Understand ! One groundbreaking western no one has mentioned is The Wild Bunch . One of the truly greats .Another great is the original The Magnificent Seven .
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Junior Day is a single step, not the journey)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
Not the best IMO, but definitely Top 10. But there are so many that could be Top 10.
It's worth Top 10, but so are a lot of others, like The Ox-Bow Incident, Bad Day at Black Rock, and if you want to add a twist, Blazing Saddles and Cat Ballou.
While I'm firmly in the camp that says, "Contend for a conference championship every year and everything else will fall into place" I'm a little worried about TCU and Baylor coming back to the level Texas is at because of the overall level of the conference if they both get weak again. There's a real fear to being the king of a bottom dweller conference, especially when you consider the sudden, meteoric rise of the ACC. I'd much rather they stay in the national spotlight and we just get better.
I can't believe we have so many movies in the top 25 in common. My only real contentions would be, "How can Shawshank not be in the top 10" and "I think The Hateful 8 doesn't get the credit it's due because it's too recent."
Kudos to you for Casablanca at number 1, I've been preaching this for years.
I could only put 10 in the top 10. some had to be left out.
The Hateful 8 was just ok for me. Not anywhere near Inglorious Basterds.
Funny, but I didn't even think about the sexuality of any of the characters when I made that comment.
The film was so engrossing and so believable and complete that the Mrs. and I just got caught up in the incredible story and acting. Very thought provoking to say the least. And importantly, it was entertaining.
Sometimes the creative process will surprise us. I mean, how did that author put those words down on paper without having lived them? When I step back less than 24 hours after watching the film, I am still amazed.
I thought the first two chapters of the movie were special. There were some things I didn't like about the final chapter.
Yeah, after looking at your list, I had trouble figuring out who I would boot to include Shawshank... it's tough. And obviously the whole thing is subjective anyway. But a big part of my test for top movie is how often am I willing to watch it and if I cruise through the channels and it's on, will I pick it up at any point and finish it? By the rational, I'd boot Jaws and include Shawshank. But by that rationale, I'd need to find a way to include A Few Good Men and Deadpool so; what do I know?
As for Hateful 8 vs. IB: First, IB obviously isn't a western but I suppose you're comparing Tarentino flicks. I really like IB but I more enjoyed Pitt's and Waltz's performances more than anything. H8 had stellar performances by Jackson, Russell, Leigh, Goggins, Dern and solid performances by 4-5 others and I thought, a better story.
Either way, I love Movie Talk 1000 times more than soccer talk (at least until Newcastle makes it back to the EPL) and a million times better than MMA talk.
Ah, I thought you were talking H8 for best movies all-time and not western.
fair enough. Not on my list, but it probably makes a top 25.
I like Wyatt Earp. I LOVE Tombstone. Tombstone has greater focus and clarity than does Wyatt Earp imo, not to mention it has far greater action and tension. Actually, I really like Wyatt Earp a great deal until they get to Tombstone. The first half of the movie was really good, the second half was meh.
You've gone Kurtz. Are you typing this at the edge of a river by any chance?
I'm awaiting orders to terminate with extreme prejudice.
I'm not sure how one could even suggest that.
The bigger story, with a wider sample size to complete clarity and focus is the other movie.
For instance, there's a lot going on with his relationship with Bessie that's important to understand the backstory to. Earp doesn't provide that.
Wyatt Earp does a mediocre job of establishing Curly Bill and the Cowboys. I feel that the movie doesn't adequately set that up properly.
Tombstone is obviously more Hollywood and myth driven, but it sets up the conflict with cowboys much better; you get to know the cowboy characters in Tombstone far better than W. E., and the showdowns are far more memorable because of it. Michael Biehn was so good as Ringo.
That's my chief complaint about Wyatt Earp. I do like the movie. I'm not trashing it. I've seen it a half dozen times, and my feelings are always the same - love the first half (growing up, young Wyatt, losing his first wife, the Mastersons, Dodge City, Ed's death) but it's when they get to Tombstone that it gets sloppy.
Last edited:
First, you and I apparently have similar taste in movies. With that in mind, watch Witness for the Prosecution (the original with Charles Laughton) and you may revise that all-time best list. Others worth your time: Anatomy of a Murder and Judgment at Nuremberg.
And how is Schindler's List not even worth an Honorable Mention?
On Westerns, one would think The Magnificent Seven, True Grit, The Sons of Katie Elder and Rio Bravo would rate at least a passing mention somewhere. I admit I really enjoy John Wayne Westerns.
Second, I love me some Amy Adams, but Arrival is not even close to her best work (Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day) and is not Oscar-worthy, IMO. Arrival was entertaining and interesting, but I thought it was about equivalent to Contact. It was not a great film.
Last edited:
a. Should have listed Judgment at Nuremberg..
b. Schindler's List is a tremendous film, just not on my personal list.
c. agree to disagree with Arrival. Light years better than Contact.
Judgement at Nuremberg is a great film. Anatomy of a Murder is very good, very frank for it's time.
Speaking of Charles Laughton, I was blown away by his lone directing effort, The Night of the Hunter. Great film. Wonderful visual style. One of Robert Mitchem's greatest films/roles.
Within the last three weeks the Mrs. and I re-watched Witness for the Prosecution and Anatomy of a Murder. Who knows how many years since we'd seen each one. Two remarkable films.
Night of the Hunter was one of greatest all-time classic psychological horror films.
Glad you have Searchers near the top. Easily one of my very favorite films.
And for shear grandeur, spend a night watching The Big Country. Even the soundtrack is truly grand. Tough to beat Gregory Peck, Burl Ives, Charleston Heston, Charles Bickford, Jean Simmons with a great script to work with. And check out the performance of Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors as plays the perfect weasel.
Tombstone establishes the cowboy characters much better, like Curly Bill, Ike and Ringo. You get to know them better, their faces, their personas and the like.
Furthermore, Tombstone does a much better job building up the conflict between the Earps/Doc and the cowboys and has greater tension and payoffs when the shooting starts.
Absolutely. For anybody that hasn't seen that movie, it's a great, unique film. As you said, a classic psychological horror film, with a visual style that borrows from German expressionism films of the silent era.
Movies like Schindler's List, 12 Years a Slave, Judgement at Nuremberg, Hoop Dreams etc. are great films, but not the type of movies one generally puts on his/her "favorite movies" list.
Man, let me get back to you in a few hours. I had to tape delay it due to severe old man syndrome last night.
Is that really a western in a true sense?
That's a little like calling Top Secret a spy movie.
Me too. I warched the first couple of fights, but didn't make it to the co-main.
