Western Hall of Fame II

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Posted as I was haha. Serves me right.
I understand, which was why I went with Liberty Valance as I felt there weren’t many who have seen it.
The Cowboys and Rio Bravo are 2 I haven’t seen yet so it works out for me (and I’m not terribly familiar with The Cowboys, only a review I read from Ebert years ago)
In the case of Rio Bravo, I’ve seen it’s first remake El Dorado, so I’m familiar with the story.
I’m not terribly familiar with many of the obscure westerns before the 1970’s, so I was limited in my knowledge of them, which was a reason why I joined to begin with.
There were 3 I considered that are available on Amazon prime I have saved I could have nominated, such as The Big Country, Little Big Man and Buffalo Bill and the Indians but I don’t like to nominate anything I haven’t seen yet.
Perhaps that was my mistake

With the exception of The Cowboys, the movies nominated are all well-known, top-rated movies that are on many top westerns lists. I'd be surprised if most people don't watch them for the countdown without them being nominated in this HoF.

If I had joined, I probably would have nominated either A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) or The Electric Horseman (1979). Those are both movies that I think are worth watching for the countdown, but they're likely to be overlooked by most people.
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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



The trick is not minding
Posted as I was haha. Serves me right.
I understand, which was why I went with Liberty Valance as I felt there weren’t many who have seen it.
The Cowboys and Rio Bravo are 2 I haven’t seen yet so it works out for me (and I’m not terribly familiar with The Cowboys, only a review I read from Ebert years ago)
In the case of Rio Bravo, I’ve seen it’s first remake El Dorado, so I’m familiar with the story.
I’m not terribly familiar with many of the obscure westerns before the 1970’s, so I was limited in my knowledge of them, which was a reason why I joined to begin with.
There were 3 I considered that are available on Amazon prime I have saved I could have nominated, such as The Big Country, Little Big Man and Buffalo Bill and the Indians but I don’t like to nominate anything I haven’t seen yet.
Perhaps that was my mistake

With the exception of The Cowboys, the movies nominated are all well-known, top-rated movies that are on many top westerns lists. I'd be surprised if most people don't watch them for the countdown without them being nominated in this HoF.

If I had joined, I probably would have nominated either A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) or The Electric Horseman (1979). Those are both movies that I think are worth watching for the countdown, but they're likely to be overlooked by most people.
This is true, they are pretty well known.
Of The 3 I mentioned that I have saved on Amazon, which have you seen and which would you recommend first?



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Posted as I was haha. Serves me right.
I understand, which was why I went with Liberty Valance as I felt there weren’t many who have seen it.
The Cowboys and Rio Bravo are 2 I haven’t seen yet so it works out for me (and I’m not terribly familiar with The Cowboys, only a review I read from Ebert years ago)
In the case of Rio Bravo, I’ve seen it’s first remake El Dorado, so I’m familiar with the story.
I’m not terribly familiar with many of the obscure westerns before the 1970’s, so I was limited in my knowledge of them, which was a reason why I joined to begin with.
There were 3 I considered that are available on Amazon prime I have saved I could have nominated, such as The Big Country, Little Big Man and Buffalo Bill and the Indians but I don’t like to nominate anything I haven’t seen yet.
Perhaps that was my mistake
This is true, they are pretty well known.
Of The 3 I mentioned that I have saved on Amazon, which have you seen and which would you recommend first?

I saw The Big Country a few years ago, and as I recall, it was a good movie. It's on my watchlist to rewatch it for the countdown.

I haven't seen Little Big Man, but I've heard that it's a very good movie. I'm kind of hit or miss with Dustin Hoffman movies, so I'm not sure if I'll like this movie or not.

I haven't heard of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, but I just read a little about it and it sounds like a good movie. The only thing I know about Buffalo Bill is what I've seen about him in the movie Annie Get Your Gun (1950), so it should be interesting to watch a different movie about him.



The trick is not minding
Posted as I was haha. Serves me right.
I understand, which was why I went with Liberty Valance as I felt there weren’t many who have seen it.
The Cowboys and Rio Bravo are 2 I haven’t seen yet so it works out for me (and I’m not terribly familiar with The Cowboys, only a review I read from Ebert years ago)
In the case of Rio Bravo, I’ve seen it’s first remake El Dorado, so I’m familiar with the story.
I’m not terribly familiar with many of the obscure westerns before the 1970’s, so I was limited in my knowledge of them, which was a reason why I joined to begin with.
There were 3 I considered that are available on Amazon prime I have saved I could have nominated, such as The Big Country, Little Big Man and Buffalo Bill and the Indians but I don’t like to nominate anything I haven’t seen yet.
Perhaps that was my mistake
This is true, they are pretty well known.
Of The 3 I mentioned that I have saved on Amazon, which have you seen and which would you recommend first?

I saw The Big Country a few years ago, and as I recall, it was a good movie. It's on my watchlist to rewatch it for the countdown.

I haven't seen Little Big Man, but I've heard that it's a very good movie. I'm kind of hit or miss with Dustin Hoffman movies, so I'm not sure if I'll like this movie or not.

I haven't heard of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, but I just read a little about it and it sounds like a good movie. The only thing I know about Buffalo Bill is what I've seen about him in the movie Annie Get Your Gun (1950), so it should be interesting to watch a different movie about him.
Plus, Buffalo Bill was directed by Robert Altman, who was always a good director.
I would have nominated it had I watched it
Or the other 2. Maybe next time...



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Plus, Buffalo Bill was directed by Robert Altman, who was always a good director.
I would have nominated it had I watched it
Or the other 2. Maybe next time...

I'm not really a fan of Robert Altman's movies, but I'll still give it a chance.



Originally Posted by Citizen Rules
I think we have five awesome films
Originally Posted by Wyldesyde19
this is a pretty strong list.
I think this is the problem for me. I agree that this is a strong list with some great films, but most of them are movies that are so well known that most people would have known to watch them before turning in their list for the Westerns Countdown.

I was hoping for some lesser known "hidden gem" movies that I wouldn't have thought to watch if they hadn't been nominated.
If wishes were horses, you'd have a herd



was tempted to nominate a Korean "tip of the hat" entitled "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"
I remember coming across the DVD for that at HMV years ago, and considered blind buying it since it looked like one of those "so bad it's good" type films. Since you considered nominating it, does that mean it's legitimately a decent movie?



Thanks for the invite, but you'll have to add me to the "wait and see" club. I've been watching a lot of westerns over the past couple of weeks, and I think I'm starting to realize that I'm not much of a westerns fan, and I think I hate the spaghetti westerns.
Out of curiosity, which spaghetti westerns have you watched so far?

I don't normally join these, but I'd totally be down for a Spaghetti Western HOF.

As for this particular set of nominations, Rio Bravo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Ox-Bow Incident, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly are already locks to place high on the countdown. (I assume the latter will place #1 on the countdown, although I'll be rooting for Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.) It's great to see The Cowboys nominated, however, as that film could definitely use more exposure. I think it's one of John Wayne's strongest films. Here's my write-up from a few years ago:

The Cowboys
(Mark Rydell, 1972)



Always considered a great movie star but not necessarily a great actor, I've been very impressed with some of Wayne's later performances. Unlike modern aging icons like DeNiro and Pacino, who did their best work early in their careers but are now stuck on autopilot, The Duke seemed to discover a new reservoir of talent during the twilight of his career. He never ceased to be a tough son of a bitch, but there's a vulnerability in some of these later performances, most likely birthed from the knowledge of his own mortality, that makes these later roles feel more human than the invincible heroes he traditionally played.

The Shootist was a perfect swan song, but The Cowboys would've been equally fitting. It's easy to view this film, where Wayne reluctantly takes a group of schoolboys on a grueling cattle drive, as Wayne passing on his legacy to a younger generation. The Cowboys is an antithesis to the revisionist westerns that were popular at the time. It celebrates the western myth and the old way of life. The script is full of the tough, terse, straight-shooting dialogue that I enjoy so much in westerns. The story is compelling. The film is full of excitement and adventure with a little humor sprinkled in along the way. The stunning cinematography captures the exquisite beauty of the wide-open landscapes.

I remember reading an interview with Bruce Dern where he said that his villainous turn in The Cowboys nearly ruined his career. Even though that interview spoiled a key moment in the film, that scene remained just as shocking to me when I watched it unfold. After that climactic scene, things are subdued and a bit too rushed. Dern is excellent, though. He's not a villain who intimidates you with his strength or prowess, but through the blackness of his soul -- the type of man who will stoop to any depths to achieve what he wants. Roscoe Lee Brown also gives a very good performance in a supporting role as the mirthful cook.

The Cowboys is a terrific film. Even people who aren't typically fans of the genre should be able to enjoy this one.
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I remember coming across the DVD for that at HMV years ago, and considered blind buying it since it looked like one of those "so bad it's good" type films. Since you considered nominating it, does that mean it's legitimately a decent movie?
It's more than decent -- it's great. And it's not just me who thinks that. The film was really well received with both critics and audiences.



It's more than decent -- it's great. And it's not just me who thinks that. The film was really well received with both critics and audiences.
I guess I'll have to add that one to my list.



Ok, we’ve got two excellent new nominations:
The Salvation - Siddon
The Shooting - Hey Frederick

These are two relatively obscure ones, so maybe people will join now? If not, I’m good with 7 and I’ll have noms posted officially in a day or two.



Ok, we’ve got two excellent new nominations:
The Salvation - Siddon
The Shooting - Hey Frederick

These are two relatively obscure ones, so maybe people will join now? If not, I’m good with 7 and I’ll have noms posted officially in a day or two.
I know of The Salvation and will watch it. I quite liked The Shooting.



Ok, we’ve got two excellent new nominations:
The Salvation - Siddon
The Shooting - Hey Frederick

These are two relatively obscure ones, so maybe people will join now? If not, I’m good with 7 and I’ll have noms posted officially in a day or two.
I know of The Salvation and will watch it. I quite liked The Shooting.
Care to nominate something



The Shooting's only 80 minutes long and The Salvation is 90 minutes long, so they should be easy to get through and make up for the length of any three hour movies nominated. Of course, three hour movies can sometimes be the best, like La Dolce Vita or my obvious favorite.

Shame most long movies don't make HoF's. We could end up having Satantango inducted sometime, but I doubt a slow cinema HoF's gonna happen for a while.



Ok, we’ve got two excellent new nominations:
The Salvation - Siddon
The Shooting - Hey Frederick

These are two relatively obscure ones, so maybe people will join now? If not, I’m good with 7 and I’ll have noms posted officially in a day or two.
Is the HoF officially started now? Can we start watching the noms?



Ok, we’ve got two excellent new nominations:
The Salvation - Siddon
The Shooting - Hey Frederick

These are two relatively obscure ones, so maybe people will join now? If not, I’m good with 7 and I’ll have noms posted officially in a day or two.
Is the HoF officially started now? Can we start watching the noms?
Yeah, start watching any time. When I have more time I’ll post a condensed list with pictures in the first post.



The Cowboys

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Ok so I had heard of this movie but didn't know what it was about until I looked it up after it was nominated. I wasn't very hopeful after seeing it starred and was about a bunch of kids. Of course I normally prefer movies with a little more edge to them. Needless to say it was a big surprise how much I liked it, even though much of it felt like a family film. I will just say it's a very touching and entertaining movie. John Wayne was great, but Roscoe Lee Browne was every bit his equal, and everyone else was good too. My contenders list for the countdown is stacked, but this one is getting tossed into the pile. Glad this was nominated as I never would have watched it on my own.