Charles Bronson Gave His Best in This 5-Minute Western Scene

There might be some debate on whether Once Upon a Time in the West is Sergio Leone‘s finest Western, but there is no doubt that it is in this feature that Charles Bronson delivers the performance of a lifetime. Bronson delivers the perfect balance between subtlety and machismo with his role as Harmonica, an enigmatic cowboy out for vengeance. There is an inexplicable nuance to his performance, heightened only by the mastery of Leone’s direction, and the notes so perfectly composed by Ennio Morricone. While the part was originally intended to be portrayed by Clint Eastwood, casting Bronson was the best move Leone could have made, and the gravitas of his enduring portrayal exemplified the filmmaker’s choice. Continue reading

Timelapse Of A Stick Insect Molting Its Old Skin

Because Mother Nature never ceases to amaze (I once saw her ride a mechanical bull upside down waving her legs like arms), this is a timelapse video of a stick insect molting its old skin. It’s so crazy to think this is the process that evolution developed over tens of millions of years. Would it be a lot cooler if the bug just exploded out of its old skin like the Kool-Aid man through a kitchen wall? Of course. And maybe in another 120-million years we’ll get to see that. I mean not us, but, you know, the radioactive dust that used to be us. Continue reading

‘Unforgiven’ Gave Us the Western Genre’s Greatest Villain

The Western genre is dominated by incredible stars that portrayed a variety of heroes over the course of their careers. Actors like John Wayne, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Alan Ladd, and Yul Brenner appeared in so many Western classics that their best films are only distinguishable based on their villains. It takes a truly great villainous performance to stand out amidst these dominant personalities, and as a result, many Western villains are interchangeable. There’s no Western star more iconic than Clint Eastwood, and Eastwood never faced a more fearsome antagonist than Little Bill (Gene Hackman) in the 1992 classic Unforgiven. In a film where Eastwood plays a genuinely cruel anti-hero, Hackman created a character that was even more detestable and ruthless. While the iconic 90s Western walked home from the Academy Awards with Eastwood winning both Best Picture and Best Director, it was Hackman who earned the Best Supporting Actor trophy. Continue reading

Paraglider Makes Insanely Impressive Landing Next To Friend Waiting On Bench

Note: Check your volume, windy.

These are two videos of speedwing paraglider David Edwards demonstrating his skill by making an incredibly precise landing next to a friend sitting on a bench. FULL DISCLOSURE: Yes, I did hope he was going to land right on top of dude’s head. Still, that was impressive. For reference, I’d be lucky to land anywhere on a football field without breaking both my legs. And I don’t even want to think about my poor penis. Continue reading