Watched 2 good Westerns the past 2 nights on Watch TCM
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phantomparticle — 3 years ago(December 09, 2022 08:24 PM)
I saw a ton of westerns growing up in the fifties, even though I wasn't a western fan. They were part of going to the theatre with friends. I was a science fiction and horror movie follower.
Within the last several years, however, I've collected a good share of westerns ranging from the silent days to contemporary.
If I had to pick favorites, those I watch more than others, they would be (in no particular order):
Lonesome Dove
Little Big Man
The Westerner (Cooper)
Man of the West (Cooper, again)
Unforgiven
Open Range
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
And This, Too, Shall Pass Away -
PygmyLion — 3 years ago(December 12, 2022 04:08 PM)
I watched
Little Big Man
for the first time, a couple of years back. I wasn't very impressed with it. It seemed sort of stupid to me. I would probably rate it a 6.
Wasn't
Lonesome Dove
a miniseries? I haven't watched it.
The Westerner
(1940) is an entertaining movie with Gary Cooper's character challenging Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan). 9 -
LorqVonRay1999 — 3 years ago(December 15, 2022 02:35 PM)
I haven't seen the three Cooper films you have listed so I'll add those to my list of films to watch.
Lonesome Dove - this would be my pick for best western, tv or film, I've seen, also my favorite western novel
Unforgiven - not as big a fan of this one, I liked it, didn't love it
Open Range - I didn't expect to like this one at all but turned out to be one of my favorites
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - big sprawling epic of a western with terrific performances, cinematography and one of the great scores, maybe my favorite big screen western -
phantomparticle — 3 years ago(December 15, 2022 09:17 PM)
Do take a look at
The Westerner
and
Man of the West
, polar opposites in the Cooper universe. Made roughly ten years apart, the transformation of the lanky, self-amused saddle bum of 1949 into the world weary, ageing former gun slinger of 1958 is startling when viewed back-to-back. I can only think of the towering John Wayne reduced to a dying cancer patient in
The Shootist
as a comparison.
Lonesome Dove
is the greatest western ever made (all due respect to John Ford). It is inconceivable to envision the novel, especially now, in any format except the tv mini-series. If Duvall and Jones had never made another film after that, it would have been a fitting epitaph to their careers. The final scene between them ranks among the greatest moments in the history of the genre.
I found
Open Range
while surfing the cable channels and, like you, didn't expect much. Duval (again) and Costner (not my favorite actor) hold it all together. The final gunfight is amazing and is probably as close to reality as any actual Old West gunfight ever was, with each man methodically moving for advantage and carefully, expertly, drawing on his opponent as professionals who knew how to use their weapons. The exact opposite of the standard Hollywood running gunfight.
The dark and depressing
Unforgiven
wins my vote for brilliant film making and depth of character.
Can't say anything more about
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
that has not already been written, except to recommend to those who have not seen it, avoid the butchered American release and check out Leone's complete version.
And This, Too, Shall Pass Away -
PygmyLion — 3 years ago(January 29, 2023 02:54 AM)
I watched an interesting Western the other night on TCM
The Stalking Moon
(1968) - Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. Seemed almost like a Western version of
Cape Fear
, except that the homicidal Indian chasing them down was more of a mysterious character as opposed to Robert Mitchum. - 8
Gay 4 Fugazi 
Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 