westerns: CoD

Comes up a lot, mostly because of Bruce Langhorne soundtrack, I think, but no.

has anybody seen this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hired_Hand

Yes, it's one of the must-see revisionist westerns of the '70s. Low-key, very well acted.

The western historian Philip French points to 1972 as a watershed year for the genre, based on films such as The Culpepper Cattle Company, The Cowboys, Jeremiah Johnson, Bad Company, and Ulzana's Raid. But one could extend that to 1971-1973 imo, to take in The Hired Hand, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and (though I'm not such a fan of it) High Plains Drifter, among others.

The Culpepper Cattle Company, The Cowboys, Jeremiah Johnson, Bad Company, and Ulzana's Raid

never seen any of these, but have at least heard of the last two

...and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid for 1973 also

The Cowboys is John Wayne training a gang of young boys to be tough (double meaning in the title). Was supposed to be Wayne's last western but he came back to make The Shootist, which is superior though not flawless imo

the only John Wayne movie I've ever seen is the Searchers.

The Cowboys is also notable because <SPOILER ALERT> it's one of the few films where Wayne is killed onscreen, in this case by Bruce Dern as a character called "Longhair" (SYMBOLISM).

xps Wayne also came back to do the Rooster Cogburn movie w/Kate Hepburn.

But back to The Hired Hand, I remember it being good, but disappointing. Will need to rescreen.

xp oh yeah forgot. I've never seen Rooster Cogburn thanks to tepid word of mouth on it

revising my opinion of Shoot Down the Sun upwards after getting to the end, has a great ending sequence

Warlock, a novel quite popular on I Love Books, was made into a Cinemascope oater by producer-director Edward Dmytryk in 1959, and damn it is a weird one (tho less so than the book, of which I've read 50 pages). Henry Fonda is an Earp-like freelance "marshal" hired to clean up a mining town, his gambler sidekick and possible lover Anthony Quinn in tow. Richard Widmark is their semi-antagonist, Dorothy Malone a vengeful figure from the past. (Star Trek's future Dr McCoy also has a sizeable role as one of the cowboy gang.)

Also very weirdly, Widmark's younger brother is played by Frank Gorshin, later a popular TV/club impressionist whose act regularly featured his Widmark imitation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgLUMPjuHy4

It's just barely a western, but nowhere else for this...I'm positive that anyone who loves The Straight Story will also love The Grey Fox, Richard Farnsworth's Canadian film from 1982. (Coppola's company distributed it in the U.S. when it came out.) I never saw it back then, and I wouldn't be surprised if I never get a chance to see it again. Worth the wait--much beauty in the love story, the cinematography, the soundtrack (the Chieftains, a few years after Barry Lyndon, and a line in the prologue about Farnsworth's character, leaving San Quentin in 1901 after 33 years, being "released into the 20th century."

Dmytryk's Warlock (see above) now on Blu

https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review-edward-dmytryks-warlock-on-twilight-time-blu-ray/

have seen 91

https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/the-100-best-westerns-of-all-time/

The Lone Ranger, eh

they kinda fumbled at the goal line listing The Searchers as a 1965 movie

well, typos happen

Have seen 69, though there's 3-4 I'm not sure about. Have seen very few of the ones from the 2000s.

It's an OK list, a bit safe maybe. I'd put Jesse James (1939) on there, as well as A Bullet for the General(1966), The Big Gundown (1967), and The Hired Hand (1971) off the top of my head.

I haven't verified it for myself, but I've actually heard good things about The Lone Ranger. It seemed to be one of those movies that started developing a minor cult within months of flopping at the box office. Still not sure I want to subject myself to more Depp mugging, though.

Pale Rider seems like a more questionable inclusion. I remember it being pretty bad.

had no idea Tombstone (1993) was directed by Panos Cosmatos' dad.

Only seen 56 of these. Making some notes for future viewing.

had no idea Tombstone (1993) was directed by Panos Cosmatos' dad.

As I understand it was mostly directed by Kurt Russell

I've seen 38 by a quick count. I guess I should see The Naked Spur and Johnny Guitar soon.

The Naked Spur is very good; I prefer it to the somewhat overpraised Winchester '73.

Out of these that I haven't seen does anyone have a particular recommendation?

Wagon Master
The Violent Men
Doc
Silver Lode
I Shot Jesse James
Canyon Passage
Day of the Outlaw

Dan Duryea pretty much ruins Night Passage for me, yeeesh the overacting. Character is supposed to be villainous and threatening but comes across as laughable. Think I've liked him in other things and don't recall him being such a scenery chewer.

I do! But I like his brand.

Gonna have a Lee Van Cleef marathon thanks to the library: Sabata trilogy, plus Death Rides a Horse

Need to get on those Sabatas, LOVE the Cantori Moderni theme song to one of 'em.

Death Rides A Horse was a disappointment. Fav non-Leone spaghetti Van Cleef so far was Day Of Anger.

lol the back cover of the Death Rides a Horse dvd has a formatting error and discloses the "surprising turn" in the plot

putting Day of Anger on my list

Just watched Allan Dwan's Silver Lode, which if anything is more direct about its HUAC allegory than High Noon -- Dan Duryea's villain is named McCarty. DD and Dolores Moran as the good-bad prostitute supply the acting juice; Lizabeth Scott is kinda wasted as hero John Payne's loyal bride. (Oh yeah it's set in the middle of a July 4th celebration.) One great long tracking shot as Payne dodges fire, one of the better Dwan films I've seen out of 20.

RFI what is the meaning of the Jeremiah Johnson gif?

"i nod in approval." don't overthink it.