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They Still Make Westerns, Don't They?
Vulture ^ | October 1, 2021 | Bilge Ebiri

Posted on 10/01/2021 1:55:40 PM PDT by sphinx

It’s a nauseatingly evocative moment, both because of the way director Potsy Ponciroli’s camera isolates the actor, and because Tim Blake Nelson conveys, through his defeated posture and anxious movements, the stone that is slowly forming in his stomach. Earlier, when he first came upon the money and the man, Henry had quietly ridden away from them, unwilling to get involved, only to change his mind. Now, again without a word of dialogue, he tells us that he knows that the valley below and the hills beyond will soon fill up with the shadows of other men looking for the cash.

(Excerpt) Read more at vulture.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Miscellaneous; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: movies; oldhenry; westerns
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Movie Ping List -- October

The most common freeper reaction on the movie threads, after @#&^%!* Hollywood, is "they don't make films like they used to."

Well, they still make Westerns, don't they? Ya wanna an old fashioned film? Check out Old Henry. It just opened today in theaters. No streaming yet. That's old fashioned right there. It's a throwback Western that debuted in Venice to solid reviews: horses, villains, big sky country, lots of gunplay, a straightforward (sort of) morality play, and no sex. Heck, there aren't even any women in the film. In Hollywood today, that doesn't mean no sex, but in Old Henry, not to worry: in this film, homosexuals hadn't been invented yet. Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZc4PVVd-0w

I looked for Westerns because the most commonly mentioned new film on freepers' watchlists for this fall was Cry Macho, the latest Clint Eastwood offering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZc4PVVd-0w

But if it's traditional you want, Old Henry looks better. The Man With No Name retired a long time ago. Clint now has feelings.

The Oscar bait Western this year is The Power of the Dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELvKuuXdfCU&t=1s

The Power of the Dog was shot in New Zealand, which is cheating in my book when it comes to Westerns, but the director is from New Zealand, so there. The big plot twist would probably have been provocative 30 years ago, but since I'm cynical about the modern film industry, I saw it coming midway through the second review that I read. Whatever. The acting is universally praised, with both Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst being touted for Oscars.

I'll round out the Western list with another neo-Western (like Cry Macho, it's set in modern times with a modern plot line). It qualifies as a Western because it's set on a ranch, has horses and (civilized) Indians, and has spectacular big sky cinematography, unmistakable villains, and is another clear morality story in a classic Western setting, by which I mean loss, loneliness, evocative emptiness and redemption as well as geographical location. And a chicken makes the ultimate sacrifice. It debuted at TIFF to very good reviews and raves about the acting. There's no distribution deal or trailer yet. I'm beginning to think it may slide into 2022, perhaps as part of a classic low-budget indie film march through the festivals. But I don't know. It's Montana Story. Since there's no trailer, I looked for a review without too many spoilers: https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2021/09/toronto-international-film-festival-2021-review-montana-story/

So: four Westerns, for you old-fashioned movie buffs. I've not seen any of them yet but a couple of them are of considerable interest. As always, pass along any other recommendations that you may have.

1 posted on 10/01/2021 1:55:40 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: sphinx; al_c; Arcadian Empire; Artemis Webb; arthurus; Bearshouse; BEJ; Berlin_Freeper; ...

October Movie List Ping

As always, pass along your recommendations, especially on good “conservative” films. Freepmail me if you want off the list.


2 posted on 10/01/2021 1:56:44 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: sphinx

@#&^%!* Hollywood.
:-)


3 posted on 10/01/2021 2:01:14 PM PDT by Artemis Webb (Be kind to each other, unless the other guy is a dumbass.)
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To: sphinx

Clint Eastwood - High Plains Drifter.


4 posted on 10/01/2021 2:06:38 PM PDT by SkyDancer (How Can I Ask For Forgiveness If I Won't Forgive Others?)
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To: sphinx

“Kate” not a western but excellent action packed, female John Wick.


5 posted on 10/01/2021 2:08:54 PM PDT by bdfromlv (Leavenworth hard time)
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To: sphinx

Open Range with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall!


6 posted on 10/01/2021 2:09:13 PM PDT by justme4now (Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it)
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To: sphinx
So: four Westerns, for you old-fashioned movie buffs.

Movie 1?

Movie 2?

Movie 3?

Movie 4?

Seems like that would have been a better format

7 posted on 10/01/2021 2:11:57 PM PDT by Pollard (Some people like to argue just to argue.)
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To: sphinx

I tried to watch that recent western “News of the World” with Tom Hanks on HBO+ and fell asleep.


8 posted on 10/01/2021 2:15:03 PM PDT by circlecity
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To: SkyDancer

One of the best.


9 posted on 10/01/2021 2:16:03 PM PDT by al_c (Democrats: Party over Common Sense)
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To: circlecity

That’s been staring at me for some time, but I’ve not yet been motivated to try it. I’ll probably start it sometime when I’m idly browsing. I’m just kinda tired of Tom Hanks by now.

The four films I’ve mentioned here are all new. There may be a few who have seen Cry Macho, but I doubt any of us have seen any of the others. I’ll be interested in freeper reviews as people check them out. It’s still unknown when Montana Story will be released, though it was well reviewed at TIFF.


10 posted on 10/01/2021 2:21:27 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: sphinx

Has anyone seen ‘Apache Junction’? Most of the westerns they make to day are so bad, most a ‘WOKE’ trash a gun slinging woman or a Homo Erotica/Leather thrash like the remake of ‘3:10 to Yuma’


11 posted on 10/01/2021 2:24:02 PM PDT by Kartographer
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To: sphinx

I knock it down a few pegs because it’s a made-for-TV movie, but “Conagher” (Sam Elliott) captures the essence of a great western better than any movie I’ve seen.


12 posted on 10/01/2021 2:24:42 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("All lies and jest, ‘til a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.")
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To: Pollard

Cry Macho

Old Henry

The Power of the Dog

Montana Story


13 posted on 10/01/2021 2:26:44 PM PDT by Bratch
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To: Alberta's Child

I’ve not seen it but I am a Sam Elliott fan. Thanks for the tip.


14 posted on 10/01/2021 2:27:55 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: Bratch

Thank you


15 posted on 10/01/2021 2:28:29 PM PDT by Pollard (Some people like to argue just to argue.)
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To: Bratch

Thanks. I’m still trying to figure out how to do this stuff. I thought the links would work when I put them on the “post” page but for some reason they didn’t come through.


16 posted on 10/01/2021 2:29:44 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: bdfromlv
I believe "Kate" is a remake of D.O.A..
17 posted on 10/01/2021 2:29:48 PM PDT by Bratch
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To: Kartographer

I’ve not seen Apache Junction, which also came out this year. The four I mentioned are all new films this year that I had noticed when scanning the festival lists. They were all getting enough buzz to put them on a watchlist. I also googled “2021 Westerns” to see if I was overlooking anything. Apache Junction was listed but it was so poorly reviewed that I didn’t want to recommend it here. If someone has a different opinion, I’m willing to listen.

The challenge is finding the good films amidst all the chaff. If a film has been selected for a major festival, it has passed at least one threshold of seriousness. I’ll scan a festival list, read the short blurbs and, if I’m interested in the synopsis or like the actors, I’ll watch a trailer or read a couple of reviews. That’s about as scientific as I get.


18 posted on 10/01/2021 2:48:01 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: sphinx
It seems like half the epic western movie quotes I remember came from that movie.

“You’re a hard man, Conagher.”

“It’s a hard country, son.”

19 posted on 10/01/2021 2:49:59 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("All lies and jest, ‘til a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.")
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To: Alberta's Child

Now you’ve forced me to watch it ....:)


20 posted on 10/01/2021 2:56:14 PM PDT by sphinx
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