is always worth to see. Pretty good entertainment for the Sunday afternoon.Very poor sound on the dvd and the case was brokenQUITE UNUSUAL TO SEE TO YOUNG ACTORS, JACK NICHOLSON AND CAMERON MITCHELL TOGETHER. UNUSUAL STORY LINE BUT THEY PAIRED UP QUITE WELL TO PROVIDE VERY GOOD WATCHING INDEED .