Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Western Genre

I'm not really sure what people have against westerns. They're really good movies. I don't see why they, as a collective, would be considered any better or worse than other movies. Most people have preferences for one genre or another, and may not like a particular variety, but I feel like I've met very few people who actually like the genre at all. I don't know why.

I wonder if people jump right to thinking of the crappy ones. Though a great actor, John Wayne did not make 100% winners. There are also a lot of B movie westerns, and cheesy ones. But that can be said for all movies.

Some, though, have stories that trump most other movies. Which? Well, here's a list of awesome westerns you should at least give a chance.


      Clint Eastwood
    • A Fistful of Dollars
    • For a Few Dollars More
    • The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
    • Unforgiven
    • High Plains Drifter
    • Two Mules for Sister Sarah


      Lee Van Cleef
    • Death Rides a Horse
    • The Grand Duel
    • Barquero


      John Wayne
    • The Searchers
    • Chisum
    • Rio Bravo


      Some Others
    • My Name is Nobody
    • Once Upon a Time in the West
    • The Magnificent Seven
    • The Wild Bunch
    • Any Gun Can Play (aka. Go Kill and Come Back)
    • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
    • Rio Conchos
    • The Man From Nowhere
    • Django



So, if you want to give the genre a chance, watch some of these. Which to watch first depends on what you want. I like A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, My Name is Nobody, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Searchers, and Death Rides a Horse in particular among these. Oh yeah! Unforgiven is a modern western, too, which is fantastic!

2 comments:

Binkle said...

I am shocked to see that your list is completely devoid of Young Guns or Young Guns 2.... Must have been a typo... ; )

CW said...

Watch "High Noon"