This has always been in my mind with no way to let out. None of my friends are interested in westerns so I’ll ask you guys. What director would you like to see make a western? I would like to see James Mangold do another. I’m sure Mel Gibson could make a really good one. Also wouldhave liked to see Vic Morrow direct another one. And of course, Quentin Tarantino. Maybe even Zach Synder and Robert Rodriguez. Dario Argento too. How about you guys?
John Carpenter, John Woo (Peace Hotel doesn’t count)
[quote=“Col. Douglas Mortimer, post:2, topic:1312”]John Carpenter, John Woo (Peace Hotel doesn’t count)[/quote]I would think a John Woo western would look a lot like a peckinpah film. Peckinpah was one of Woo’s main influences.
i agree Mel gibson would be good…i suggest rob zombie for a dirty spag -like western
I’d really like to see Tarantino do one just as long as he doesn’t recycle more Morricone scores.
Out of the directors named so far Gibson sounds like the best bet. The rest not so much. Though Mangold actually wouldnt be bad since his 3:10 remake was great. Tarantino I could do without since it would probably just be an overated unofficial remake of an already existing film and/or a mix and match of numerous films. Carpenter and Woo?..naw not for me. Oh and Zach Synder and Robert Rodriguez? Hell No! Im sorry but IMO they are both horrible directors. Argento on the other hand could make a decent spag I think. It might not be a great film in general but it could be a good spag.
Out of the living directors Id say Scorsese since hes one of the best but Im not sure his style would work well for a western. Cronenberg and The Coens(they say theyve written one) would be nice. Another by Hillcoat(this time placed in the American west) would be cool.
Out of any director though a Kubrick western would have been great to see since hes simply the greatest director of all time IMO. He almost made “One Eyed Jacks” but that would have been early Kubrick. Id want a western from post 2001 Kubrick.
If we’re talking about directors who have made a western in the past then of course Clint is top of my list. Although whether he could top Unforgiven is another matter. Apart from himself I’d like to see Kevin Costner make another one. His westerns to date have been very good. Mangold showed that he understands the genre pretty well in 3.10 to Yuma so he is defintely a candidate and Ron Howard, despite his tendency to be a bit too sentimental at times, did a good job with The Missing so would be good value for another one.
I’d also like to see Walter Hill have another crack at the genre on the big screen but if we are talking about first timers on a real western, my vote would go to Alex Cox. He’s such a big fan of the genre (both traditional and spaghetti variety) and a true maverick film maker that I think he would make a really interesting and original western. And before anyone mentions it, for my money Straight to Hell doesn’t qualify as a proper western although it clearly has its roots there.
me of course 
I’d settle for Alex Cox if I weren’t a Dutchman
I always thought Paul Verhoeven would make an excellent western, prefarably one set in the aftermath of the Civil War
Ride with the devil would’ve been a better movie had he directed it. It’s not really a bad movie as it is, but it lacks something, it’s too clean, too nice.
I have my doubts about Gibson; somehow I don’t identify his style as appropriate to western movies. Scorsese’s style ditto. A Tarantino western would be too derivative to work. It could only work if he would try to make a real spaghetti western, instead of a post modern homage to it. Send him with a tiny budget, two cheap American actors, a script written by an obscure Italian author and a non-English speaking crew to Almeria. Let the actors change the dialogues, if necessary, don’t let Quinten touch the script, muzzle him, tie his writing hand to his director’s chair, tell him to film the f*** script and do it quick
Now that could work
Yea, Clint for sure if we are talking directors that have already done westerns.
The Coen Brothers could do an interesting western!
- Giuseppe Tornatore would probably come up with a (semi) masterpiece
- Guillermo del Toro for a horror-esque western/visual treat
- Lamberto Bava for a more straightforward giallo/horror type western
- Santiago Segura for a politically incorrect comedy western
Do it!
Castellari :-X -maybe something with Franco Nero…
Difficult to say really. Few years ago I’d probably said Takashi Miike. But his Sukiyaki Django was awful mess eventually.
I think Walter Hill should make another highly violent western.
[quote=“Bad Lieutenant, post:12, topic:1312”]- Giuseppe Tornatore would probably come up with a (semi) masterpiece
- Guillermo del Toro for a horror-esque western/visual treat
- Lamberto Bava for a more straightforward giallo/horror type western
- Santiago Segura for a politically incorrect comedy western
Do it![/quote]
Thanks for your encouragement 
But I have a new genre in mind. I do agree with you that del Toro will have a very interesting interpretation of the Western.
The coen bros have said they would be interested in a TRUE GRIT remake.
[quote=“Goodfella, post:6, topic:1312”]Out of the directors named so far Gibson sounds like the best bet. The rest not so much. Though Mangold actually wouldnt be bad since his 3:10 remake was great. Tarantino I could do without since it would probably just be an overated unofficial remake of an already existing film and/or a mix and match of numerous films. Carpenter and Woo?..naw not for me. Oh and Zach Synder and Robert Rodriguez? Hell No! Im sorry but IMO they are both horrible directors. Argento on the other hand could make a decent spag I think. It might not be a great film in general but it could be a good spag.
Out of the living directors Id say Scorsese since hes one of the best but Im not sure his style would work well for a western. Cronenberg and The Coens(they say theyve written one) would be nice. Another by Hillcoat(this time placed in the American west) would be cool.
Out of any director though a Kubrick western would have been great to see since hes simply the greatest director of all time IMO. He almost made “One Eyed Jacks” but that would have been early Kubrick. Id want a western from post 2001 Kubrick.[/quote]Well, Kubrick didn’t direct One Eyed jacks. Marlon Brando did. As for the David Cronenberg and Coen Brothers, I agree completely.
I’d also like to see M. Night Shamlyan do a western just to see how it compares to Ed Wood or Demofilo Fidani. 
I know Kubrick didnt direct it. What I was getting at was…That even if he did end up making that film, Kubrick still would have been the director Id most want to see a western from. Because late(r) Kubrick was much different than the early Kubrick.
Oh and I thought of another director Id like to see take a stab at the western genre. Rian Johnson(Brick), simply because the way he was able to show so much love for the noir genre while at the same time flipping it on its ear makes me interested in what he could do appraoching another genre in the same manner. Of course it probably wouldnt work if he doesnt have any deep feelings for the western like he obviously does for noir.
You know who else could possibly make a interesting western if they had the right script? Spielberg. It might sound crazy but imagine a Saving Private Ryan/Munich like approach.
Oh, sorry.