Wanna Talk Westerns?

[Wolf Man]

My definition of good I am now starting to think is very different than most.  When I think of something as "good" it is because I enjoy watching it over and over again.  Example, I can watch Howard Hawks The Thing over and over and I never get tired of it. 

When it comes to westerns, I have discovered much to my dismay that friends have said this movie or that is "good" so on their recommendation I purchase the DVD.  Then discover that while I don't think the film is necessarily bad it is not something I would watch over and over.  I end up feeling like it was a waste of money to purchase the film when I should have just rented or borrowed it.  Two recently, "There Will Be Blood" and "3:10 to Yuma", while both are good films I would not watch them over and over and might not even ever watch them again. 

Since most of us are Classic monster fans we are used to classifying a film as "good" meaning yes, can't get enough of watching it again and again, and then classifying something as "OK, or reasonably decent" meaning yeah, watch it once but don't buy it unless you get it cheap in the bargain bin. 

As for westerns, I look for a film I enjoy so much I want to watch it over and over and I also look for one more thing.  Since I am a knife designer, dealer and collector I gravitate towards westerns that have knives in them.  You would be surprised how many westerns do have knives used prominently then you would also be surprised how many that should but don't.  Kind of weird. 

Anyway, here is a short list of westerns that I feel are "good" by my definition, that is worth watching many times. 

The Cowboys - I believe to be John Wayne's best film and should have garnered him an Oscar. 
The Shootist - Not a typical John Wayne film, the scene where he is examined by James Stewart as the doctor was kind of unnerving but a very interesting departure from typical westerns and well acted. 
Lonesome Dove - need I say more, probably the best western ever made.  Has lots of knife play too. 
The Alamo - the recent version.  I am a huge Alamo historian and watching this film was like dropping a camera back into history and watching the events unfold.  You could use this as a lesson for school. 
The Iron Mistress - recently available on DVD.  The very fictionalized and sensationalized story of Jim Bowie and the creation of the knife.  As old as this film is it is well made, well acted and worth watching repeatedly.  The scene of the creation of the knife is worth the price of the film. 
Unforgiven - one of Eastwood's best and one of the films that brought westerns back once again. 
Pale Rider - great twist on Eastwood's "man with no name" characters, if you know the film you will know what I mean. 
Dead Man's Walk - a prequel for Lonesome Dove with exceptional performances of young Gus and Woodrow. 
Young Gun's one and two - both awesome telling of Billy the Kid's story.  Emilio Esteves was perfect in the role of Billy.  Never get tired of watching him and the others in their roles here. 
Tombstone - not a great film but Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday is a haunting portrayal and channeling of the character.  Worth watching numerous times. 
Outlaw Josey Wales - another Clint Eastwood masterpiece. 
High Plains Drifter - yet another Clint great
Jeremiah Johnson - a Redford/Pollock team up and the quintessential mountain man film about Liver Eating Johnson.  A slow film but can watch it over and over. 
Glory - not a western per se but incredible Civil War film I never tire of watching. 
Open Range - Got to be Costner's best, great film all around.  Fun to see Robert Duval in the saddle again.

I know I said short list and considering how many westerns there are it is kind of short.  Keep in mind these are all films I like watching over and over.  That is the criteria I judge movies and whether they are good. 

I would like to hear from other western fans and what films you think are worthy of repeated watching.  Feel free to throw out some opinions as well about some of the aforementioned films. 

Just FYI too, I am an Old West reenactor and I portray an 1880's Texas Ranger.  I carry an 1875 Remington like Boss Spearman did in Open Range and also a ten gauge shot gun affectionately known as the "street Howitzer".  Of course I have a vast array of knives, everything from originals to my own designs and I personally carry an "Iron Mistress" type bowie and a Samuel Wragg Civil War period boot knife. 

I am always willing to chat up westerns, knives or guns and mightily bored you will be. 

[hammerfan]

My faves

Outlaw Josey Wales
Tombstone
She wore a Yellow Ribbon.
The searchers
3:10 to yuma (original)
Appaloosa
Silverado
the alamo(john wayne)
Geronimo
THe Wild Bunch
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
Good the BAd and the Ugly
Jeremiah Johnson

[63monsterkidd]

John Fords My Darling Clementine.
Henry Fonda, Victor Mature, Walter Brennen.
In my opinion the best B/W western
ever made.
63Monsterkidd

[Scary Terry]

The Searchers
Magnificent Seven
Little Big Man
Once Upon a Time in the West
The  Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
A FIstful of Dollars
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
For a Few Dollars More
My Name is Nobody
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
The Wild Bunch
Ride the High Country
Stagecoach
Gunfight at the OK Corral
Hour of the Gun
Unforgiven
The Devil Rides a Horse
Open Range
Lonesome Dove

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

my fave westerns...

The Magnificent Seven
The Sackets
The Long Riders
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
High Noon
El Dorado
Sons of Katie Elder
Tombstone
Unforgiven
The Searchers
True Grit
Rio Lobo
Young Guns I & II
The Quick & The Dead(Sam Elliot one)
Hondo
Monte Walsh
The Wild Bunch
The Good,The Bad,& The Ugly
Lonesome Dove
The Alamo(John Wayne)
Stagecoach(John Wayne)
3:10 to Yuma(original)
Quigley down under
The Fastest Gun alive
McLintock
Red River
Joe Kidd
Hombre
Jeremiah Johnson

just to name a few, I'm sure there are others I am forgetting

[Wolf Man]

Quigley Down Under - a great one, sorry I missed that and it is definately one that can be watched many times.
The Life and Time of Judge Roy Bean is an awesome film.  I can watch it more than once but not sure about watching it over and over.  That is one I would have to revisit perhaps once a year.  Still a great film though.

Appaloosa was given to me as a download by one of the guys over here.  I thought it to be quite amataur acted.  The Rene Zellweger looked like she had way too much botox or something.  Looked horrible.  I did like Viggo Mortensen's character.  I can tell you from shooting my ten gauge that shooting an 8 gauge would knock you on your south forty.  Jeremy Irons just did not play a good enough bad guy in my opinion.  Ed Harris is a good actor and did well enough in his role.  I always like Lance Henrikson and I thought he was underused in this. 

You know, he made a great little unknown western called Gunfighters Moon.  I liked that he carried an original Chevalier Bowie knife.  You never see those used in films.  Kudos to the prop guy for getting that knife.  This movie is not available on DVD anymore. 

So I take it by the listed favorites these are all films that you could watch again and again?  I enjoy going through the lists.  I may find something I have never seen that I may want to check out. 

Last but not least Deadwood was an incredible show that should not have been cancelled.  Very gritty and realistic.  If there ever was a person that needed killing it was Hearst. 

[zombiehorror]

Last but not least Deadwood was an incredible show that should not have been cancelled.  Very gritty and realistic.  If there ever was a person that needed killing it was Hearst. 

Check out Timothy Olyphant's new show Justified (FX)!  Not a period western but he definitely plays similar character as Bullock from Deadwood and the show has an underlying western feel, at least IMHO.

[Paul L]

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: One of my favorite non imagi-movies.

[slayergriffith]

My favorite is two mules for sister sara

[hammerfan]

I agree about Zellwiger in Apaloosa, she was the weak link. But Harris was very good and Viggo was great.  I am fond of the PArker books that spawned those characters too.  I have to mention Chato's Land as well. One of Bronson's best and an underrated film.

[MDG]

I'm generally not big on westerns as a genre, but there are a lot that I love.

Stagecoach (textbook moviemaking)
Johnny Guitar
The James Stewart/Anthony Mann and Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher series
Day of the Outlaw
Rio Bravo
Ride the High Country
For a Few Dollars More is my favorite of the Dollar trilogy
I tend to "like" the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Corbucci more than Leone's: Django, Minnesota Clay, The Great Silence, The Hellbenders
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

[zombiehorror]

The Great Silence

Thank you...I was trying to remember the name of that one, they rotate it on IFC every now and then.  Great flick and worth a watch.

[Unknown Primate]

EL DORADO
SONS OF KATIE ELDER
CAT BALLOU (Hilarious!)
NEVADA SMITH (Steve McQueen)
DOC (Stacy Keach)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE
THE LONG RIDERS
KILL THEM ALL AND COME BACK ALONE (rare spaghetti western with Chuck Connors)
TRUE GRIT

[ChattyLMS]

I'm not a western fan but I liked Blazing Saddles.

[packy120353]

Oh man, I love Westerns for the same reason I love Monsters - they validate and remind me of my happy childhood. We played "Cowboys and Indians" as much as we played "Army" (can you say violence? no wonder I love Monsters!) However - as a child I was mainly exposed to TV westerns: Sugarfoot, Johnny Yuma, Paladin, Bat Masterson, Maverick, The Rifleman. Not a huge Bonanza fan but Gunsmoke all the way. 
I love all the movies mentioned previously and I'll add: Old Yeller and Savage Sam.
I also love The Alamo and along those lines the battles at Islanwana and Rourkes Drift. Highly recommended: Zulu and Zulu Dawn.
Now - knives. I haven't set out to collect knives but somehow I ended up with a cabinet full. My favorite type being two old school US Navy flight/survival knives with the floating handles, gray steel blades. They belonged to my Dad (ret.LCDR/fighter pilot, 86) I'll be happy to post a pic if you like.
Great topic!