Bone Tomahawk Review

This is a hell of a year for Kurt Russel fans. Not having done a western of any kind since Tombstone, 2015 will see him star in two oaters, this being the first, and the second one being QT’s upcoming ‘Hateful 8’. Bone Tomahawk (a truly great title) is billed as a genre-crossing horror western,…

Django Review

Spaghetti westerns might have just as easily been called Sergio westerns---as the three greatest directors of the genre all shared that same first name. Everyone knows Leone was the first, but probably at this point only real history/movie nerds know the other two--Sollima and Corbucci. Sergio Corbucci directed this classic Pasta Western back in 1966.…

Little Big Man Review

I just saw “Little Big Man” and am amazed that it has managed to stay under my radar for so long. It stars a very young Dustin Hoffman playing a very old (120 years to be exact) former Indian fighter being interviewed by a snobby and bookish looking journalist with an old reel to reel…

Big Jake Review

“You can call me father. You can call me Jacob, or you can call me Jake. You can call me a dirty son of a bitch. But if you ever call me daddy again, I’ll finish this fight.” Welcome to a special Sunday Morning Westerns installment of my Quick Daily Reviews column here on TVE.…

Once Upon a Time in the West Review

When I think back on the elements that most of my favorite westerns share, a few things come back time and time again in nearly each of them. First, great cinematography and epic settings. Check. Then you must have a memorable score such as the whistling in the “Dollars” trilogy or the old standard title…

The Salvation Review

There’s an old divide among western fans that is probably mostly forgotten by modern viewers. A few years back I wrote what I consider to be the review I am the proudest of here, of my all time favorite western, Rio Bravo. Rio Bravo was made as answer to “High Noon” starring Gary Cooper since…

A Million Ways To Die In The West Review

We picture the west in vast panoramas, great big blue skies, open prairies, with miles upon miles of amazing, yet challenging and often life threatening terrain, symbolizing opportunity and risk, the “Manifest Destiny” of the 19th century and the quintessential “American Dream” of the 20th century, all punctuated by a booming Elmer Bernstein soundtrack and…

Rio Bravo Review

Has there ever been a movie that more effectively utilized a ‘cold opening’ better than Rio Bravo? We start with a dark and murky but still well crowded bar, a down on his luck and desperately drunk Deputy and a smug Gunman who first jokingly offers the Deputy a drink, and then tosses a silver…

The Ballad of Cable Hogue Review

A smart director knows when he has pushed the limits far enough in one direction and needs to find a new approach and come at us with something altogether different and fresh. To be sure Sam Peckinpah did push the limits to the very outer edges and much more in terms of violence and bloodshed…

Tombstone Review

I don’t know why I’m writing this, everybody should already know this is a fantastic movie…what? There are people that haven’t seen this? You’re kidding…my God, those poor bastards. Ok, for the six people in the universe that haven’t seen this movie, allow me to give a brief summary. Tombstone is the story of legendary…