Double feature (very long one) - Seven Samurai (9/10) and Magnificent Seven (7/10)
I'm sure I don't need to rave about SS on these boards, so I won't, but it's great - if a touch long. There are just some wonderful shots - the two-shot just after the kid meets the girl amongst the flowers - both sitting, she's facing the camera, he's facing her. Just gorgeous. I even pasued on the shot for a minute.
MS was kinda dissapointing, I think they made some frankly silly changes in adapting SS, particularly the mixing of the farmer and the kid into one role. I think it worked much better with them as separate characters. The kid in MS was so obnoxious during the first two acts, becasue he was being the farmer-trying-to-escape-his-past too, that I really couldn't have cared less about his burgeoning romance. The romance itself could have been placed a little more front and centre, too.
Anyway, both v good films in their own way and I'm glad I (a) finally got around to see them, and (b) saw them together.
Cheers
Alex