Four years after the end of the American Civil War in 1869, U.S. ArmyCaptain James T. "Jim" West and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon cross paths with each other in their hunt for ex-ConfederateGeneral "Bloodbath" McGrath, seemingly responsible for a massacre in New Liberty where West's parents were killed. U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant informs them about the disappearances of America's key scientists and a treasonous plot by McGrath, giving them the task of finding the scientists.
Aboard their train The Wanderer, West and Gordon examine the severed head of scientist Thaddeus Morton, finding a clue that leads them to Dr. Arliss Loveless, a legless ex-Confederate officer and engineering genius. Infiltrating Loveless' plantation during a party, the duo rescues a woman named Rita Escobar, who asks for their help in rescuing her father Guillermo Escobar, who is one of the kidnapped scientists.
Loveless holds a demonstration of his newest weapon, a steam-powered prototype tank, and uses McGrath's soldiers for target practice. Accusing McGrath of "betrayal" for surrendering at Appomattox Court House, Loveless shoots and leaves him for dead. Gordon, West, and Rita find McGrath, who reveals Loveless framed him for the massacre before dying. Upon catching up with Loveless on The Wanderer, a panicked Rita accidentally releases sleeping gas during a brief fight, knocking out West, Gordon, and herself.
West and Gordon wake up as Loveless pulls away in The Wanderer, taking Rita hostage. Announcing his intention to capture Grant at the golden spike ceremony, he leaves the duo in a deadly trap in a cornfield. After narrowly escaping, West and Gordon stumble across Loveless' private railroad, leading to his secret industrial complex at Spider Canyon. There, they witness Loveless' ultimate weapon, a giant mechanical spider armed with nitroglycerin cannons that he uses to capture Grant and Gordon at the ceremony, while West gets shot and left for dead by one of Loveless' henchwomen upon being caught sneaking in the spider.
At his complex, Loveless announces his plan to dissolve the United States, dividing the territory among Great Britain, France, Spain, Mexico, the Native American people and Loveless himself. When Grant refuses to surrender, Loveless orders Gordon to be executed, but West, having survived, disguises himself as a belly dancer and distracts Loveless, allowing Gordon to free the captives.
Loveless escapes on his spider, taking Grant with him. As Loveless once again demands that Grant surrender, he refuses and Loveless responds by destroying a small town. Using a flying machine, Gordon and West catch up to the spider, where West battles Loveless' henchmen before confronting Loveless himself, now on mechanical legs. After freeing Grant, Gordon shoots one of Loveless' legs, allowing West to gain the upper hand. As the mechanical spider approaches a cliff, Loveless shoots at West with the concealed gun he used to kill McGrath, but instead hits the spider's machinery, halting it abruptly at the canyon's edge. Both West and Loveless fall from the spider, but West survives by catching a chain dangling from the machinery.
Grant promotes Gordon and West as the first agents of his new United States Secret Service. As Grant departs on The Wanderer, West and Gordon reunite with Rita and attempt to court her, only for Rita to reveal that Professor Escobar is actually her husband. Gordon and West ride into the sunset on the spider.
Discussions with Will Smith and Barry Sonnenfeld began in February 1997 after the two had wrapped up production on Men in Black for Columbia Pictures the same year.[6] Smith declined to do the lead role in The Matrix in order to star in Wild Wild West.[7] Warner Bros. pursued George Clooney to co-star with Smith as Artemus Gordon, with Kevin Kline, Matthew McConaughey and Johnny Depp also in contention for the role while screenwriters S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock (best known for writing the Short Circuit and Tremors films) were hired by the studio to script the film between April and May 1997.[8] Clooney signed on the following August after dropping out of Jack Frost, while the Wilson-Maddock script was rewritten by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (best known for writing the films Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Doc Hollywood).[9] However in December 1997, Clooney was replaced by Kline after an agreement with Sonnenfeld: "Ultimately, we all decided that rather than damage this project trying to retrofit the role for me, it was better to step aside and let them get someone else."[10]
Writing
The film featured several significant changes from the television series. For instance, Dr. Loveless, as portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the film, went from a dwarf to a man without legs who uses a steam-powered wheelchair (similar to that employed by the villain in the episode "The Night of the Brain"); his first name was also changed from Miguelito to Arliss and was given the motive of a Southerner who sought the defeat of the North after the Civil War. Kevin Kline plays Artemus Gordon in the film, whose character is similar to the show's version of him portrayed by Ross Martin, except that he is much more egotistical than Jim West. The film depicted Kline's Gordon creating more ridiculous, humorous, and implausible inventions than those created by Martin's Gordon in the original series, as well as having an aggressive rivalry with West, unlike in the television series where he and West had a very close friendship and trusted each other with their lives. While Gordon did indeed impersonate Grant in three episodes of the series ("The Night of the Steel Assassin", "The Night of the Colonel's Ghost" and "The Night of the Big Blackmail"), they were not played by the same actor. Additionally, West was originally portrayed by Robert Conrad, a Caucasian rather than an African American, which serves a critical plot point as West's parents were among the victims of Loveless's massacre at New Liberty.
Jon Peters produced the film alongside director Sonnenfeld. In a 2002 Q&A event that appears on An Evening with Kevin Smith, filmmaker Kevin Smith talked about working as a screenwriter for Peters on a fifth potential Superman film in 1997. He revealed that Peters demanded, among other things, that Superman fight a giant spider in the third act.[11] After Batman director Tim Burton came onboard, Smith's script was scrapped and the film was never produced due to further complications. A year later, he noted that Wild Wild West, with Peters on board as producer, was released with the inclusion of a giant mechanical spider in the final act.[12]Neil Gaiman also revealed that Peters insisted that a giant mechanical spider be included in a proposed film adaptation of The Sandman.[13]
Filming
Principal photography was set to begin in January 1998, but was pushed three months later to April 22, 1998.[14] The interior sequences on the trains of both Artemus Gordon and Dr. Loveless were shot on sets at Warner Bros. Burbank Studios, 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, while the exterior sequences were shot in Idaho on the Camas Prairie Railroad. The Wanderer in the film is portrayed by the Baltimore & Ohio 4–4–0 No. 25, one of the oldest operating steam locomotives in the U.S. Built in 1856 at the Mason Machine Works in Taunton, Massachusetts, it was later renamed The William Mason in honor of its manufacturer.[15] During preproduction, the engine was sent to the steam shops at the Strasburg Rail Road for restoration and repainting.[15] The locomotive is brought out for the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore's "Steam Days". The William Mason and the Inyo (which was the locomotive used in the original television series) both appeared in the 1956 Disney film The Great Locomotive Chase.
Much of the Wild West footage was shot around Santa Fe, New Mexico, particularly at the western town film set at the Cook Movie Ranch (now Cerro Pelon Ranch). During the shooting of a sequence involving stunts and pyrotechnics, a planned building fire grew out of control and quickly overwhelmed the local fire crews that were standing by. Much of the town was destroyed before the fire was contained.[16]
Music
The orchestral film score, including its main theme, was composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, a veteran of many Western film scores such as The Magnificent Seven. The score mainly follows the Western genre's symphonic tradition, while at times also acknowledging the film's anachronistic playfulness by employing a more contemporary music style with notable rock percussion and electronic organ. The score also briefly incorporates Richard Markowitz's theme from the original television series in one cue (uncredited in the film and not included on the album); ironically, this was one of the film's few elements that were faithful to the series, which also did not credit Markowitz for the theme. Additional parts of the score were composed by Bernstein's son Peter, while his daughter Emilie served as one of the orchestrators and producers.
"Coincidence" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
0:51
30.
"Captured"
1:05
31.
"The Plan/America"
2:25
32.
"She Dances"
2:18
33.
"Eight Ball" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
1:14
34.
"Avante/Air Gordon" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
1:19
35.
"Flying Attack" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
1:59
36.
"Knife Guy" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
2:30
37.
"Tin Man/Four of a Kind"
2:41
38.
"Last Fight" (Composed by Peter Bernstein)
2:43
39.
"Bye Loveless / Whoopin’" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
1:27
40.
"The End (Ride The Spider)"
2:12
41.
"Main Title (alternate version)"
2:09
42.
"1M3 Take 119 (not used in the film)"
2:06
43.
"Whirly Girly Stop (not used in the film)"
0:30
44.
"4M3 R Take 165 (not used in the film)"
1:04
45.
"Flying Attack (alternate version)" (Theme by Elmer Bernstein, Music Composed by Peter Bernstein)
1:51
46.
"The End (Ride The Spider) (alternate version)"
2:12
47.
"Blood on the Saddle / Arise (instrumental)"
1:38
48.
"Camptown Races/Oh Susanna" (Composed by Stephen Foster)
2:21
Total length:
75:09
Release
Upon release on June 30, 1999, alongside Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.' R-rated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, several news reports arose stating that adolescent moviegoers purchased tickets into seeing the PG-13-rated Wild Wild West in theaters, but instead went to see the South Park film.[18] This was a result of a film industry crackdown that made sneaking into R-rated films tougher for children, as proposed by U.S. President Bill Clinton at the time in response to the moral panic generated by the Columbine High School massacre, which had occurred two months before the release of both films.[19]
Marketing
Warner Bros. heavily promoted Wild Wild West as an anticipated summer blockbuster instead of Brad Bird's animated film The Iron Giant, which was released two months after Wild Wild West. This sparked controversy as The Iron Giant was becoming more critically successful than the critically-panned Wild Wild West upon release, despite eventually underperforming at the box office due to the studio deciding to spend their money on marketing for Wild Wild West among other films.[20][21]
Wild Wild West grossed $27,687,484 during its opening weekend, with a total of $40,957,789 for the Independence Day weekend and ranking first at the North American box office.[24] It dropped into second place below American Pie in its second weekend, making $16.8 million.[25] The film ended its theatrical run on October 10, 1999 after five months, having grossed $113,804,681 domestically and $108,300,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $222,104,681 against a production budget of $170 million, making it commercially unsuccessful.[2]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 16% based on reviews from 131 critics, with an average rating of 4.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bombastic, manic, and largely laugh-free, Wild Wild West is a bizarre misfire in which greater care was lavished upon the special effects than on the script."[26] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally mixed-to-negative reviews".[27] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[28]
Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times gave the film one star out of four, writing that "Wild Wild West is a comedy dead zone. You stare in disbelief as scenes flop and die. The movie is all concept and no content; the elaborate special effects are like watching money burn on the screen."[29]Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying that the film "leaves reality so far behind that its storytelling would be arbitrary even by comic-book standards, and its characters share no common ground or emotional connection."[30]
Accolades
Robert Conrad, who played Jim West in the original television series, arrived at the 20th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony to collect in-person the five Razzies the film won in order to express his objections to the film.
Wild Wild West later ranked in the listed bottom 20 of the Stinkers' "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list (which noted the 100 worst films of the 20th century) at #2, but lost to Battlefield Earth.[32][33]
In 1997, writer Gilbert Ralston sued Warner Bros. over the upcoming feature film based on the series. Ralston helped create the original television series The Wild Wild West and scripted the pilot episode "The Night of the Inferno". In a deposition, Ralston explained that in 1964, he had been approached by producer Michael Garrison, who "said he had an idea for a series, good commercial idea, and wanted to know if I could glue the idea of a Western hero and a James Bond type together in the same show".[34] Ralston said he then created the Civil War characters, the format, the story outline and nine drafts of the script that were the basis for the television series. It was his idea, for example, to have a secret agent named Jim West who would perform secret missions for a bumbling President Grant.
Ralston's experience brought to light a common Hollywood practice of the 1950s and 1960s when television writers who helped create popular series allowed producers or studios to take credit for a show, thus cheating the writers out of millions of dollars in royalties. However, Ralston died in 1999 before his suit was settled, resulting in Warner Bros. paying his family between $600,000 and $1.5 million.[35]
^Andrew Hindes; Dan Cox (April 9, 1998). "Hayek tames 'Wild West'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Steve Baker, Ricky Blitt, Will Carlough, Tobias Carlson, Jacob Fleisher, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Claes Kjellstrom, Jack Kukoda, Bob Odenkirk, Bill O'Malley, Matthew Alec Portenoy, Greg Pritikin, Rocky Russo, Olle Sarri, Elizabeth Wright Shapiro, Jeremy Sosenko, Jonathan van Tulleken, and Jonas Wittenmark – Movie 43 (2013)
هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (يناير 2018) برونو فيراز داس نيفيس معلومات شخصية الميلاد 11 يونيو 1984 (39 سنة)[1] بورتو أليغري مركز اللعب وسط الجنسية البرازيل معلومات النادي النادي الحالي موجي...
Untuk tokoh Alkitab yang menjadi nama dari kitab ini, lihat Nahum. Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat Nahum (disambiguasi). Bagian dari Alkitab KristenPerjanjian LamaYosua 1:1 pada Kodeks Aleppo Taurat Kejadian Keluaran Imamat Bilangan Ulangan Sejarah Yosua Hakim-hakim Rut 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Raja-raja 2 Raja-raja 1 Tawarikh 2 Tawarikh Ezra Nehemia Ester Puisi Ayub Mazmur Amsal Pengkhotbah Kidung Agung Kenabian Besar Yesaya Yeremia Ratapan Yehezkiel Daniel Kecil Hosea Yoël Amos Obaja Yunus Mikha Nah...
Портрети Путіна у відділі канцелярських товарів, 2006 рік Флешмоб «Своїх не кидаємо», проведений у Хабаровську у березні 2022 року. Учасники акції вишикувалися у вигляді літери Z — символу російського вторгнення в Україну. Починаючи з кінця 1990-х років серед дослідників і ...
2008 single by DelaysKeep It SimpleSingle by Delaysfrom the album Everything's the Rush B-sideCherry Cherry (CD)One More Lie in Pt.2 (7 vinyl 1)Go Slowly (7 vinyl 2)Released11 August 2008 (CD)GenreIndieLength4:11LabelFiction RecordsSongwriter(s)G Gilbert, A GilbertDelays singles chronology Hooray (2008) Keep It Simple (2008) Keep It Simple is the second single released from Delays' third studio album, Everything's the Rush. Like the previous single it was available for pre-order, came in thre...
Pre-Columbian cultural region of North America This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) This article needs additional cit...
For other ships with the same name, see Raven (disambiguation). The Raven at the Windermere Steamboat Museum in 1977 History United Kingdom NameSS Raven OwnerWindermere Jetty Museum BuilderT.B. Seath & Co Launched1871 General characteristics TypeSteam Barge Tonnage41 (gross) Length70.95 feet (21.63 m) Beam14.59 feet (4.45 m) Draught4 feet (1.2 m) PropulsionSteam The SS Raven, sometimes also referred to as the SY Raven, is a steam barge ordered by the Furness Railway for use...
Розташування Чаду на мапі Чадська національна абетка (фр. Alphabet National du Tchad)[1][2][3] — стандартна абетка, яка була розроблена і прийнята у 2009 міністерством освіти Чаду для всіх мов, які є в країні (наприклад, чадська арабська, канембу, сар, маба[4]). Існує у латинс...
American educator and stage director (c. 1939–1993) This article is about the Maine educator and theatre director. For the actress, see Marti Stevens (actress). Marti StevensStevens in 1987Bornc. 1939Chicago, IllinoisDiedMay 8, 1993 (aged 54)Portland, MaineNationalityAmericanOccupation(s)Educator, theatre directorYears active1969–1993AwardsMaine Women's Hall of Fame, 1996 Marti Stevens (c. 1939 – May 8, 1993[1]) was an American educator and theater director. Born in Chicago...
9th episode of the 1st season of Boardwalk Empire Belle FemmeBoardwalk Empire episodeJimmy is ambushed by Van AldenEpisode no.Season 1Episode 9Directed byBrad AndersonWritten bySteve KornackiOriginal air dateNovember 14, 2010 (2010-11-14)Running time52 minutesGuest appearances Gretchen Mol as Gillian Darmody Edoardo Ballerini as Ignacious D'Alessio Danny Burstein as Lolly Steinmann Max Casella as Lucien D'Alessio Josiah Early as Robert Dittrich Lisa Joyce as Mary Dittrich ...
V. Mohini GiriDr. V. Mohini Giri receiving Padma Bhushan from President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 2007Born1938 (age 84–85) [1]Lucknow, Uttar PradeshNationalityIndianOccupation(s)Social worker, activistfounder Guild of Service (1979) Dr. V. Mohini Giri (born 1938) is an Indian Community service worker and activist, who has been Chairperson of the Guild of Service, a New Delhi–based social service organization. Established in 1979, it provides advocac...
Town in New South Wales, AustraliaJoadjaNew South WalesJoadjaLocation in New South WalesCoordinates34°24′S 150°13′E / 34.400°S 150.217°E / -34.400; 150.217Population139 (SAL 2021)[1]Established1870Postcode(s)2575Elevation711 m (2,333 ft)Location 137 km (85 mi) SW of Sydney 23 km (14 mi) W of Mittagong 89 km (55 mi) NE of Goulburn LGA(s)Wingecarribee ShireRegionSouthern HighlandsCountyCamdenParishJoadjaState electo...
American businesswoman (born 1953) Irene RosenfeldRosenfeld in 2009BornIrene Blecker (1953-05-03) May 3, 1953 (age 70)Westbury, New York, U.S.Alma materCornell UniversityOccupation(s) Former chairman and CEO ofMondelēz InternationalYears active1980s–presentSuccessorDirk Van de PutSpouseRichard Illgen[1]Children2 daughters Irene Blecker Rosenfeld (born May 3, 1953) is an American businesswoman who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mondelēz Interna...
531 ← 532 → 533 Un La Favorita GR de 1.ª generación identificado con el número 26, actualmente ya no circula en esta línea, si no que lo hace como 458 de la 562/563.LugarUbicación Municipio de General PueyrredónÁrea abastecida Mar del PlataDescripciónTipo AutobúsSistema Transporte público de Mar del PlataInicio Av. Fermin Errea y BerutiFin Av. Juan B. Justo y José María CalazaDepósitos 1, Av. Constitución 10250Características técnicasLongitud 24,0 kmPropietario Transporte ...
Iraqi-American terrorist and fugitive (born 1960) Not to be confused with Abdul Rahman Mohamed Yassin. Abdul Rahman Yasinعبد الرحمن يسAbdul Rahman Yasin in 2002Born (1960-04-10) April 10, 1960 (age 63) [1]Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. Abdul Rahman Yasin (Arabic: عبد الرحمن يس; born April 10, 1960) is an Iraqi-American terrorist and fugitive who took part in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing terrorist attack. Yasin is presumed to have helped make the bombs and...
Sopa de CabraSopa de Cabra, July 2017. From left to right, Pep Bosch, Jaume Soler (Peck), Ricard Sohn, Francesc Lisicic (Cuco), Gerard Quintana, Valen Nieto, Josep Thió.Background informationOriginGirona, Catalonia, SpainGenresRock, rock catalàYears active1986–2001 and September 2011; 2015–LabelsSalsetta Discos, BMG-Ariola, Música GlobalMembersGerard QuintanaJosep ThióFrancesc 'Cuco' LisicicJosep BoschJaume 'Peck' SolerRicard Sohn ColomValen NietoPast membersJoan 'Ninyín' Cardona Jul...
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Ali Antsukhski – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2022) Ali Antsukhskiy (1 June 1947 – 26 February 1996) was an Avar native of Balakan, member of National Assembly of Azerbaijan who claimed to be the leader of the Avar people. He wa...
German actor (born 1961) The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for biographies. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.Find sources: Martin May actor – news · newspapers · books ...
American politician For other people named Edward Smith, see Edward Smith (disambiguation). Edward Everett SmithPortrait of Edward Everett Smith in 190718th Lieutenant Governor of MinnesotaIn officeSeptember 25, 1909 – January 3, 1911GovernorAdolph Olson EberhartPreceded byAdolph Olson EberhartSucceeded bySamuel Y. Gordon Personal detailsBornMay 5, 1861Spring Valley, MinnesotaDiedJuly 29, 1931 (aged 70)Minneapolis, MinnesotaPolitical partyRepublicanProfessionlawyer, legislator,...
Fethi Paşa Korusu Fethi Paşa Korusu (Fethi Pasha Grove) adalah sebuah taman besar di Istanbul, Turki, di sisi bukit bagian kapal pada pesisir Bosphorus di wilayah yang disebut Paşalimanı. Taman tersebut terletak di antara wilayah Kuzguncuk dan Sultantepe, distrik Üsküdar di sisi Asia Istanbul. Taman tersebut mengambil nama dari gubernur, duta besar dan menteri Utsmaniyah Fethi Ahmet Pasha.[1] Referensi ^ Boğaz'ın oksijen kaynağı: Fethi Paşa Korusu. Diarsipkan dari versi asl...
