I know people who don't like Unforgiven, but it's in contention for top western in my book.

Ooh, Silverado is fun.

I haven't seen Unforgiven (yet) - nor sadly have I seen Appaloosa yet. Still disappointed that it's not about a spotted horse.

What's the one where Maureen O'Hara is John Wayne's ex and she sends him after his grandson who has been kidnapped? That one's fun.

Also: The Rare Breed.

I LOVE Unforgiven. Definitely one of my top Westerns, if not the top.

Westerns aren't usually my thing, but I'm always up for another viewing of

Destry Rides Again
Silverado
The Misfits

Red River is on the want-to-see list.

I did see Appaloosa (with my dad, of course!). It was all right as a character study, and it did have the Viggo factor I referred to above, but it's not in my top ten Westerns. It just moved too slow for my taste.

The portion of the doc "A personal journey through American movies with Martin Scorcese" that covers Westerns is priceless.

Prior to Marty's catechism on cinema, it never occured to me that the only indigenous film genres are Westerns, Gangster films (Westerns with suits and Tommy guns rather than horses and revolvers) and Musicals.

Though I suppose early martial arts films could be classified as gangster movies with robes and hand-to-hand combat versus cowboy hats and gun fights.

At any rate, I have to agree with the blurb on the back cover: A film course with one of the world's most passionate teachers...required viewing!

I"m not much for westerns as a rule but I love Silverado, Tombstone and, believe it or not, The Quick and the Dead.

My dexh LOVED Lone Wolf McQuade, a copy of which I keep in his honor and for it's baditude of badness.

edited because I'm actually literate.

Last week, I saw a PBS show on those actors and filmmakers who escaped Hitler's Germany (and the countries he later invaded) and fled to Hollywood. They pointed out the way that the German directors/cinematographers/writers created film noir out of the German Expressionist movies such as M and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Waits for Corwood to come in with the obligatory Wild Bunch praise

Not that I disagree with that. Also love Rio Bravo, El Dorado and The Searchers.

Plus any of the Leone Westerns, except possibly for Duck You Sucker!

Really almost anything by Ford or Leone would be on my list.

Favorite Westerns:
My Darling Clementine
Fort Apache
The Searchers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
A Fistful of Dollars
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West (Claudia Cardinale in a Western = hot)
High Noon
Rio Bravo
Unforgiven
3:10 to Yuma (either one)

Westerns I love for inexplicable reasons:
Duel in the Sun (provided one of my dissertation chapter names)
Shane
Shalako (Bardot and Connery in a Western = awesome cheese)
Johnny Guitar (Joan Crawford in a Western!)

Pseudo-Westerns that I love beyond reason:
Lone Star (Sayles)
Oklahoma!
Giant
McCabe & Mrs. Miller