The Good, The Bad, and The Official Western Thread

[Matt Mortem]

Watched Once Upon a Time in the West for the first time, and now I'm kicking myself for waiting this long to see it.

I just rented it from Blockbuster not 20 minutes ago. Never seen, but heard good things

 

[Boom]

Henry Fonda is ridiculously good in it.

My favorites:

A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
No Country for Old Men
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Magnificent Seven
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Searchers
The Wild Bunch
True Grit (2010)
Unforgiven

 

[Eddie Dean]

OUATITW has one of my favourite exchanges in a movie ever.

"The reward for this man is 5000 dollars, is that right?"
"Judas was content for 4970 dollars less."
"There were no dollars in them days."
"But sons of *****es... yeah."

 

[TomServo]

R.I.P. Ernest Borgnine, thanks for the memories, I think I may just have to watch Wild Bunch tonight in remembrance

A true badass indeed:

 

[C. Lee]

R.I.P. Ernest Borgnine, thanks for the memories, I think I may just have to watch Wild Bunch tonight in remembrance

A true badass indeed:

Yep. R.I.P. Mr. Borgnine.

He made many great movies, and many great westerns.

 

[TomServo]

C. Lee, are you still watching all those westerns on that encore channel or whatever it is you have? This has gotten me in the mood to go on a big western kick and didn't know if you'd seen any lately that would be worth checking out, always love your posts about the ones you find/watch. Tonight, it's definitely The Wild Bunch though, such a phenomenal film, that last 20 minutes or so is just...wow.

 

[C. Lee]

C. Lee, are you still watching all those westerns on that encore channel or whatever it is you have? This has gotten me in the mood to go on a big western kick and didn't know if you'd seen any lately that would be worth checking out, always love your posts about the ones you find/watch. Tonight, it's definitely The Wild Bunch though, such a phenomenal film, that last 20 minutes or so is just...wow.

I've been recording some off of the western channel (as well as transferring a bunch I taped years ago over to disc), but haven't watched them yet. I'll probably start watching them in a week or so.

Yeah, the WILD BUNCH is a classic. I hope you have the director's cut (it only adds a few minutes extra....but it's nice). One thing always makes me laugh when I watch it...the character played by Bo Hopkins is named Clarence Lee....that's my uncle's name.

A modern day western that pays homage to the Wild bunch that you should check out is EXTREME PREJUDICE. Directed by Walter Hill and starring Nick Nolte and Powers Boothe.

 

[TomServo]

Thanks, that sounds good, I will check it out. I like Powers Boothe a lot, especially in Tombstone. Thanks for the recommendation, look forward to your posts when you start watching the ones you've been recording.

 

[nite-owl]

I watched Extreme Prejudice the other day possibly my favourite Walter Hill movie.

 

[TomServo]

I watched Extreme Prejudice the other day possibly my favourite Walter Hill movie.

Awesome, I'm looking forward to it, I love The Warriors and 48 hrs. so if it's good as y'all say it is I know I'll enjoy it, hopefully my library has it.

 

[C. Lee]

I watched this morning - and as always...there be spoilers ahead, so be prepared....

CHARRO! 1969

Starring - Elvis Presley, Victor French, Ina Balin, and Paul Brinegar.

My parents were big Elvis fans, so I grew up over the years watching most of his movies. They were generally light hearted fluff that showcased his slick good looks, his singing and dancing, and his humor. This is the antithisis of the typical Elvis movie. This isn't saying it's great...just different from everything else he made.

Jess Wade (Elvis) a former outlaw trying to go straight is framed for the theft of a gold and silver plated ceremonial cannon from the government of Mexico by Vince Hackett (Victor French) the leader of his former gang. It seems Hackett is upset that he left and that the girl they both want prefers Elvis. Wade, figuring the gang are headed for their old hanging out town, gets there first and convinces the sheriff he was set up. The girl they both want (Ina Balin) runs the saloon, but she doesn't believe that Wade has changed.

The gang with the cannon holds up outside of town so that Hacketts idiot brother Billy Roy (Solomon Sturges) can go into town and cause trouble. You know he is an idiot because his brother slaps him around and calls him an idiot. Well idiot encounters Wade and the sheriff, shoots the sheriff, but gets locked up by Wade (who the wounded sheriff appoints as his deputy) and generally yells a lot and laughs idioticly.

Once he finds out what has happened, Hackett wants his brother back....and threatens to blow up the town with his shiny cannon if they don't release him. It turns out one of his gang, Gunner (James B. Sikking) is a veteran artillary man from the Civil War....so they have the know how to do it. They do not release him, and the shelling begins. During the night, after much damage, Wade takes idiot into the hills for an ambush. He handcuffs idiot to a big solid bush, has him shout for help, and then shoots it out in the night with the gang scattered all about. Not only does Wade manage to kill all the gang (except for Victor French)...but in the shootout, the cannon gets loose, rolls down the hill and runs over the shouting idiot. After this, Hackett gives himself up to Wade so that he can take him down to Mexico with the cannon and clear his name.

Not a great movie or western. But not terrible either....just average. Worth a look at if you are an Elvis fan...and especially if you are not an Elvis fan. I'm sure there are many people (if they had seen other Elvis movie) that if they saw this advertised, wouldn't watch because they figured it was just the same old stuff. But here he plays a scruffy, dirty, morose loser just trying to stay alive and out of jail. Totally different from his other movies.

 

[C. Lee]

Today I watched -

NAVAJO JOE (1966) Directed by Sergio Corbucci.

Starring Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrell, Nicoletta Machiavelli, and Fernando Rey.

Burt agreed to do this movie when he heard it was being directed by "Sergio"....he thought they meant Sergio Leone. In his one and only Spaghetti Western (he did plenty of other westerns) Burt is a half breed indian hunting down the group of outlaws that moonlight as scalp hunters. We find out that they had previously attacked his village and killed his tribe and wife....and he is now a thorn in their hides by following them and killing them one by one.

The movie is full of murder and mayhem, train robberies, crooked towns people, and noble Native Americans. When the gang stop a train carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars, Joe steals the train from them and drives in to the next town. He tells them the bad guys will be coming for the money, so they better get prepared. They say they are too peaceful and have no guns....so offer him a reward to fight for the town. One of the conditions he makes is for them to give him the sheriff's badge and appoint him sheriff. This leads to an interesting exchange -

Sheriff - You're crazy, Indian....only Americans can hold the office.
Joe - Where was your father born?
Sheriff - Uh....Scotland.
Joe - My father was born here...as was his father, and his father, and his father before him. Which of us is American?

Burt hates the movie....Quinton Taratino lists it in his top 20 Spaghetti Westerns....I think it's pretty good. Definately worth taking time to watch if you get the chance.

 

[Eddie Dean]

I love the theme song -

"Navajo JOE!!! Navajo JOE!!!"

 

[C. Lee]

I love the theme song -

"Navajo JOE!!! Navajo JOE!!!"

Yeah....the writer didn't have to work hard on the lyrics...just have your singers say Navajo Joe a few hundred times......

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I watched High Noon again. Still one of my most favorite movies ever.

 

[TomServo]

I watched High Noon again. Still one of my most favorite movies ever.

That movie is just plain awesome, love Gary Cooper.

 

[C. Lee]

Today I watched -

ALVAREZ KELLY (1966) Directed by Edward Dmytryk.

Starring William Holden, Richard Widmark, Janice Rule, Patrick O'Neal, Roger C. Carmel, and Barry Atwater.

During the American Civil War, Alverez Kelly (Holden, a non political who only cares about wine women and money) is hired by the Union to drive several thousand head of cattle from Mexico to Virginia. The drive there is uneventful (and not shown)....it's when he gets to Virginia that the trouble starts. There, Confederate Col. Tom Rossiter (Widmark) hatches a plan to steal the herd to feed Richmond. He kidnaps Kelly and eventually convinces him (through torture) to help them drive the herd to Richmond. This leads to the movies climatic action piece when 100 Rebs stampede 2500 cows through a group of 300 Union soldiers at a rickety bridge over the river.

It's a decent little actioner with lots of good back and forth between protagonists Holden and Widmark. A "B" storyline about a woman Widmark loves and Holden goes after adds to the tension between the two men.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Thinking of doing a Spaghetti Western marathon tomorrow night. You guys got any suggestions? I've got Leone's Dollars trilogy and Death Rides a Horse. Any other must watch Spaghetti Westerns you guys can think of?

 

[C. Lee]

Thinking of doing a Spaghetti Western marathon tomorrow night. You guys got any suggestions? I've got Leone's Dollars trilogy and Death Rides a Horse. Any other must watch Spaghetti Westerns you guys can think of?

Here's a few....
Django starring Franco Nero
A Fistfull of Dynamite (aka Duck You Sucker) directed by Sergio Leone, starring James Coburn
My Name is Nobody starring Terrance Hill and Henry Fonda
Ace High starring Eli Wallach

 

[Matt Mortem]

Here's a few....
Django starring Franco Nero
A Fistfull of Dynamite (aka Duck You Sucker) directed by Sergio Leone, starring James Coburn
My Name is Nobody starring Terrance Hill and Henry Fonda
Ace High starring Eli Wallach

Cool, thanks C. Lee. I've been wanting to see Django for awhile. I'll add these to my list

 

[Bruce Banner]

Thinking of doing a Spaghetti Western marathon tomorrow night. You guys got any suggestions? I've got Leone's Dollars trilogy and Death Rides a Horse. Any other must watch Spaghetti Westerns you guys can think of?

Once Upon a Time in the West - Directed by Sergio Leone and starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Once Upon a Time in the West - Directed by Sergio Leone and starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda.

That's on my Netflix list right now. Tonights viewings will be:
Once Upon A Time In The West
Death Rides A Horse (haven't seen it in years)
and either Django or Sabata.

I'm in a Lee Van Cleef kinda mood.

 

[C. Lee]

Cool, thanks C. Lee. I've been wanting to see Django for awhile. I'll add these to my list

Make sure it's the 1966 Franco Nero movie...after he made it, it was such a hit that many imitations were made using the Django name in the title. Nero did make a sequel in 1987....but it's definately not your typical western...spaghetti or American.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Make sure it's the 1966 Franco Nero movie...after he made it, it was such a hit that many imitations were made using the Django name in the title. Nero did make a sequel in 1987....but it's definately not your typical western...spaghetti or American.

Yeah I rented the '66 Corbucci one starring Nero. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Django's got a kick ass theme song.