Western Watch 2009 report card

Back at the beginning of 2009 I decided to try to watch as many westerns as possible throughout the year. I had grand visions of maybe getting near the 50 mark figuring that was really only a little less than one a week. That was do-able, right?

Actually no, it wasn't. After a strong start I got slack and by October I was deep into horror film territory and I rarely looked back. My final count was a mere 26 westerns watched with two of them being big screen viewings of Leone classics at Nashville's Belcourt theater in the summer. I didn't even watch the other two films in my German made western set after really liking THE SONS OF THE GREAT BEAR! What a wus! Still, I enjoyed this stab at plowing through a favorite genre and I plan to watch more than usual again this year. I have several Spaghetti's on deck and I need to finally see SHANE as well so the west calls.

Here's the 2009 list...

SCALPS (1987)- 6 (very late spaghetti western)
GARDEN OF EVIL (1954)- 8 (fantastic western with a great cast)
A LONG RIDE FROM HELL (1968)- 6 (spaghetti western)
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965)- 9 (rewatch) (Leone on the big screen is a delight)
EXECUTION (1968)- 3 (muddled, dull and sloppily produced spaghetti western)
HONDO (1953)- 7 (I’d like to see this in 3D)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)- 10 (rewatch)
JOHNNY HAMLET (1968) – 7 (great spaghetti western take on the Bard)
COMANCHE STATION (1960)- 7 (Randolph Scott western- well written and dark)
THEY CALL ME TRINITY (1971)- 7 (very good if too often silly)
SEVEN GUNS FOR THE MACGREGORS (1966)- 7 (damned fun spaghetti western)
CAPTAIN APACHE (1971)- 4 (weak Lee Van Cleef western)
THE GUNFIGHTER (1950)- 7 (early psychological western with Gregory Peck)
TAKE A HARD RIDE (1975)- 6 (rewatch)
BOSS NIGGER (1975)- 5 (not too great blaxploitation western that could have used a bigger budget)
A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE (1968)- 6 (good spaghetti- good cast- but needed a much better score)
CHUKA (1967)- 8 (good western with a great cast)
SAVAGE GUNS (1971)- 3 (poor spaghetti western)
RED SUN (1971)- 5 (not bad but not good- Bronson, Mifune and Delon deserved better)
THE SONS OF THE GREAT BEAR (1966)- 6 (my first German western)
DJANGO THE BASTARD (1969)- 8 (excellent Spaghetti western)
MAN OF THE WEST (1958)- 9 (excellent Anthony Mann western)
THE HILLS RUN RED (1966)- 6 (average revenge spaghetti western)
SHALAKO (1968)- 6 (better than I’d read- solid)
AND GOD SAID TO CAIN….(1970)- 6 (fascinating spaghetti western)
ADIOS, SABATA (1970)- 8 (great spaghetti with Yul Brenner)