Move to Belgium, it has been raining all day long
(But it’ll be hot tomorrow, so might as well stay where you are)
With so many lists does another list just become a blur like last weeks shopping list…
Well it was dry here m8, you might consider moving a bit closer to the French border ;D
Steadycam asked for the personal favourites, not for the “best” westerns (which is a difference for some)
For me there’s a difference. Films can be personal favorites for all kinds of reasons that are not related to quality.
Two films that are very dear to me, for various reasons, are MacKenna’s Gold and One Silver Dollar, neither of the two will (or would ever) be on my Top 50
This still leaves enough room for personal preferences in a Top 50: different people look for different ‘qualities’ in movies
I was btw wrong about By the Law (Lev Kuleshov, 1924)
I thought it was another one, but this one is not a satire but actually a gold digger drama based on a Jack London novel.
It is a film “classic” and most likely a real western. I’ll try to get it. There is a German DVD of it.
http://www.silentsaregolden.com/debartoloreviews/rdbbythelaw.html
Based on a Jack London story; I read quite a lot of London (the Zanna Bianca movies are based on his work too), so it will be gray area stuff.
They usually have a setting up North, and little or no real western atmosphere.
Yes…like you say a difference for some.
The Criterion List is very interesting, and it is nice to see some “B-movie” American Westerns on there. Sure, the creation of it was probably driven by forum “politics”, but I don’t have a problem with that, unlike Richard. All lists normally follow some form of general trend, depending on the person or people who create it. That’s just the nature of how these things go. The Criterion Collection forum will, I imagine, attract a lot of “serious” film viewers and academics, so it is hardly surprising that they go for an “electric” mix.
I disagree with the placing of quite a few films (Red River wouldn’t even make it into any Top Western List for me, and No. 37 for High Noon? That’s criminal.), and I haven’t seen No. 1, but then again, I’m not a big fan of Mann (he pales in comparison with Boetticher). I’ll make my own list of Spaghetti and American Westerns; I don’t think I’ve made one before, and even if i had, it will probably look quite different.
Now the Criterion Western lists project goes into a 2nd round. Maybe some here, who like me have watched more westerns than it is healthy, and have fun in creating lists without taking them too serious, might want to contribute. If you want to submit a list you have to register there. It is also the only way to watch the lists part of that forum.
The rules:
“As Horace Greeley once famously said, “Go West, young man… again.” Your list must contain fifty films. They must be in order. They must be westerns. If you’re not sure it’s a western, vote for it. If someone else votes for it, it’s a western. Miniseries are eligible. TV series are not. Don’t vote for fucking Deadwood Season One.”
Which means that from now on it is possible to discuss westerns in that thread or to recommend favourite genre movies. It ends on March 8th next year, and then every submitted list will be counted for the big list. Like the one I posted above in post 44, the result from 2011.
I’ll see what I can do
Last time Anthony Mann was the winner, if i’m not mistaken