What's Your Favorite Western?

The recent Jesse James / Brad Pitt movie is phenomenal for me.

Also side note, High Plains Drifter is hardcore. The opening scene where Clint rides into town for a bath and a shave is creepy cool. And he rapes a woman. I'd say its safe to assume we will never see the "hero" of a movie rape a woman ever again, I can't believe what they used to get away with.
Anyways, awesome revenge movie.
 
I updated my original post with mine, but here it be...



The Callaghan Top Ten:

#1 The Searchers (1956)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0049730/

#2 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0056217/

#3 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0060196/

#4 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0064115/

#5 Rio Bravo (1959)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0053221/

#6 Tombstone (1993)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0108358/

#7 High Noon (1952)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0044706/

#8 Tie: Unforgiven (1992) -and- Silverado (1985)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0105695/
http://imdb.com/title/tt0090022/

#9 Bandolero! (1968)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0062708/

#10 Stagecoach (1939)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031971/


Honorable Mentions

-The Magnificent Seven (1960)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0054047/

-Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0064116/

-Winchester ‘73 (1950)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0043137/

-Dances With Wolves (1990)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0099348/

-The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0075029/ ​
 
Actually, since the time this list was Callaghan'ed...I would probably work in the NEW 3:10 to Yuma hmmmmmm
hmm....gif
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I disagree.

I consider No Country for Old Men to be on my list as well.

I don't care what year it was set in.
Call it a modern day western. :)

MAH
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The inflection was on the DEEP SOUTH part. What is "western" about Oh Brother?! It is a PRISON/ESCAPE picture or a PERIOD PIECE...I guess technically you could color it "EPIC" being that it was based on The Odyssey. Is Shawshank to you crazy mixed-up kids a "western" too?:huh:

Of course No Country is a NEO-WESTERN (who would argue that?):beer:
 
Django, Lo Chiamavano King, Unforgiven, The Dollars Trilogy, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, The Magnificent Seven, The Wild Bunch, Once Upon a Time in The West, Once Upon a Time in China and America, The Searchers, No Country for Old Men, The Missing, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Rio Bravo, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Billy Jack.

There are dozens more, but these are some of my favorites...
 
CallaghanFilms said:
The inflection was on the DEEP SOUTH part. What is "western" about Oh Brother?! It is a PRISON/ESCAPE picture or a PERIOD PIECE...I guess technically you could color it "EPIC" being that it was based on The Odyssey. Is Shawshank to you crazy mixed-up kids a "western" too?:huh:

Of course No Country is a NEO-WESTERN (who would argue that?):beer:
Click to expand...
You only mentioned the year and the location as why it couldn't be a western.

There's no reason why a western style film can't be set in the deep south during the 1930's. That was my disagreement.
EDIT: If it's good enough for Tarantino. :beer:

Now, if you want to use other reasons as to why Oh Brother wouldn't be classified as a western then I hear you.


MAH
 
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My all time favorite Western is a little known Canadian gem from 1982, "The Grey Fox." :thumbsup: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085622/

In 1901, after 33 years in San Quentin, stagecoach robber Bill Miner is released into the twentieth century. A man out of place in a modern world, he is inspired after seeing his first Photoplay, "The Great Train Robbery."

A lot of things to love about this movie. In particular, the performance of Richard Farnsworth, a real life cowboy stuntman, as Bill Miner. The directing by Philip Borsos. The cinematography, reminiscent of Ridley Scott's first film "The Duellists." (Frank Tidy BSC was the dp on both)

Highly recommended, but hard to find. Not on DVD. :(
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
You only mentioned the year and the location as why it couldn't be a western.

There's no reason why a western style film can't be set in the deep south during the 1930's. That was my disagreement.
EDIT: If it's good enough for Tarantino. :beer:

Now, if you want to use other reasons as to why Oh Brother wouldn't be classified as a western then I hear you.


MAH
Click to expand...

I actually agree with Callaghan Films. Oh Brother was a delta film, with a decidedly Southern tradition. The music in the film was of an Appalachian Folk tradition with markedly southern baptist over tones. The manner of behavior of Everett's wife and kids, of pretty much every one outside of the travellers and George was more "traditional southern baptist bible belt." The settings exuded a delta feeling injecting the blues, gospel, folk, and hanging other similarly Mississippi delta accoutrements in the backgrounds. It didn't feel western at all, nor was it designed to be western....

Oh and I forgot "The Proposition" f-ing awesome film!
 
pharpsied said:
I actually agree with Callaghan Films. Oh Brother was a delta film, with a decidedly Southern tradition.
Click to expand...
You're not hearing me, I was disagreeing with his first statement below...
CallaghanFilms said:
Set in the 1930's Deep South...decidedly not a Western.:beer:
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I don't think it's the location or the time period that doesn't make it a western.

As I said..
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
Now, if you want to use other reasons as to why Oh Brother wouldn't be classified as a western then I hear you.
Click to expand...

I get what he's saying now so it's all good. :)
Just didn't want to corner any western into location/time specific criteria.

MAH
 
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[CallaRant]Oy vey! Why is it seemingly so taboo around here to even suggest making a "genre film"?! Those fortunate enough to make a name for themselves in the industry could very well be asked to make a "genre film"...I'm sure said producer will [sarcasm]love[/sarcasm] it when the filmmaker he intrusted to do so wiggles and worms his way into this and that zany interpretation until the project proposed is nothing resembling the genre he was asked to undertake.

I have a theory. I think it goes beyond a dislike for Westerns themselves, and has more to do with political correctness. Because some today say we should be overly worried about labeling, does that idea trickle down to every other aspect of the culture (including films)? So that labels/classifications themselves are now thought of as evil/vulgar/uncouth?? I actually saw someone suggest (in one of these westfest threads)that a Canadian Mountie hat would qualify as a cowboy hat...[/CallaRant]

*not directed at you MAH, just venting*


Edit: fixed typo
 
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CallaghanFilms said:
[CallaRant]I actually saw someone suggest (in one of these westfest threads)that a Canadian Mountie hat would qualify as a cowboy hat...[/CallaRant]

*not directed at you MAH, just venting*
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LOL! No worries. I get you. :)

The scripts I've written for this fest are all old style westerns. So far anyway.
I've also seen some pretty damn good nontraditional westerns so I'm game for something new.

Trust me, after watching 40 or 50 traditional westerns in a row I'll be happy for the few that think outside the box.

I think most people are embracing the theme though, myself included.

So Callaghan, you jumping in this fest?

MAH
 
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