UPCOMING COWBOY MARATHON

I realize that over the years one of my biggest blind spots in my film knowledge (if you can call it that) is from westerns.  I’ve seen a few and slowly but surely been coming to the realization that my preconceived notions about the genre are pretty much all wrong.  So for the next two months I’m going to be going through a crash course in what most people consider some of the best westerns ever.  If you think that a better one is out there that isn’t scheduled for this marathon let me know in the comments and I will consider adding it to the schedule.  Here is the schedule for my upcoming Cowboy Marathon:

May 5th – The Searchers (1956)

May 12th – The Magnificent Seven (1960)

May 19th – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

May 26th – The Wild Bunch (1969)

June 2nd – Shane (1953)

June 9th – The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

June 16th – The Gunfighter (1950)

June 23rd – True Grit (1969)

I hope that when this marathon is over I can say once and for all, with true conviction, one way or another what I truly feel about this genre.

Andrew Robinson

This is my blog. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My blog is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my blog is useless. Without my blog, I am useless. I must fire my blog true. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my blog and myself are defenders of my mind, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

  2. Sam

    I wouldn't say you're missing any of the 'best' but I'm sure your appreciation of the genre could be extended into some modern 'greats' – you don't have any films there that are any later than the seventies. The two that immediately come to mind from more recent stock are Unforgiven and Open Range.

  3. Univarn

    Awesome. I back Sam up on having Unforgiven, much like Wild Bunch it's sort of the anti-western western (though not as violent).

    I would also point out 1939's Stagecoach isn't exactly a great western (very generic by today's standards), but it's sort of the father to the genre's portrayal (misunderstood villain, local drunk, protective sheriff, etc.).

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