Genre Discussion: Westerns

[Matt]

Why Westerns appeal to me - most of them, at their core, seem to deal with the loner: the self reliant individual who does his/her own thing, has their own agenda, and operates based upon their own moral compass. They celebrate the individual.

[Ed Hocken]

Nope... M7.

How many badasses can you fit in one fucking film? Seven of them.

Shit, I got this movie confused with The Wild Bunch.

[Matt]

and yeah, 'The Magnificent Seven' is the goods. I recently showed my wife 'The Seven Samurai', and now she's really jonesing to see M7...can't wait to show it to her.

[Ed Hocken]

Without the western, there would have been no Blazzing Saddles.

This means something, people!

[V]

Shit, I got this movie confused with The Wild Bunch.

Wha.... how did... you son of a... ARRRRRGH!

[Ed Hocken]

Calm down, I've seen The Magnificant Seven. I sadly fell asleep during The Wild Bunch.

[Matt]

Side note: I remember being initially surprised when the first film picked for the CHUD 60's draft was 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (Ben Thomas picked it). It says something when out of ALL of the films of the 60s, the first film picked was a Western.

What was really cool was just HOW MANY Westerns made it in that draft, especially in the first couple of rounds. They are iconic and, for the most part, distinctly American.

[Ed Hocken]

Especially because the western was a HUGE tv staple in the 50s and early 60s.

[Matt]

Seriously, is there a genre that is more distinctly American than the Western? Sure, European directors have made their mark on the genre (Sergio Leone, anyone?), but they still all take place in America.

Notable exceptions: The Australian outback ('The Proposition', for example).

[Chris Miller]

Can't believe I forgot Unforgiven. That's probably my favorite. As for an older, I caught most of Red Sun on TCM one day and didn't hate it, but that had more to do with being fascinated with Bronson's general badassery.

[Ed Hocken]

I remember always hearing that Unforgiven was the last great western.

That movie was a slow burn if there ever was one.

[Matt]

'Unforgiven' and 'Tombstone' are the last truly great Westerns, both for different reasons. 'Open Range' and 'The Proposition' are worth checking out, however.

[Ed Hocken]

What I enjoy looking at the history is that the idea of the "Old West" has always been an idea. Even back in the late 1880s there was the concept that somehow there was an "Old West".

Also, you'd think there would be some good stories from the Canadian frontier. But sadly Canada drops the ball on this one.

[Matt]

a MYTHOLOGIZED 'Old West' at that.

Another thing about the loner heroes of these films: almost all of them are bad-ass compared to the supporting characters. As Chris said earlier, he got caught up in the overall bad-ass coolness of Charles Bronson in 'Red Sun'. Well, Bronson was bad-ass in ALL of his Westerns. So was Steve McQueen. So was Clint Eastwood. So was John Wayne.

So was Mel Gibson in 'Mad Max' and 'Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'. Yes, those films are Westerns.

[Captain Russ]

I SAID ONE. All of you fucks come to an agreement and let me know.

Antebellum Dildos.

Wait...ignore that thing that I deliberately typed.

Just watch the opening scene of Once Upon a Time in the West and shut your whore-hoppin' mouth, ya hooplehead.