Al's Top Rated Films: Westerns

Fantastic modern day take on a spaghetti western from Quentin Tarantino. The story is set just a couple years before the Civil War in 1858 Texas, and follows a black slave by the name of Django who's being led through the dark woods by the slave-trading Speck Brothers who just purchased him and three other slaves. They are approached by a sophisticated German bounty-hunter named Dr. King Schultz who poses as a dentist, and wants to purchase Django because he knows the Brittle brothers from the former plantation he was enslaved on, and can help him track them down, kill them, and collect the bounty on them. He ends up freeing Django in thrilling fashion, and they set off on their hunt to find the Brittle brothers. As time moves on, Schultz learns that Django is a natural born killer and decides to partner up with him as they spend the winter knocking off bad men and collecting bounties, while becoming great friends in the process. After the snow melts, Schultz agrees to accompany Django down to the brutal plantation in Mississippi known as "Candyland", where they plan to ingeniously rescue Django's slave wife, Broomhilda von Shaft. This is my favorite western, and one of the best revenge stories of all-time. Tarantino's take and tweak on historical events is always superb, and this film delivers in every way. The production design, cinematography, wardrobe, horse training, gun action, and special effects were all top-notch. Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz arguably deliver their all-time greatest lead performances, and my personal favorites from both. Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kerry Washington also had fantastic starring roles. Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Laura Cayouette, Dana Gourrier, Escalante Lundy, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, James Russo, David Steen, Franco Nero, Tom Wopat, Don Stroud, Bruce Dern, M.C. Gainey, Cooper Huckabee, Jonah Hill, Michael Parks, John Jarratt, Quentin Tarantino, and others also had great supporting roles.

Monumental western adventure, and the second installment in Sergio Leone's renowned "Dollars" trilogy (1964–1966). It's often hailed as the greatest western of all time, and I'd have to agree. The story is set in 1862 New Mexico during the American Civil War, and follows a cool, collected, and masterful gunslinger named Blondie (The Good), a money hungry hitman for hire named Angel Eyes (The Bad), and a greedy and deceitful outlaw named Tuco (The Ugly). Blondie and Tuco initially have a partnership where they go from town to town where Tuco is wanted as an outlaw, and finds Blondie collecting the bounty and saving Tuco from being hung just before they flee the town. It's a slippery partnership with almost zero trust, which adds more tension when they learn $200,000 in gold coins are buried in a cemetery. They each possess different information about the gold's location, which means they have to stick together to find it. Meanwhile, since the Civil War is taking place, they run into some hairy situations with Confederate and Union soldiers. Angel Eyes (The Bad) eventually learns about Blondie and Tuco's partnership, and the existence and location of the mysterious gold. The three of them meet at the cemetery, which is the start to one of the most historic showdowns in film history. This is Sergio Leone's magnum opus, and the film that perfects the Spaghetti Western genre. I've never seen a movie directed with such unique cinematography, intense detailed close-ups, and a fantastic driving score. Everything is done better than its two predecessors. And it's definitely worth watching every minute of this 3-hour long masterpiece. Highly stylized and entertaining throughout. Clint Eastwood arguably delivers his all-time best lead performance, along with Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef's amazing starring roles. Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, John Bartha, Antonio Casale, Antonio Casas, and others also has great supporting roles.

Incredible western and arguably Sergio Leone's greatest film. The story is set in 1880s Texas, and opens with three gunman patiently waiting at a muted train station they took control of for obscure reasons. When a train comes by and drops off a mysterious harmonica player (nicknamed Harmonica), the air immediately turns deadly, and results in a thrilling and fatal showdown with Harmonica killing all three men. It's one of my favorite openers to any film, and the story never falters from there. We then follow three killers and a strong woman with very different ambitions throughout the picture. Harmonica wants to take his revenge against Frank, who is the ruthless leader of a gang of criminals, works with a railroad tycoon named Morton, and strives for more power and fortune. Another unrelenting bandit named Manuel 'Cheyenne' Gutiérrez is also tracking down Frank, and joins up with Harmonica to stop Frank and save a beautiful woman named Jill McBain who strives for independence. It's all set in Leone's signature slow-moving camera shots, quick editing, intense close-ups, and a chilling soundtrack that perfectly portrays one of cinema's best revenge stories. Charles Bronson delivers his all-time best lead performance, as does Jason Robards. Henry Fonda usually takes "good guy" roles, and delivers a superbly convincing role as the sleazy blood-thirsty criminal. Claudia Cardinale also delivered an excellent starring role. The grouping of all four of these performances really makes it a classic. At nearly 3 hours long, it's worth every minute. Gabriele Ferzetti, Paolo Stoppa, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Lionel Stander, and many others had great supporting roles.

Remarkably excellent modern-day western set in the snowy and gritty landscapes of 1870s Wyoming. Superb story which follows a bounty hunter who is transporting female prisoner and murderer Daisy Domergue to Red Rock to be hung and collect his reward, when he reluctantly picks up an infamous black bounty hunter and a former militiaman who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock. Due to extreme weather conditions, they have to stop at Minnie's Haberdashery until the blizzard blows over, and they find a mysterious group of guests with questionable motives as a thrilling and deadly story unfolds. This is Quentin Tarantino's 9th film he has directed, produced, and written. Being my favorite movie maker of all time, I'd have to say this is also his 9th classic film. The interaction and dialogue between the characters is so fantastic, I never want the movie to end. Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, and Walton Goggins all deliver superb performances—arguably the best of all their careers. I'd also have to say the roles from Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, and Bruce Dern were the best performances I've seen from any of them yet. Channing Tatum, Demián Bichir, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, and Zoë Bell all had excellent supporting roles. Not a single character is weak amongst the superb cast.

Superb gold mining western from John Huston about the greed, desperation, and distrust a fortune can bring. The story follows two poor and determined Americans looking for work in 1920s Mexico when they meet an old man who knows everything about prospecting for gold, and the dangers it can have on a man's psyche. Despite those warnings, the three men decide to team up and mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Through determination and hard work, they are successful, but hijackers and the eventual distrust they have of each other turns deadly. Humphrey Bogart delivers one of his all-time greatest performance as the hopeful and ambitious Fred C. Dobbs, who ultimately falls into the paranoid ramblings of a maniacal madman. Walter Huston also delivers an excellent and complex performance as the quick-witted old wise gold-mining expert, Howard. Tim Holt also delivered a third and final gripping performance to round out a fantastic lead cast. Barton MacLane and Alfonso Bedoya also had very nice supporting roles. Great story all around with a fantastic ending.

Excellent and unique western/biography from George Roy Hill and William Goldman that's set in Wyoming during the early 1900s, and follows outlaws Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid—the leaders of the feared Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. They make their living robbing banks and trains, and one day they rob the wrong train, which infuriates the owner enough to hire a band of 6 bounty hunters who are tasked to hunt down and kill only Butch and Sundance. After barely escaping the initial attack, they decide to flee to Bolivia and start a new life of crime with Sundance's lover, Etta Place. While they settle into their old ways and find comfort with life in Bolivia, the posse of 6 killers prove to be relentless in their pursuit of the trouble-making duo. Paul Newman and Robert Redford put on a couple of their very best lead performances as Butch and Sundance. Their chemistry was excellent throughout. Katharine Ross also delivered am excellent starring role. Ted Cassidy, Strother Martin, Charles Dierkop, Donnelly Rhodes, Jeff Corey, George Furth, Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, Jody Gilbert, and others also has excellent supporting roles.

Spectacular western, and the second installment in Sergio Leone's renowned "Dollars" trilogy (1964–1966). It's also a film that stands on its own as one of the best westerns of all time. The story is set in the late 1800s, and follows a drifter and gun-slinging bounty hunter named Manco who rides into the town of El Paso in search of a Mexican outlaw named El Indio. On his journey, he meets another bounty hunter named Colonel Douglas Mortimer. When the odds start to waiver, they decide to enter into a partnership to track El Indio down and split the reward money. When El Indio and his gang have their sights set on robbing the local bank in town, Manco and the Colonel are set for a deadly high-noon shoot-out. While Sergio Leone's next film "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" (1966) is clearly his magnum opus, this film is a classic in every respect. His signature style is even more heightened. The intense close-ups, quick editing, and even more improved score makes for an even more dramatic and thrilling story. Clint Eastwood delivered a fantastic lead performance once again (arguably his best in the entire trilogy). The addition of Lee Van Cleef as a lead performer really sets this one apart from its predecessor. He was awesome. Gian Maria Volontè (El Indio) also played a great villain. Marianne Koch, Sieghardt Rupp, Joseph Egger, José Calvo, Daniel Martín, and many others and excellent supporting roles.

Outrageously hilarious comedy western from Mel Brooks, and arguably his greatest film. The story is set in 1874 in the American frontier of the wild west, and follows a black railroad worker named Bart who is sentenced to death by hanging after walloping his racist boss Taggart in the head with a shovel. A corrupt land developer named Hedley Lamarr and the clueless power-hungry Governor Lepetomane learn their railroad must run through the nearby town of Rock Ridge, which they don't own. When the sheriff of Rock Ridge is killed and they request a new sheriff, Hedley gets the idea to appoint Bart as history's first black sheriff, which would so offend the people of Rock Ridge, that they'd want to leave, which would allow them to continue on with their railroad and land-snatching plans. But their plans backfire in a variety of hilarious ways. You simply couldn't make this movie today with all the sensitive folks and censors out there. Cleavon Little (Bart) and Gene Wilder (Jim) are among my favorite duos in comedy history. They both arguably deliver their best lead performances of all time. Slim Pickens (Taggart), Harvey Korman (Hedley Lamarr), Madeline Kahn (Lili Von Shtüpp), and Mel Brooks (Governor Lepetomane) also had fantastic starring roles. Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras (Mongo), David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Starrett, Carol Arthur, Richard Collier, Charles McGregor, Robyn Hilton, and Dom DeLuise also had excellent and memorable supporting roles.

Fantastic western from John Ford set in the small western town Shinbone in 1910, and follows an educated lawyer named Ransom Stoddard, who's on his way into town when he's robbed and nearly killed by a ruthless local steel-whipped criminal named Liberty Valance. He decides to stay in town thanks to help from a tough cowboy named Tom Doniphon and the supportive locals, who love his ideas on education, politics, and the law. Trouble ensues when Ransom starts winning the town over with his ideas, which finds the locals turning against Liberty Valance's threats to gain power. The story can only end with one of the men lying dead in the street. One of my all-time favorite westerns. James Stewart and John Wayne were fantastic together, and both deliver a couple of their all-time best performances. Vera Miles also delivers her absolute best, as was Lee Marvin who played the gritty Liberty Valance perfectly. Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Woody Strode, Jeanette Nolan, John Qualen, Denver Pyle, Ken Murray, Strother Martin, and Lee Van Cleef also had great roles among a great supporting cast.

Spectacular and underrated conclusion to my favorite trilogy of all time. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale created yet another sci-fi comedy adventure masterpiece, which also happens to be a top-notch western. The story picks up in 1955 just after Doc's Delorean was struck by lightning, which sent him back to the year 1885 where he has found peace and happiness working as a blacksmith in the old west. He instructs Marty not to come back for him in a historical letter he send to him 70 years earlier, but Marty ends up learning that Doc was murdered a few days after he wrote the letter by Biff's great-grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, over a matter of $80. So Marty gets in contact with the 1955 Doc Brown to fix up the time machine and heads back to 1885 to bring Doc home. Trouble ensues when the Delorean's gas tank springs a leak and leaves them without a source of fuel, and Doc ends up meeting, rescuing, and falling in love with a school teacher that puts their lives and futures in jeopardy. Not to mention Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and his band of thieves are out for both Doc and Marty's blood. This is my most watched western of all time, and I think it's underrated for how much they flipped the script from the first two films. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd both deliver iconic lead performances just like they do in the first two installments. Thomas F. Wilson delivers one of his best performances of the entire trilogy as Tannen. Mary Steenburgen also had a great role as Doc's love interest, Clara Clayton. Lea Thompson had a smaller role this time out, but was still excellent. James Tolkan, Elisabeth Shue, Matt Clark, Pat Buttram, Harry Carey Jr., Dub Taylor, Christopher Wynne, Sean Sullivan, Mike Watson, Burton Gilliam, and others had great supporting roles.

Fantastic western from Howard Hawks that follows a small-town southwest Texas sheriff (Chance) who enlists the help of old-timer deputy (Stumpy), the town drunk (Dude), and a young ambitious gun fighter (Colorado) to help keep prisoner and murderer Joe Burdette from being broken out of jail by his brother and a couple dozen gunfighters he's assembled to take them down. Their only hope is to keep them at bay until the marshal arrives to take Joe away. While struggling to keep law and order, Chance also strikes up a dramatic romance with an alluring gambler named Feathers. John Wayne arguably delivers his best lead performance. Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Walter Brennan were the perfect co-stars, and also delivered some of their finest roles. Angie Dickinson, Claude Akins, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Ward Bond, John Russell, Estelita Rodriguez, and others had great roles among an excellent supporting cast.

Fantastic western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The story is set in 1880 Wyoming and follows an infamous gunfighter, widower, and farmer with two young children named William Munny. While he has retired from gunfighting, he's approached by a young gunfighter named The Schofield Kid who wants William's help killing two cowboys named Davey and Mike for committing a brutal crime. While he initially turns him down, he soon has second thoughts after struggling to make a living on his farm. So he comes out of retirement with the help of his old partner-in-crime, Ned Logan, and reluctantly takes one last bloody job that blurs the line between good and evil. Fantastic western in every respect, and arguably Clint Eastwood's best film of all time. His lead performance was fantastic along with the rest of his duties. There's no wonder why he won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best actor in a leading role. Gene Hackman's Oscar-winning performance as also fantastic, along with Morgan Freeman's excellent showing. Richard Harris and Jaimz Woolvett also had excellent starring roles. Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anna Thomson, Anthony James, Tara Frederick, Beverley Elliott, Liisa Repo-Martell, Shane Meier, Aline Levasseur, Jefferson Mappin, and several others also had great roles among the supporting cast.

Outstanding western from William Wyler set in the 1880s, and follows a wealthy New England sea captain named James McKay who travels to the 'big country' of Texas to marry his lovely fiancée Pat Terrill. While McKay plans to build a future with Pat in Texas, he soon learns that her wealthy and powerful father and rancher Major Henry Terrill has built an embittered feud with with working class and less fortunate Hannassey family, involving land that provides the access of water for their cattle. After some drunk Hannassey boys rough up McKay on his first day in town, the Major takes harsh actions which sets off a deadly war between the two families. Rufus (the head of the Hannassey family) and the Major have made their feud very personal, which takes a toll on every other family member and townsman who doesn't want to fight their fight. Fantastic story all around, with excellent acting, dialogue, and superb cast all around. Gregory Peck arguably delivers his all-time greatest lead performance. Burl Ives' (Oscar-winner), Charles Bickford, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, and Chuck Connors also deliver some of the best starring roles of their careers. Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Hayward, Buff Brady, and others have very nice supporting roles.

Superb modern western from James Mangold set in 1884 Arizona, and follows a Civil War veteran and honest cattle rancher named Dan Evans. His family's drought-ridden land is about to be overthrown by a greedy railroad tycoon named Bisbee, and he needs to come up with money fast before they lose their land and home altogether. After he runs into a conflict with an infamous outlaw and gunfighter named Ben Wade and his gang during one of their robberies, he agrees to help Bisbee and other lawmen in the dangerous task of escorting Wade to Contention City where he'll board the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison, for a fee of $200. While he needs the money, he also wants a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his son William, as well as his wife and younger son. This is my first time seeing Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in a western, and they both delivered a couple of their all-time best lead performances. Ben Foster also delivers a fantastic starring role, along with the young Logan Lerman. Dallas Roberts, Peter Fonda, Alan Tudyk, Luce Rains, Gretchen Mol, Kevin Durand, Chad Brummett, Luke Wilson, Benjamin Petry, and others had great roles among the supporting cast.

Incredibly unique action-packed western and the the first film in Sergio Leone's classic "Dollars" Spaghetti Western trilogy. The story is set in the late 1800s, and follows a wandering drifter and gunslinger named Joe that arrives in the small Mexican village of San Miguel. He quickly learns about a bitter feud between two rival families—The Baxters and the Rojos. When Joe kills 4 of murderous men in Baxter's gang, he's hired by the Rojo family to fight for them. But Joe has plans of his own, and decides to cleverly play the two families against each other for his own benefit. While Sergio Leone would go on to perfect his signature style in the next two "Dollars" films, this is incredibly exciting and unique film, and presents many of his trademarks beautifully. The extreme close-ups, the cut-heavy editing, and minimal dialogue with a fantastic driving score. He takes his time with each scene and makes them special. Plenty of the credit also goes to Clint Eastwood. He delivers an iconic lead performance that rivals a lot of his finest work. He was perfect for the role. Gian Maria Volontè also delivers a fantastic starring role as Ramón Rojo. Marianne Koch, José Calvo, Sieghardt Rupp, Joseph Egger, Antonio Prieto, Daniel Martín, and others also had very nice parts among a great supporting cast.

Fantastically epic western drama from George Stevens that follows the lives of a Texas rancher named Bick and his strong and independent wife Leslie. It follows their lives from their first meeting and their surrounding family and friends, which dives into many interesting conflicts and stories. Meanwhile, they employ a man named Jett Rink who has never been welcomed by the family, accept by Bick's sister and ranch manager Luz, who gives Jett a small piece of their 600,000 acres as a token of the family's appreciation when she dies. Conflicts amplify when he discovers massive amounts oil on the land and becomes a rich and powerful business tycoon. Fantastic writing, acting, and cinematography. Not a single dull moment in its near 3.5 hour running time. Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean all deliver fantastic lead performances. Carroll Baker, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Chill Wills, Jane Withers, Sal Mineo, Judith Evelyn, Earl Holliman, Paul Fix, Fran Bennett, Elsa Cárdenas, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Fantastic western mystery directed by and starring Clint Eastwood set in the mid-1880s, and follows a mysterious drifter who quietly strolls into the tiny town of Lago looking for a beer, a whisky, a shave, and a hot bath. He's quickly greeted by three irate gunman who were hired to protect the town. He quickly kills all three of them, then rapes a woman shortly after. The peaceful townspeople fear the drifter, but also must hire him to protect their town from ruthless outlaws Stacey Bridges and the equally cold-blooded brothers Dan and Cole Carlin. These men want their revenge on the town after whipping a man to death in their streets and being sent to prison for a stretch, thanks to the squealing of the locals. The drifter agrees to help the town in exchange unlimited credit on whatever he wants from the local businesses, as he sets the scene for a hellacious and deadly showdown. This is by far the most brutal character I've ever seen Clint Eastwood play, and he does it so well that it ends up being one of his all-time best lead performances. Great story, dialogue, and action all around. Geoffrey Lewis, Scott Walker, Anthony James, Mitchell Ryan, Walter Barnes, Billy Curtis, Jack Ging, Stefan Gierasch, Verna Bloom, Ted Hartley, Marianna Hill, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood set in late 1860s Missouri, and follows an honest farmer named Josey Wales whose home is burned and entire family murdered by Union militants after joining a group of Confederate guerrillas and not surrendering after the war ends. A $5,000 bounty is placed on his head as he's driven by sheer vengeance, and will not stop until he gets his revenge. This is simply one of Clint Eastwood's all-time greatest films. Not only because of his excellent lead performance, but also because it's the best western he's directed. Chief Dan George, John Vernon, Bill McKinney, Sondra Locke, Joyce Jameson, Will Sampson, Sam Bottoms, Paula Trueman, Sheb Wooley, Royal Dano, Matt Clark, Frank Schofield, Woodrow Parfrey, William O'Connell, Madeleine Taylor Holmes, and the rest of the supporting cast all did great.

Fantastic historical biography from George P. Cosmatos that pays homage to a classic style western. The story is set in 1879 and follows a former lawman named Wyatt Earp that moves to Tombstone, Arizona, with his brothers Virgil and Morgan in search of a peaceful life. They're joined by heavy-drinking gunslinger, gambler, and old friend, Doc Holliday. Their peace is quickly interrupted when a group of ruthless killers and outlaws called "The Cowboys" wreak havoc in town, which soon comes to boil and leads to a shoot-out against Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the infamous O.K. Corral. I'd have to say this is an underrated film all around, and one of the finest westerns I've seen. The direction, cinematography, action, drama, and the star-studded cast makes this a winner. Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer both arguably deliver their best lead performances. Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Dana Delany, Joanna Pacula, Charlton Heston, Stephen Lang, Jason Priestley, Jon Tenney, Thomas Haden Church, Paula Malcomson, Michael Rooker, Harry Carey Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane, Robert Mitchum, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Hilarious action-packed comedy western from Richard Donner loosely based on the 1950s TV series, and follows a charming and quick-witted gambler named Maverick who's traveling across country to enter a winner-take-all poker tournament with a grand prize of $500,000. However, he's short $3,000 of the $25,000 tournament entry fee, and must gamble and make money on his journey. Along the way he meets a seductive thief and poker player named Annabelle Bransford and a strait-laced lawman named Marshal Zane Cooper. However, he also runs into many near-death experiences at the hands of enemies he's made, which is trouble that follows him all the way to the final tournament. Mel Gibson delivers my personal favorite lead performance of his career as Maverick. He was superb front beginning to finish. Jodie Foster also arguably delivers one of her best starring roles, right along with James Garner (Maverick from the original 1950s TV show). Graham Greene, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Max Perlich, Geoffrey Lewis, Paul L. Smith, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent modern day western from David Mackenzie that follows two desperate and troubled brothers who decide to go on a crime spree and rob multiple branches of the Texas Midlands Bank after they foreclosed on their family's ranch in West Texas. Meanwhile, and aging veteran Texas Ranger and his Native American partner work to take them down. The dialogue, style, authentic and layered characters, and excellent casting really made this simple story fantastic. The ending was also perfect. Ben Foster, Chris Pine, and Jeff Bridges all deliver absolutely phenomenal lead performances. They're arguably the best roles of all their careers. Gil Birmingham, Amber Midthunder, Gregory Cruz, Melanie Papalia, Margaret Bowman, Katy Mixon, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor, Kristin K. Berg, Amber Midthunder, Gregory Cruz, Melanie Papalia, Margaret Bowman, Marin Ireland, John-Paul Howard, and others also had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.

Fantastic western from Henry King that follows an infamous gunfighter named Jimmy Ringo. He's s celebrity of sorts, and many cocky young gunmen want the chance to showdown against the notorious killer to earn fame and respect. But Jimmy is tired of all these egotistical "squirts", and wishes to settle down. He rides into his old home town after eight years looking to reunite with his estranged wife Peggy Walsh, and their 8-year-old son that he's never met. But as soon as he arrives, trouble starts lurking around every corner. It's up to Jimmy's old friend and current town Marshal Mark Strett to quickly help Jimmy reach meet with Peggy and get out of town safely before mayhem breaks out. Beautifully crafted story with a superb cast of powerful characters and a great ending. Gregory Peck delivers one of his best lead performances, and the same could be said for Millard Mitchell's excellent starring role. Helen Westcott, Karl Malden, Skip Homeier, Anthony Ross, Jean Parker, Verna Felton, and several others also delivered great supporting roles.

Fantastic western from John Sturges that follows a ruthless and oppressive outlaw named Calvera who terrorizes a small Mexican farming village to steal their food and supplies every year—leaving just enough for them to to survive—and killing anyone who interferes. Once they've decided they've had enough abuse, they pool together all their resources and money, and hire 7 gunfighters to fight back against Calvera and liberate their village. Great story, great acting, and great cinematography all the way through. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, and Brad Dexter all had superb lead performances. Jorge Martínez de Hoyos, Vladimir Sokoloff, Rosenda Monteros, Rico Alaniz, Pepe Hern, Natividad Vacío, Robert J. Wilke, Val Avery, Whit Bissell, and Bing Russell all had great supporting roles.

Excellent drama-filled western set in 1885 Nevada, and follows a posse of angry townspeople who hastily deal with three men who are suspected of killing a local farmer. Most of them feel there is sufficient evidence that they killed the farmer, and they want to hang the man to bring immediate justice. A handful of others aren't convinced, and urges the angry lynch mob to be patient and wait for the sherif to take them into custody, so that justice will be served legally. Tensions rise to a boiling point as rash decisions are made. Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Mary Beth Hughes all delivered excellent lead performances. Anthony Quinn, Harry Morgan, William Eythe, Jane Darwell, Matt Briggs, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy, Marc Lawrence, and others had excellent roles among a superb cast.

Excellent traditional style western from Kevin Costner about a former gunslinger and his three cowhands/partners who live a peaceful life herding cattle. When their herd leads them to the small town of Harmonville, they're confronted by a deceitful sheriff and a powerful rancher who control the territory through fear and violence; which builds up to a deadly showdown as the cowhands defend themselves and their way of life. I'd have to say this is my favorite lead role from Robert Duvall yet. Kevin Costner also delivered one of his best lead performances. Annette Bening, Diego Luna, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, James Russo, and many others had great supporting roles.

Excellent western from Nicholas Ray. It's refreshing to see a film in the genre with such a strong female presence. The story follows a determined female saloon owner named Vienna who has ambitions to build her own town once the railroad is put through the area. The local ranchers fear they will lose their land if she succeeds, and they want her gone. When an outlaw by the name of Dancing Kid robs a local stagecoach, Vienna becomes wrongly suspected of murder and robbery, which finds the townspeople hunting her down. Meanwhile, drifter by the name of Johnny Guitar gets caught in the middle of all the madness, which we soon find has a vast history with the town. Joan Crawford delivered a fantastic lead performance, and Mercedes McCambridge played an excellent antagonist. This was also the first western I've seen Sterling Hayden in, and he was excellent as Johnny 'Guitar' Logan. Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Ben Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, John Carradine, Royal Dano, Frank Ferguson, Paul Fix, and Rhys Williams all had very nice roles among a great supporting cast.

Excellent western from Martin Ritt that follows an Apache-raised white man named John 'Hombre' Russell. After settling affairs when his dead father leaves him a house, he ends up running into a number of obstacles during a long stagecoach voyage back to the Apache land with a mixed bag of 6 different passengers after being robbed by some cold-hearted criminals. Luckily they have the help of John's Apache survival and tracking skills, which is the only thing standing between life and certain death for the other passengers. Nice story with a great ending. As far as a true western role goes, this is Paul Newman's finest performance as the Apache-raised Hombre. While he uses very few words, his performance was powerful throughout. Martin Balsam, Fredric March, Richard Boone, Diane Cilento, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Rush, Peter Lazer, Margaret Blye, Skip Ward, Frank Silvera, and David Canary also had great roles among the supporting cast.

Fantastic and adventurous western from John Ford. Powerful story set in 1888 Texas that follows confederate Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards' vendetta against Chief Scar's merciless Comanche tribe after they burned his home, killed his family, and kidnapped his 9-year old niece. With the help of of his young partner Martin, they make a daring trek through the unrelenting desert as Ethan's hatred for Indians fuels obscure motivations in their quest to find his niece. The beautiful color and cinematography has always stood out to me in this film. Classic western. John Wayne delivers one of the best lead performances of his career. Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Henry Brandon, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Ken Curtis, Harry Carey Jr., Lana Wood, Antonio Moreno, Hank Worden, Walter Coy, Dorothy Jordan, and Pippa Scott all had excellent roles among a great supporting cast.

Excellent western from David Miller and Dalton Trumbo that follows a cowboy/nomad named Jack Burns who rides into a small New Mexico town to visit his old friend Paul Bondi, when he learns that Paul has been sent to prison for 2 years. Wanting to help his buddy, Jack ends up getting thrown in jail on a drunk and disorderly charge so he can break Paul out. When he arrives, he learns Paul doesn't even want to escape in fear of getting a longer sentence. So Jack ends up breaking out himself, gets back on his horse and attempts to ride to freedom with sheriff Johnson and the rest of the authorities on his tail. Kirk Douglas played his role perfectly, and I especially loved the interaction he had with his horse, Whiskey. Gena Rowlands and Walter Matthau also had great lead performances. Michael Kane, Carroll O'Connor, William Schallert, George Kennedy, Karl Swenson, Bill Raisch, and others had great supporting roles.

Bloody historical drama that maps out the spiteful feud between the Hatfield and McCoy McCoy families on the West Virginia/Kentucky border. Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy were close friends until near the end of the Civil War until Randall accuses Devil Anse of being a coward for fleeing from the Confederate army during the Civil War. That sets off a series of misunderstandings and bouts of hateful tension between them, resulting in over 60 killings/deaths between the two families. This is technically a 3-part miniseries, but actually plays like a 5-hour epic film. Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton deliver arguably their finest roles ever. They were both fantastic. Matt Barr, Tom Berenger, Powers Boothe, Andrew Howard, Jena Malone, Sarah Parish, Lindsay Pulsipher, Mare Winningham, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Excellent war drama/adventure/western directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The story is set in 1863 during the American Civil War, and follows a troubled Union Army Lieutenant named John J. Dunbar who's wounded during a battle in Tennessee. He ends up requesting a transfer to a remote western Civil War outpost and quickly makes friends with wolves and the Lakota Indian tribe, who accepts him into their family and names him "Dances With Wolves". Before long, horrifying conflicts between intolerant Union soldiers and the Lakota tribe heat up, let alone those who object to John's life choices. Powerful and very nicely done story all around with a great cast of characters. Kevin Costner delivers one of his all-time best lead performances. Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant also had great starring roles. Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman, Robert Pastorelli, Charles Rocket, Maury Chaykin, Tantoo Cardinal, Jimmy Herman, Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, Tom Everett, Larry Joshua, Donald Hotton, and several others had very nice supporting roles. It's very long at almost 4 hours, but it's definitely worthy of its time.

Fantastic western from Howard Hawks that follows a gunfighter named Cole that rides into town to work for local landowner, Bart Jason. He meets an old friend named J.P. Harrah, who has turned into a drunk, but is also the sheriff in town. When a dispute between whose family holds the area's water rights, Bart invites trouble into town to handle the dispute, and it's up to Cole and his knife and gun wielding partner Mississippi to sober up J.P. and stop Bart before things get out of hand. John Wayne and Robert Mitchum make a fantastic duo, and both delivered a couple of their best lead performances. James Caan was also an excellent supporting star. Arthur Hunnicutt, Charlene Holt, Christopher George, Edward Asner, Paul Fix, Michele Carey, R.G. Armstrong, Marina Ghane, Robert Donner, Robert Rothwell, and others also had great performances among a nice supporting cast.