I see HIGH COUNTRY as a Sam Peckinpah film and THE WILD BUNCH is present. I know many feel HIGH COUNTRY is his best but I go with the violent late sixties flick.
I like both, but I do think that High Country represents two of the best Western actors out there, Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott. Of course picking the best is subjective because no two people have the same taste in movies. I've only seen one or two of the top 10 comedies he picked :)
Out of those movies listed, "The Searchers" was the only one that I've watched, and I've watched that multiple times.
For those who are interested, the bookworm here has found an excellent bio/historical non-fiction book about the movie and the story to which it's based on (if I remember correctly, it's about Quannah Parker's mother being kidnapped by Indians, then being recovered against her will).
And I've seen "Terror of Tiny Town". Probably would make a great double feature with "Freaks".
Awhile back (in another forum) someone cried that this film was an "Indian hater" flick. I haven't watch THE SEARCHERS since that diatribe but undoubtedly will next time its on and try and discover how he came to that conclusion. Other topic: the final scene of the Duke walking away is one of my all time favorite shots. The loner that will never belong.
THE WILD BUNCH remains at the top of my list. Beyond the violence, I love the performances of tired men who have reached the end of the line. A story told many times but never better.
What a character, huh? Sometimes I forget he was young. I remember Elam from his later period with those eyes and infectious laughter. Hands down a marvelous actor.
I like a lot of these and am glad to see "once upon a time in the west" get its due at number 1. I thought the "assassination of Jesse James was pretty good but much longer than it needed to be. It's definitely flawed to me.
Charles, I felt the same thing about UNFORGIVEN. They could have cut a good thirty minutes. I will say ASSASSINATION remained stuck in my thoughts long after it ended. A thought provoking western.
Just the sight of John Wayne makes me want to eat glass. Can't stand him, so certainly couldn't put any of his movies on a list like this, which definitely puts me in the minority. Personally, I feel the vast majority of the old movies that have Indians in them are Indian hater movies, if only because they didn't bother to cast Indians as Indians. But then the movies that swing the other way and try to shine a golden light on Native culture -- I'm looking at you, Dances With Wolves -- totally miss the boat too.
I haven't seen that Jesse James movie but recorded it on my DVR some weeks ago -- I need to get to it. I love Unforgiven, The Wild Bunch, and Once Upon a Time, though. Watched Butch and Sundance a couple years ago and it really didn't hold up for me; I wouldn't put it here. I liked Open Range way better. A popular one for most people seems to be Tombstone, which I enjoy every time I watch it too. Some may grouse about its "historical accuracy" but you could probably say that about every movie on this list. What we love about the Old West in most cases probably bears little resemblance to what it was actually like anyway. I personally don't have a problem with that. I love a good bit of myth making.
Chris, I originally saw THE SEARCHERS as John Wayne playing a racist who is reformed by film’s end and Jeff Hunter as the moral conscience who steers him that way. But after long-filled discussions with a Native American friend (who prefers to be called American Indian) I saw his points on the film and old Hollywood in general. Playing Indians as savages when in fact they had a complex advanced culture (not talking tech) is quite... sad. Well, that I always agreed on, but I didn’t look at a lot of those films with corrected lens which I now do. As for Wayne, THE SHOOTIST is my hands down favorite film of his and when RIO BRAVO is on... have to watch.
About TOMBSTONE: The classic fight is the actual length in time and the building on fire as they walk to the showdown did happen as well as Doc suddenly having a shotgun. I find those touches nice hat tips to accuracy. I’ve actually stood up for TOMBSTONE more times than I care to remember. Glad you like it as well. And as for Wyatt reaching for the mythical Buntline Special, ah, hell... like you said about any of the films on this list when it comes to accuracy.
SUNDANCE KID has to be looked at as fun which it is. I wouldn’t put it on this list and would opt for THE OX-BOW INCIDENT or THE GUNFIGHTER. Plus there’s Eastwood’s THE BEGUILED. Now there’s an odd little number that gets forgotten.
18 comments:
Rancho Notorious and not one Randolph Scott film? Ride the High Country should be in that spot. And I can't believe Stage Coach didn't make the list.
I see HIGH COUNTRY as a Sam Peckinpah film and THE WILD BUNCH is present. I know many feel HIGH COUNTRY is his best but I go with the violent late sixties flick.
I like both, but I do think that High Country represents two of the best Western actors out there, Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott. Of course picking the best is subjective because no two people have the same taste in movies. I've only seen one or two of the top 10 comedies he picked :)
Good point, Sandra. And if I was picking for just acting I'd have to throw some Tom Selleck cable films into the mix.
Selleck, yes, but also Sam Elliott. He's the best cowboy ever!
Without a doubt. For a period of time S.E. was the King.
Like Sandra, I would drop Rancho Notorius(Actually I never even heard of that one) for RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY.
And I agree that both Selleck and Elliott have that authentic look, at least for me, of a cowboy.
The Terror of Tiny Town, anyone?
Out of those movies listed, "The Searchers" was the only one that I've watched, and I've watched that multiple times.
For those who are interested, the bookworm here has found an excellent bio/historical non-fiction book about the movie and the story to which it's based on (if I remember correctly, it's about Quannah Parker's mother being kidnapped by Indians, then being recovered against her will).
And I've seen "Terror of Tiny Town". Probably would make a great double feature with "Freaks".
Awhile back (in another forum) someone cried that this film was an "Indian hater" flick. I haven't watch THE SEARCHERS since that diatribe but undoubtedly will next time its on and try and discover how he came to that conclusion. Other topic: the final scene of the Duke walking away is one of my all time favorite shots. The loner that will never belong.
UNFORGIVEN is a film I need to see as well as THE SEARCHERS and THE WILD BUNCH.
THE WILD BUNCH remains at the top of my list. Beyond the violence, I love the performances of tired men who have reached the end of the line. A story told many times but never better.
Enjoyed seeing Jack Elam's face pop up first thing next to Dietrich.
What a character, huh? Sometimes I forget he was young. I remember Elam from his later period with those eyes and infectious laughter. Hands down a marvelous actor.
I like a lot of these and am glad to see "once upon a time in the west" get its due at number 1. I thought the "assassination of Jesse James was pretty good but much longer than it needed to be. It's definitely flawed to me.
Charles, I felt the same thing about UNFORGIVEN. They could have cut a good thirty minutes. I will say ASSASSINATION remained stuck in my thoughts long after it ended. A thought provoking western.
Just the sight of John Wayne makes me want to eat glass. Can't stand him, so certainly couldn't put any of his movies on a list like this, which definitely puts me in the minority. Personally, I feel the vast majority of the old movies that have Indians in them are Indian hater movies, if only because they didn't bother to cast Indians as Indians. But then the movies that swing the other way and try to shine a golden light on Native culture -- I'm looking at you, Dances With Wolves -- totally miss the boat too.
I haven't seen that Jesse James movie but recorded it on my DVR some weeks ago -- I need to get to it. I love Unforgiven, The Wild Bunch, and Once Upon a Time, though. Watched Butch and Sundance a couple years ago and it really didn't hold up for me; I wouldn't put it here. I liked Open Range way better. A popular one for most people seems to be Tombstone, which I enjoy every time I watch it too. Some may grouse about its "historical accuracy" but you could probably say that about every movie on this list. What we love about the Old West in most cases probably bears little resemblance to what it was actually like anyway. I personally don't have a problem with that. I love a good bit of myth making.
Chris, I originally saw THE SEARCHERS as John Wayne playing a racist who is reformed by film’s end and Jeff Hunter as the moral conscience who steers him that way. But after long-filled discussions with a Native American friend (who prefers to be called American Indian) I saw his points on the film and old Hollywood in general. Playing Indians as savages when in fact they had a complex advanced culture (not talking tech) is quite... sad. Well, that I always agreed on, but I didn’t look at a lot of those films with corrected lens which I now do. As for Wayne, THE SHOOTIST is my hands down favorite film of his and when RIO BRAVO is on... have to watch.
About TOMBSTONE: The classic fight is the actual length in time and the building on fire as they walk to the showdown did happen as well as Doc suddenly having a shotgun. I find those touches nice hat tips to accuracy. I’ve actually stood up for TOMBSTONE more times than I care to remember. Glad you like it as well. And as for Wyatt reaching for the mythical Buntline Special, ah, hell... like you said about any of the films on this list when it comes to accuracy.
SUNDANCE KID has to be looked at as fun which it is. I wouldn’t put it on this list and would opt for THE OX-BOW INCIDENT or THE GUNFIGHTER. Plus there’s Eastwood’s THE BEGUILED. Now there’s an odd little number that gets forgotten.
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