Post by Erik Rupp on May 29, 2010 11:16:02 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of Westerns, and I have a large Western movie collection. Some of the Westerns that I have watched over the years have really stood out, including...
Warlock (1959) - It's a great movie with a fantastic cast including Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, DeForest Kelley, and Frank Gorshin. It's a very intelligent Western with some adult themes (for the day). It has held up very well over the years and has been rediscovered thanks to cable & DVD.
The Last Train From Gun Hill - Similar to Warlock, again a great cast (this time it's Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn), and again a great, intelligent script that was several years ahead of it's time.
Open Range - This one is just beautiful to watch. The cinematography is gorgeous - some of the best photography ever in a Western, and that's saying a lot. The script is very well written with full, well rounded characters that grow, and motivations that make a lot of sense. The story starts off at a leisurely pace and builds and builds until the final shootout - one of the best shootouts ever filmed!
The Tin Star - Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins. The stark black and white fits the story well. Fonda is a reluctant lawman (of sorts), and Perkins is the overly eager lawman in over his head.
7 Men From Now - One of the finest Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher Westerns. Lee Marvin gives a great performance as the heavy, and Scott gives one of the best performances of his career in this one (that may not be saying much as he almost always played himself, but here he does tweak it a bit and elevates his performance). A must see, for sure.
The Shootist - John Wayne's final film, and the best performance of his career. Director Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) does a great job with both Wayne and the rest of the cast (an all star group who wanted to work with Wayne on his last film). The script is excellent and this one hits all the right notes. A great Western, and a great movie in general.
more to come...
Warlock (1959) - It's a great movie with a fantastic cast including Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, DeForest Kelley, and Frank Gorshin. It's a very intelligent Western with some adult themes (for the day). It has held up very well over the years and has been rediscovered thanks to cable & DVD.
The Last Train From Gun Hill - Similar to Warlock, again a great cast (this time it's Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn), and again a great, intelligent script that was several years ahead of it's time.
Open Range - This one is just beautiful to watch. The cinematography is gorgeous - some of the best photography ever in a Western, and that's saying a lot. The script is very well written with full, well rounded characters that grow, and motivations that make a lot of sense. The story starts off at a leisurely pace and builds and builds until the final shootout - one of the best shootouts ever filmed!
The Tin Star - Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins. The stark black and white fits the story well. Fonda is a reluctant lawman (of sorts), and Perkins is the overly eager lawman in over his head.
7 Men From Now - One of the finest Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher Westerns. Lee Marvin gives a great performance as the heavy, and Scott gives one of the best performances of his career in this one (that may not be saying much as he almost always played himself, but here he does tweak it a bit and elevates his performance). A must see, for sure.
The Shootist - John Wayne's final film, and the best performance of his career. Director Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) does a great job with both Wayne and the rest of the cast (an all star group who wanted to work with Wayne on his last film). The script is excellent and this one hits all the right notes. A great Western, and a great movie in general.
more to come...