This is a problem or question that to this day kept me from compiling such a list. If I go purely with what’s the most fun to watch for me, I’ll feel bad about those films that are imo clearly better made. If I did a list according to what I feel are the “objectively best” (if there’s such a thing), I’d feel bad for the ones I enjoy most.
Go for what personally pleases you, and gives YOU the most pleasure to watch…
In other words, don’t worry about what you think you should write down, or go with popular opinion… just say what you like.
By the way, Happy Christmas, amigo…
Do as Toscano said …
Actually I also think there is not really such a thing like “objectively best” cause all the “objectively best” lists are also very much influenced by subjectivity.
Ask 10 experts and you get 12 different opinions …
… or like Dean would put it, a list can’t be an objective one without Shoot the Living, Pray for the Dead on top of it.
Best of the season to you, Stanton…and to Dean.
Wishing you both a cracking Merry Christmas, and a joyful New Year…
Thanks my friend, I wish you too some relaxed and, yes, joyful days in the time we call here “between the years”.
New list with a few small changes.
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- For a Few Dollars More
- Death Rides a Horse
- Day of Anger
- Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead
- Blindman
- Keoma
- Big Gundown
- A Bullet for the General
- The Silent Stranger
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- Red Sun
- Django
- Fistful of Dollars
- Run, Man, Run
- Bullets Don’t Argue
- Kill Them All and Come Back Alone
- California
- Train for Durango
- Take a Hard Ride
That’s a nice list. I need to watch Bullets Don’t Argue, have had it for a while but haven’t checked it out yet.
After spending 2023 on a Spaghetti Western marathon I would like to respectfully submit my top 20. I have seen about 80 total, including all of the top 49 in the current ranking, though I still look forward to reading others’ lists and making new discoveries!
- The Big Gundown
- For A Few Dollars More
- The Great Silence
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Django
- Damned Hot Day of Fire aka Gatling Gun aka Machine Gun Killers
- Light the Fuse… Sartana Is Coming
- Navajo Joe
- Django, Prepare a Coffin
- God Forgives, I Don’t
- Taste of Killing
- Death Rides A Horse
- I Want Him Dead
- The Grand Duel
- Keoma
- Bandidos
- Django the Bastard
- Face to Face
- The Ruthless Four
- Find a Place to Die
I have made a couple of minor adjustments to my prior list.
- For a Few Dollars More
- The Big Gundown
- The Forgetten Pistolero
- Cemetery Without Crosses
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Taste of Killing
- Vengeance
- The Taste of Violence
- Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die
- Return of Ringo
- My Name is Nobody
- Death Rides a Horse
- Nest of Vipers
- A Hole in the Forehead
- Death Knows No Time
- Taste of Death
- $10,000 for a Massacre
- Starblack
- Johnny Hamlet
The only change is that Find a Place to Die has dropped out of the Top 20 and Death Knows No Time makes its debut at #16, dropping the two below it, A Taste of Death and $10,000 For a Massacre, down a spot.
Yes, or even better… placing that film in all 20 spots. Can’t get a fairer deal than that.
Thanks amigo, i’ll sneak in a few more viewings of Shoot the Living before the year is out.
Sounds reasonably, unfortunately for the next 10 years the new rules will only allow lists which have either El puro, Boot Hill, They Call Me Halleluja, Hate Is My God or Matalo on it …
Very discerning. Hopefully this new rule will make filmArt get their shit together and give us the supposed Hate is my God blu-ray.
I hope that too, but I fear only God himself may be able to give us a release of this one …
Yes in German. In 1976 I didn’t know anything about SW that came in the early 1980’s.
My Top 20 List for 2023 is as follows:
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- The Great Silence
- Django
- The Big Gundown
- Duck, You Sucker!
- Death Rides a Horse
- A Bullet for the General
- Django Kill…If You Live, Shoot!
- Keoma
- Mannaja
11.Tepepa - Matalo!
- My Name is Nobody
- The Forgotten Pistolero
- Vengeance
- The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe
- Price of Power
- For the Taste of Killing
- Requiem for a Gringo
- The Return of Ringo
I’ll have to check out Nest of Vipers. What a great title!
It is also known as Night of the Serpent. It is a bit of a slow burn but U.S. character actor Luke Askew is really great in the lead and it is an entry in the genre that is, imho, well worth the time.
I’ve seen it under the title, Night of the Serpent! As soon as you mentioned Luke Askew I remembered the movie. He is/was (I’m not sure if he’s still alive) such a great yet under-appreciated actor that he always stands out to me in movies that he’s in. I liked that thr movie delves into the subconscious psyche of Askew’s character in the movie, and get a little psychedelic with it in the process. I’m guessing it was the film’s channeling of the era’s acid/drug-fuelled vibes.
Unfortunately, he passed away about ten years ago or so. Like you, I agree that he is under appreciated.