Just got into Westerns, question for ya'll

[jonny]

hey everyone!

My hand has been broke for the past month and all i can do is type one-handed and watch movies. B/c I had seen every other movie known to man I started watching Westerns recently. I wanted to know if anyone had seen Open Range and if so is it worth renting or buying?

A side note, I actually found an old John Wayne movie, Angel and the Badman, showing for free online. Even though it was old and in black and white, I enjoyed it a lot. Am I just going crazy from boredom (b/c of the broken hand) or does anyone else like that movie? If you haven't seen it, the link is:

http://www.goldbucklenetwork.com

Let me know if I am going crazy or not. Thanks.

Jonny

[David Meek]

Hi Jonny, welcome to The Guide. :welcome:

Here's a thread we had going on Open Range when it came out.

Nope, you're not going crazy. Westerns have been a source of great entertainment for several generations - glad you're getting into them. :T

Want some other suggestions?

[Spookyslow]

I agree entirely with the review. I saw Open Range when it was in the theater and bought the DVD as soon as it came out. Great movie.

Some other 'cowboy classics': Shane, The Magnificent Seven and of course, Unforgiven. Oh and check out any of the Clint Eastwood movies....Fistful of Dollars, A Few Dollars More, Hang 'em High....

Enjoy!

[Brandon B]

Silverado is a pretty fun one as well, with Costner in a younger role.

BB

[Danbry39]

Oh, I could add quite a few to the excellent choices already mentioned. Truth be told, I get pretty excited when somebody wants to get into Westerns.

For John Wayne, you might want to check out Red River, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Rio Bravo, or the epic The Searchers.

I also think the made for TV mini-series Lonesome Dove was absolutely great!!!

I'm a big fan of the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood collaborations, but, ironically, my favorite Sergio Leone Western is Once Upon a Time in the West and my favorite Clint Eastwood Western is The Unforgiven.

I really like Open Range, just not as much as the others. It has some absolutely fantastic scenery though.

There's gold in them thar hills.

[Danbry39]

Oh, and a personal favorite of the early black and whites is The Ox Bow Incedent with Henry Fonda. For some reason, although it probably isn't mentioned as much, it stands out to me as great a commentary of systemic justice as his later 12 Angry Men, which isn't a Western, but is nonetheless a great film imo.

[George Bellefontaine]

Oh yes, Keith, on Ox Bow Incident, and right beside that on my shelf is another great Fonda western: MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, a John Ford take on the Wyatt Earp story and shootout at the OK Corral.

I JUST L O V E WESTERNS !

[Shane Martin]

Open Range was ok but not as good as the movies from John Wayne or Eastwood.

Others not suggested yet:

Tombstone: buy the vista series dvd if you do.
Wyatt Earp: Recent 2 disc set from Warner is nice.
Young Guns: can find the SE's at BB or Walmart pretty cheap.
Unforgiven which has been suggested is also great and shouldn't be missed. It's wayyyyyy better than Open Range was. I did like Open Range though.

[David Meek]

One comment about Unforgiven for the novices: :B it's a dark story, and I don't mean visual quality. It's probably one of the more accurate portrayals of life in those days on the frontier and as such doesn't fall in the "horse opera" category of Westerns. It's harsh. But having said that, to me it's one of the 10 great Westerns ever made.

Way better than Open Range? IMO No. Different? Yes.

[David Meek]

To add to Shane & Keith's lists of good Westerns:

The Outlaw Josey Wales
High Noon
Jeremiah Johnson
Dances With Wolves
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
The Wild Bunch
Quigley Down Under

[David Meek]

Oh, I could add quite a few to the excellent choices already mentioned. Truth be told, I get pretty excited when somebody wants to get into Westerns.

Me too Keith, me too. :banana:

Way back when, I had started a thread on an "HT Guide's list of favorite Westerns". I'll see if I can find the info and maybe resurrect it.

[Danbry39]

I remember that thread well. Very enjoyable and some great suggestions.

[Azeke]

Tombstone is one of my personal favorites, also Once Upon a time in the West.

Here is the thread you were looking for David:

Favorite Westerns

Regards,

Azeke

[David Meek]

Thanks Arman! :T

I'd actually forgotten that thread. I was thinking about the one I started pre-server-migration. ops:

[Azeke]

You're welcome, David.

Azeke

[Stoney]

OK, I have no idea why, but after reading through all the lists "Cat Ballou" with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin popped into my head. Must have been some sort of repressed traumatic memory brought to the surface.

[Gordon Moore]

Anything with "The Duke"
The Magnificent Seven is fun.

[David Meek]

Must have been some sort of repressed traumatic memory brought to the surface.

:rofl: Probably, it was the shot of Lee Marvin and his horse both drunk and leaning against the wall of the building.

[George Bellefontaine]

Cat Ballou was never one of my favorites but I really did enjoy Lee Marvin's performance, and the horse, too, of course. :lol:

[Chandos]

I'm a big fan of the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood collaborations, but, ironically, my favorite Sergio Leone Western is Once Upon a Time in the West and my favorite Clint Eastwood Western is The Unforgiven.

Love Sergio, but hated Once-West. Bored me to death. Unforgiven is great though.