A week or so ago, while trying out the Movies Anywhere service and functionality, it struck me how much I enjoy certain westerns.
Part of my functional testing involved launching a movie in one platform and seeing if it kept up with it on another platform. So, that meant actually watching a movie. Now, you’d think that if I own a movie, I wouldn’t mind watching it again. Well, that might be true most of the time, but I actually own some movies I don’t like. The reason isn’t important.
What is important (at least, at this moment) is that there are movies that I like to watch over and over. The Right Stuff is one, and the one I chose to test. But most of the others are westerns:
There were some of the ones I choose from. There were others, but these were the Final Five from which I chose The Right Stuff. But, I could just as easily picked one of those four westerns.
That’s when it occurred to me that I might like westerns. I never considered myself a fan of westerns. But, based on the fact that four of five “will watch again any time” movies I own are westerns, it caused me to rethink that.
Then, Harvey comes along and mentions a Webpage article that talks about The Best Westerns Ever Made. Or something like that.
Some of those are really good movies. Some, not among my favorites. I noticed that Blazing Saddles wasn’t on that list. That means the list is automatically heresy and and should be burned and the earth around it salted.
Now that I got that off my chest, what’s on yours? Got something you’d like to share? It’s Wednesday Night Open Thread.
Who wants to start?
I’ve watched The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly literally dozens of times. Just something about it.
A Fistful of Dollars should make the list of best western. Also one I can watch over and over.
Funny thing about that list… I loved Unforgiven, hated No Country for Old Men, and they’re right next to each other on the list.
Also, I think I liked Wayne’s True Grit better…
I agree. Not a fan of No Country For Old Men. And as good as the Cohen Bros. version of True Grit was, I’ll take the John Wayne film any day.
I like your list Basil, but I’d add one more movie to it….The Wild Bunch. Leaving Blazing Saddles off a “best of westerns list” is of course, blasphemy and the perps should be burned at the stake for such an afrontry. As far as the Dollar movies go, I like all three but my favorite of them is the middle one, For a Few Dollars More. Here’s one of my favorite scenes, Agua Caliente (Hot Water) where they don’t like anybody…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MocnTuhkQdQ
For westerns I do like the “trilogy” of
A Fistful if Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
I tried to make Blondie the same character in all the movies but my limited capacity for film fan theory just won’t let me connect them.
I however don’t like “Duck You Sucker” by the same director. It feels like watching a fever dream and there’s not a sympathetic character in the cast not even James Coburn.
Big fan of “The Outlaw Josey Wales” too. I started to read the book but I gave it away to a friend that was moving out of state and I never saw it again. I encouraged him to paint “GTT” on his door when he finally decided to move out of that state and come home though.
As far as comedy westerns Blazing Saddles has no equal even though Mel Brooks couldn’t end a movie we’ll to save his life. A lesser known gem is “Rustlers Rhapsody” a great parody of western movies. It has Tom Berlinger, Marilou Henner, and Andy Griffith. Narrated by GW Bailey as the town drunk. Yes you do too know who that is, just watch. You’ll see.
Here’s a tribute to all those spaghetti westerns by Bug Audio Dynamite, Good song
https://youtu.be/MMG3mBXS0M4
I’m not a good guy! I’m a lawyer!
*SPOILERS*
https://youtu.be/Qlp1efEEldA
“You’re not a good guy at all”
Oops there’s an inappropriate image in that slide-show version of the song. I should’ve reviewed it first, sorry.
I’ve always liked Hombre.
“Open Range”, “Lonesome Dove” and “Tombstone” are on my list. I like all things Cohen Brothers, so I am inclined to like their “True Grit” better than the original. “No Country…” I do not consider a western, but I do like it.
By far my favorite western is “Deadwood”
Warning: The F word is prevalent throughout the series and a couple times in this preview. If your ears are not a toilet, move along. There’s nothing to see here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4Dc-WqvJk
It’s a shame Deadwood was never concluded.
My favorite movie is Animal House. My favorite western is The Searchers.
Gene Amdahl, the chief architect of IBM’s System 360 series and the founder of Amdahl Corporation, which employed me for sixteen years, was born November 16, 1922, in Flandreau, South Dakota.
What, no “She wore a yellow ribbon”? Mission failure.
I would take some exceptions to the best lines primarily because some of the movies have so many great lines but the one that stands out to me is the Magnificent Seven. Best line is Steve McQueen’s “We deal in lead friend.”
Silverado! I think the only western theme not presented was a train entering the station. Everything else western is in there. 🙂