Best Western

[sub]and no, I’m not talking about the motel chain [/sub] :slight_smile:

Do you love movies that leave you choking in the dust? Can’t resist a film if it has a horse running through it? Which is your favorite?

My husband and I have debated the best western movies ever made. My list has to begin with

(1) Unforgiven
(2) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
(3) Dances with Wolves

My husband would add Silverado in there somewhere.

Try “The Wild Bunch”, Sam Peckinpah’s violently disturbing tail of aging outlaw anti-heroes.

“Silverado” is almost a spoof of westerns, except that it took itself seriously, and isn’t a bad movie, all-in-all (though I found myself hoping Costner’s character would get killed).

A good contemporary western is “Last of the Dogmen”. Or, if you’re more action oriented, “Extreme Prejudice” (judging by your picks, I’d guess not).

I’d have to go with

  1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
  2. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  3. Unforgiven
  4. The Magnificent Seven (side comment: if you like this movie and get a chance to see Akiro Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai - WATCH IT!)
  5. Does Treasure of the Sierra Madre count as a western? If so, slide this up to the #2 spot.

John Wayne did make some pretty good westerns.

The Searchers the one where he spends the whole movie looking for Natalie Wood and killing Indians.

The Shootist was his last movie and I think one of his best.

Cowboys was one of my favorite he made and I’m still mad at Bruce Dern for shooting the Duke in the back.

Rio Bravo with Wayne and Robery Mitchum was also entertaining.

Let’s not forget a few others such as Shane, High Noon, and Rustlers Rhapsody.

Marc

Of course it’s Blazing Saddles:slight_smile:

Actually…I have to go with any of Clint Eastwoods spaghetti westerns. Although High Noon is way up there too.

One candidate not mentioned yet - Little Big Man.

Unforgiven
High Noon
The Shootist
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

also get my votes.

Didn’t we just have this discussion a couple of months ago? My list.

  1. Magnificant Seven-Starring Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, Charles Bronson.

  2. My Darling Clementine-John Ford directing, starring Henry Fonda, Ward Bond, Victor Mature, Walter Brennen and Tim Holt.

  3. Red River-John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennen and John Ireland.

  4. Cowboy-Glen Ford, Jack Lemmon and Anthony Quinn.

  5. Destry Rides Again-James Stewart, Marlena Detrich.

  6. [B}Stagecoach**-John Wayne, John Caradine, Andy Devine, Claire Trevor and directed by John Ford.

  7. [B}The Outlaw Josie Wales**-Clint Eastwood, Iron Eyes Cody.

  8. Silverado-Kevin Kline, Kevin Cosner, Danny Glover, Linda Hunt, Jeff Goldblum.

  9. Barbarosa-Gary Busy and Willie Nelson.

  10. Cheyenne Social Club-James Stewart and Henry Fonda.

  11. Ride the High Country-Sam Peckanpah’s masterpiece with Randolph Scot and Joel McRae.

honerable mention to: Valdez Is Coming, Wild Bunch, Judge Roy Bean.

I forgot about High Noon! Ok, so go back to my list and put High Noon where Unforgiven is, and take Magnificent Seven off.

My faves:

1 - Unforgiven
2 - Unforgiven
3 - Unforgiven
it’s that good
Then I’d go with …
4 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
5 - The Long Riders - I can’t get enough of this Peckinpah-ish passion play about the James Gang (no, not Joe Walsh’s old group).

And I thought this was about hotel chains. :wink:

I’d go with:

  1. Stagecoach
  2. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
  3. Yojimbo (so what if it’s set in Japan)
  4. Support Your Local Sheriff
  5. Fort Apache

In no particular order
1.Unforgiven
2. Shane
3. The man who shot Liberty Valence
4. Old yeller.

I think I’ve seen about six Westerns, so I’m probably not qualified to answer this question. However, I did want to mention that we just rented The Magnificent Seven on DVD, and I enjoyed it tremendously. The special features include a trailer that has lyrics to the Magnificent Seven song, which we have been singing around the house for days now.

I was surprised to see Dances With Wolves on your list, Sparteye, mostly because I’m very ignorant about this genre, and I don’t think I would have thought of Dances With Wolves as a Western. I realize it is set in the “west” (the Dakotas, I believe) and has Indians and horses and people wearing dusty clothing. But what else makes something a Western? Here’s your chance to fight some ignorance today!

My choices for top five:

  1. Any of the three Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns

  2. Once Upon A Time In The West

  3. El Dorado

  4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

  5. Bad Day At Black Rock

My Name Is Nobody
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Unforgiven
Red Sun
Blazing Saddles

The Shootist
Silverado
Tombstone [Because Sam Elliot was born to be a cowboy, dammit]

Unforgiven is right up there. Of the “Man With No Name” three by Sergio Leone, I often find myself in the minority opinion that For a Few Dollars More edges out The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The latter has the more instantly-memorable theme song, of course.

  1. Unforgiven
  2. The Searchers
  3. High Noon
  4. The Magnificent Seven
  5. A Fistful of Dollars

Tombstone, no doubt in my mind. Although Sam Elliot was great, my favorite was Val Kilmer.

  1. For a Few Dollars More
  2. The good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
  3. Any other Eastwood Spaghetti Western.

No, if you meant them the western would be Zachariah.