Westerns Movie Log Journal & Recommendations

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Due to my dislike of westerns, I watched the Searchers a few years back because I'd always heard so much about it and wanted to give westerns another chance by watching what's been reported to be one of the best!

I was attracted to the plot (and hey, Natalie Wood, of course!)
Yet it kind of reaffirmed by dislike of westerns.

Now, it's been a while, so maybe my memory is a bit off - but I seem to remember it being full of plot holes (but I can't remember what they were) and a lot of meandering.

And I seem to remember some comedy in it - yet a lot of it seemed inappropriate or out of place in a story about murder, families being slaughtered, rape and revenge.

Maybe I just didn't like so small a role for Natalie Wood!



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Due to my dislike of westerns, I watched the Searchers a few years back because I'd always heard so much about it and wanted to give westerns another chance by watching what's been reported to be one of the best!

I was attracted to the plot (and hey, Natalie Wood, of course!)
Yet it kind of reaffirmed by dislike of westerns.

Now, it's been a while, so maybe my memory is a bit off - but I seem to remember it being full of plot holes (but I can't remember what they were) and a lot of meandering.

And I seem to remember some comedy in it - yet a lot of it seemed inappropriate or out of place in a story about murder, families being slaughtered, rape and revenge.

Maybe I just didn't like so small a role for Natalie Wood!

The Searchers was one of my least favorite of the John Wayne movies that I watched recently. I watched it more for Jeffrey Hunter than for John Wayne, but the movie was just too violent for me.

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The trick is not minding
...So now I feel compelled to watch The Searchers Any other classic westerns that everyone hates?
I enjoyed The Searchers, but there’s a certain part in the film where it gets a little silly. Kind of drags the story down a little.
I just watched “Comes a Horseman” (1978) with Scott Caan and Jane Fonda. Decent western. Not a typical western at that.



I enjoyed The Searchers, but there’s a certain part in the film where it gets a little silly. Kind of drags the story down a little.
I just watched “Comes a Horseman” (1978) with Scott Caan and Jane Fonda. Decent western. Not a typical western at that.
Ah thanks, I might watch Comes a Horseman and I'm going to watch The Searchers so I can have a proper opinion of it I did see it once, but like 10+ years ago and so don't remember a thing about it.



I wasn't a fan of The Wild Bunch either.
Same story for me here, I seen it but don't remember it at all, so should rewatch it. I swear I need another year to watch all the westerns I'm planning on checking out for the countdown. Luckily I love westerns!



The trick is not minding
I wasn't a fan of The Wild Bunch either.
Wild Bunch is one of those films that sharply divides critics, even after all these years since it’s initial release.
I happened to love it.



The trick is not minding
Oh, also, I’ve been interested in Django (the original Corbucci version) for a long time, so I plan on watching that sometime. But I read while looking it up that John Sayles is slated to make a sequel



For me The Searchers has been a bit of an acquired taste. I've been watching westerns and John Wayne films all my life, but when I saw it the first few times about 10 years ago I wasn't much impressed. Part of that likely had to do with the film's glowing reputation, and not coming up to my initial expectations. It's got a different kind of character about it than a typical John Ford western, which can be quite off putting at first. A lot of the acting from various players make it quite surreal in parts.

But the last couple of times I've seen it I've just learnt to go with it and now I really enjoy it. I've found a lot of depth of feeling in the story and appreciate the photography as some of the best I've seen in a western.

A great doco I really recommend is A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. A lot of good analysis of this film and many others like it.



For me The Searchers has been a bit of an acquired taste. I've been watching westerns and John Wayne films all my life, but when I saw it the first few times about 10 years ago I wasn't much impressed. Part of that likely had to do with the film's glowing reputation, and not coming up to my initial expectations...
That happens to me too, I'll watch a movie for the first time that is highly rated and well respected...and then my expectations are so high that I'm let down. I think that probably happens to a lot of folks.

I'd like to see more John Wayne movies, what are some of your favorites? And what westerns in general do you really like? I'm looking for some more westerns to watch for the upcoming Top 100 Western Countdown, so any suggestions are welcomed.



The trick is not minding
For me The Searchers has been a bit of an acquired taste. I've been watching westerns and John Wayne films all my life, but when I saw it the first few times about 10 years ago I wasn't much impressed. Part of that likely had to do with the film's glowing reputation, and not coming up to my initial expectations...
That happens to me too, I'll watch a movie for the first time that is highly rated and well respected...and then my expectations are so high that I'm let down. I think that probably happens to a lot of folks.

I'd like to see more John Wayne movies, what are some of your favorites? And what westerns in general do you really like? I'm looking for some more westerns to watch for the upcoming Top 100 Western Countdown, so any suggestions are welcomed.
There’s a few interesting ones available on Amazon video that I plan on watching eventually:

Molly and Lawless John
The Scalphunters
The Young Land (Patrick Wayne and Dennis Hopper)
The Big Country
Little Big Man
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson



There’s a few interesting ones available on Amazon video that I plan on watching eventually:

Molly and Lawless John
The Scalphunters
The Young Land (Patrick Wayne and Dennis Hopper)
The Big Country
Little Big Man
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
I've only seen two of those, Little Big Man and The Big Country which is in my Top 10 on my profile. I'll have to look up and read about some of those others.



I'd like to see more John Wayne movies, what are some of your favorites? And what westerns in general do you really like? I'm looking for some more westerns to watch for the upcoming Top 100 Western Countdown, so any suggestions are welcomed.
Here's some suggestions:

Some of my favourite John Wayne movies:

* Island in the Sky - 1953 (very different and a great performance)
* The Sea Chase - 1955
* The Longest Day - 1962
* They Were Expendable - 1945

Specifically westerns:

* She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - 1949
* Stagecoach - 1939
* Allegheny Uprising - 1939
* Angel and the Badman - 1947
* The Shootist - 1976 (final film)
* The Alamo - 1960 (slowly getting into this, could be a masterpiece)

I also really like a lot of the '30's Monogram/Lone Star productions. So many made and they're just very fun, simple entertainment.

Big fan of Audie Murphy and like all his westerns. Some standouts are:

* No Name on the Bullet - 1959 (fascinating character and script)
* Ride Clear of Diablo - 1954
* Tumbleweed - 1953
* The Wild and the Innocent - 1959
* Destry - 1954
* Hell Bent for Leather - 1960
* The Texican - 1966 (spaghetti western)

Other favourite westerns:

* High Noon - 1952
* Robbery Under Arms - 1957 (set in Australia, great scenery)
* Dodge City - 1939
* Apache - 1954 (great Burt Lancaster performance)
* Winchester '73 - 1950
* Hang 'Em High - 1968
* Bad Company - 1972 (very different)
* Chino/The Valdez Horses - 1973 (Saw this for the first time last night. Very laid back for the most part, a nice change).

Cheers.



Here's some suggestions:

Some of my favourite John Wayne movies:

* Island in the Sky - 1953 (very different and a great performance)
* The Sea Chase - 1955
* The Longest Day - 1962
* They Were Expendable - 1945

Specifically westerns:

* She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - 1949
* Stagecoach - 1939
* Allegheny Uprising - 1939
* Angel and the Badman - 1947
* The Shootist - 1976 (final film)
* The Alamo - 1960 (slowly getting into this, could be a masterpiece)

I also really like a lot of the '30's Monogram/Lone Star productions. So many made and they're just very fun, simple entertainment.

Big fan of Audie Murphy and like all his westerns. Some standouts are:

* No Name on the Bullet - 1959 (fascinating character and script)
* Ride Clear of Diablo - 1954
* Tumbleweed - 1953
* The Wild and the Innocent - 1959
* Destry - 1954
* Hell Bent for Leather - 1960
* The Texican - 1966 (spaghetti western)

Other favourite westerns:

* High Noon - 1952
* Robbery Under Arms - 1957 (set in Australia, great scenery)
* Dodge City - 1939
* Apache - 1954 (great Burt Lancaster performance)
* Winchester '73 - 1950
* Hang 'Em High - 1968
* Bad Company - 1972 (very different)
* Chino/The Valdez Horses - 1973 (Saw this for the first time last night. Very laid back for the most part, a nice change).

Cheers.
Thanks, I appreciate the suggestions. I just requested from my library:

Angel and the Badman - 1947
The Shootist - 1976
Winchester '73

My library had a long wait for She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and I do want to check out some of the others too. Good stuff!



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Here's some suggestions:

* Winchester '73 - 1950
Thanks, I appreciate the suggestions. I just requested from my library:

Winchester '73

@Citizen Rules, Make sure that you watch the right version of this movie.

I watched Winchester '73 on Starz Western channel a few days ago, but it turned out to be the wrong version. Apparently there's also a TV movie version from 1967. It was a pretty good movie, but I'm sure that the original version is better because the cast is much better.



@Citizen Rules, Make sure that you watch the right version of this movie.

I watched Winchester '73 on Starz Western channel a few days ago, but it turned out to be the wrong version. Apparently there's also a TV movie version from 1967. It was a pretty good movie, but I'm sure that the original version is better because the cast is much better.
Thanks GBG...I've made that mistake and watched the same title but wrong year before But in this case I've seen Winchester '73 (1950) and intend to rewatch before the countdown. I find it a fun & exciting movie and it has one of my favorite character actors, Dan Duryea in it.