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November 08, 2008

Comments

NV

I see that a few luminaries speak highly of Budd and his work here with Scott. I've seen these movies before on TCM (Only because that station shows movies in widescreen unlike AMC). The movies are good.

For me Scott's best western was Peckinpah's Ride The High Country but that's another story. Anyhow, I am not discounting the direction, writing or mood these movies bring to the genre. But all this praise... Hackford adding Budd to the Ford and Hawk list, etc. ...

I feel that there is one director from the same period doing just what Budd and Scott did but for me on a much better level -- in fact I would say that 3 out of the 5 films are genre classics. I speak of Anthony Mann's James Stewart westerns.

Now my question is this... where is a special edition boxed set chockfull of brimming extras on these classic 50's westerns from Mann? Winchester '73, Naked Spur, Far Country, Man From Laramie and Bend of the River.

Glenn

NV -- I think of Boetticher as more of a Sam Fuller type than the one and only John Ford. The Boetticher indie budgets were more like those for TV episodes than Hollywood features. Comparing Boetticher and John Ford doesn't make much sense, unless you're talking about use of the vistas.

Also, I would point to Scorsese's comment that these Boetticher westerns collectively rise in quality when you look at them as a cycle, not as one-offs.

From Mann, I especially like "The Furies," out on Criterion and reviewed elsewhere on the DVD blog. A Mann/Stewart westerns box set would be amazing.

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, NV.

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When it comes to westerns I prefer spaghetti westers. Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, or even Enzo Barboni's "They call me Trinity with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.

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