The Beguiled (1971)

The original version of The Beguiled, directed by Don Siegel, is deeply, delightfully perverse and much, much queerer than the Sofia Coppola remake, which I liked a lot. But it’s unfortunate that she tamed the rough edges of this strange story. This film insists upon the weirdness. (Coppola apparently thought that this Don Siegel movie was too invested in sensational topics like incest and lesbianism? Sign me up! That’s what made this so fun.)

Also, y'all, Clint Eastwood in the 1970s was a fox.

The Shootist (1976)

I actually didn't understand this film. The Shootist concerns an ageing gunslinger who holes up in Carson City for the last week of his life as he prepares to die. But how does he prepare to die? By killing a bunch of guys who – as far as I can tell – haven't really done anything to him or anyone else. Lauren Bacall is interesting as an old woman who starts to care for the old shootist, but I don't understand why she or anyone else should have cared. I sure didn't.