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Author Topic: Definitive or Must Have Western Films  (Read 113166 times)

Offline THE CID

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2015, 05:45:36 PM »
Mckennas Gold plenty of baddies and Apaches and sexy woman, could you ask for more?
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Offline goon3423

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2015, 06:39:35 PM »
"Once Upon a Time in the West"- Bronson doing his best quiet cool & Fonda has one of his very few villian roles. Plus the opening scene is one of the best ever in a western in my humble opinion.

 "Django"- Again the opening with Nero dragging the coffin across the desert is a great visual, the rest of the movie is pretty fun too.

"The Good, The Bad & The Ugly"- Do I really have to explain that one?

Those three, "Open Range" & really either version of "True Grit" are usually my go-to's.

On the guilty pleasure front I love "The Burrowers", western & horror are not combined nearly enough! On the horizion I'm looking forward to "Bone Tomahawk" & "The Thicket" which are both in the pipeline for release at some point.
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Offline gary42

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #17 on: January 02, 2015, 06:47:37 PM »
"Cat Ballou"!  Love Lee Marvin in it!  Fonda is my alltime scariest villain in "Once Upon A Time...".  Big fan of "The Cowboys" too.  Can't forget "The Long Riders" for it's grit.  GREAT movie!
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Offline Vanvlak

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #18 on: January 02, 2015, 07:02:48 PM »

"The Good, The Bad & The Ugly"- Do I really have to explain that one?

Ditto - together with 'For a Fistful of Dollars' and 'For a fistful of dollars more' - all three for the Direction of Sergio Leone, and the characterful Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef; the long, drawn-out shoot outs (especially the one with the pocket watch tune); and, in 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' for Eli Wallach's grand performance. And the Civil War river scene!

Once upon a time in the West (also Sergio Leone's) has also been mentioned, and it takes the spaghetti Western to it's limit.

I also have to admit a soft spot for 'The Magnificent Seven' - for Yul Brynner's Chris, Robert Vaughn's Lee, and the story (which in the credits acknowledges Kurosawa's original). AND the soundtrack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XDB7GMnbUQ[/url

P.S. - Ennio Morricone's tracks to the three Eastwood-Van Cleef-Leone spaghetti films are also brilliant.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2015, 07:20:24 PM by Vanvlak »

Offline frank xerox

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2015, 02:10:41 PM »
Ulzanas Raid, Apache on the warpath trailed by Burt Lancasters weary scout, gritty stuff with some great lines "apache warparties come in all sizes lieutenant, there's the kind with a hundred braves and there's the kind with just one". Great stuff.
Also, Wild Bill with Jeff Bridges, episodic but beautifully filmed & acted - "don't never touch another man's hat!"
And third Apaloosa, good acting, good script a nice take on "town taming" and the only film you'll rate renee zellwegger in. Though casting her as a sex symbol is stretching it if you ask me...

Offline Romark

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #20 on: January 03, 2015, 02:16:30 PM »
Yep,I'll second Ulzana's raid,Lancaster's character is great,only omitted it from my favorites because of the first restriction lol.


Offline frank xerox

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2015, 03:29:09 PM »
Yup, Burts contribution to the genre has been sadly overlooked - I'm just watching the Hallelujah Trail right now and laughing like a hyena. And I've just remembered the Scalphunters too.

Offline Elbows

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2015, 04:43:52 PM »
I'll be honest...as much as I love the Old West, very few films really strike a chord with me.  Some have some cool characters, but most are mediocre movies at best (yes, even the old Eastwood ones!).  They'd entertaining, but almost in a b-movie style sometimes.

Now, I love Tombstone as much as the next guy - because it's simply good entertainment.  I really enjoyed Open Range.  I like the characters from Appaloosa but I didn't enjoy the movie much.  The old Sergio Leone films I've mostly watched because I felt I "had to".  I've never been a mean-n-grumpy Eastwood fan, so the films just scratch the surface of really entertaining me.

All the films have some great lines and moments, but don't really make me fall in love with them.  I do prefer the old True Grit to the new one.  3:10 to Yuma is pretty bad, but has some fun characters.  I'd say just watch whatever you like and enjoy yourself.

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Offline doowopapocalypse

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #23 on: January 04, 2015, 07:08:53 PM »
Appaloosa
The Shootist
Joe Kidd
The Professionals
Vera Cruz
The Great Silence
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Offline FramFramson

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #24 on: January 05, 2015, 07:18:11 AM »
Can't believe it came to the second page before The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly was mentioned.

I know sometimes people don't want to go with the "popular" option, but to me it comes as close you get to the distilled essence of the post-Black-and-white-era western.

Westerns are very mythological, which is why I enjoy them, and TGTB&TU is about as mythological as Westerns get.


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Offline Blackwolf

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #25 on: January 05, 2015, 07:28:28 AM »
Clint Eastwood's" High Plains Drifter." If I were clever I would write a thesis about this film,one of my favourite films of any genre.
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Offline oldbear1962

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #26 on: January 05, 2015, 10:32:52 AM »
Two that I don't believe have been mentioned yet but are well worthy of attention:

1. Duel at Diablo. What's not to like? Great cast, a black gunslinger who isn't actually a naff stereotype, a great theme tune. Even a Scottish cavalry officer! Getting to see the uncut version has become difficult though.

2. The Glory Guys. This should not work at any level, yet it does (at least it does for me). A cavalry western headed by Tom Tryon (exactly) yet despite its late 60s mentality it manages to be gritty and entertaining, even when being obvious. It's hard to say why I like this one, but I'd encourage you to give it a go. Far better, in my opinion, than Soldier Blue, even allowing for the lack of Candice Bergen!

Offline goon3423

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #27 on: January 05, 2015, 12:31:46 PM »
I found the proposition quite awful. Very slow and insane. Red hill though another aussie western I thought was excellent. Classic story of man seeking justice with a gun.
Love me some Red Hill.

Online traveller

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #28 on: January 05, 2015, 01:47:47 PM »
Lots of goodies mentioned  :o

Dont forget the recent western series:

-Deadwood
-Hell on wheels

Not sure the following were mentioned:

-Seraphim Falls - Liam Neeson in great shape
-Young Guns - Billy the Kid
-Hatfields and McCoys - family feud with Kevin Costner


Offline Mike Blake

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Re: Definitive or Must Have Western Films
« Reply #29 on: January 05, 2015, 04:44:55 PM »
Pretty much all of the films mentioned would be in my Top 100 but one not mentioned is an often overlooked classic Ride The High Country/Guns In The Afternoon - my all time favourite Western.

An early Peckinpah it is an elegy for the end of the Old West. Stars Joel McCrea and Randaloph (I know, just joshin' - he's a great favourite of mine) Scott as two old gunfighters 'friends' making one last roll of the dice.

Before filming began they swapped roles - Scott had never played the 'bad' character (tough, hard, merciless, revengeful yes, but never an outlaw)and so he took the role intended for McCrea, who had.

No over-explicit violence but some nasty moments, and a great story which the director allows to be told at a steady pace. And of course  a final climatic shoot-out with a nice twist ending.
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