Westerns Recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[Paul Sandhu]

For some reason I'm in the mood for a good western. Can anyone recommend any westerns on DVD? I've heard that Young Guns is pretty good. The only westerns I've actually seen are American Outlaws, Shanghai Noon and Maverick (I don't know if you call them westerns).

Thanks.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Young Guns is kind of cheesy -- it's almost more of a brat pack vehicle than a true western.

Some of the best westerns are The Searchers, The Wild Bunch, and The Magnificent Seven. If you're interested in something more recent, then Unforgiven is great too.

 

[Paul Sandhu]

Does Unforgiven have characters based on real Old West gunslingers? I'm a sucker for a movie based on a "real" person(s) or events. I'm more into the more recent movies (last two decades).

 

[Frank Ha]

My Darling Clementine is supposed to be based on the Gunfight at the OK Corral. It doesn't really follow the facts at all. If you can overlook the fact that it doesn't jive well with history, I think you'll find it to be an excellent movie.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Unforgiven is totally made up. If you want to see a good recent western that's based on historical events, then you should check out Tombstone, which is about the gunfight at the OK Corral. (A lot of people like Wyatt Earp too, but I can't comment since I haven't seen it. Some people don't care for it, so YMMV.)

My Darling Clementine is an excellent film, but it doesn't have much to do with the real events of the OK Corral beyond the names of the characters and the fact that it has a gunfight in it.

 

[Scott Kimball]

These aren't based on anything real, but I recommend the following:

Once Upon a Time in the West

This is probably my highest praised DVD release in all of the over 100 reviews I've done for HTF. Here is the link to the review:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=167563



The Tin Star

This is sort of a "lost" western... atypical of the genre and highly underrated. Less action... more of a thinking man's western.

My review:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=199340

 

[Elinor]

The Lawless Breed (real gunslinger)

Red River

Fort Apache

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Cheyenne Autumn

 

[Pete York]

Paul,

Tombstone is a fine western of recent vintage based on real Old West characters. I would also strongly second Unforgiven . Good luck.

 

[PeterMano]

There's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Based on real figures, but very loosely based. Gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone and My Darling Clementine are my three wyatt earp films. Shane is a classic. Who Shot LIberty Vallance is a great film. Rio Bravo is a lot of fun. Cat Ballou is the best comic western this side of Blazing Saddles. The Big Country is a fave, but the transfer is sub-par. Hombre, The Professionals, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

One of my long awaited westerns is finally making it to dvd later this year. Hour of the Gun. Once again, based on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, lightly regarded, but in many ways, my favorite wyatt earp film. Great cinematography, music, and directed by John Sturges.

 

[Kain_C]

Wow, where to begin?

High Noon - The western to watch when you feel the whole damn world is against you.

Once Upon a Time in the West - An epic western. Fonda makes a GREAT bad guy.

'Dollars' Trilogy (Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) - My fav westerns. Gritty, hard boiled, uncompromising with characters that you can't trust yet can't help liking. The way these films are shot, although cheap, is by far some of the best, most interesting, and plain creative camerawork I have ever seen. Eastwood is the MAN in these films. Leone is a genius and so is Morricone (the film score composer). These films are legendary. GBU excels at not only a western, but almost as a war epic.

The Searchers - A perfect western and film. Everything from the direction to the score is absolutely on the money. Wayne is greater than usual in this. Larger than life and bad ass.

Red River - I love how the story progresses and how the roles are switched. A terrific film.

Rio Bravo/El Dorado - Almost the same movie but with a few different cast members. I prefer Rio Bravo by far, but Mitchum is good in the latter. Wayne is good in both.

Tombstone - Well made action western with some memorable performances and very quotable dialogue (Kilmer and about anything his Doc character says!).

Unforgiven - The mature western. A western with a message. But then it gets all badass at the end. Very well made.

Open Range - Great acting, direction, and beautiful cinematography help elevate a pretty bubblegum wrapper story into something alot more.

That's all I can think of now.

 

[Louis C]

Try "Outlaw Josey Wales" - generally regarded as Clint Eastwood's best western.

 

[Steve_L_B]

"Stagecoach" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" are two of my personal favorites. For a more recent film, "Open Range" is a very good one.

-Steve

 

[Brian PB]

There is a list of 30 Great Westerns at Images Journal, which is a good starting point. Not all of those listed are available on DVD. Here are the 18 which have been released:

Stagecoach (1939)
Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
Pursued (1947)
Red River (1948)
High Noon (1952)
Shane (1953)
Vera Cruz (1954)
The Man From Laramie (1955)
The Searchers (1956)
Rio Bravo (1959)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
The Wild Bunch (1968)
High Plains Drifter (1972)
Unforgiven (1992)

 

[Ryan Wong]

My favorate western movies are:

Back to the Future part III
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
An American Tail: Into the West

I don't really into western movies, but these can be the alternate choice for you.

Not recommend Wild Wild West though.

 

[JohnAP]

Open Range was the most recent Western to really do the genre justice. Tomestone and Unforgiven are also getting mentioned a lot and they are probably the two most memorable Westerns of the 90's. Dances With Wolves might belong in that category too, but I don't know as that's what you're looking for.

Personally, I get a smile from almost any Clint Eastwood Western. The Outlaw Josey Whales, The Three Dollars Trilogy, and Pale Rider are all definitely worth your time.

Young Guns does have the brat pack association, but I still think it, and young guns 2, are enjoyable western movies.

 

[Paul_Scott]

lately my favorite western has actually been a tv series from the 50s Have Gun-Will Travel.
unfortuantely it probably doesn't jibe with the OPs criteria, but this show has blown me away (never saw it before) and Palladin has become one of my favorite 'western heros' ever.
great stuff.
unfortunately the transfers for many of the episodes leave a lot to be desired.

on the movie side another film i really enjoyed, and never see mentioned, is Bite The Bullet with Gene Hackman, James Coburn, Ben Johnson among others.
really fine transfer on that one as well.
its from Richard Brooks who also did whats probabvly my favorite film in this genre, The Professionals (which i hear is getting a new SE soon though i think i will hold off for the Blu Ray version- the current bare bones disc is dirt cheap and has excellant video quality)

 

[Paul Sandhu]

Great suggestions. I already have Back to the Future part III as part of my trilogy set. Tonight I picked up Unfogriven SE and Young Guns SE. I saw Tombstone there but it looked like a barebones release to me so I decided to wait. I'm thinking about getting Wyatt Earp next week.

I didn't think of Open Range because I thought I heard it wasn't that great of a movie. I guess I'll pick that up with Wyatt Earp.

 

[Bryan Ri]

Here are my favorites Paul:
Tombstone- There's a nice two disc edition available.
Fistfull of Dollars
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Unforgiven
Once Upon a Time in the West- A must see, and the price is excellent on it.

 

[Harold Wazzu]

My favs are:

Open Range
Tombstone
Wyatt Earp
Unforgiven
Frank and Jesse

 

[Jeff_A]

I never tire of calling this the greatest western ever made.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance