Today’s Houston Chronicle had several articles on the remake of “3:10 to Yuma.” For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone would think they could improve on a classic. Hubris? Maybe the new one is terrific; I haven’t seen it. However, I know that the Glen Ford/Van Heflin version is one of the best movies of any genre that I have ever seen.
Included in the series of articles was a list of someone’s 10 favorites western. No credit was given to the list maker. They were:
“Tombstone”
“Shane”
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”
“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
“High Noon”
“True Grit”
“Pale Rider”
“Dances with Wolves”
“Lonesome Dove”
“Maverick” – the Mel Gibson Version
I agree with “Tombstone.” I have seen this several times. “Shane” and “High Noon” were snoozers for me. For some reason, I have never seen Butch and Sundance. “True Grit” doesn’t measure up to “The Cowboys” or “The Shootist.” While I like “Pale Rider,” I like “Hang’em High” and “Unforgiven” more. “Dances with Wolves” was far too long. I haven’t seen “Lonesome Dove” either. It was a mini-series, and I have watched very few mini-series. While I’ve tried to watch Mel Gibson as Maverick, I just can’t get into it.
My Favorites:
“Tombstone”
“3:10 to Yuma” – This is more a psychological drama than Western. The relationships are very interesting.
“The Magnificent Seven” – Wonderful cast and good plot
“The Cowboys” – Great story, John Wayne at his best, and Bruce Dern is the best at being the worst.
“Against a Crooked Sky” – I am probably the only person to remember this movie except the people who made it. Wonderful scenery and photography and good plot
“The White Buffalo” – This may not be a true Western, but more of a psuedo-historical piece
“Bad Girls” – Okay, I know that is a stretch for being anyone’s favorite. It’s very entertaining for me to see the ladies kick a little butt.
“The Missing” – Tommy Lee Jones at his craggiest best
“Broken Trail” – A Made for TV movie with Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. I love this movie!
“Hang’em High”- An Eastwood classic
Honorable Mention:
"The Outlaw Josey Wales" and “Invitation to a Gunfighter” (Yul Brynner, George Segal, and Janice Rule.)
Perhaps I shouldn’t mention the movie I’m watching now. It’s not exactly a classic – “The Alligator People” (1959, Beverly Garland and George MacReady).
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1 comment:
I've always liked "Red River' with John Wayne. The Lonesome Dove series is worth watching or read the books by Larry McMurtrey. He traces the history of Gus and Woodrow from the time they first join the Texas Rangers until Gus's death in Lonesome Dove. A great read.
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