UNFORGIVEN
I love this film for a number of reasons. Mostly it showed us the consequences of killing someone and the cast was just amazing on every level.
THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES
This is the one that was my “JONAH HEX” movie for real. When I was younger I liked the spaghetti westerns but felt like they were a bit surreal. This movie put the history into the story and it worked on every level.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
Gets better each time I watch it. It features amazing cinematography and again, a film that studies the change in the American west. I also love the cast.
BLAZING SADDLES
Never gets old. This movie took everything I love about the genre and had a blast messing with it. Probably the best movie mel brooks ever made.
THE SEARCHERS
My favorite of the John Ford westerns. Not a traditional western by any means, but one that paints a picture of the Frontier that was both chilling and wild. John Wayne was terrific in it.
Jimmy Palmiotti is a multi-award-winning writer and comic artist and the co-founder of Event Comics, Black Bull Media, Marvel Knights, and most recently Paperfilms, where he currently partners with Amanda Conner and Justin Gray. Together they have created and co-created: MONOLITH, 21 DOWN, THE RESISTANCE, and THE TWILIGHT EXPERIMENT for DC Comics as well as The New West, The Pro, Gatecrasher, Beautiful Killer, Ash, Cloudburst, Trigger Girl 6, Splatterman, Thrill Seeker, Trailblazer, Ballerina, and the TV series, Painkiller Jane. Palmiotti’s other comics work includes POWERGIRL and JONAH HEX for DC Comics, The Last Resort for IDW, Back to Brooklyn for Image Comics, Spartacus for Devils Due, and Time Bomb for Radical Comics. He currently has New West in development at New Regency films and writes ALL-STAR WESTERN for DC Comics’ the New 52
Jimmy is on Twitter : @jpalmiotti
I just watched OUTRAGE with Paul Newman. It was pretty amazing. It’s a Western version of the RASHOMAN and I’ve now added it to my personal list of favorite Westerns.
Can’t go wrong with anything with Clint in it. I put Hang Em High above Unforgiven though… maybe because cable has played the hell out of Unforgiven lately ? But.. I am very partial to Silverado and Kurt Russell’s Tombstone. And why do I feel guilty about not having John Wayne in my favorites ?
1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
2. Unforgiven
3. Tombstone
4. High Plains Drifter
5. True Grit (original, but remake was great too)
My favorites:
1. Unforgiven
2. Magnificent Seven
3. Pale Rider
4. Nevada Smith
5. Josey Wales
(Three Eastwood movies… go figure)
Damn fine choices Jimmy! As for me, in no particular order …
Tombstone
Probably the best of the modern Westerns. The entire cast is great and Kilmer turned in the performance of his career.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
An atypical John Wayne Western and one I love.
Blazing Saddles,
Already covered above.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Also already covered above.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Truly the highlight of the spaghetti Westerns and worthy of inclusion for Ecstasy of Gold alone.
3:10 to Yuma
Bale puts in a fantastic performance. Heartbreaking doesn’t begin to describe this film.
Once Upon A Time In The West blows me away, we watch it at least once a year. and I agree, the cast is amazing.
Great List! Mine would be (in no particular order)
-Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
-High Noon
-The Searchers
-For a Few Dollars More
-The Magnificent Seven
What? Does no one else consider My Name Is Nobody a Top Five Movie?
1. Hang ‘Em High
2. The Searchers
3. Valdez is Coming
4. Hombre
5. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Honorable mentions: The Outlaw Jose Wales, Lawman, Unforgiven, Magnificent Seven
One Eyed Jacks
Open Range
Silverado
Unforgiven
The Magnificent Seven