Wow, I didn’t think it was possible for a western fan to hate The Comancheros. That’s easily one of my favourite John Wayne films.
But Man of the West is excellent. 
I am with Stanton on this one.
Just finished Hot Snake to round out Vinegar Syndrome’s double feature. Another snoozer! Not as bad as Guns and Guts because of the better filmmaking and attempt for new ideas but still the pace was terrible and ultimately a little silly of a plot. Wish VS dipped into actual Italian westerns instead of these but oh well.
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The Bravados (1958) - I enjoyed this revenge western quite a bit. It’s a very interesting film for Spaghetti Western fans as well, as it’s undoubtedly an influence on For a Few Dollars More - not stylistically, but conceptually. The protagonist is a mysterious man out for revenge against a group of bandits who killed someone very close to him, and he carries a pocket watch with her picture inside - sound familiar?
The film features plenty of remarkable scenes and is consistently enjoyable. Gregory Peck is, as usual, nothing special but still very watchable. However, Lee Van Cleef gives an impressively strong performance here - probably his best from the 1950s. Henry Silva is also quite good. The story is predictable but solid, and it improves as it goes along. The filming locations are a mixed bag - some are excellent, while others are rather bland. Overall, it’s a very solid film. - 7/10
Rio Bravo (1959) - I decided to rewatch this film to see if my opinion would change. I agree with Tarantino that it’s a hangout movie, and that’s part of the reason it sucks so badly. A hangout film is a terrible concept for a western, especially one that relies on John Wayne, of all actors. Hangout movies naturally depend heavily on the charisma and likability of the cast, and John Wayne is probably the worst actor in Hollywood to achieve mainstream success. He’s neither particularly likable nor charismatic. This is by far the worst western I’ve seen among the mainstream popular ones, and it was also the first 1950s American western I ever watched - a very bad first impression. To say it has aged like milk would be an understatement. - 3/10
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Come on man, John Wayne is terrific!
At least you liked this one, one of my favourites.
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So, I’m up to 1950 with my chronological film viewing project and it was quite a year for westerns.
The Gunfighter (King 8/10)
Winchester '73 (Mann 8/10)
The Furies (Mann 6/10)
Devil’s Doorway (Mann 9/10)
Wagon Master (Ford 7/10)
Rio Grande (Ford 6/10)
Broken Arrow (Daves 7/10)
Two Flags West (Wise 6/10)
For me, Mann’s Devil’s Doorway was the stand out film of a very good bunch. It often gets forgotten amongst his excellent series with James Stewart but is one of his absolute best and puts an interesting twist on the racial prejudice against native Americans in that the protagonist is a Shoshone fighting to protect his land but he is also a prospering cattle rancher who has returned a war hero from the civil war. Turns out he has no right to own land and the laws are fixed against him. It plays out really well and has a satisfyingly downbeat ending. Anyone who thinks that old westerns were simple affairs with white and black hats should watch this film. In fact the whole years’ output of westerns above is a testament to the quality developing in the genre at this time.
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I would rate The Furies higher, an 8/10, and Wagonmaster, which is for me Ford’s best western and film. Last time I watched it I was so enthusiastic that I gave it a 10, despite some of the usual Ford-weaknesses.
The Furies is very good but has some weaknesses which ranked it down for me. The ending being the biggest one. Gilbert Roland’s death had been so crucial to the plot and Stanwyk’s revenge path but then was seemingly forgotten by the end.
Wagonmaster I mark down for the “usual Ford weaknesses” you mention. Rio Grande too. There’s only so many singing cowboys I can overlook.
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Two early 60s snoozers -
The Last Sunset (1961) - 5/10
Ride the High Country (1962) - 5.5/10
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El diabolico (The Diabolical)
Mexico 1977
Interesting and offbeat for a casual watch with an odd atmosphere and supernatural touches.
It’s kind of trashy but there is some unusual editing going on.
I’d give it a 6 out of 10.
Ps. I watched it in a Mexican ‘double-bill’ with ‘Pafnucio Santo’ (also 1977) a Mexican drama film directed by Rafael Corkidi. Now that’s a really weird film… 
Just watched John il bastardo again. There doesn’t seem to be a good quality release available - this movie is too good to not have a good dvd/ Blu-ray release. Just like El Puro before the recent update. 
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Rio Grande is a simpler Ford anyway.
The idiotic Ford stuff is indeed to prominent in it, while in Wagonmaster it bugs me less than in some of his other “classics” like The Searchers and Liberty Valance.
The ending of The Furies I actually don’t remember, time for a re-watch maybe?
But did you ever came across Ambush (Sam Wood, with Robert Taylor), a tough underrated Cavalry Western also from 1950? A not well known one, probably due to featuring a director nobody cares for, but this one from him is pretty good. 8/10
Very underrated indeed!
No, I don’t think so. I’ll seek it out.
Finally cracked open one of the Arrow box sets purchased last year, and watched “I Want Him Dead”.
Having read positive reviews, I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but was pleasantly surprised. The combination of low budget, a director with a self-confessed dislike of the genre, and B-list cast and composer, somehow work to create a coherent, distinctive and quite poetic movie.
The accompanying interviews are terrific, from Paolo Bianchini, Nico Fidenco, and especially film editor, Eugenio Alabiso. Still enjoying a good cigar, he’s a most engaging and delightful gentleman, and his commentary on this film and his work with Leone is both fascinating and incisive.
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Updated version of my earlier thoughts:
I received my copy of ‘Fistful of Dollars’ yesterday, from ‘Arrow’, and spent the entire day drooling over, and watching all the extras - plus the film, accompanied by the informative Tim Lucas audio commentary. I’d already heard the excellent Sir Christopher Frayling A.C. on several occasions, so this seemed to be the ideal option.
One thing that I particularly liked about the Lucas commentary, is that he mentions the Frank Chandler (Terry Harknett, aka Frank Chandler, George G. Gilman) paperback novelisation of ‘Fistful’, and how it differs in several ways from the film.
For some of us ‘old men’ on ‘SWDB’, this paperback was - for a long time - all we had in the way of ‘connecting’ with Sergio Leone…until lightening struck in the form of a TV broadcast that changed our lives…
The regular BD restoration is beautiful…the best I have ever seen the film look; and the extras are mind-blowing. My favourite has to be the inclusion of 36 mins of behind the scenes out-takes from ‘Fistful’…absolute gold-dust!
A 30 minute interview with Marianne Koch is also worthy of note, in which she speaks very highly of Sergio Leone; but adds that she doesn’t agree with Clint Eastwood’s politics…I also have to say that - despite having seen ‘Fistful’ goodness knows how many times - I hadn’t realised until now just how ‘hot’ Marianne Koch was. She was so beautiful…perhaps the new Bluray quality had something to do with it… but, damn!
In the interviews on the ‘Arrow’ BD, this lady is very candid, is still rockin’…and has done so very well for herself.
Needless to say, the ground-breaking music of Ennio Morricone is covered in depth; and is used to good effect while scrutinising the three wonderful photo galleries…
Much (quite rightly) is made of the fact that the ‘Fistful’ Titoli was based on an earlier composition that Morricone composed for Peter Tevis and his vocal version of 'Pastures of Plenty (original by Woody Guthrie).
The enclosed booklet is fascinating, and the double-sided poster is on quality paper. I love the new artwork by Tony Stella…gorgeous. It is crying out to be framed, once I have received the next two releases…
All in all, this is a gallant effort from ‘Arrow’, and I eagerly await the release of the other two ‘Dollars’ Westerns…
This release truly is Manna (or should I say Dollars?) from Heaven…
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