Clint Eastwood Forums
Other/Miscellaneous => Off-Topic Discussion => Topic started by: GBU on September 11, 2004, 12:27:06 PM
-
Recently G4TechTV started a poll on their site for the 10 best westerns of all time. Clint grabs 5. Here is the list.
Top 10 Best Westerns of All Time:
1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Sergio Leone's quintessential Western epic made Clint Eastwood the torchbearer in the genre and cemented Lee Van Cleef as one of the greatest movie villains of all time.
2. Shane - The archetypal Western plotline of the stranger who befriends a family and saves them from evil set the tone for all that swam in it’s wake, including The Unforgiven, the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff.
3. High Noon - A case study in movie making, High Noon is among the first films to take place in real time.
4. The Wild Bunch - Sam Peckinpah's ultra-violent epic still packs quite a punch.
5. High Plains Drifter - The most badass revenge flick ever made. Clint's The Man With No Name could kick Dirty Harry's ass.
6. The Unforgiven - There would be no Unforgiven without Shane.
7. Outlaw Josey Wales - Practically a remake of High Plains Drifter but with more backstory, sub-plots and fully developed characters. You can still feel the sting of that darned whip!
8. Treasure of the Sierra Madre - A later-era Western to be sure, but a terrific character study in greed and trust, and a fine example of why we are still talking about Bogart to this day. The man oozes star power.
9. A Fistful of Dollars - The beginning of Sergio and Clint's Dollars series, this is the best of the bunch.
10. Once Upon a Time in the West - Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson lead this all-star cast. Never in cinematic history has a harmonica been the source of so much tension.
Do ya'll agree or disagree?
See for yourself on the site. They also have a poll on the site of the best western actor. Clint, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Henry Fonda, and Gary Cooper. Clint is ahead with 52% of the vote.
http://www.g4techtv.com/cinematech/features/47889/Top_10_Best_Westerns_of_All_Time.html (http://www.g4techtv.com/cinematech/features/47889/Top_10_Best_Westerns_of_All_Time.html)
-
G4TechTV are a bunch of losers.
But seeing Clint having five out of the top ten is alright. 8)
-
Thanks buddy. Its just one of my fav. channels to watch.
But back on topic, I believe the Magnificient Seven should have been on there.
-
2. Shane - The archetypal Western plotline of the stranger who befriends a family and saves them from evil set the tone for all that swam in it’s wake, including The Unforgiven, the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff.
???
Maybe they are talking about that Huston film. ;)
7. Outlaw Josey Wales - Practically a remake of High Plains Drifter but with more backstory, sub-plots and fully developed characters. You can still feel the sting of that darned whip!
I'm starting to wonder if they know what they're talking about.
-
I can't believe that John Huston film placed so high on the list! Or that they missed "the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff" ... Pale Rider. ???
-
9. A Fistful of Dollars - The beginning of Sergio and Clint's Dollars series, this is the best of the bunch.
at number nine, with GBU at no.1 , makes this guy a hypocrite.
Once Upon A Time In The West is the best imo.
And Lee Van Cleef is NOT one of the greatest movie villians of all time. Good but not Great.
-
I really think this is one of the silliest Internet polls/lists ever. Whoever wrote those descriptions can't have seen half the films that are allegedly being described. >:(
-
I really think this is one of the silliest Internet polls/lists ever. Whoever wrote those descriptions can't have seen half the films that are allegedly being described. >:(
That's G4TechTV for yah. ;)
-
How is it the quintessential western movie star, John Wayne, didn't make this list? What a load of crapola! Although Clint is my favorite, I consider The Duke the best "western" movie actor.
-
Where's The Searchers?
Where's Red River?
Sheesh... what a joke of a poll.
WKC.
-
Sheesh... what a joke of a poll.
WKC.
Ditto 8)
-
Actually, Clint only has 4 films in there, not 5, since The Unforgiven (1960), is not Clint's Unforgiven (1992).
-
That would appear to be true but, if you click on The Unforgiven, it is actually Unforgiven.....they just got the name wrong like so many do.
Were you pulling our leg, Agent, and I fell for it? :-[
-
Hi mgk,
No, I went by the literal title The Unforgiven, assuming it was correct, and by the comment "the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff." I've never seen the 1960 movie, so I assumed they were referring to that, since I've never even compared Clint's Unforgiven to Shane! I don't see any comparison between the two (that's also the first time I've heard it referred as a Shane knockoff), so I wonder if in fact that website was referring to the 1960 version, and the link is incorrect? I may be wrong. It's been so long since I've seen Shane, I can barely remember what it's about. :-\
-
I remember Pale Rider being referred to as a cross between Shane & High Plains Drifter in a newspaper write-up at the time of it's release in '85.
-
I remember seeing The Unforgiven years ago but, at the time, would not have compared it to Shane. Here is what the synopsis for The Unforgiven says over on www.imdb.com :
Odd Western about racial intolerance focuses around Kiawa claim that the Zachary daughter is one of their own, stolen in a raid. The disupute results in other whites' turning their backs on the Zacharys when the truth is revealed by Mother. Murphy plays Cash, the hotheaded brother who reacts violently to learning his "sister" is a "red-hide Indian." He leaves the family but returns to help them fight off an Indian raid during which Hepburn kills her Kiawa brother, thus choosing sides once and for all.
In my opinion The Unforgiven is more like John Wayne's The Searchers than it is to Shane. And, in my humble opinion, Eastwood's Unforgiven isn't Shane either. (Unforgiven is better. ;D)
Shane is a really nice, heart-warming (and sad) movie but the plot line doesn't seem to follow either of these movies that they are comparing it to on the G4TechTV site. Shane was well-received when it came out in 1953 and I think some critics and some non-critics have been comparing all westerns to it ever since.
The synopsis for Shane over on www.imdb.com is:
Plot Summary for
Shane (1953)
Shane rides into a conflict between cattleman Ryker and a bunch of settlers, like the Starretts, whose land Ryker wants. When Shane beats up Ryker's man Chris, Ryker tries to buy him. Then Shane and Joe take on the whole Ryker crew. Ryker sends to Cheyenne for truly evil gunslinger Wilson. We wonder about Shane's relation to Joe's wife Marian. Shane must clear out all the guns from the valley before he can ride off with Joey hollering "Shane ... Shane ... Come Back!"
Based on that, about the only thing that is similar is this line:
Ryker sends to Cheyenne for truly evil gunslinger Wilson.
Munny is a much more complex character than is Wilson from Shane. I think they're really reaching to compare these three movies to each other.
But, then, again, maybe I just don't see it. ::)
-
Yeah, same here. The only resemblence I can see between the main bad-guy characters in the 2 movies, is between the Jack Palance character and the Gene Hackman (Little Bill) character, in which there isn't much resemblence at all. One is a gunfigher and the other is a sheriff. Again, Shane is still fuzzy in my mind as it's been so long.
Well, whether Unforgiven or The Unforgiven, I guess we can all pretty much agree there isn't much resemblence to the movie Shane. :)
That really is a strange poll.
-
Hard to take that poll seriously.
I thought Pale Rider was a remake of Shane? ;D
-
Here's my summary of the most blatant examples of nonsense in this list:
1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Sergio Leone's quintessential Western epic made Clint Eastwood the torchbearer in the genre and cemented Lee Van Cleef as one of the greatest movie villains of all time.
This contradicts no. 9 on the list ... "A Fistful of Dollars - The beginning of Sergio and Clint's Dollars series, this is the best of the bunch."
2. Shane - The archetypal Western plotline of the stranger who befriends a family and saves them from evil set the tone for all that swam in it’s wake, including The Unforgiven, the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff.
As mgk pointed out, NEITHER Huston's The Unforgiven NOR Eastwood's Unforgiven has anything whatsoever to do with Shane. Perhaps the writer is thinking of Pale Rider, which is, in some respects, a Shane knockoff, or as I prefer to call it, a homage.
3. High Noon - A case study in movie making, High Noon is among the first films to take place in real time.
That's a ridiculous assertion ... probably thousands of films had been made by then that took place more or less in real time.
5. High Plains Drifter - The most badass revenge flick ever made. Clint's The Man With No Name could kick Dirty Harry's ass.
Except that it's not "The Man With No Name" in High Plains Drifter; it's "The Stranger."
6. The Unforgiven - There would be no Unforgiven without Shane.
As already stated, this makes no sense with regard to Clint's Unforgiven, and I'm sure NO ONE considers that Huston's film deserves a place on any Top Ten Westerns list.
7. Outlaw Josey Wales - Practically a remake of High Plains Drifter but with more backstory, sub-plots and fully developed characters. You can still feel the sting of that darned whip!
It's THE Outlaw Josey Wales. It is NOT a remake of High Plains Drifter in any way, shape, or form. And there is NO WHIP.
9. A Fistful of Dollars - The beginning of Sergio and Clint's Dollars series, this is the best of the bunch.
As already stated ... so, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is chopped liver after all?
-
Well like I said, that's G4TechTV for yah.
G4TechTV airs nothing but gaming shows. Pretty much they're whole roster of shows is somehow gaming related, there's even one where people watch other people play games ??? :-\, so I'm not sure how this "list" (or lack there of) can actually be considered note worthy and should evened be looked upon by us.
If the poll/list was done by "Lonestar" (Canada's all western channel) or the American all western channel (forgot it's name) then it would hold some sort of merit. But a channel that airs nothing but gaming shows and maybe two shows about technology... well... it just doesn't seem to fit the mold.
Or perhaps if a channel devoted to just films did the list, again, it would hold some merit, but as is, it holds nothing and I can agree completely with most everyone here when they say it's a bad list and doesn't make any sense. 8)
I like Clint (obviously so, or I wouldn't be here) but five of his films in the top ten? ??? I'm sorry to say but there has to be some other more deserving westerns out there.
-
To answer Brendan the US western channel is funnily enough called ...
The Western Channel :P
although the Hallmark Channel shows old western serials all day....
-
I like Clint (obviously so, or I wouldn't be here) but five of his films in the top ten? ??? I'm sorry to say but there has to be some other more deserving westerns out there.
Yes, Brendan, but you have to take into account that this list obviously bears no relation to reality in the first place!
-
7. Outlaw Josey Wales - Practically a remake of High Plains Drifter but with more backstory, sub-plots and fully developed characters. You can still feel the sting of that darned whip!
I don't agree with this comment, at all. Josey Wales isn't a movie about revenge; it's about loss. It's about what happens to a man when he loses all that's precious and important to him. It's about a man that is struggling to find his place after losing everything but his own life.
Some say it's about avenging the death of his family, but there's no indication that he's out to hunt down Red Legs. While he joins a band of raiders, you could easily make the case that it was about the only option open to him after burying his family. He's trying to get away from Red Legs, and only in the end does he follow up out of the valley and kill him.
-
I think that some of the moderators should put up there list of top ten westerns. as this poll is just to silly to talk about anymore
-
As a Clint Eastwood fan, I would Include GBU, The Outlaw Josey Wales and maybe Unforgiven.
So at least they got that right.
I personally think they could have left High Plains Drifter off any top 10 list, and as much as I love it, maybe even A Fisful of Dollars.
But these issues aside, this list is seriously lacking in so many respects.
Of course their omission of John Wayne's best films is just a serious embarrasment to their voters intelligence.
Another glaring omission is the classic Pollock/Redford flick Jeremiah Johnson.
These voters are dullards when it comes to westerns.
WKC.
-
Another glaring omission is the classic Pollock/Redford flick Jeremiah Johnson.
These voters are dullards when it comes to westerns.
WKC.
Got to agree on this one. An underappreciated classic!
-
I think that some of the moderators should put up there list of top ten westerns. as this poll is just to silly to talk about anymore
I believe we have a thread where everybody ranked Eastwood's westerns.
-
HERE'S (http://www.clinteastwood.org/forums/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=219) the link to the thread that I mentioned.
-
I have apparently made a grave mistake by putting this poll on the site. I just put it on for sh*ts and giggles. My bad guys!
-
Hey, it was good for a few laughs!
-
Hey yeah,
don't apoligise,
It actually got me thinking about all those great westerns that should have been on the list! That wasn't so bad :).
WKC.
-
Maybe we should create our own list, like Kiwi Cowboy said. But instead of just Clint westerns, we should rate all the westerns and correct this misinformed list. Then post it on the site and show people which movies are the real top ten westerns. People will believe us over TechTV
-
How is it the quintessential western movie star, John Wayne, didn't make this list? What a load of crapola! Although Clint is my favorite, I consider The Duke the best "western" movie actor.
I´m with you Jed.That list sucks even with the all those Eastwood westerns in it.
-
I'll search for a better list.
Here is one.
1 ) Once Upon a Time in the West
2 ) The Searchers
3 ) GBU
4 ) The Treasure of Sierra Madre (Not really a western, but a great movie no doubt)
5 ) Unforgiven
6 ) The Magnificent Seven
7 ) The Gunfighter
8 ) Rio Bravo
9 ) Shane
10 ) Winchester '73
(Since Treasure of Sierra Madre ain't a regular western here's another: Tombstone)
-
Intresting list , a little different then mine:
1. The Searchers
2.The Good,The Bad and The Ugly
3,The Magnificent Seven
4.Rio Bravo
5.Silverado
6.The Outlaw Josey Wales
7.Lonesome Dove (okay, I know it was a TV minii-series, but it was great)
8.Tombstone
9.Winchester '73
10. High Plaines Drifter.
-
i think we r all forgeting to add some good john wayne westerns.
-
This thread was started in, and allowed to remain in, the "Clint Eastwood Westerns" forum because the original list posted had several Eastwood Westerns on it (even if the author of the list apparently hadn't seen them). If anyone wants to post general lists of favorite Westerns, you are welcome to, but please do it in the Off Topic forum.
-
1.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
2.Hang 'em high
3.Fistful Of Dollars
4.True Grit
5.Chisum
6.Once Upon A Time In The West
7.Outlaw Josey Wales
8.A Bullet For The General
9.Any Gun Can Play
10. 3:10 To Yuma
-
8. Treasure of the Sierra Madre - A later-era Western to be sure, but a terrific character study in greed and trust, and a fine example of why we are still talking about Bogart to this day. The man oozes star power
??? ??? ???
Any movie set in 1925 and the main character wears a Fedora can not be a Western....
-
??? ??? ???
Any movie set in 1925 and the main character wears a Fedora can not be a Western....
(http://users.erols.com/kcoblenz/Lol.GIF)
-
thats almost as funny as including back to the future 3 >:(
-
Clint definitely belongs in any list of great western movies. John Wayne was so great that a separate list could be made of his top ten westerns.
-
I decided to elaborate-hope you like these. :D
My list of top 10 favorite westerns (no order...after Clint's, that is!)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
High Plains Drifter
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Unforgiven
Gunfight At The OK Corral
Silverado
Tombstone
Young Guns
Maverick
Open Range
My list of top-10 Duke westerns (no order):
Rio Bravo
The Searchers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Red River
True Grit
Big Jake
Stagecoach
Angel And The Bad Man
The Sons Of Katie Elder
The Horse Soldiers
I love westerns! My second-favorite genre, after comedy.
-
Young Guns
Maverick
The Quick And The Dead (Stone, Hagman)
Big Jake
Besides these awful westerns your lists were great Jed ;)
-
Besides these awful westerns your lists were great Jed ;)
Thanks Hemlock,
I'm replacing The Quick And The Dead with Open Range. Nothing to do with your comments, I only recently remembered Open Range. I can understand your sentiments about those four, though, even Big Jake isn't quintessential Wayne. I do like Big Jake because my brother and I used to watch it on cable a lot and loved it.
-
I didn't think that "The Quick and the Dead" was a good movie at all. "Open Range" was a better movie than that.
-
I still haven't gotten around to seeing Once Upon A Time In The West, The Wild Bunch or The Magnificent Seven. From what I've heard of these films, I've no doubt they'd find space on my top 10 list. I also haven't seen Wayne's She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, either...
-
I still haven't gotten around to seeing Once Upon A Time In The West, The Wild Bunch or The Magnificent Seven. From what I've heard of these films, I've no doubt they'd find space on my top 10 list. I also haven't seen Wayne's She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, either...
What :o :o
How can that be possible ???
Come to think of it I kind of envy you Jed.You got ahead of you to discover these great westerns.
I`ve watched these films so many times but I remeber how impressed I was when I saw them for the very first time.Especially Wild Bunch and Magnificent Seven.
OUATITW took a bit of time before I started think of it as a masterpiece.
Duke`s She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is great but I think Fort Apache is the best one out of the three Ford/Wayne cavalry westerns(FA,SWAYR and Rio Grande)
ps.Open Range is far more better western than The Quick And The Dead ;)
-
Hey Hemlock,
Yeah, I've got to get around to seeing those classics!
Jed
-
If you are inclined towards Spaghetti Westerns, a couple of great classic ones that will remind you of For a Few Dollars More, and GBU are, Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown with Lee Van Cleef & Tomas Milian, and Sergio Corbucci's The Mercenary with Franco Nero, Tony Musanti, and Jack Palance.
-
If you are inclined towards Spaghetti Westerns, a couple of great classic ones that will remind you of For a Few Dollars More, and GBU are, Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown with Lee Van Cleef & Tomas Milian, and Sergio Corbucci's The Mercenary with Franco Nero, Tony Musanti, and Jack Palance.
Mucho gracias!
-
Has anyone mentioned "Hour Of The Gun" with James Garner? It's a great Wyatt Earp movie
-
I'll say this one more time ... then it's off to Off Topic with this thread. ;)
This thread was started in, and allowed to remain in, the "Clint Eastwood Westerns" forum because the original list posted had several Eastwood Westerns on it (even if the author of the list apparently hadn't seen them). If anyone wants to post general lists of favorite Westerns, you are welcome to, but please do it in the Off Topic forum.
-
My Top 10 have to include GBU, the Dollars movies, Magnificent Seven, Shane, and just today, finished watching (the six hour, made for tv, seven Emmy award winning) Lonesome Dove, with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. It definately makes my top 10.
-
Gee loads of movies in this Genre
1/ The Good,The Bad and the Ugly.
2/The Wild Bunch
3/ The Magnificent Seven
4/ The Searchers
5/ A man called Horse
6/Geronimo
7/Blazing Saddles
8/ Little Big Man
9/ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
10/Support your local Sheriff
hows that for starters
-
My top ten westerns
1 Unforgiven
2 The Ox Bow Incident ( can't believe nobody else mentioned this classic )
3 The Good The Bad and The Ugly
4 High Plains Drifter
5 The Outlaw Josey Wales
6 Shane
7 The Searches
8 High Noon
9 Red River
10 Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.
-
My top ten westerns in no particular order /
The Good The Bad And The Ugly
The Searchers
My Darling Clementine
Rio Bravo
High Plains Drifter
Blazing Saddles
The Outlaw Josey Wales
High Noon
Once Upon A Time In The West
The Magnificent Seven
-
My Top Ten:
1. Once Upon a Time in the West
2. The Wild Bunch
3. Unforgiven
4. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
5. The Searchers
6. Red River
7. Lonesome Dove
8. The Professionals
9. For a Few Dollars More
10. The Great Silence
-
Top ten westerns:
The Dollars Trilogy (counts as one for me)
Joe Kidd
Pale Rider
Once Upon a Time in the West
Tom Horn
Nevada Smith
Hondo
High Plains Drifter
The Ox Bow Incident
Unforgiven
-
Is that list in order paul muni?
Because in my opinion the two greatest westerns ever made, you have at the bottom of the list.
-
Here's a list of some of my favorite westerns off the top of my head and in no particular order:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Unforgiven
The Great Silence
Companeros
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Wild Bunch
Once Upon a Time in the West
Four of the Apocalypse
Keoma
Mannaja: A Man Called Blade
I may be a little spaghetti heavy. ;)
-
Here's a list of some of my favorite westerns off the top of my head and in no particular order:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Unforgiven
The Great Silence
Companeros
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Wild Bunch
Once Upon a Time in the West
Four of the Apocalypse
Keoma
Mannaja: A Man Called Blade
I may be a little spaghetti heavy. ;)
Not at all Christopher! I'm a pretty big spaghetti western fan myself. A few of those films you listed are fantastic. Are you on the Leone Forums as well?
-
Is that list in order paul muni?
Because in my opinion the two greatest westerns ever made, you have at the bottom of the list.
Nope. Not in any order, just off the top of my head.
-
strange nobody posted for so long...
My favorite westerns are :
Unforgiven
The dollars trilogy
Shane
Vera Cruz
Il ritorno di Ringo
Bravados
High planes drifter
High noon
Warlock
Last train from Gun Hill