Its funny you should bring up Bogart. Because Duke did a remake of sort of a Bogart movie. He even had the same female lead.The African Queen/ Rooster Cogburn and the Lady. If you don't want to see NTG don't go. But criticize a film after you have seen it.
So I admit I'm a film snob. I am currently working on 3 screenplay collaborations with an independent film company owner in California. There is so little good stuff in film, that when we see someone iconic like The Duke or Bogart come along its very noteworthy. I'm not in love with all of John Wayne's stuff. I thought that McQ was abysmal and I have it listed on my "Top 10 worst late-career performances" on my FB page, along with Bogart's "we're no angels". But even The Dukes early stuff can be enjoyable, like Shadow of the Eagle. Hollywood used to be about craft, quality, plot, depth... all those intangibles that make a "movie" a "film". Now, very few movies even reach up for a high mark. Its about $$$. I will not be rewarding them with my money on this one.
Again, from a professional writers perspective, so I am sure I am more critical than most. And I think he should have received the Award for the Shootist, instead of True Grit. But at that time, Hollywood didn't know that the Shootist was coming, and they had to award him for something for his body of work before they lost him. Sounds cynical I know, but Hollywood deserves very little credit nowadays.
On the brighter side, Hollywood made 5 amazing westerns withing a short time frame that I consider the best ever: Rio Bravo, The Gunfighter, High Noon, Magnificent 7 and Winchester 73. But it was not my intent to hijack this thread. I could talk film all day long.
