Mexican standoff 1966 Western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", where the titular characters played by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach face each other at gunpoint. Director John Woo, considered a major influence on the action genre, is known for his highly chaotic action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and frequent use of slow motion. Director Quentin Tarantino (who has cited Woo as an influence) has featured Mexican standoff scenes in his films like "Pulp Fiction" (restaurant sequence); "Inglourious Basterds" (the tavern scene features multiple Mexican standoffs including meta-discussion); and the climactic scene of "Reservoir Dogs", which depicts a standoff
Clint Eastwood in the 2000s Clint Eastwood in the 2000s In 2000, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in "Space Cowboys" as Frank Corvin, a retired NASA engineer called upon to save a failing Russian satellite. Roger Ebert commented, "Eastwood as director is as sure-handed as his mentors, Don Siegel and Sergio Leone. We leave the theater with grave doubts that the scene depicted in the final feel-good shot is even remotely possible, but what the hell; it makes us smile." In 2002, Eastwood played an ex-FBI agent on the track of a sadistic killer (Jeff Daniels) in the thriller "Blood Work". A. O. Scott of