That’s the interesting thing about expanded lists.
[quote=“Bill san Antonio, post:460, topic:190”]Yes I do. Because it’s list of favorites more than best films of the genre. Mercenary is much bigger and more better directed film than Minnesota Clay for sure but for some reason it just leaves me cold. Minnesota Clay is one of my favorites among the early sw’s.
S & J seems to be film people either love or hate.[/quote]
Yeah, I’ve been compiling my own top 20 and I noticed that the Great Silence is not in my top 20, even though it is universally recognized as one of the best. I also think its one of the best, just not one of myi favourites. I’m also not too crazy about the Zapata westerns so you guys won’t be seeing duck you sucker, or mercenary or camponeros on my list either. I feel like a wierdo ranking pistol for ringo ahead of face to face but its just one of those things.
- For a Few Dollars More
- A Fistful of Dollars
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- The Big Gundown
- My Name is Nobody
- Sabata
- Keoma
- Death Rides a Horse
- If You Meet Sartana, Pray for Your Death
- And God Said to Cain
- Have a Good Funeral My Friend, Sartana Will Pay
- Light the Fuse, Sartana is Coming
- I am Sartana, Your Angel of Death
- Django
- Day of Anger
- Trinity is Still My Name
- They Call Me Trinity
- The Return of Ringo
- A Pistol For Ringo
Honourable Mention: His Name was Holy Ghost, The Grand Duel, The Great Silence, Duck You Sucker, Face to Face,
They Call Him Cemetery, Beyond the Law, God Forgives…I Don’t, Ace High, Mannaja: A Man Called Blade
Switched some stuff around and came up with this top 40, in which even Anthony Steffen has a place.
Note haven’t seen The Big gundown, Price of power an a whole lot of other titles yet.
- The good, the bad and the ugly
- Once upon a time in the west
- For a few dollars more
- The great silence
- Django
- A fistful of dollars
- Django, kill… if you live, shoot!
- Companeros
- My name is nobody
- The mercenary
- A fistful of dynamite
- Sonny & Jed
- Four of the apocalypse
- A bullet for the general
- Run Man Run
- If you meet Sartana, pray for your death
- The bountykiller
- Have a good funeral my friend, Sartana will pay
- Death rides a horse
- Johnny Hamlet
- Day of anger
- The grand duel
- Trinity is still my name
- God forgives, I don’t
- Kill and pray
- Ace High
- I am Sartana, your angel of death
- Navajo Joe
- And God said to Cain
- Five man army
- Blindman
- Today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you
- John the bastard
- Guns for San Sebastian
- Savage guns
- Massacre Time
- Professionals for a massacre
- Texas Adios
- Django the bastard
- Forgotten pistolero
The Top 20 s are now becoming Top 40s and the excitement is building to fever pitch.
All recent Top 20/40 have been interesting, some predictable some less so.
I LIKE the sight of “new entries” such as :
Minnesota Clay 1964
John The Bastard 1967
Professionals for a massacre 1967
Viva Django 1970
Ruthless Four 1968
No Room To Die 1969
Savage Guns 1971 (Demofilo Fidani Film “Sam Wallach” Robert Woods
Sabata 1970
Navajo Joe 1966
Bounty Killer 1966
Today its me tom. its you 1968
Guns For San Sebastian 1968
Four Of The Apocalypse 1975
I DISLIKE the sight of “predictable” oaters
Run Man Run 1966
Face to Face 1965
A fistful of Dynamite 1971 Is that a western or sw ?
Trinity Films 1970s
Keoma 1976 Franco Nero’s minor Sw
I hope the overall Forum Top 20 is updated to reflect the latest voting :o
I meant Fidani’s Savage Guns, not the earlier one.
Thanks Bad lt I have corrected it and good to see Demofilo Fidani getting
one of his lovely SWs into somebody’s TOP 40 
o.k. heres my new list(i still have yet to see bandidos or matalo!).1.once upon a time in the west(i’ve watched the good… bad… ugly more times and find it more “entertaining” but i consider once upon a time…the best spag,and maybe the best movie of all time.2.The good The bad and The ugly.3.For a few dollars more.4.Compeneros.5.A fistful of dollars.6.The mercenary.7.The great silence.8.The big gundown.9.Django(this one moved way up on my list after watching it in the original italian)10.Keoma.11.Blindman.12.Face to Face.13.Johnny Hamlet.14.The forgotten pistoleo.15.10,000 Blood money.16.light the fuse Sartana is coming.17.I f you meet Sartana pray for your Death.18.Duck you Sucker(fistful of dynamite)19.My name is nobody.20.I am Sartana your angel of Death…21.Death rides a horse.22.Four of the Apocalypse.23.Johnny Yuma.24.And God said to cain.25.Run man run…a pretty predictable list i reckon but theres a reason most of these are held in high regard.As far a top 40 list its too difficult to choose because i consider the rest ive seen mostly average.
GOOD to see at no 14. FORGOTTEN PISTOLERO 69 Leonard Mann Luciana Paluzzi
I am trying to figure out WHY ? ???
People have Run Man Run , Face To Face, Keoma and Fistful Of Dynamite in the TOP 20 ?
No Offence but I saw these 4 many times and would NOT have them in my top 100 but thats the beauty of a Forum , many different points of view/preferences.
I am amazed that DEAN REED who made 5 or 6 extremely outstanding , mean SWs is NOT in everybody’s TOP 20 (including mine unfortunately) :o
ADIOS SABATA 71 BUCKAROO 67 SARANDA 70 GOD MADE THEM …I KILL THEM 68
No comment on the voting system but I agree that the top 40 lists are more interesting to read, more buried pasta titles to check out and so on. Top tens often become as rigidly “classic” as the Sight & Sound poll entries and even with a top 20 you have to leave out so many favourites that it hurts, what’s left is maybe not an accurate picture of your SW taste. 40 could be the ideal amount, it should be possible to include most of the SWs you truly love but not without a serious selecting process…
Things have changed a lot around here in a few days.
It’s a good idea to extend favourite lists to at least forty, if only to see some new faces next to the usual suspects.
It could also be a good idea to make a non-Sergio list, so avoiding not only Leone, but Cobucci and Sollima as well.
I’ll think about my list (after all it’s Christmas time)
@ Sartana Django
I do not agree with you that their is little difference in quality between the very best and the average SWs.
To me two films (ONCE UPON … and GBU) are in a league of their own, then there is a small group of classics like The Great Silence, The Big Gundown, For a few dollars more, Face to face (yes), Bandidos, The Mercenary, Death rides a horse, Days of Anger, Fistful of dollars, Compañeros (and maybe a few others). This is of course personal: while you prefer the mean revenge stories, I prefer the more thoughtful ones (without neglecting the mean revenge stories, by the way, and we do agree on the comedy spags: rubbish!). My point is that the difference between a Leone masterpiece and a very good SW like Death rides a horse (a mean revenge story!) is already considerable. I don’t mean to say the the vast production of SWs made in the sixties mainly consists of bad or merely watchable movies - being a fan of the genre I like to watch even the misfires - but it would be a bit laughable to say they rivalled The good, the bad and the ugly.
There are lightyears between GBU and let’s say a typical Fidani!
There is also a great enough quality distance between GBU and a SW which is in mine list at #20.
@ Sartana Django
I do not agree with you that their is little difference in quality between the very best and the average SWs.
To me two films (ONCE UPON … and GBU) are in a league of their own, then there is a small group of classics like The Great Silence, The Big Gundown, For a few dollars more, Face to face (yes), Bandidos, The Mercenary, Death rides a horse, Days of Anger, Fistful of dollars, Compañeros (and maybe a few others). This is of course personal: while you prefer the mean revenge stories, I prefer the more thoughtful ones (without neglecting the mean revenge stories, by the way, and we do agree on the comedy spags: rubbish!). My point is that the difference between a Leone masterpiece and a very good SW like Death rides a horse (a mean revenge story!) is already considerable. I don’t mean to say the the vast production of SWs made in the sixties mainly consists of bad or merely watchable movies - being a fan of the genre I like to watch even the misfires - but it would be a bit laughable to say they rivalled The good, the bad and the ugly.
[/quote]
Ciao Scherp,
yes I can follow your reasoning and as you know my own TOP 4 is made
up of GBU, Once Upon …In West, Fistful of $ and For A Few S more before we come
to my number 5 KILLER ADIOS 68 PETER LEE LAWRENCE !!
I am as devoted and appreciative of the “masterpiece” 4 SWs and they are above all.
I am NOT in agreement calling “classics” things like “face to face”, “run man run” “bandidos” , Terence Hill Trinity Films, “The Great Silence” because NONE of these are
even in MY TOP 50 (except TG Silence no 35) and I can pick a lot of holes/faults in them
I am favourable to calling “classics” “Death Rides A Horse” 68, “Mercenary” 68,
“Companeros” 70, “Cemetary Without Crosses” 68, “Day Of Anger” 69 + few more
As you correctly state it is very much down to individual taste/preference after you
acknowledge the highest TOP 4, which cannot be disputed really.
What I was saying is really that FOR ME , when I sit down and watch a well made,
exciting, well written/directed so called “average” or “above average” SW starring
ANTHONY STEFFEN or GEORGE HILTON or PETER LEE LAWRENCE or FRANCO NERO
My Opinion is that when watching and enjoying the above “average” or “above
average” SW , then you as THE VIEWER are NOT really able to differentiate and
then describe that much enjoyed SW as less “good” then others who have reputation.
Maybe I am very “fanatic” and “love deeply” most SW , unless they are “comedy” silly.
That is my analysis and genuine view.
I also am a BIG FAN of ACTORS / ACTRESSES (unlike Stanton who likes ODD directors :’(
When I see on screen an electric pairing, or a meaningful human performance I like
to mention the ACTORS and how well they combine together. :o
You can say anybody is WOODEN or STIFF is you want to be derogatory ;D
I mean some on these forums have said DeNiro/Pacino/Wooden Allen/Streep/Bogart
are as wooden/stiff/cardboardy as a forest of oaks !!! 
Its not written in law
anywhere who is a wooden stiffo and who allegedly “is not”, :o ;
[quote=“SARTANA DJANGO, post:473, topic:190”]What I was saying is really that FOR ME , when I sit down and watch a well made,
exciting, well written/directed so called “average” or “above average” SW starring
ANTHONY STEFFEN or GEORGE HILTON or PETER LEE LAWRENCE or FRANCO NERO
My Opinion is that when watching and enjoying the above “average” or “above
average” SW , then you as THE VIEWER are NOT really able to differentiate and
then describe that much enjoyed SW as less “good” then others who have reputation.
Maybe I am very “fanatic” and “love deeply” most SW , unless they are “comedy” silly.[/quote]
We do not disagree on this point. I like to watch ‘avarage’ SWs and find it sometimes hard to differentiate between those and those with a better reputation. As a matter of fact, apart from my personal favourites (the films mentioned in my last post) I find it rather hard to differentiate between most spaghetti’s or put my finger on the exact reason for liking one more than the other. I like for instance ARIZONA COLT a lot more than ARIZONA COLT RETURNS. Why? For the simple reason that I like Giuliano more than Antonio? Maybe, but then again, I can’t imagine liking DJANGO IL BASTARDO with Gemma playing the ghost of the dead man.
Some films are likable while not being perfect, others have little or no serious flaws but still leave you cold. We have been discussing JOHNNY YUMA here and most people liked it, even though they admitted that it was flawed and uneven. In my opinion COMPAñEROS is better balanced than THE MERCENARy, still I prefer the latter. But I’m curious about those holes/faults in films like BANDIDOS and FACE TO FACE; I haven’t seen RUN MAN RUN, so I can’t say anything about it.
(We better discuss individual films in the appropriate threads)
Yes Scherp , very well argued you have summarized it all nicely.
As you say we can discuss individual films in their own threads and each person will have
favourites and less favourites :o.
I do indeed prefer REVENGE SWs/Westerns but am also very appreciative of other themes
I just saw again A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL 1967, a very “classic” political Sw and was
immediately fascinated by the excellent music that accompanies Gringo LOU CASTEL as
he boards the train. The rest of the film is top class too
Also I think we all have that special “happy feeling” , whenever a new SW/Giallo etc DVD
arrives from Amazon or “elsewhere”
Hope your trip was good Scherp ;D
[quote=“SARTANA DJANGO, post:475, topic:190”]Also I think we all have that special “happy feeling” , whenever a new SW/Giallo etc DVD
arrives from Amazon or “elsewhere” :D[/quote]
True! I have this feeling even if i don’t expect the movie to be particulary good
Hi Alko nice to hear from you 
Yes very often we expect little from a Film or TV Series and are rewarded with much gold.
I get a similar “wave of pleasure” :
:o whenever a NEW CD arrives from GERMANY/ITALY.
COMING SOON :
SD TOP 20 EURO WESTERNS
But make a new thread for it! Please
NEIN NEIN NEIN :-\ 
Italian made/connected Westerns are included so this is the thread for TOP 20.
We dont want to start talking again about “definitions” or “the war” ;D