TV: Hell on Wheels (S1) (6/10)

Why did I watch it?
Season one originally aired in 2011 and I saw a re-run advertised and looked up the show's premise. On the back of that and the fact that it comes from the network behind The Walking Dead and Mad Men I thought it was worth a watch.

What's it all about?
After the US Civil War finishes, former farmer and Confederate soldier Cullen Bolhannon travels West to Hell on Wheels, the travelling settlement accompanying the construction of the transcontinental Union Pacific railroad in 1865. Although looking for work at the railroad Bolhannon is secretly on the trail of the Union soldiers who murdered his family during the war.

The Good:

• Excellent production as you would expect from AMC. Epic Western setting.
• Mostly decent acting from the likes of Anson Mount, Colm Meaney and Tom Noonan
• The Swede (he's actually Norwegian you know)

The Bad:

• Common's performance as former slave Elam Ferguson isn't the best
• Disappointingly Hell on Wheels' storylines (Bolhannon's manhunt, Durant's financial difficulties, the Indian problem and Elam's fight against racial inequality) are underwhelming and not as interesting or absorbing as they could have been.

Favourite line:

'Do you not believe in a higher power?' - Sean

'Yes sir. I wear it on my hip.' - Bolhannon

Stand-out moment: Bolhannon going after Union soldiers or Indians

Like the show? Watch: Deadwood

What my wife would say: The historical setting and story-lines wouldn't appeal. 'Boring' I would imagine.

What the world thinks:

Metacritic - 63/100

Twitter -

So Guys…looks like I’ll finish up Hell On Wheels Season 1 tonight. I’ve really been loving this show so far.
— Danté, The Destroyer (@DanteLerae) November 20, 2013

FILM: Cowboys & Aliens (6/10)

Why did I watch it?

No particular reason, it just came along and looked a pretty harmless action adventure film.

What's it all about?

Daniel Craig stars as a cowboy who wakes up with no memory and a strange futuristic bracelet on his wrist. Apparently an outlaw, he is captured and taken to the local sheriff where he gets caught in an alien attack on the town, learning he capabilities of his bracelet in the process. The alien planes capture a few residents including local cattle baron Harrison Ford's son. Craig and Ford lead a rescue mission to retrieve the captives.

Should you watch it?

Based on a recent graphic novel of the same name, the concept of cowboys battling aliens is certainly a novel one but it doesn't really work for me. I expected more intrigue from a screenwriting team including Damon Lindelof. 

What you get if you cross a John Wayne film with Independence Day

I'm not sure if Jon Favreau and Universal Studios were trying to pitch this as a new Indiana Jones but Daniel Craig is not nearly likeable enough with his stereotypically surly cowboy. Ford is suitably gritty as the veteran gun-slinger finding his softer side. Granted there are some exciting scenes but overall it falls pretty flat in merging the two polar genres. One scene where Craig carries Olivia Wilde in his arms until he collapses in exhaustion simply made me want to watch True Grit instead. 

BOOK: Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy (9/10)

After enjoying the adaptations of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men and The Road I decided I would give some of the source material a try. Blood Meridian is considered one of the Great American contemporary novels and tells the story of an anonymous teenager referred to only as 'the kid'.

Set in the mid 19th century on the US-Mexican border, the story really begins after the kid joins a gang of undesirable bounty hunters as they sweep through Mexico hunting Native American Indians, paid by Mexican officials per scalp they take. The story is unflinchingly violent throughout as the gang of scalp hunters begin to stray from their objective and commit terrible atrocities in the pursuit of money or pleasure. This includes killing peaceful Indians and Mexicans alike, scalping children, drowning dogs, running a cattle train off a cliff and culminating in the violent commandeering of a ferry crossing at Yuma for financial gain. Wanted by officials on both side of the border, their behaviour eventually catches up with them.

Although part of the gang, the kid is one of the more likeable members, he never appears to scalp anyone and seems to be part of the gang not through choice but simply because that's where he ended up. This is more obvious when you consider the motivations of the gangs leaders, Glanton and Judge Holden. Out for profit or the lust of war, these two are responsible for the gangs moral compass completely falling apart.

Judge Holden is one of the most fascinating characters I have come across in literature. He is described as a giant, almost seven feet tall, with not a hair on his body. He is clearly the most intelligent character in the story and carries around a book in which he documents all manner of wildlife and nature encountered on travels stating to one man that 'that which exists without my knowledge exists without my consent'. Despite being an educated man, the judge has extremely violent beliefs, something he tries to explain to his lesser gang members on several occasions. This confliction of size, science and violence captured my intrigue from the offset. The judge's relationship with the kid is a key theme of the story. The judge appears to almost want to make the kid a protege, however late on realises that the kid is not of the same mindset as him, stating that 'some bears dance and some bears don't'. The book's ending is ambiguous and allows the reader some imagination in considering the judges actions in the final act.

McCarthy's illustration of the great lawless American west is fantastic. He provides vivid depictions of the barren landscape, types of vegetation and ghost towns. Overall I think I enjoyed the story and characters more than the actual reading of the book, if that makes sense, largely due to McCarthy's writing style.

FILM: True Grit (9/10)

After their 2007 No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers try their hand at a true western with True Grit, an adaptation of the novel of the same name which John Wayne won his only Oscar for the 1969 version.


Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is a headstrong 14 year old girl out to avenge her father's murder. Knowing her limitations she recruits the most unscrupulous U.S. Marshal she can find, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). They set off into Indian territory to hunt down her father's killer (Josh Brolin) occasionally accompanied by Texas Ranger Matt Damon, who is after the outlaw for a previous offence.


Helped by the Coen's excellent script, Steinfeld, Damon and Bridges in particular deliver excellent performances. Mattie is the moral compass of the uncomfortable trio as they proceed on their road trip and amusingly keeps her elder companions in line throughout for her own gain. 


The film also benefits from superb cinematography, including some memorable shots when Rooster and Mattie cross the horizon at sunset.


True Grit operates at its own pace towards it's finale and although few may consider it uneventful or boring it is a great story of unflinching retribution and justice.