The MoFo Westerns List

If your personal definition of a Western is as narrow as cowboys, gunplay, and being set in a certain locale between certain years that is fine and valid for whether you want to include something on your personal ballot. But the genre does include films that do not have or subverts those basic elements. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a Western even though it is set in Mexico of the 1920s. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a Western even though it is set in Mexico of the 1970s and has cars instead of horses. The Proposition is a Western even though it is set in the Australian Outback. Lonely Are the Brave is a Western even though it is set in the 1960s and the protagonist is chased by a helicopter. Hud and Junior Bonner are Westerns even though they are set in modern day and have no gunplay. Rango is a Western even though it is a cartoon featuring anthropomorphic animals. Back to the Future Part III is a Western even though it is a Sci-Fi comedy.

And on and on.

I think that is a good argument for inclusion. Anybody want to expand on that or have a counterpoint?

__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Westerns don't even need to be set in America at all.

__________________

Of course, as much as I'd love There Will Be Blood to count, if it's voted as ineligible, I won't complain.


In terms of style, content, it's one of those I think.


Got me 2 lists now, depending on the outcome of the debate

__________________

It's been a long while since I seen There Shall Be Blood but I don't feel it fits the western genre type. The other day I read a really good description of the western genre type, but damned if I can find it now.

Anyway for me this from Wiki fits how I view the western genre: "Western is a genre of fiction which tells stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West" I'd add to that: those stories depict the struggles that come from living in an untamed land on the western frontier.

That was the sequel

Ha! (did I make a typo? I'm clueless this morning)

The third one was There Might Be Blood.

Sequel is There Was Blood.

I sense Chyp has taken over all of your post!

Third installment is There Will 3 Blood.

A fourthquel/prequel Be4 the Blood.

But in seriousness, I haven’t seen it. I picked it up from the library because I assumed it was a Western and I like PTA, looked at the genres on IMDB and Letterboxd and realized it was not considered a Western anywhere so never bothered to watch it.

I prefer the original A Bucket of Blood

I've no problem if There Will Be Blood is allowed even if personally I don't regard it as 'western' enough to make my own list. For the record my favourite version of it is definitely the Director's Cut

Holden already said this:

So I don't think that the fact that There Will Be Blood doesn't fit that rigid definition is reason enough to deem it ineligible.

I was answering Holden, by giving my personal opinion about the western-ness of There Will Be Blood, it's up to Holden to decide.

We are up to three lists officially turned in, BTW. I set mine before any ballots were received so as not to be influenced by the trends as the votes were tabulated, matt72582 submitted his like the first or second day, and the samoan lawyer gave me his this morning.

There is already a leader at 48 points, with 51 different titles already receiving votes.


Keep 'em coming. You have a hundred days until the ballots are due.

Upon their original release, I thought both There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men were westerns, especially thematically. It's too bad we weren't doing Oscar Podcasts back then so I could refer everyone to something cogent.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Ok, seeing as I was the one that brought it up.


Blood being listed as Drama on IMDd etc... and people being unsure, I'll reverse my question and arguments for it, and say we should probably un-count it.

I know what you were doing.

I'm arguing against your argument by pointing out the fact that we are already allowing other films not set in "the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West" and it would be inconsistent to apply that rule only to movies not already labelled as Westerns by IMDb.

I wouldn't include it on my own ballot because I hate it, but I do think it "feels like" a Western (I can't really expand on that without rewatching it, though, and I'm not about to do that.) and have no objection to other people voting for it.

OK, that's fine, I don't have a problem with people having differences of opinions.

It's been a long time since I seen There Will Be Blood, but I seemed to like it only OK. I don't have a plan to rewatch it, so won't be voting for it. As it is I'll have to cut many movies to make it down to 25. Maybe I can vote for 50?