Your vote for best western ever.

[Droopy]

Mine goes to Unforgiven. Clint Eastwood wrote and directed that as well as starred in it. It's one of my favorite movies of all time regardless of genre.

"Deserve ain't got nothin' to do with it."

[billyskank]

1. Star Wars.

[Droopy]

2. That's a western?

Please explain yourself.

[Deja Q]

18. I think he means 'Star Trek'

:rofl:

[pitohui]

38. 'star trek' was captain hornblower, not a western

i think he does mean "star wars" but i no longer recall which one star wars was based on

[slj0101]

41. "The Hidden Fortress," which was a samurai film.

In essence, samurai films were akin to westerns in Japanese cinema.


edit to add- George Lucas had westerns in mind when he developed the character of Han Solo, as well as the cantina scene at the Mos Eisley spaceport.

[cemaphonic]

70. There's a few nods to 'The Searchers' in Star Wars as well.

And yeah, Kurosawa was very influenced by Hollywood westerns, especially Ford's, so many of his samurai films feel like westerns to me.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

42. I think Roddenberry originally pitched it as "Wagon Train to theStars"

[xchrom]

3. lust in the dust.

[mockmonkey]

26. Red Dick

The question is...Does this western have more gay actors than any other?

Divine
Tab Hunter
Cesar Romero

[xchrom]

33. oh god -- i LOVE that movie so much.

it's actually my fav performance of divine's.

she was actually so well suited for mainstream film -- which is just a big alternative hoot in itself.

[pintobean]

4. Blazing Saddles

[martymar64]

20. Revvveeeeddddd!

They said you was hung!
And they were right!


Candygram for Mongo!

They lose me right after the bunker scene.

Piss on you, I work for Mel Brooks!

[pintobean]

27. 2nd best

[pintobean]

35. oops...

that was this poster.

[liberal hypnotist]

5. One Eyed Jacks

Great cast of character actors and Marlon Brando.

[two gun sid]

6. High Noon.

[Frank Cannon]

13. I enthusiastically second High Noon

The fact that John Wayne hated it so bad just testifies to its greatness.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. That's the first western that pops into my head.

There are a number of good ones; but I think that's my favorite.

[Lumily]

7. Lonesome Dove.

I know it's a mini-series, but it's the best western, I've ever seen.

[Crabby Appleton]

49. I like it, I got it on DVD - maybe I'll watch it tonight.

[MrSlayer]

8. The HBO series "Deadwood" is the best Western ever.

But if you are going for a single movie I'd have to go with "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". It captures everything about the Old West.

[hellbound-liberal]

9. I agree that Ubforgiven was the best western I have seen but I prefer The Outlaw Josey Wales

as my favorite Eastwood western. I really enjoyed the movie and many of the scenes. I also thought Chief Dan George was great!

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. "Yeah, you killed the hell out of him." Unforgiven is an amazing movie.

Though "The Wild Bunch" is also a hell of a good Western.

[Drum]

11. Dunno about "best"...but I enjoyed "Silverado" alot.

:shrug:

[mitchum]

12. The Wild Bunch

[sammythecat]

34. Another here for "The Wild Bunch"

Just as good now as it was way back then.

on edit: just want to add that this movie had a terrific cast.

[liberalitch]

14. Toss up: The Searchers or Little Big Man......

Although.... silverado, jose wales and unforgiven are all up there..... High Noon too

[terrya]

15. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "The Shootist"

Tie. I'm not a big fan of westerns, but both are very good films.

[trackfan]

60. I love both of those.

I'd have to go with the former as my favorite western.

[begin_within]

16. Tie between High Noon, The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

[EFerrari]

23. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a great movie.

:thumbsup:

[Danger Mouse]

17. 'Once Upon a Time in the West' no question.

Everything about that movie is sheer beauty. It is a work of art.
Sergio Leone's masterpiece, and one of Ennio Morricone's finest scores.

[mwdem]

22. I second that.

My favorite, hands down.

[YDogg]

40. Yes. Absolutely.

About time for me to watch it again.

[Glorfindel]

19. "MacKenna's Gold" - an overlooked gem

with an astonishing cast, great story, and fabulous special effects.

[begin_within]

51. I like that one. Nobody ever talks about it. I'm glad to see it mentioned here.

[EFerrari]

21. Red River.

"There's quitters to bury."

[Paladin]

46. "Red River," My Pick For Best Western Ever

Quote attributed to long-time John Wayne director John Ford, after seeing the movie (which was directed by Howard Hawks): "I didn't know the big sonovabitch could act."

[EFerrari]

55. LOL! I agree! I didn't either!

:)

[barb162]

91. Oh that was a great movie

[mockmonkey]

24. Shane

Just for the hell of it. The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance get my votes also. I'll add Pale Rider just for being a decent remake of Shane.

[alittlelark]

52. I'll second Shane

[MarianJack]

25. Lots Of Great Movies Here, So...

...let me put a word in for "The Big Country" & "How The West Was Won".

I Love seeing mild mannered Gregory Peck slightly outfight macho shit-head charlton heston and then ask "What did we prove?".

[WCGreen]

28. The Searchers...

That last scene when Wayne is standing at the door after bringing Natalie Wood home and he can't bring himself to enter the house but just walks away is probably the most poignant scene in any Western...

[acmavm]

29. The original Stagecoach or The Shootist (even tho I think John Wayne

was a worthless arrogant bullying prick). I also loved Purgatory.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. I have to go with "Lonesome Dove" as well......

Outstanding book..........

And they did an astonishingly good job getting it on the screen.......

Hi, Droopy!

:hi:

[mike_c]

31. two that aren't really contenders for "best western ever" but deserve mention....

The Quick and the Dead. Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman. Very campy, cool movie.

Dead Man. Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer, scorching sound track by Neil Young.

[EFerrari]

36. Wow! I want to see those! Thanks, Mike. n/t

[sasquatch]

32. "High Plains Drifter" is my favorite

"Your gonna look awfully funny with that knife stickin' out of your ass."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

65. I like Two Mules for Sister Sarah, too...

[Twillig]

85. Only ONE-PUNCH knockdown of Eastwood on film!

I wish I had it on dvd so I could post the screencap of that.

[pitohui]

37. i could go along w. unforgiven EOM

,

[Twillig]

39. I'll put in a punt for "Nevada Smith"

I'd say Once Upon a Time in the West, but it's already been said. :-)


But Nevada Smith. What a brutal movie.

Steve McQueen, Karl Malden.

The final scene where Malden is trying (desperately) to goad McQueen to kill him is epic!

[catmandu57]

43. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid

Kris Kristofferson
James Coburn
Bob Dylan
Slim pickens
Jack Elam
Jason Robards
Luke Askew
L Q jones
Donnie Frits
and many many more tell me this isn't a great cast, directed by Sam Peckinpah.
Also one of the best lines ever to come from a movie, Billy the kid to Bob Ollinger right before he blows his fundie ass away "How's jesus look to you now bob?"

[Joe Fields]

44. Unforgiven, Oxbow Incident, Outlaw Josey Wales

[Joe Fields]

45. Oh, and also Lonesome Dove

[KG]

47. Silverado

a movie that weaved every 'western' stereotype into the plot, and still made it work.

land theft
crooked sheriffs
gamblers
a saloon
settlers heading west getting ripped off
a widow lady
a man returning from prison for a crime he didn't do
protitutes
a showdown on a windy street
horses
a barn burning
a cattle stampede
gun battles
a kid used as a hostage
an outlaw hideout in the badlands
a jailbreak
a black guy getting run out of town
the good guys win in the end

and the best part Roseanna Arquette in a tight top. :)

[barb162]

93. You're damned right . But you forgot it was also funny!

Terrific movie with a great music score!

[Zookeeper]

48. "Johnny Guitar"

starring Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge (and a couple of guys in supporting roles, including Sterling Hayden).

[EFerrari]

56. An awesome choice.

:)

[Zookeeper]

62. Thanks, sfexpat!

Have you seen "Forty Guns" with Barbara Stanwyck? It's not quite up to the level of "Johnny Guitar," but it's pretty unusual. She starts out tough and ends up all femmie at the end, but it's still worth seeing for the theme song: "She's a high ridin' woman...WITH A WHIP!" Barbara's juvenile delinquent brother uses her as a human shield and Barbara's Town Marshall boyfriend shoots her anyway, so he can capture her brother. I think that was a movie "first." ;)

[EFerrari]

84. No! I haven't seen it. This thread has some really great movies

in it that I need to go rent. :)

[opiate69]

50. The Magnificent Seven

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054047/

[Joe Chi Minh]

53. "For a Few Dollars More" , "The Good, the Bad And the Ugly" and

"For a Fistful of Dollars", in that order.

[Danger Mouse]

57. Of the Leone westerns, 'Once Upon a Time in the West' is the best...

check it ouf it you've never seen it...I like it better than the 'Dollar' trilogy.

[cemaphonic]

69. It and 'For a Few Dollars More' are probably better movies

But 'Good, Bad and the Ugly' is my favorite too, largely because of Eli Wallach, and because it's my favorite score of the bunch. Nice to see Morricone get the lifetime achievement award and nice to see Eastwood give it to him.

[Joe Chi Minh]

78. I've seen it, but wasn't taken with it at all, personally - though it's interesting to hear

others disagree entirely.

[Danger Mouse]

87. Well, it depends on the taste...

same director, same genre, vastly different movies.
On a personal level, I prefer 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'...but I think 'Once Upon a Time in the West' is artistically superior, if that makes any sense.
And I just love Jason Robards.

[Joe Chi Minh]

99. I'm not sure they the same genre actually. I think the trilogy

is uniquely stylized and had an apocalyptic quality about it, while Once Upon A Time in the West would be more historically oriented.

I mean I couldn't argue with someone who thought the trilogy completely farcical. And wouldn't even want to. No-one would go into a saloon, go up the baddies, demand the ring-leader deal him a hand, and he turns out to have five aces! I mean it wasn't that precisely, but very similar. Yep, Jason Robards fits the Leone bill to a tee! Usually plays someone like Nixlon.

[Danger Mouse]

100. There is a ridiculous quality to the trilogy, but that is part of their charm.

Tuco perfectly characterizes that silliness. He IS silliness.

[Art_from_Ark]

97. My picks as well

Also, High Plains Drifter, and They Call Me Trinity

[Poiuyt]

54. The Big Country for the score

Great music

Also Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Shane, Searchers

[sammythecat]

59. I always liked the theme

to that movie too. I've never seen the movie, but the score certainly fits the title.

[Poiuyt]

61. It's actually a pretty good movie

There are a lot of different conflicts going on - man vs man, man vs nature, man vs himself, etc. Gregory Peck of course, but I thought Burl Ives was great in it.

[Patiod]

58. Tombstone

Loved "Unforgiven", but we've seen Tombstone about 20 times.

Val Kilmer was robbed - he should have been Best Supporting Actor

Best. Doc Holiday. Ever.

[idgiehkt]

63. Brokeback Mountain

I've never seen it, but I daresay it's the most authentic.

[enigmatic]

66. El Topo

Nothing Better:

http://www.abkcofilms.com/topo.php

[Deep13]

67. Fist Full of Dollars

It is especially good if you keep in mind the implicit rules and stereotypes of western movies. Good guys wear white hats. Bad guys wear black. The opening scene is Eastwood riding into town with a brown hat denoting moral ambiguity. He shoots people in the back. He wins by deception rather than High Noon bravery. The scene shows the shooter and the victim in the same scene (previously a no-no.) Plus he's a little sadistic, something John Wayne characters never were.

[dysfunctional press]

68. Lonesome Dove.

without a doubt.

[Smooth Operator]

73. Destry Rides Again

Love the chemistry between Marlene Dietrich and Jimmy Stewart.

[geiger]

71. Unforgiven

Josey Wales and Wyatt Earp (without Kevin Costner) are right up there, too

[cemaphonic]

72. For novels, 'Blood Meridian'

Relentlessly violent and full of the sort of imaginative gore that most horror authors could learn a thing or two from, but totally fascinating, and with some of the most powerful and emotional descriptions of landscape I've ever read.

[Burma Jones]

74. A Few...

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
The Searchers
Yojimbo, Seven Samauri and their derivatives
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
And, of course, The Wild Bunch

[azmouse]

75. High Plains Drifter

[guitar man]

76. The Outlaw Josey Wales

Cheif Dan George stole the show.

Josey Wales: When I get to likin' someone, they ain't around long.

Lone Watie: I notice when you get to DISlikin' someone they ain't around for long neither

[ileus]

77. They call me trinity and Trinity is still my name.

Damn this thread made me buy both DVD's....it's been 20 years since I've seen the movies.

Kinda like I bought Death race 2000 last year.

[Bucky]

79. John Wayne in "The Shootist"

It was a nice ode the end of the West and the end of the western.

[Texasgal]

80. The newton boys!!!

It is a western, yeah?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

81. The Gunfighter

starring Gregory Peck.

[bikebloke]

82. The Magnificent Seven

I might include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, except for that musical "Raindrops..." interlude. That's when I get up, without pushing the pause button, to have a look out the window.

[WI_DEM]

83. "High Noon" but also "Shane", "The Searchers", "Red River"

[bigwillq]

86. Brokeback Mountain

:bounce:

[Pale Blue Dot]

88. I saw the thread title and I thought "Unforgiven".

So we agree. :D

[MissMarple]

89. Outland ... SF rules.

Also, High Plains Drifter, The Quick and the Dead, and Tombstone.

IMHO...there is no "best ever". :shrug:

[barb162]

90. "The Big Country "with Burl Ives giving a stupendous performance

[jobycom]

95. It's been a while, but wasn't he the spooky bad guy? Charleton Heston was good in that, too.

I liked Heston better as an actor than as a person, i think. :)

[barb162]

98. He wasn't a bad guy at all; he was just trying to get

water for his cattle. His performance in that movie and "CAt on a Hot Tin Roof" were so terrific. He amazes me. I will watch his movies over and over.

[jobycom]

92. Unforgiven for me, too. nt

[graywarrior]

94. One-Eyed Jacks sucked so bad it was good.

Almost every line out of that movie rocked.

[dixiechik]

96. Your vote for best western ever.

That would have to be another Clint movie: The Outlaw Josie Wales gets my vote.
Also: Jerimiah Johnson.