After the ransacking of the settlement, we turn our attention to young Megan (Sydney Penny). One can tell that this story is going to be a spiritual journey. We listen to her prayer, a recitation of Psalm 23 with her current heartfelt concerns interspersed. A visual representation of God answering her prayers, the man only known as Preacher (Clint Eastwood) comes down from the mountain like Moses. Just like the prophet of old, we have an inkling that he’s here to execute the moral law upon the wicked.

Normally, child actors can be a miss, especially when put up against seasoned adult actors. However, the precocious Megan proves to be the standout of the film. She expresses a resolute fierceness against the LaHood gang pushing her around, but also exudes a humble spirituality as shown by her opening prayer and her later continuing faith in Preacher.

There’s a later scene between her and Preacher that could prove to be awkward to the audience. Her admiration for the courage of Preacher grows into infatuation, and Megan seeks to entice the interest of him. As the moral center of the film, Preacher turns her down. Because of her youth, her strong emotional attachment, and the mistaken reading of interactions, she takes his rejection to mean something else. Her mood swings quickly from one of attraction to that of jilted hatred. If not handled properly, this scene could come off as disingenuous and awkward. However, Penny portrays Megan the way a teenager would act in the moment. Beneath the surface you can tell there’s no true hatred. There’s just a confused response due to her not getting what she wants in the moment.

Megan’s mother Sarah (Carrie Snodgrass) puts in a fine performance as the worn-down frontierswoman. However, the other actor that gives the film heart is that of Michael Moriarty, portraying the meek, but stubborn Hull Barret. He’s probably today most recognized as the protagonist of low-budget fare such as Q and The Stuff from Larry Cohen. In these films he plays extroverted eccentrics. Hull is mild-mannered and contemplative in contrast. This does not mean that he lacks courage. Earlier in the film, against LaHood’s commands, he enters the neighboring town for supplies to repair the ransacked settlement. Before he leaves, LaHood’s men assault him. Still, he requires the muscle that Preacher can provide to fight back.

Preacher, however, provides more than physical strength. He gives the community faith. Faith in a better tomorrow. Even LaHood recognizes this as more of an obstacle to his operations than just individual opposition. “A man without spirit is whipped. But a preacher, he could give them faith. Once ounce of faith, they’ll be dug in deeper than tick on a hound.”

A beautiful example of the positive influence that Preacher has on the settlers is concerning a situation with a massive ore boulder. Though Hull believes there’s gold hidden within, the task of chipping away at it seems too much. It’s Preacher’s initiative of striking away at the ore that prompts Hull to join in. As Preacher stands up to threats from LaHood’s son and an imposing hired henchmen, the rest of the community realizes that they don’t need to be afraid anymore if they stick together. They then assist to hammer away on the ore, revealing what Hull believed was within originally.

It’s interesting to note that though the villains of the film are hateworthy, they’re not portrayed as cartoonish. It would’ve been too easy, especially coming from a Spaghetti Western background, for Eastwood to portray the antagonists as bloodthirsty maniacs, without concern for law or the mores of the day. However, LaHood tries to work his schemes through the protections of the law. He’s careful not to kill the settlers; in the opening scene, the only casualties are livestock and Megan’s pet dog. He’s even willing to buy them off their land, paying a high price for each head. Finally, he utilizes the services of a Marshal named Stockburn and his deputies.

However, Eastwood wants you to realize that though these actions may be legally right, they fail to measure to the standards of higher, moral law. It thus seems fitting that Preacher faces down Stockburn, LaHood, and their men. He’s either a divine revenant or the personification of Death coming to claim those that God has judged.

“Come and See!” These are some of the words from Revelation 6:7,8 pointing out the fourth horsemen of the Apocalypse. These verses are also the basis for the film title. Eastwood wanted to show audiences that the Western was not dead. It could still tell innovative stories. Though the film features elements from both classic and Italian Westerns, it also points forward to the revisionist Westerns that would be popularized in the 90s, including his classic Unforgiven.

The moody theme that lingers while Preacher is on screen. The early winter setting, which gives off the chill of the grave. The emotional highs and lows vividly depicted by even the minor characters. These aspects, among others, make Pale Rider to be Eastwood’s defining movie of the 80s. It gathers past elements of both acted and directed Clint Eastwood films into one narrative. However, it also shows the promise that he had much more to say, whatever the genre.

I figured I’d be safe going to the well again with the NES games. We love to come back here. We love the thunder. The light. It’s just what we know. I’ll skip a lengthy introduction; I’m after my familiar methods today, bringing you three more games for the NES/Famicom.

BURAI FIGHTER

Taxan, 1990

Burai Fighter is another one of the great shmups for the NES. The plot is pretty formulaic (alien warfare, you’re the only one who can save us, yada yada), but playing this one is a ton of fun. You can move and fire in different directions, which allows for great control of the battlefield. And this shit does get rough. The bosses are particularly interesting in Burai Fighter, but there’s never a dull moment. Between the fighting and the goodies you can grab, it’s a thriller once you get the hang of it.

This is a moving Dio song right here. Poetry in motion.

The game looks great, nothing too fancy but crisp and clean. The soundtrack is one I can enjoy; some of it is squeaky high-end-heavy filler, but for the most part it keeps up. I give Burai Fighter 7 out of 10. An admitted bias for the genre and an appreciation for the cool bosses has me digging this one from Taxan.

DIRTY HARRY

Gray Matter, 1990

This shit is for real. You want a mean, wild game? Get in on my dude Harry here.

You are marching around kicking furniture, shooting men in the face, stomping on snakes, leaping over floor lasers. Just ducking makes you immune to ball bats. Oh, and you can swap your blue and white suits out. Suffice it to say this plays a little more like you’d expect an adaptation of Bad Lieutenant to play. It’s still a lot of fun. It’s ordered chaos in a manageable package. My only minor gripe is that it’s one of those games where so many of the scenes look the same that it can get mildly disorienting. Whatever. So would an actual city. Well done. Pretty fun active gameplay makes up for a lot though. I like kicking around in Dirty Harry. You can get pretty sick gun power ups, and it’s fun to just plow through.

He’s not even worried. He’s adjusting his collar. Fuck your gasoline in a bottle.

There’s nothing too spit-and-polish about the graphics but they get the job done. The music is kind of loud, but it’s pretty good, written by composers Steven Samler and Elliot Delman. This game, in fact, is the only NES title to credit the composers not only in the manual, but on the back of the game’s box.

Dirty Harry gets 7 out of 10 in my book. Only the eventual monotony counts against it; otherwise it’s an entertaining title with a lot of sit-and-play value to it.

TASAC

Thin Chen, 1992

Sometimes it’s important to draw attention to something because it embodies an idea, principle, or concept in action. An icon of its kind. Sometimes an object lesson.

Tasac is an object lesson in really not trying very hard.

This game was produced and released in 1992. Let’s have a look at it, item by item. Gameplay? An oversimplified, lazy version of a genre it’s hard to fuck up. The plot is kind of cool, according to a snippet I found from GameFAQs:

“In A.D. 20XX, humans are engaged in fierce warfare with TASAC – the alien bionic mutants. Landsy and Dagrel, commanders of Earth Defense Arms, are encountering the toughest enemies known to man. They must destroy TASAC to rescue the Earth, otherwise humans will be turned into slaves under the TASAC terrorism!”

The graphics? Are you kidding? Unforgivably lazy. Music and sound? 1986 sound while clumsy circus-like music meanders across the drab play space. It’s really the kind of soundtrack that belongs in a McDonald’s Playland.

Christmas candy choo choo train colors and big clunky crunchy -looking fuckery. Hudson had this kind of shit beat in 1987. This is out of some kind of mill. Some kind of terror-basement. I never.

This is two steps up from Galaga. Not to talk shit on Galaga, even. Galaga outshines this easily. It doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. Game FAQs rates it 2.5 out of 5. I’m giving Tasac a 2 out of 10. It is a game. I’m not willing to give it much else.

Thanks for tuning in again. We’ll do three more on Thursday. Stay Retro!