Especially with his “Needle”.
Well acted, yes, especially by Crowe, but there is some stupid stuff in it, and for me it is a total disapointment.
I re-watched the the Daves film last year, and it was a positive surprise as it was better than remembered, and it was always a fine western. It is clearly Daves’ best film, and very stylish, with some stunning photography and of course also very well acted. Only the scenes with Heflin’s wife towards the end keep it from becoming a 10/10 film. But it is now 9/10, and only a few westerns are in that region…
TO ALL ,what are your favorite westerns? If youll indulge me and my thoughtful top 20 How long does your top ten last? I go…
One Eyed Jacks
Rio Bravo
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
Johnny Guitar
True Grit (2010)
Warlock
Outlaw Josey Wales
Ride Lonesome
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Ravenous
Ride the High Country
The White Buffalo
The Wild Bunch
Dances with Wolves
The Professionals
Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Day of the Outlaw
Dead Man
The Furies
From Noon Till Three
There’s a topic here where we posted these lists. I’d definitely make lots of changes to my list now though.
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Broken Lance (1954)
A re-watch from a recent Blu-ray copy. Not much on action, but still an entertaining family feud western nevertheless. Good story, good cast, good cinematography and great acting by (Spencer Tracy) who dominates every scene that he’s in. One of the best western dramas from the 50’s imo.
Just viewed this one. Same thoughts as you on the film. Thought Donald was going a bit on auto pilot mode.
The Valley of the Dancing Widows has much the same pace and tone of the director’s Jaider’s Gang. The theme of strangers in a strange land is explored from a different angle with the men trying to understand why they are not so welcome even though this is home. The confusion may transfer to the viewer 
This is one of those movies that show the cast with pictures in the credits. Someone else was also confused 
Just watched Big Jake with The Duke from 1971.
Just viewed Forsaken myself. There’s a severe lack of originality here, you can see where the plot is exactly going after the first 15 minutes, however the decent production values make it quite passable. None of the performances were truly good enough, save for that of Michael Wincott perhaps (he kept bringing Val Kilmer in Tombstone to mind, which was a bit annoying after some point). You’re not missing much if you skip this one altogether.
Preferred Jaider’s Gang more as had a hard time getting into The Valley of the Dancing Widows.
Lazaga: Vente a ligar al Oeste (1972)
-This actually not a western but spanish comedy set in Almeria during the spaghetti western years where spanish guy tries his luck in movie business playing all sorts of small roles and stunt tricks.
Kill or Be Killed (aka) Red on Yella, Kill a Fella (2015)- I turned it off after 25 minutes in, couldn’t take it anymore. The acting and dialogue in this low-budget film was really horrendous. Pffft!
The Homesman - 2014 - Tommy Lee Jones
My favorite directed film by Tommy Lee Jones (and The three burials… wasn’t a bad film), this different type of western hard to classify.
The film works as on the road type of film, with Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank travelling some dangerous path, while carrying three woman that had lost their mental sanity as the result of the hard live type of the western frontier, to a place where they could be treated.
Both actors are brilliant in their performances, the film like the story is very visceral clearly trying to be true to the period when the events take part, the land at times seems like something from another planet, I felt uncomfortable through most of the film, not as a result form to quality of the film, but how god things are shown.
Lee directs in a style similar to Clint Eastwood with a very controlled plot, I does a good job even if not a perfect film, for instance I didn’t like the ending or at least I didn’t understand, another thing is that contrary to Clint who always takes a more sober approach to his own character’s, Lee takes more liberties that don’t work or look so well.
In conclusion I did like the film, hard to watch most of the time but, a good story definitely I would recommended, and pay attention to several cameos or small parts from Maryl Streep to James Spader.
Return of the Texan - Delmer Daves, 1952
Dave’s 2nd western, which is close to a melodrama, is a post-western set around too conventional characters and conflicts. Likable to a certain extent, but no wonder it wasn’t released in Germany. 4/10
Joshua
-Now this was a bad one, revenge western with very simple plot, loads of horse riding (more than in any Fidani film) and the worst score I’ve ever heard, some of the music was electronical stuff that sounded like something out of a sci-fi film and the main theme is played over and over and over again and will make you crazy. Along with usual 70’s style npc plot where girl falls in love with her rapist made it really terrible experience.
That theme stayed in my head for ages, which was very annoying !
THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK - An early 50s one from Don Siegel which I found pretty effective on the whole. The film has a good pace and nice performances, featuring also a young Lee Marvin in a small role. Got back a lot more than I was expecting. 7/10
ONE FOOT IN HELL - Mean-spirited little b-western where Alan Ladd decides to take revenge on the town that let his wife die because of some measly dollars. Quite different for an early 60s one which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Forsaken (Cassar, 2015)
In which Kiefer Sutherland’s character John Henry Clayton, racked with guilt over his brother’s death when he was a youngster, took off to war and didn’t immediately return at the war’s end, drifting instead as a gunfighter to his preacher father’s eternal shame. He’s missed his mother’s funeral, and his childhood sweetheart Demi Moore from their Brat Pack days has been married eight years since to a local bellend. Still, John Henry’s back at last to put his gunslingin’ ways behind him. But: Oh noes! Brian Cox has rounded up Guy of Gisborne from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Costner, 1991) and a posse of assorted one-dimensional gurning bad guys in order to strongarm the townsfolk into handing over their lands and properties Who will be able to take up some guns to stop them??
Disappointingly by-the-numbers piece, this. Donald Sutherland does more-or-less what he’s done for the last fifteen years (fierce-eyed patriarch, white hair sprouting in every direction) whilst his son Kiefer does more-or-less what he’s done for fifteen years too (Jack Bauer). Now, I like Jack Bauer and 24, and that’s a large part of why I was looking forward to Forsaken, directed as it is by Jon Cassar who also helmed Kiefer Sutherland’s signature TV show. But, the climactic gunfight aside - which was admittedly rather good, though no less than one would expect from the director of 24 - everything else was torn straight from “Western Clichés 101”. Far from having Kiefer in “Action Jack” mode, we mostly had him in “Contemplative Jack” mode, which essentially involves Kiefer doing that stuttering look-ashamedly-at-the-floor thing he does. A lot. And Jon Cassar’s inexperience with the big screen showed; the whole thing felt like a made-for-TV movie. Surprisingly little relative chemistry between the Sutherlands too, I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Donald Sutherland so flat. In fact, were it not for Brian Cox and Michael Wincott, I might have given up on it altogether.
I’m enjoying the western revival of the mid-2010s but movies like Forsaken are going to see the genre back in it’s grave quicker than you can cry, “It’s an ambush!”. What a shame.
I haven’t been able to sit through it yet. The plot-chemistry is wrong somehow. It’s a comedy that needed no-name actors. Too many of the scenes are telegraphed.