Some good westerns? (1 Viewer)

[alan halvorson]

Has no one seen Barbarosa, with Willie Nelson and Gary Busey? Not on dvd, only a full screen LD, but highly recommended nonetheless.

 

[Steve_Ch]

It just occur to me that the list is a little thin on the "old line" western "gangs", such as Kris Christopherson as Billy the Kid in Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid". I think both Robert Taylor and Audie Murphy played lead Billy the Kid role as well (can't remember the name of those movies, left hand gun or some such ??).
There's also the 1960 Alamo, not typical, but anything that centers around Dave Crocket and Jim Bowie HAS to be a western, right ?
One real great one that I almost forgot, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, with Cliff Robertson as Cole Younger and Robert Duvall as Jesse James.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Steve,

Are you thinking of Paul Newman, when he played Billy the Kid in "The Left-handed Gun". By the way, Paul Newman wasn't the original choice to play that role. It was initially intended for James Dean before his death. Also, Robert Taylor did play him in "Billy the Kid".

Crawdaddy

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Here's a list of my favorite Westerns:

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - The DVD is presented in a glorious 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer. The audio is just DD 1.0 mono. (I prefer DD 2.0 mono for mono presentations; but that's just me.) This is one of my favorite Westerns ever. Every time I've cajoled a guest into viewing this they come away a fan of the movie.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Again, a wonderful 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is provided and the audio is DD 2.0 mono. This is basically a Western for people that are on the fence regarding Westerns. The chemistry between Newman and Redford is unmistakable, palpable, and contagious. It's obvious that they are both having a great deal of fun with the movie, and we can't help but react to that.

The Outlaw Josey Wales - The transfer is 2.35:1 anamorphic and the audio has been upgraded in fine fashion to DD 5.1. This is a "hardcore" Western. It's not recommended for beginners.

Maverick - Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic and DD 5.1. As with the TV series that preceded it, this is a Western with a "quip". Highly recommended for casual fans of the genre.

The Magnificent Seven - A magnificent effort from MGM; with a sturdy (though not spectacular) 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer and the audio slightly updated to DD 5.1. Due to the bevy of stars on hand, this is a good flick even for the casual Western fan.

Favorite Western Satires:

Blazing Saddles - (2.35:1/anamorphic) This incredible satire was so good it may have contributed to the death of the genre.

The Three Amigos! – (1.85:1) A satire of The Magnificent Seven and a predecessor to Bug’s Life (Randy Newman was involved with both the “Amigos” and “Bug’s Life” projects and it shows.)

Rustlers' Rhapsody – NOT ON DVD YET, this is the best satire of the stylized “Singing Cowboy” I’ve ever witnessed.

Favorite “Western-Type” movie:

City Slickers - Is it a Western and/or a Western satire? Who cares! It’s got horses, cattle, roundups, and six shooters. .PLUS, it’s a lot of fun! The DVD is presented in a pretty good 1.85:1 transfer with DD 2.0 surround audio.

 

[Scott-C]

I love all of the Clint westerns, but my favorites are Pale Rider, Unforgiven, and The Outlaw Josey Wales (in fact just upgraded my copy of OJW to the Re-release special edition).

As for newer westerns, I really enjoyed Tombstone and plan on purchasing the Vista series release coming out on 1/15/2002.

I've really come to enjoy westerns even though I don't recall watching many of them in my youth.

 

[Steve_Ch]

Ah, totally forgot about Paul Newman, thanks, yes indeed, that's the "left hand" movie that I was thinking of.

 

[Terry H]

Andrew, glad you brought up "Lonesome Dove." I read the book first, which was my first and only Western novel. If you think the Western film genre is underrated, I must assume that the Western novel is even moreso (beyond a few authors like L'amour, etc.). This was one of the better translations of book to film with standout performances and great, understated direction. Outstanding.

Well, the book won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and it was well deserved. I don't know if the mini-series won any awards but it should have. How could I forget? Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Adam_S]

Definitly
The Man who Shot Liberty Valance
High Noon
Shane
Unforgiven
Tombstone
And if you're unsure just look for the name Link Removed and you'll be okay (how can you go wrong with the man that's won more best director awards than anyone else?)
ADam

 

[george kaplan]

Well Ford did win 6 best director oscars, but only one of those (Stagecoach) was for a western.

 

[Maurice McCone]

OUTLAND.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Well Ford did win 6 best director oscars, but only one of those (Stagecoach) was for a western.

George,
He only won four AA's for best director and not one was for a western. The other two were for best documentaries during WWII. The following are the films he was recognized as being the best director:

• The Informer
• How Green Was My Valley
• The Grapes of Wrath
• The Quiet Man

Crawdaddy

 

[george kaplan]

I misread the info at imdb.com. Doh. He was nominated for Stagecoach but didn't win, and the Long Voyage Home was nominated for best picture.

 

[Marc Webster]

I have to say that most of my favorite westerns have been mentioned, but I could still add a few classics.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller - A great movie and superb cast. Robert Altman at his best.

Red Sun - Probably one of the worst DVD's ever relased as far as the video transfer, but still a terrific movie. Toshiro Mifune at his best.

Ulzana's Raid - A truly beautiful, yet brutal movie covers a range a real human emotions. This is one of the finest westerns ever made.

I'm still waiting for "Valdez Is Comming"

 

[Richard Travale]

The Terror of Tinytown has to be one of the best westerns out there. You probably won't find it on DVD though.

 

[Nate Anderson]

I absolutely recommend all three of the "Man with no Name" films. Good, The Bad and The Ugly is probably the most famous, but I've heard more fans of the trilogy say that For a Few Dollars More was the best.

It should also be noted, that the Man with No Name does in fact have a name. Actually, three names. In Fistful of Dollars it was Joe, and I can't remember what it was in For a Few Dollars More, and in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, it was Blondie, I believe...

I also recommend The Searchers and The Man who Shot Liberty Valance.

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>OUTLAND>Red Sun

 

[JamesHromadka]

I like the humorous westerns. Rio Bravo, Support Your Local Sheriff/Gunfighter, and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid are great, and I'm praying for Fox to one day release North to Alaska on DVD so I don't have to annoy my in-laws by watching it on their VCR every time I visit them.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Okay, programming my own western film festival, I'll pick a lucky seven:
My Darling Clementine - Best Wyatt Earp film ever, IMHO
The Searchers - The pinnacle of several great Ford-Wayne collaborations. Its influence and reach are so far beyond the Western genre it is unimaginable. e.g. it was the inspiration for Taxi Driver
High Noon - Near perfect western suspense set-up whether or not your antennae are tuned for political allegory
Rio Bravo - Pure Howard Hawksian entertainment at its finest. The thematic flip side of High Noon.
Ride the High Country - Hands down my favorite Peckinpah film, and you can't have a western film festival without Randolph Scott & Joel McCrea, so it kills three birds with one stone
Fistful of Dollars - A lean, mean, Clint & Sergio Machine, although Leone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" or "Once Upon a Time in the West" would work equally well
Unforgiven - Ignore the backlash. This is the last word in revisionist takes on the revisionist western genre.
Unfortunately, Clementine and High Country are not yet available on R1 DVD.
Addendum - Dang! No room for Shane or The Naked Spur, okay, make it nine films. It would be a shame to not include the archetype that is Shane or at least one Mann/Stewart classic
Regards,

 

[Butch C]

Has anyone mentioned The Wild Bunch ?
Is there a MAN on earth who does not love and worship The Good The Bad and the Ugly aka Il Buono, Il Cattivo e Il Bruto

 

[MichaelW]

Hmmmm....

For all around fun... Silverado. Has everything.

For the classic... The Man With No Name Trilogy cannot be beat.

If you've got six hours and can stand the poor transfer... Lonsome Dove is indeed a great series.

You simply cannot miss Unforgiven.