Western Challenge (Official, May 2023)

[blocho]

Western Challenge

Thriving on physical sensation, wedded to violence, dominated by the need for domination, and imprisoned by its own heroic code, the Western appeals finally beyond all these to whatever it is the high-up hills betoken.

- Jane Tompkins, West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns

All but the smallest countries have regions. Few have a region of such historical and mythological import as the West does in the United States. No wonder, then, that the largest and most powerful film industry in the history of cinema developed a genre dedicated solely to the region. No wonder that this genre became America's most popular during its long mid-century heyday. Small wonder that the genre collapsed in on itself during the same era when the entire American project became attenuated and dubious. And yet, the West -- as a place, a concept, or a constellation in the social imaginary -- continues to beguile and intrigue us.

Goal:
Watch Westerns. Discuss them.

Rules:
- I leave eligibility up to the discretion of participants. I ask only for good-faith submissions. Please be mindful that not every movie set in a Western state or featuring some tropes typical of the Western is truly a Western.
- Challenge runs from May 1, 2023 to May 31, 2023.
- A feature film (at least 40 minutes) counts as one point.
- 80 minutes of short films or miniseries/TV episodes count as one point.
- Films must be watched one at a time, at single speed (not sped up), and in their entirety.
- Not a rule but a request: When you post what you have watched, please include your reaction or at least a rating so that other people can learn about movies they might not know about. Also, the challenge is more fun and interesting when discussion is ample.

Stats & Formatting:
- Title (Year) is the preferred format.
- Don't edit posts to include new movies you've watched. Always make new posts.

Previous Editions:
2012 - Led by sushantv10 with 84 points.
2013 - Led by sushantv10 with 30 points.
2014 - Led by Kasparius with 46 points.
2015 - Led by Chemosh6969 with 57 points.
2016 - Led by PUNQ with 113 points.
2017 - Led by PUNQ with 189 points.
2018 - Led by RogerTheMovieManiac88 with 85 points.
2019 - Led by PUNQ with 157 points.
2020 - Led by PUNQ with 86 points.
2021 - Led by PUNQ with 342 points.
2022 - Led by PUNQ with 206 points.

Official Lists:
BFI's 100 Westerns
The Spaghetti Western Database's Essential Top 50 Films
IMDb's Western Top 50

Bonus Challenge #1 -- 1830/1900
Any movie or 80 minutes of shorts/episodes that is set before 1830 or after 1900 gets a point in the bonus challenge. The chronological setting has to be clear. The movie must (1) indicate a year or (2) make reference to some historical event that provides an explicit date or (3) include technology that could not have possibly existed prior to 1900 (the helicopter in Lonely Are the Brave makes it pretty obvious the story takes place long after 1900). If a movie takes place over a long timespan, at least half of the story has to be before 1830 or after 1900 for it to count.

Please use the following notation for this bonus challenge:
1. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) #1830
2. Lonely Are the Brave (1962) #1900

Bonus Challenge #2 -- Blocho's Recommendation
Watch The Ballad of Little Jo, which is available here. An excerpt from my review during last year's challenge:

Spoiler

Westerns aren’t often thought of as movies that regularly explore gender. Race gets a lot more attention in critical analyses of the genre. But that’s only because the gender dynamics of the Western are so fixed -- so assumed -- that they can vanish from attention. Certainly, few genres provide such a constant depiction of masculinity. The great achievement of this movie is to explore femininity in the Western and not just in its typical role as a sideshow emblem of perfect domesticity. For that alone, this is one of the most fascinating Westerns I’ve seen in a long time. But beyond that, it offers an emotionally engaging story with plenty of drama and hints of action and comedy.

Participants

Rank	Participant	# of Points	1830/1900	Little Jo
1	PUNQ	110	---	---
2	flavo5000	87	---	---
3	gunnar	80	12	Yes!
4	RogerTheMovieManiac88	60	---	---
5	blocho	21	5	---
5	PopperTheKungFu-Dragon	21	5	Yes!
7	Lonewolf2003	16	---	---
7	sol	16	---	---
9	Silga	15	2	---
10	jdidaco	14	---	---
11	ororama	10	3	---
12	peeptoad	9	---	---
13	Maddieann	7	5	---
13	Tngy	7	1	Yes!
13	Lammetje	7	---	---
13	Fergenaprido	7	1	---
17	celldweller7	6	1	---
17	AB537	6	---	---
17	VincentPrice	6	---	---
20	Minkin	3	2	---
21	OldAle1	1	---	---
21	Lakigigar	1	1	---

[ororama]

Your Goal, Watch Westerns. Discuss them, reminded me of the great "does The Searchers prove that John Ford was a racist" debate on mubi/The Auteurs. I was in the pro-Ford camp, and I never want to go through that again (but would if necessary). My daughter wants to watch The Searchers (we watched My Darling Clementine years ago) and maybe I can re-watch a few other major westerns with my (now adult) children and watch some western TV series.

I'm thinking of starting with Drums Along the Mohawk. I like the idea that the area that I grew up in, the Mohawk Valley, was once the American West. I believe that their cabin would have been within my high school district.

[blocho]

I like the idea that the area that I grew up in, the Mohawk Valley, was once the American West.

Yes, indeed. I wish there were more movies set in the pre-Revolutionary West, which at that time included everything beyond the Atlantic plain. There are a few movies that do that (Drums Along the Mohawk and Last of the Mohicans) but not enough. Most Western remain fixated on the the lands west of the 98th meridian from about 1830 to 1900.

[OldAle1]

I like the idea that the area that I grew up in, the Mohawk Valley, was once the American West.

Yes, indeed. I wish there were more movies set in the pre-Revolutionary West, which at that time included everything beyond the Atlantic plain. There are a few movies that do that (Drums Along the Mohawk and Last of the Mohicans) but not enough. Most Western remain fixated on the the lands west of the 98th meridian from about 1830 to 1900.

Preach! Here are a few more -

Northwest Passage (Book 1 - Roger's Rangers) (1940)
Unconquered (1947)
Davy Crockett (1954-5) - 5 part Disney TV serial later edited into two movies, Davy Crockett, KIng of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
Daniel Boone (1964-70) TV series
Tecumseh (1972)
Black Robe (1991)
Tecumseh: The Last Warrior (1995)

I've always been kind of interested in this period - my mom and her family are from the area where Tecumseh lived, in Ohio, and I've known that name since I was a kid, and I have two books about him, inherited from mom, on the to-read shelf. And my favorite-ever comic book series, Journey, takes place on the Michigan frontier around 1812. And it's just a nice change visually from all those dusty desert and Rocky Mountain westerns that predominate.

Of course there are a whole bunch of versions of Last of the Mohicans and nobody should stop with Michael Mann IMO; and then there are the first contact films like The New World and (shudder) Pocahantas. There's probably a fair bit more out there that we're not aware of; I don't see any decent lists right now that put all this stuff together. Maybe I'll try to make one.

[Good_Will_Harding]

The real question is who among us is going to be the lucky sonuvabitch that makes it all the way out to Cannes for the world premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon and gets to count it for their roster this month?

[blocho]

I like the idea that the area that I grew up in, the Mohawk Valley, was once the American West.

Yes, indeed. I wish there were more movies set in the pre-Revolutionary West, which at that time included everything beyond the Atlantic plain. There are a few movies that do that (Drums Along the Mohawk and Last of the Mohicans) but not enough. Most Western remain fixated on the the lands west of the 98th meridian from about 1830 to 1900.

Preach! Here are a few more -

Northwest Passage (Book 1 - Roger's Rangers) (1940)
Unconquered (1947)
Davy Crockett (1954-5) - 5 part Disney TV serial later edited into two movies, Davy Crockett, KIng of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
Daniel Boone (1964-70) TV series
Tecumseh (1972)
Black Robe (1991)
Tecumseh: The Last Warrior (1995)

Inspired by the exchange above, I've decided to add another bonus challenge. Any movie or 80 minutes of shorts/episodes that is set before 1830 or after 1900 gets a point in the bonus challenge. The chronological setting has to be clear -- the movie must indicate a year or make reference to some historical event that provides an explicit date or include technology that could not have possibly existed prior to 1900 (the helicopter in Lonely Are the Brave makes it pretty obvious the story takes place long after 1900). If a movie takes place over a long timespan, at least half of the story has to be before 1830 or after 1900 for it to count.

Please use the following notation for this bonus challenge.

1. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) #1830
2. Lonely Are the Brave (1962) #1900

[flavo5000]

I like the idea that the area that I grew up in, the Mohawk Valley, was once the American West.

Yes, indeed. I wish there were more movies set in the pre-Revolutionary West, which at that time included everything beyond the Atlantic plain. There are a few movies that do that (Drums Along the Mohawk and Last of the Mohicans) but not enough. Most Western remain fixated on the the lands west of the 98th meridian from about 1830 to 1900.

Preach! Here are a few more -

Northwest Passage (Book 1 - Roger's Rangers) (1940)
Unconquered (1947)
Davy Crockett (1954-5) - 5 part Disney TV serial later edited into two movies, Davy Crockett, KIng of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
Daniel Boone (1964-70) TV series
Tecumseh (1972)
Black Robe (1991)
Tecumseh: The Last Warrior (1995)

I've always been kind of interested in this period - my mom and her family are from the area where Tecumseh lived, in Ohio, and I've known that name since I was a kid, and I have two books about him, inherited from mom, on the to-read shelf. And my favorite-ever comic book series, Journey, takes place on the Michigan frontier around 1812. And it's just a nice change visually from all those dusty desert and Rocky Mountain westerns that predominate.

Of course there are a whole bunch of versions of Last of the Mohicans and nobody should stop with Michael Mann IMO; and then there are the first contact films like The New World and (shudder) Pocahantas. There's probably a fair bit more out there that we're not aware of; I don't see any decent lists right now that put all this stuff together. Maybe I'll try to make one.

There's also The Far Horizons (1955) about the Lewis & Clark expedition from 1804. Seems like there are probably other movies about Lewis & Clark I'm just not aware of too.

[Lammetje]

1. The Mississippi Gambler (1953): 8/10

A lovely movie set around the Mississippi River to kick off the challenge with. I liked Tyrone Power and Piper Laurie's performances, and the poker scenes were cool too.

Seen

1. The Mississippi Gambler (1953)

[Tngy]

1. Une Corde, un Colt... Cemetery Without Crosses (1969) 5/10

[Silga]

1. All the Pretty Horses (Billy Bob Thornton, 2000) 5/10 #1900
2. Riding Shotgun (André De Toth, 1954) 6/10

All I got to say about All the Pretty Horses is that it feels incomplete. Would love to see Thornton's director's cut.

Riding Shotgun tells an engaging story where Scott's character Larry Delong comes to town to warn about the impending attack from Dan Marady's gang, but he gets wrongfully accused and finds himself trapped in a saloon by angry and suspicious townspeople. Villains aren't colorful enough to draw any attention so it all comes down to folks arguing about storming the place and getting Larry Delong out - dead or alive. A film also features Charles Bronson in a early role of a villain henchman. I particularly enjoyed the performance by Wayne Morris who plays a laid-back deputy sheriff.

[AB537]

1. Day of the Outlaw (Andre de Toth, 1959) 7/10

[gunnar]

1 - A Bullet for the General (1967) - 7/10 - #1900 - An American assassin is on board a train when it is robbed by bandits during the Mexican Revolution. He joins the bandits and accompanies them on their crusade. The opening and closing sequences were very good. The middle sections were interesting at times and a bit dull at times as well.

2 - A Pistol for Ringo (1965) - 7.5/10 - Ringo is a young gunman who is locked up after killing four men in self defense. A gang of outlaws then rob the bank and terrorize the town before stopping at an estate and holding all of the people there prisoner, including the sheriff's fiancee. The sheriff recruits Ringo to help rescue the hostages. There was more humor than I had expected and it was a fun film to watch.

3 - And God Said to Cain (1970) - 8/10 - Klaus Kinski stars as a soldier who was falsely imprisoned for 10 years. When he is pardoned, he sets out to get revenge on the man who framed him and those who work for the man. The film has a lot of atmosphere and there is some creativity in how the man goes about the wind-swept town to whittle down the men facing him.

[peeptoad]

1. Due volte Giuda/Twice a Judas (1966) 6

[flavo5000]

1. Riders of the Whistling Pines (John English, 1949)


2. The Big Show (Mack V. Wright, 1936)


3. Springtime in the Rockies (Joseph Kane, 1937)


4. Boots and Saddles (Joseph Kane, 1937)


5. Man Without a Star (King Vidor, 1955)

YEEHAW

1. Riders of the Whistling Pines (John English, 1949)
2. The Big Show (Mack V. Wright, 1936)
3. Springtime in the Rockies (Joseph Kane, 1937)
4. Boots and Saddles (Joseph Kane, 1937)
5. Man Without a Star (King Vidor, 1955)

[Lammetje]

2. Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966): 3/10

This horror western was about as good as I expected from the title. Crappy special effects, poor acting (except Virginia Christine) and a silly plot.

Seen

1. The Mississippi Gambler (1953)
2. Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

[Silga]

3. The Bounty Hunter (André De Toth, 1954) 7/10
4. A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964) 8/10 (re-watch)

In The Bounty Hunter Randolph Scott plays a titular bounty hunter Jim Kipp who is known and feared wherever he goes. Pinkerton agency hires him to go after a train robbers who stole $100k from a stagecoach a year ago. None of the identities are known so it becomes more of a detective story rather than an all out manhunt. That detective angle and interaction with the people of a town where Kipp suspects criminals to be hiding is what makes this a thoroughly enjoyable western. Winston Miller's screenplay features a lot of brilliantly written dialogues and one-liners. Great supporting roles by Marie Windsor and Ernest Borgnine. I was also surprised to learn that a newcomer Dolores Dorn is half-Lithuanian from a maternal side of her family.

When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings

1. All the Pretty Horses (Billy Bob Thornton, 2000) 5/10 #1900
2. Riding Shotgun (André De Toth, 1954) 6/10
3. The Bounty Hunter (André De Toth, 1954) 7/10
4. A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964) 8/10 (re-watch)

[gunnar]

4 - Bandidos (1967) - 7.5/10 - Billy Kane and his gang rob a train killing most of the people on board. However, one of the passengers was Billy's mentor, Richard Martin, and Billy lets him live, but ruins his hands for gunfighting first. Later, Martin trains another man with a grudge against Kane in the hopes of getting his revenge. This was pretty good.

5 - California (1977) - 7/10 - After the Civil War, a man known as California befriends a fellow former soldier and agrees to accompany him on his way home. When the friend is killed, California visit's the family's ranch anyway and becomes close with the friend's sister. It was a decent western with a good finish.

6 - The Tracker (2002) - 7.5/10 - #1900 - Three white men and a native tracker head into the Outback in search of an Aboriginal man accused of killing a white woman. David Gulpilil is very good here as the tracker and the soundtrack is also very good. The journey occupies much of the film and some might see it as excessive, but I enjoyed it.

7 - The Overlanders (1946) - 6.5/10 - #1900 - Fearing a Japanese invasion, Australian ranchers go on a long cattle drive through the Outback to safer pastures. They face a number of dangers and problems along the way. The film is scenic and has its moments, but otherwise the story isn't that compelling very often.

Spoiler

1 - A Bullet for the General (1967) - 7/10 - #1900
2 - A Pistol for Ringo (1965) - 7.5/10
3 - And God Said to Cain (1970) - 8/10

[blocho]

1-4. Lonesome Dove (1989)
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lonesome Dove, coming as it did at perhaps the lowest tide for Westerns in modern American history. Now that I’ve seen it, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. This is a miniseries where a fur trapper holds up a giant lump of animal gristle to a woman he’s courting and drawls, “Buffalo tongue?” It’s a series where characters speak regularly and with gusto about sex with prostitutes. It’s a series where our heroes are cattleman who also do some rustling, traditionally an unforgivable offense in a Western. (That those same heroes go out of their way to hunt down horse thieves later is a contradiction that goes unexplored.) And everyone has stained, decaying teeth. I love that sort of realism. But it’s also kind of corny and predictable. When two characters wave at each other forlornly, you know immediately that one of them is about to die. When another character hesitates to cross a river, you know something will go wrong. And about once per episode, there’s some production work that’s shocking badly: the dust storm in the first episode or the fake birds in the third.

This series belongs to Robert Duvall and, to a lesser extent, Tommy Lee Jones. In other words, it’s about wise old Western coots delivering smart, sassy lines with oodles of twang. At one point, Duvall and Jones lament the death of a Mexican bandit they stole horses from. Only minutes earlier he was a fearsome rival. Now they express their sorrow that the West is losing its bandits. This version of the West, organized around a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the 1870s, has danger and plenty of death but also a soft, warm glow. More romantic than realist, with flecks of roughness that wouldn’t have appeared in a traditional Western. It’s an enjoyable series.

[Tngy]

2. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) 8/10

Spoiler

1. Une Corde, un Colt... Cemetery Without Crosses (1969) 5/10

[ororama]

1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) * 113 min. #1900
An unexpected start to this challenge for me. I watched this because I had obtained it for last month's Crime Challenge but hadn't got to it, but had forgotten that it is also a modern western. Piano player Benny looks to make some easy money in an unpleasant way in contemporary rural Mexico, but doesn't know the stakes or the players, and finds that the money isn't easy and that the costs of achieving his dreams may be higher than he can pay. Great performance by Warren Oates.

*First time viewing

[gunnar]

8 - Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967) - 4/10 - A group of thieves steal a shipment of gold, but then one faction of the group turns on the other and kills them. However, one of the men who is thought to be dead actually survives and looks for revenge (and the gold) once he recovers. He catches up to them in a strange town at the edge of the desert. This was pretty bad.

9 - The Four of the Apocalypse (1975) - 6.5/10 - A gambler is put in jail by the sheriff as soon as he arrives in town. This turns out to be a good thing for him since the casino is attacked by vigilantes that night. The gambler and the other people in the jail are sent out of town the next day and form an unlikely group that bond as they travel through the wilds of Utah. They befriend a group of Quakers and also encounter a vicious bandit.

10 - The Grand Duel (1972) - 7/10 - A man with a $3000 bounty on his head is holed up and surrounded by bounty hunters when a former sheriff shows up and walks straight into the hiding place to arrest the man. He acknowledges that the man was falsely accused of murder and sets out to aid him in his own way. The pair eventually make it to Saxon City where the three Saxon brothers rule the place. Their father is the one that the man was accused of murdering. Lee Van Cleef does a good job as the former sheriff and the film is generally pretty entertaining.

11 - If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (1968) - 6/10 - A stagecoach is robbed and the strongbox full of gold is stolen. Somebody has hidden the gold away and several people strive to find it, including a few bad guys and one good guy named Sartana. There's a fair amount of backstabbing and misdirection.

Spoiler

1 - A Bullet for the General (1967) - 7/10 - #1900
2 - A Pistol for Ringo (1965) - 7.5/10
3 - And God Said to Cain (1970) - 8/10
4 - Bandidos (1967) - 7.5/10
5 - California (1977) - 7/10
6 - The Tracker (2002) - 7.5/10 - #1900
7 - The Overlanders (1946) - 6.5/10 - #1900

[Maddieanne]

1. City Slickers(1991) 3.5/5 #1900 [people were using mobile phones]
2. Wild Wild West(1999) 4/5
3. Brokeback mountain(2005) 4.5/5 #1900 [main characters meet in 1963]

*edited because I misread the 1830 bonus challenge*

[gunnar]

2. Wild Wild West(1999) 4/5 #1880 [Ulysses s grant was the president]

Just a heads up, but I think you misread the bonus tags. The tag should be #1830 for films set before 1830, not 1880. The other ones are fine.

[sol]

Thanks for hosting, blocho - and nice to see you promoting The Ballad of Little Jo; I've seen it a little too recently to want to dive into a rewatch just yet, but yeah it's a great film with amazing 500<400 potential.

1. Angel and the Badman (1947)



It is easy to see where this classic western is heading from the get-go as an injured outlaw takes refuge with a Quaker family, receiving special attention from the clan's adult daughter who believes that he has a good heart. Gail Russell is luminous as the daughter and it is understandable why John Wayne's protagonist quickly falls for her as a noted womaniser. Russell's reciprocated feelings are hard to buy though. There is the occasionally noteworthy moment (Wayne seems genuinely touched when he is gifted a Holy Bible) but I kinda get why this is not as well regarded as the Duke's other late 40s westerns.

[Tngy]

3. The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) 7.5/10 #Blocho

It's an interesting and unique story, not a typical western I would say. I really enjoyed it, good recommendation!

Spoiler

1. Une Corde, un Colt... Cemetery Without Crosses (1969) 5/10
2. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) 8/10

[Lonewolf2003]

1. Forty Guns (1957, Samuel Fuller) rewatch: 8.0 > 8.0

[jdidaco]

Thank you for hosting, blocho!!

A quartet of female gunslingers, spaghetti-style. In a better and more inclusive world we would have had a few less Sartanas and Trinitàs and more Lolas and Giarrettieras.

Lola Falana as 'Lola Colt',



1. Lola Colt (Black Tigress, Siro Marcellini, 1967) 6.5/10
2. Little Rita nel West (Rita of the West, Ferdinando Baldi, 1967) 7/10
3. Giarrettiera Colt (Garter Colt, Gian Rocco, 1968) 7.5/10
4. Il mio corpo per un poker (The Belle Star Story, Lina Wertmüller & Piero Cristofani, 1968) 7.5/10

Rita Pavone and I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni singing Robby Poitevin's very catchy "Little Rita", during the animated title sequence of 'Little Rita nel West',

[flavo5000]

6. The War Wagon (Burt Kennedy, 1967)


7. Rooster Cogburn (Stuart Miller, 1975)


8. Rustlers' Rhapsody (Hugh Wilson, 1985)


9. Tedeum a.k.a. Father Jackleg (Enzo G. Castellari, 1972)


10. La collera del vento a.k.a.Revenge of Trinity (Mario Camus, 1970)


11. King of the Cowboys (Joseph Kane, 1943)


12. My Pal Trigger (Frank McDonald, Yakima Canutt, 1946)


13. Song of Texas (Joseph Kane, 1943)


14. Kill or Be Killed (Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, 2015)

YEEHAW

1. Riders of the Whistling Pines (John English, 1949)
2. The Big Show (Mack V. Wright, 1936)
3. Springtime in the Rockies (Joseph Kane, 1937)
4. Boots and Saddles (Joseph Kane, 1937)
5. Man Without a Star (King Vidor, 1955)
6. The War Wagon (Burt Kennedy, 1967)
7. Rooster Cogburn (Stuart Miller, 1975)
8. Rustlers' Rhapsody (Hugh Wilson, 1985)
9. Tedeum a.k.a. Father Jackleg (Enzo G. Castellari, 1972)
10. La collera del vento a.k.a.Revenge of Trinity (Mario Camus, 1970)
11. King of the Cowboys (Joseph Kane, 1943)
12. My Pal Trigger (Frank McDonald, Yakima Canutt, 1946)
13. Song of Texas (Joseph Kane, 1943)
14. Kill or Be Killed (Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, 2015)

[Silga]

5. Ride Clear of Diablo (Jesse Hibbs, 1954) 6/10
6. Drums Across the River (Nathan Juran, 1954) 4/10

When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings

1. All the Pretty Horses (Billy Bob Thornton, 2000) 5/10 #1900
2. Riding Shotgun (André De Toth, 1954) 6/10
3. The Bounty Hunter (André De Toth, 1954) 7/10
4. A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964) 8/10 (re-watch)
5. Ride Clear of Diablo (Jesse Hibbs, 1954) 6/10
6. Drums Across the River (Nathan Juran, 1954) 4/10

[gunnar]

12 - Johnny Hamlet (1968) - 6/10 - The Spaghetti Western version of Hamlet. Johnny returns home from the Civil War to find that his father has been killed and that his mother has married his uncle. Mix in a Mexican bandit and lost Confederate gold and there you go. I liked the second half more than the first, but am still not much of a fan of the film.

13 - Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (1970) - 6/10 - Half a million in gold is up for grabs, There is plenty of action, but I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the previous Sartana film that I watched.

14 - ¡Matalo! (1970) - 2/10 - That was a strange movie, and not in a good way.

15 - Navajo Joe (1966) - 7/10 - Burt Reynolds stars as the only survivor of a massacre who sets out to get revenge on the gang that was responsible. The movie is decent and the score is good.

Spoiler

1 - A Bullet for the General (1967) - 7/10 - #1900
2 - A Pistol for Ringo (1965) - 7.5/10
3 - And God Said to Cain (1970) - 8/10
4 - Bandidos (1967) - 7.5/10
5 - California (1977) - 7/10
6 - The Tracker (2002) - 7.5/10 - #1900
7 - The Overlanders (1946) - 6.5/10 - #1900
8 - Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967) - 4/10
9 - The Four of the Apocalypse (1975) - 6.5/10
10 - The Grand Duel (1972) - 7/10
11 - If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (1968) - 6/10

[OldAle1]

1. Trail Street (Ray Enright, 1947) (re-watch)



TCM. icm sez I watched this in 2011, not that long ago all things considered, but I had absolutely no memory of it. I mean, I know I've seen all of Randolph Scott's available westerns, but there are a few that simply don't register, and this is one of them. Well, no wonder; on a second (and probably last) viewing I can see why I forgot it. The plot is as generic and hoary as it comes, with evil cattlemen pitted against the poor, hardworking farmers, and sheriff Bat Masterson (Scott) and his loyal deputy (Gabby Hayes) and land agent friend (Robert Ryan) standing as the town's only hope. Yeah, town - though this is technically about a range war, it's nearly all set in the town of Liberal, Kansas - so as to minimize costs, naturally, being all shot on RKO's back lot. There are two female leads (Anne Jeffreys and Madge Meredith), both in love in their ways with Ryan, there's a couple of totally unscrupulous businessmen who are the main bad guys (Steve Brodie and Billy House), and everything goes pretty much by the book, with some pretty risible dialogue along the way to explain some of the goings-on for dumber audience members who might not understand how things were in the Wild West. Not a lot of action, though what there is isn't bad. It's just watchable for the good cast and some nice photography (particularly the night-time shots) by J. Roy Hunt, but that's about it. Probably one of Scott's 5 worst post-war westerns.

[PUNQ]

My first challenge this year, and naturally I was going to return for the Western Challenge. Not sure how competitive I'm going to be, but as a annual tradition I'm watching all the new Westerns that's come my way the past year. The first selection is so bad I put off doing this for a few days, but it looks to get better once we get over the first threshold.


1. Sheriff of Cimarron (1945, Yakima Canutt) [*****]
--- Stuntman and B-movie cowboy Yakima Canutt only directed a few movies during his long career in Hollywood. Most of them fairly decent for the B-western's they were. And here he directs prime Sunset Carson for a enjoyable Republic Pictures fair with a good dose of humor and quite a bit of action. It's a snappy western that wastes no time. Perhaps doesn't bring anything original to the plate, but what it does, it does well. And that on a small budget. Very solid job from Canutt.


2. Marshal Law (2015, Patrick Stark) [*] [/b]
--- Marshal Law (2015) is the first in a trilogy of super amateur western movies. And this was so damn long and boring! Among the worst experiences I've had watching movies. There's a reason no one had added it to Letterboxd in the over 7 years it's been widely available out there. So naturally I'll be watching the two longer films that followed in the series right after this...


3. Marshal Law: Insurrection (2018, Patrick Stark & Tom Smith) [*] [/b]
--- Three years since the first film, and they'd not gotten any better at it. In a way it felt even worse, driven purely by the dreadful dialogue and acting that matched it.


4. Marshal Law: Reconciliation (2018, Patrick Stark & Tom Smith) [*] [/b]
--- And they conclude the Marshal Law trilogy the same year with a film that for some reason felt it needed to be an hour longer than the other two, yet none-the-better. They just wanted to torture you with some of the worst acted westerns out there.


5. Jezebeth 2: Hour of the Gun (2015, Damien Dante) [*] [/b]
--- A vampire western with a metal theme. It was so odd that it almost had me intrigued, but it couldn't hide the fact that it was a load of trash. If I was to say something positive about this amateur mess is that at least it attempted something a little bit different compared to the many other crappy westerns I'm watching this month. But not even the camp elements could save this one. Let's just say I won't be seeking out Jezebeth 1 anytime soon.


6. C-Bar (2015, Patrick Ball) [*] [/b]
--- Another amateur western production with a story that didn't need to be told, and no gimmicks to make up for it either. Just a complete drag with no hook.


7. The Porter Brothers (2016, Wilhelm Kuhn) [***]
--- An UK-French mini-western. Not too bad. Told the little it had to tell decently enough, and showed more polish than most equivalents from across the pond. Not that it's anything anyone needs to see.


8. In Dubious Battle (2016, James Franco) [****]
--- James Franco tries to bring the mood of workers fight for rights back in the old rural parts of California. It sometimes catches it, but there are a lot of parts that's just slow and uneventful. Got with him a interesting cast ranging from Selena Gomez to Bryan Cranston to help make this feel more than just a B-movie, but the end result leaves a lot to be desired, even if the heart is in the right place.



9a. A Fistful of Pebbles (2015, Somchanrith Chap) [****] - 7min
--- This was kind of cool. Some sort of Cambodian western-hybrid lasting 7-minutes. Not so much a masterful story or anything. Just something different that put a smile on my face.

9b. A Girl and Her Gun (2015, Samuel Dawe & Paul Holbrook) [****] - 18min
--- A dramatic short from the UK. Not a western, but western movies plays a vital part of the story, as this young girl finds escapism from her miserable life by watching old westerns. And through that finds inspiration to confront the bad influences in her life (her outlaws) by the gun. Tragic little thing.

9c. A Killer of Men (2015, Gregg Meller) [***] - 21min
--- Modern story with heavy western vibes. Bloody and decently produced. Not too much to tell. At least it used a obscure David Bowie song as the outro.

9d. Cowboys & Engines (2015) [***] - 26min
--- A steampunk western starring Richard Hatch, and also features a prominent part for Malcolm McDowell! But while it's got star-power, a cool premise and some decent effects, the story and how it was patched together didn't do much. *IMDB says 7min, but the cut I saw was 26.

9e. Bisonhead (2016, Elizabeth Lo) [**] - 8min
--- Hunters honking at Bisons. Got something to do with hunting politics between the state and Native Americans. Don't know much about it, and this 8 minute documentary doesn't say much either. It's simply just about the mood.



10a. The Ballad of Immortal Joe (2015, Hector Herrera) [****] - 6min
--- A little western themed animated tale of a dude called Joe. Almost a throwback to the cartoons of the 1950s, but the focus is more on the dramatic parts than being a silly cartoon. Gets a lot right.

10b. The Little Deputy (2015, Trevor Anderson) [****] - 9min
--- Sort of a western twist of a crossdressers origin story. Clever.

10c. The Lotus Gun (2015, Amanda Milius) [**] - 25min
--- Got ideas, but doesn't bring any life into them.

10d. The Mediator (2015, Graham Phillips & Parker Phillips) [***] - 15min
--- It's a fine little wild west drama, but it once it's over it has left very little impression.

10e. Savant: Kali 47 (2015, Mike Diva) [**] - 3min
--- Brief slasher western montage piece. Cool and pointless.

10f. Times Like Dying (2015, Evan Vetter) [****] - 22min
--- For a short, the story was more focused that you'd expect. Nothing too revolutionary, but they stuck to it, and it kept my attention. More drama driven than action.



11a. All Raccoons Are Bandits (2015, Brett Wagner) [****] - 16min
--- Smooth enough western comedy, all about a lucky idiot that on the wrong side of the law. Got a few laughs out of me, which was more than I had expected going in.

11b. Bird of Prey (II) (2015, Jelle Brunt & David de Rooij) [***] - 2min
--- A western themed animation film so short it barely has any time to make an impression. But what's here was good. Just wish it was more than a one-gag creation.

11c. Cowboys: High Noon (1991, Phil Mulloy) [****] - 3min
--- Doing the Phil Mulloy "Cowboy" cartoons, and I believe this was the first one, taking on a classic wild west duel with near-stick people animation. I appreciated the simple aesthetics of this thing, even with the slapstick finale, I found myself enjoying this.

11d. Cowboys: Murder (1991, Phil Mulloy) [****] - 3min
--- Murder and hanging in the most simplistic and grotesque fashion possible through animation. Nicely done Phil Mulloy.

11e. Cowboys: Slim Pickin's (1991, Phil Mulloy) [***] - 3min
--- A take on false promises and greed. Not as good as High Noon or Murder, but it's still got that cynical feel.

11f. Cowboys: Outrage! (1991, Phil Mulloy) [*****] - 3min
--- Apparently sex is not good. It's actually disgusting! Phil Mulloy delivers a cartoon oozing of wonderful hypocrisy.

11g. Cowboys: That's Nothin' (1991, Phil Mulloy) [****] - 3min
--- A totally perverted cartoon from nonother than Phil Mulloy. These Cowboy films sure are something.

11h. Cowboys: The Conformist (1991, Phil Mulloy) [***] - 3min
--- Not as graphic as some of Phil Mulloy's other cartoons, but you know it'll have a bitterness about it.

11i. Along the River (2016, Daniele Nicolosi) [***] - 27min
--- A sheriff's troubles with a sleazy lawyer and a horrible son. Got its moments where filth shines through, but it's not exactly a pleasant western short. Neither by art, nor story.

11j. Cold Hearts (2016, Danielle Baynes & Yolanda Ramke) [***] - 18min
--- Cold hearts, cold landscapes. That's what this Australian wilderness drama starring, written and directed by Danielle Baynes & Yolanda Ramke is all about. Decent and uneventful.



12a. Seth's Gold (2015, Guillermo de Oliveira) [**] - 10min
--- A Red Dead Redemption fan film. Unfortunately, I've not played any of the Red Dead games, so the lore of this is lost of me. But it's like any western lore ever made. Nothing original or particularly good about this.

12b. The Canary (2015, Karl Herrmann) [***] - 19min
--- Got some allure, but overall execution is not that great or effective. More a 'what could have been' short of the old west than one that'll stick with me.

12c. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (2015, Cal Evans) [***] - 6min
--- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly meets Star Wars! The mash-up I didn't think I needed. Well, I still don't need it, but I found this stupid little thing amusing.

12d. Where the Shadows Fall (2016, Kate Phillips) [**] - 13min
--- The kind of short film that shows us some moments, but for the most time likes to waste time.

12e. Revoltoso (2016, Arturo Ambriz & Roy Ambriz) [******] - 32min
--- A very cool stop-motion film from Mexico, giving us a story from the Mexican Revolution with some unique looking creatures and burning nitrate film. Wonderfully bizarre. Just wish there was more, even better focused story to tell, for what was here had all the style needed.

[gunnar]

My first challenge this year, and naturally I was going to return for the Western Challenge. Not sure how competitive I'm going to be, but as a annual tradition I'm watching all the new Westerns that's come my way the past year.

Good seeing you back here. I was wondering when you would join in.

[blocho]

My first challenge this year, and naturally I was going to return for the Western Challenge. Not sure how competitive I'm going to be, but as a annual tradition I'm watching all the new Westerns that's come my way the past year.

Good seeing you back here. I was wondering when you would join in.

Ditto! When you didn't post anything in the first four days, PUNQ, I was afraid you might sit this one out. It wouldn't be a Western challenge without you.

[Lammetje]

PUNQ just barged into this thread like an armed outlaw would enter a saloon.

[VincentPrice]

1. 3:10 to Yuma-2007: A- Rewatch

[flavo5000]

15. Under California Stars (William Witney, 1948)


16. Utah (John English, 1945)


17. Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Robert N. Bradbury, 1937)


18. Kansas Pacific (Ray Nazarro 1953)

YEEHAW

1. Riders of the Whistling Pines (John English, 1949)
2. The Big Show (Mack V. Wright, 1936)
3. Springtime in the Rockies (Joseph Kane, 1937)
4. Boots and Saddles (Joseph Kane, 1937)
5. Man Without a Star (King Vidor, 1955)
6. The War Wagon (Burt Kennedy, 1967)
7. Rooster Cogburn (Stuart Miller, 1975)
8. Rustlers' Rhapsody (Hugh Wilson, 1985)
9. Tedeum a.k.a. Father Jackleg (Enzo G. Castellari, 1972)
10. La collera del vento a.k.a.Revenge of Trinity (Mario Camus, 1970)
11. King of the Cowboys (Joseph Kane, 1943)
12. My Pal Trigger (Frank McDonald, Yakima Canutt, 1946)
13. Song of Texas (Joseph Kane, 1943)
14. Kill or Be Killed (Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, 2015)
15. Under California Stars (William Witney, 1948)
16. Utah (John English, 1945)
17. Sing, Cowboy, Sing (Robert N. Bradbury, 1937)
18. Kansas Pacific (Ray Nazarro 1953)

[blocho]

Any you would recommend among the bunch you've seen so far, flavo?

[gunnar]

16 - Requiescant (1967) - 7/10 - A young boy is the only survivor of a massacre of Mexican people by a ruthless landowner. The boy is adopted by a pacifist family and becomes close with them. When his adopted sister runs off, he tracks her down and tries to save her from a life of prostitution. He also runs afoul of the same group that killed his people. It's a pretty entertaining film with a good villain.

17 - Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead (1971) - 6/10 - A group of outlaws (led by Klaus Kinski) rob a bank and make off with $100,000 in gold bars. A man named John Webb agrees to guide them to the border in exchange for a cut of the gold, but he has his own agenda. I didn't like the first half hour or so, but it got better after that and I liked the end.

18 - The Brute and the Beast (1966) - 5.5/10 - Tom Corbett receives a letter asking him to return to his hometown in Texas. When he arrives there, he witnesses a man named Junior kill the son of a family trying to leave town due to low wages. Many of the town residents seem to live in fear of Junior since he and his father control the town along with their gang of hired hands. Tom sets out to find why he was summoned. This was okay, but some of the plot points just seemed to easy or convenient.

19 - Black Robe (1991) - 7.5/10 - #1830 - A Jesuit priest in the 1630s travels with an Algonquin tribe in an effort to convert them to Catholicism. It was pretty scenic and a decent historical drama.

Spoiler

1 - A Bullet for the General (1967) - 7/10 - #1900
2 - A Pistol for Ringo (1965) - 7.5/10
3 - And God Said to Cain (1970) - 8/10
4 - Bandidos (1967) - 7.5/10
5 - California (1977) - 7/10
6 - The Tracker (2002) - 7.5/10 - #1900
7 - The Overlanders (1946) - 6.5/10 - #1900
8 - Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967) - 4/10
9 - The Four of the Apocalypse (1975) - 6.5/10
10 - The Grand Duel (1972) - 7/10
11 - If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (1968) - 6/10
12 - Johnny Hamlet (1968) - 6/10
13 - Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (1970) - 6/10
14 - ¡Matalo! (1970) - 2/10
15 - Navajo Joe (1966) - 7/10

[Silga]

7. Four Guns to the Border (Richard Carlson, 1954) 8/10
8. For a Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone, 1965) 9/10 (re-watch)

Four Guns to the Border is a wonderfully colorful western, featuring great performances by Rory Calhoun, Walter Brennan and Colleen Miller. An unexpected surprise!

When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings

1. All the Pretty Horses (Billy Bob Thornton, 2000) 5/10 #1900
2. Riding Shotgun (André De Toth, 1954) 6/10
3. The Bounty Hunter (André De Toth, 1954) 7/10
4. A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964) 8/10 (re-watch)
5. Ride Clear of Diablo (Jesse Hibbs, 1954) 6/10
6. Drums Across the River (Nathan Juran, 1954) 4/10
7. Four Guns to the Border (Richard Carlson, 1954) 8/10
8. For a Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone, 1965) 9/10 (re-watch)