Westerns Movie Log Journal & Recommendations

A fun diversion for the evening movie watch. Nothing too special here and this seemed more like a good made for TV movie. But as the film doesn't try to be anything more than meets the eye, and as the actors seem to be having lots of fun...it works. In fact it's the actors' larger than life performances that made this an entertaining little film.

Dean Martin is the baddie here. He's a corrupt business man who owns 51% share of the town, so that he gets the 'final say'. Backing him up is a dozen or so 'paid' deputies, who carry out justice by lynching whoever gets in Martin's way. And yet he's still somewhat likeable as he's Dean Martin!

Then there's grinning George Peppard who seems like a 1960's version of Hans Solo. Peppard for all his hamming at the camera, works as it's that kind of film and he's colorful enough to make a go of it.

Rounding out the cast is the talented Jean Simmons. She has a really cute drunk scene. Then there's the western staple Slim Pickens. This time Slim is gone bad and has dyed dark hair so that we know he's bad. Slim has a TV-fun type knock-em down fight with George Peppard, that's a blast.

If you're looking for a 'light' western, heavy on the fun, but not a comedy..then Rough Night in Jericho might be in your cards.

Suggested by Cricket

An award winning, biographical Canadian film, that's not like other westerns. The Grey Fox is an introspective, personal tale of a 'gentleman bandit' who robbed stage coaches in the 19th century and eventually was caught and set to prison for 33 years. When The Grey Fox (Richard Farnsworth) finally gets out of prison, it's the 20th century and he's now a senior citizen. The film is done in a subtle manor and mostly non violent with the emphasize on the aged outlaw trying to cope with the changing times. I liked the personal tale style of the movie and the more low key approach which fits the filming style of the movie. The filming sites were in British Columbia Canada and in my state of Washington, which I thought was cool and gave the film a much different look and feel than the typical hot, dry and dusty western.

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Are you tired of seeing Clint play the same scrawling western character? Well then this 1970 western that pairs him with Shirley MacLaine might just be your ticket to western-fun-dom. Oh, don't get me wrong it the opening minutes Sister Sara is almost raped by 4 bad hombres, who good ole Clint dispatches them with his trusty Colt SA revolver. In fact it is the same Clint character we've seen in the spaghetti westerns, only he's now bumped into a whiskey drinking, cigar chomping nun

I thought this was a good movie. It was a bit different and yet it still delivered what one would come to expect from a Clint Eastwood western. Filmed entirely in Mexico and the dry scrub brush lands looks great as does some of the old ruined remains of Spanish/Mexican hacienda's that they filmed in.

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A whole lot better movie than you think it is! You can call this a popcorn movie if you want, but I'll call it damn good film making! Just forget the silly notion that only a man can be the tough guy gun slinger in a western. Then watch it, and pay close attention to the details, especially the scene transitions. A scene transition is where a scene is over and the director and film editor needs to get you to the next scene and do it seamlessly and with style. If Orson Welles had a chance to see The Quick and the Dead he would have been impressed with the scene transitions..and with the fluid and artistic cinematography. It's too bad people don't pay closer attention to how a film is put together, because if they did The Quick and the Dead would have a much higher rating on IMDB than it does.

This is one of the better westerns I've seen.