Westerns

Scrumpet

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Welcome to the next chapter in my fight against my own ignorance of all things film.

I don't think I've ever seen a proper Western before. Shameful, I know, so how should I go about rectifying this? Should I jump straight in and watch what people regard as the classics? Or are there particular ones I should see first to ease me in?

Guide me, Entertainmentards.
 

Randall Flagg

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I havent seen a lot of the classics except for The Good the Bad and the Ugly. Its amazing

More recently True Grit and 3:10 to Yuma are both excellent. As is Unforgiven
 

CassiusClaymore

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Just watch Once Upon A Time In The West. It's my favourite Leone. I always fall asleep during The Good, The Bad......zzzzzz for some reason.

Unforgiven is a must watch.

High Plains Drifter/The Outlaw Josey Wales are my favourite Eastwood westerns aside from that.

If you're looking for something more recent I'd recommend Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma, Open Range and (does this count?) .. Aussie Western 'The Proposition'.

Also, The Assassination of Jesse James...... was a beautiful movie (but don't go in expecting balls out action like the ones listed above).
 

Mr Anderson

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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Rio Bravo

2 of my favs from when I was younger, watching them with my dad.
 

Sir Matt

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The Outlaw Josey Wales, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West are all fantastic. Claudia Cardinale...

I always liked Tombstone, True Grit is good, and I can't think of any more off the top of my head that I've seen recently.
 

Mr Anderson

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John Wayne remade Rio Bravo as El Dorado later and I always liked El Dorado more.

The Mitchum, Wayne and Caan combination was better imo.
Cant remember it off the top of my head. The father had "The Duke" collection on VHS. Then we discovered TCM on sky and it was great. Havent watched one in ages myself.
 

D J Dog Toffee

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The Long Riders was also excellent. Great Ry Cooder music and some of the cinematography is just beautiful.

4 sets of real brothers play the various characters. it all works.
"Long Riders" is cool, one of my all time faves is "High Plains Drifter" by Eastwood. I also love "The Wild Bunch" by Peckinpah. It plays at a slightly slower pace than modern movies but hosts a classic final reel.

"Open Range" is not bad as well, shot nicely with a cracking gunfight. If you fancy a full on spaghetti western experience, try "Django".

 

Drainy

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If Sergio Leone directed it, its probably a great western. Particularly Once Upon a Time in the West. If it wasn't for a fairly major editing feck up which messes with the chronological order of 2/3 scenes, I'd say it was a perfect film
 

holdsteady

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Motherfeckin' Stagecoach. Best Western.

Also

The Good the Bad and the Weird.
 

Scrumpet

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I decided to ease myself in and go for a recent one so I watched 3:10 to Yuma (2007). I quite liked it although I'm not exactly a big Christian Bale fan. I liked it enough to be extremely pleased when one character was killed so I guess it was doing something right.
 

Adzzz

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Westerns are still some of the most bad-ass films of all time.

Effortlessly cool when done properly, just behind Film Noir in the cool stakes.
 

Red Dreams

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"Long Riders" is cool, one of my all time faves is "High Plains Drifter" by Eastwood. I also love "The Wild Bunch" by Peckinpah. It plays at a slightly slower pace than modern movies but hosts a classic final reel.

"Open Range" is not bad as well, shot nicely with a cracking gunfight. If you fancy a full on spaghetti western experience, try "Django".

I'm sure I have seen this and a lot of teh Franco Nero westerns a long time ago. I ordered it on Netflix.

Thanks for the suggestion :)
 

77

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Can't believe nobody mentioned this classic...

 

Grinner

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I decided to ease myself in and go for a recent one so I watched 3:10 to Yuma (2007). I quite liked it although I'm not exactly a big Christian Bale fan. I liked it enough to be extremely pleased when one character was killed so I guess it was doing something right.
Really? I thought it was terrible.

I quite like the offbeat approach of High Plains Drifter. Very thoughtful stuff from Clint at a time when it was usually guns and fighting and not much else. I really have a thing for Verna Bloom too.
 

Scrumpet

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Really? I thought it was terrible.

I quite like the offbeat approach of High Plains Drifter. Very thoughtful stuff from Clint at a time when it was usually guns and fighting and not much else. I really have a thing for Verna Bloom too.
Well, obviously I'm new to this Western business so I don't know how it compares to others in its genre but I found it reasonably entertaining. Not sure what I'll go for next.
 

olesmyhero

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Does anyone on here like John Wayne movies on here? I've been in a debate for years with my brother and dad about them. I can't stand them. They both think they're great. Where do ye all stand on the topic?


To the OP, as someone said, if it's directed by Sergio Leone it's worth a watch. Also, Sergio Corbucci did some good ones; like The Great Silence which was mentioned earlier as well.
 

Grinner

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Shout out for High Noon too. I think John Wayne said it was the most un-American movie he'd ever seen.
 

Barca84

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I'm going to embark on a quest to watch every half decent Western ever made. Hated them when I was younger but I needs educatin.

Any further recommendations folks to those mentioned upthread?
 

RDCR07

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I'm going to embark on a quest to watch every half decent Western ever made. Hated them when I was younger but I needs educatin.

Any further recommendations folks to those mentioned upthread?
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Trinity trilogy
Magnificent Seven
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
Hang Them High
Unforgiven
Tombstone
 

Barca84

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Trinity trilogy
Magnificent Seven
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
Hang Them High
Unforgiven
Tombstone
Cheers. I haven't seen The Trinity trilogy so googled. Is it spoof? If so not interested. A mans horse is no laughing matter and neither is anyone's mule.
I also haven't seen the last three listed there so thanks for the heads up
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

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The Man with No Name trilogy.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Unforgiven
High Plains Drifter
Pale Rider
Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid
Magnificent Seven
Once upon a time in the west

On 2nd tier... ( Just my personal quirky choice)

The quick and the dead
Wild Bunch
Cowboys and Aliens
 

Grinner

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Got to add Bone Tomahawk now.

Damn, everytime I hear the name of that movie my mind goes back to that scene. It's never going to leave me.