Westerns Recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Anthony]

As a fan of all classic films, I'd say these western's are some of the best:
The Professionals*
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (and if you like that you'll like the prequel sequels(!) Fistfull of Dollars* and For a Few Dollars More*)
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Wild Bunch*
Unforgiven
Tombstone
Wyart Earp
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
The Searchers*
Rio Bravo
El Dorado

I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of these, if you are buying them the one's marked * have probably got special editions coming out within the next 18 months, if not much sooner.

M

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The two-disc edition has some transfer issues (I forget exactly what they are), but also has some cool extras. If there's a Target near you, for some reason they always seem to have the best price on it.

 

[Paul Sandhu]

I only saw the single disc one. I'll look around for the 2-disc set. I'll have to look at FutureShop or Best Buy, there are no Targets in this part of Canada.

 

[richardWI]

Which are, arguably, the weakest period of westerns.

In my opinion, you're doing yourself a disservice by limiting yourself to recent westerns. You got 5 posts recommending The Good The Bad and The Ugly. I recommend it as well. If you only see one western that is over 20 years old, see that one. Expand your horizons just a tad. You might like it.

 

[Bryan Ri]

There's a good deal of haloing from edge enhancement, but the movie is good enough to let that slide, in my opinion.

 

[Elizabeth S]

I really like Walter Hill's The Long Riders.


Is there a WS version of this on DVD? Very fond of this film, but I've only seen a FF version at the B&M.

 

[Randy B A]

I would go with Trinity films and My Name is Nobody, as well as the Long Riders, Once Upon a Time in the West, and any Clint Eastwood film.

 

[Jerome Grate]

The Quick and the Dead. One of my favs

 

[Paul_Scott]

yeah. it was originally issued as a ws/p&s flipper, but then, like a lot of titles recently, Columbia/Sony reissued the disc as full frame only.

i'm sure there are still widescreen copies out there somewhere.
you might have to go online to get one though.

 

[Joe Bernardi]

I'll also recommend older must-see westerns, especially Shane, High Noon, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

 

[MikeHerbst]

I can't believe no one has mentioned "Silverado" yet! My favorite western. I usually have to put on a stiff-brimmed stetson to sit down and watch this one!

Beautiful scenery, a (literally) all-star cast, and good intricacy and backstory make for a fantastic and fun film, despite the simplistic setup of the conflict.

(But I can only think of a few westerns that aren't a simplistic conflict. Its always ranchers versus farmers, ranchers versus ranchers, robbing a bank/stagecoach, or killing someone who needs killing!)


Other notable Westerns:
Another vote for "Unforgiven"
Another vote for "Open Range"
"Dances with Wolves"
"High Plains Drifter"
"The Ox Bow Incident"
"The Shadow Riders" (TV)

I question my wife's taste in Westerns, as she clearly doesn't "get" the genre, but her favorites are:
"The Quick and the Dead" (or at least Russel Crowe...)
"Quigley Down Under"
"Purgatory" (TV) Shudder...

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Well, he was looking for something to watch now -- if he wants to pick up Silverado, then he should wait for the (quite reasonably priced) April 5 release of the 2-disc Superbit special edition.

 

[John Hodson]

Ohhh - in westerns you'll find practically everything, drama, comedy, noir, elements of greek tragedy, stories taken from the classics, films that are operatic in execution, movies that are so beautiful to look at they almost hurt your eyes...

With westerns, it just isn't that simple. A few of my favourites:

The Searchers
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Rio Grande
My Darling Clementine
The Wild Bunch
Bend of The River
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Heaven's Gate
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Far Country
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Unforgiven
Winchester '73
Destry Rides Again
The Professionals
Geronimo: An American Legend
The Man From Laramie
Vera Cruz
The Shootist
The Ox Bow Incident
High Noon
Wild Bill
Rio Bravo
Shane
Bad Company
The Mark of Zorro
The Long Riders
El Dorado
The Sons of Katie Elder
The Hired Hand
Once Upon a Time in The West
The Last of the Mohicans
Tombstone
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
The Plainsman
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
Northwest Passage
Union Pacific
Drums Along The Mohawk
The Last of the Mohicans (1936)
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Young Mr Lincoln
Junior Bonner
The Virginian
The Naked Spur
The Return of Frank James
Tin Star
Hombre
Run of The Arrow
Fort Apache
Ride the High Country
Lonely Are The Brave
Major Dundee
Jesse James
The Cowboys
One Eyed Jacks
Viva Zapata!
Custer of the West
The Spoilers
They Died With Their Boots On
Wagon Master
Stagecoach
High Plains Drifter
The Red Badge of Courage
3 Godfathers
McCabe & Mrs Miller
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
The Tall T
The Westerner
Little Big Man
Nevada Smith
Wyatt Earp
Johnny Guitar
Red River
A Fistful of Dynamite
Open Range
Gunfight at The O.K. Corral
True Grit
The Kentuckian
The Alamo
Gettysburg
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Duel in The Sun
Lonesome Dove Collection
The Magnificent Seven

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I can't believe John's comprehensive list left off "3:10 to Yuma". Glenn Ford + Van Heflin + Delmer Daves + Elmore Leonard + Frankie Laine theme song = top-notch Columbia western.

Another one I would add, not on DVD yet, is "The Left-Handed Gun". It's one of the better Billy the Kid movies.

Regards,

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Don't forget Bill & Ted!

 

[John Hodson]

Neither can I ; I also listed The Man From Laramie twice, but come to think of it, I do like it that much...

 

[Bob_S.]

No one, including John, mentioned "How the West Was Won". This is one of my personal favorites.

 

[Paul Sandhu]

Are there any good Jesse James movies? And which is the better Wyatt Earp movie? Wyatt Earp or Tombstone?

 

[John Hodson]

Get Walter Hill's The Long Riders; should keep you going until we get Tyrone Power's interpretation of the role. Oddly, Fritz Lang's sequel The Return of Frank James is better than Henry King's movie.

Wyatt Earp and Tombstone are wildly different films and both have great merit (Russell is a blazing ball of fire - 'skin that smoke wagon and see what happens' - Costner smoulders, but has great presence - 'My name's Wyatt Earp. And this ends now!'). The best Wyatt Earp movie by a country mile is My Darling Clementine and Fox's disc is superb.

 

[MikeHerbst]

See, that's why I love westerns. I'm not saying the MOVIES are simple, just that usually the SETUP for whatever conflict is going on is usually simple.

That you can take something as basic as: "4 guys are free-grazing their cattle in pastureland near a town. The local big-time rancher doesn't like it, and trys to stop them" and then turn it into something epic and deeply touching, is EXACTLY the strength of the western.

Like I said, whatever REAL dramatic elements may be visited in a westen, it almost always comes down to:
Farmers vs. Ranchers
Ranchers vs. Ranchers
Robbing Somthing, (or defendings something being robbed)
Killing someone who needs killing.
and I'll add to my previous list:
Indians vs. Ranchers/Farmers
Defending your land (see * vs. Ranchers)
Rescuing someone who needs rescuing, (possibly for money)

But yes, the skill with which movie makers transform a simple conflict into a metaphor for lifes various struggles, and makes it about a common human experience, is what can make a great western.