Based on the novel by Alistair MacLean, Breakheart Pass is a 1975 Western mystery film about a man thought to be an outlaw, comes aboard a train, and finds himself in a situation where murders are taking place during the long ride. Screen icon Charles Bronson is John Deakin, a man looking to solve a…
The Last Sunset Blu-ray review
The Last Sunset is a 1961 Western film directed by legendary director Robert Aldrich and starring screen legends Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, and Dorothy Malone. The film boasts a superb supporting cast with Joseph Cotten, Regis Toomey, Carol Lynley, Neville Brand and Jack Elam, although the latter two didn’t get much in the way of…
Vera Cruz (Kino Lorber) Blu-ray review
Vera Cruz is a Western from 1954 starring a pair of screen legends in Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper and future icon Charles Bronson. Directed by Robert Aldrich, he pushes the bar with characters that don’t care about right or wrong and has a shocking scene where Bert Lancaster’s character threatens to murder child hostages….
The Naked Spur Blu-ray review
The Naked Spur is the third of five Anthony Mann-directed westerns. Screen icon James Stewart stars as Howard Kemp, a bounty hunter out to capture Ben Vandergoat, played by another screen legend Robert Ryan who is wanted for murder. Janet Leigh and Ralph Meeker are also part of the small, but great cast. The movie…
Guns for San Sebastian Blu-ray review
Guns for San Sebastian is a spaghetti Western starring the late great legendary star Anthony Quinn, the iconic Charles Bronson and directed by French film director Henri Verneuil. This movie is based on the novel A Wall for San Sebastian and is noted for being an Italian film that was shot in Mexico. Taking place…
There Was a Crooked Man…Blu-ray review
There Was a Crooked Man is a 1970 Western directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, which wound up being the only film he directed in this genre. The film stars Henry Fonda and Kirk Douglas, a pair of screen icons. The story is about Paris Pittman, Jr. (Kirk Douglas, Out of the Past) a criminal that…
Escape from Fort Bravo Blu-ray review
Escape from Fort Bravo is a 1953 Westernadventure film that takes place during the Civil War. The film is directed by legendary director John Sturges and stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker and John Forsythe. In this picture, it is the North vs. the South vs Indians with a mild touch of romance thrown in for…
Wings of the Hawk Blu-ray review
As many of his fans know, director Budd Boetticher was mainly recognized for his classic B-Western films often starring legendary actor Randolph Scott. Several of his films such as The Tall T for example arguably easily fit in the “A” category. His 1953 film Wings of the Hawk fits into the upper tier, not just…
Two Mules for Sister Sara Blu-ray review (Kino Lorber)
Two Mules for Sister Sara is another Western starring the great Clint Eastwood. This movie also stars another screen great in Shirley MacLaine (The Children’s Hour). The film was co-written by Budd Boetticher, who was synonymous with Westerns, having directed plenty of them in the mid to late fifties. At the helm for this film…
Soldier Blue Blu-ray review
Arguably one of the most graphically violent films in the Western genre is the 1970 film Soldier Blue. Directed by Ralph Nelson, he holds nothing back in his revisionist telling about the Sandy Creek Colorado massacre. Frankly, having watched dozens of Westerns I have never seen any of them quite so offensive and brutal. The…