Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . .

Well, folks, we've come to the end of another Legends of Western Cinema Week. Nothing gold can stay, and all that. A couple of reminders for this last day of the party: Be sure to visit Rachel's and Heidi's blogs to enter their fabulous giveaways ( Rachel's is here and Heidi's is here)!  I believe that both giveaway close at midnight tonight, so this is your last chance! If you've published any Western posts this week, please add your links to the widget below!  We all want to read what you've written. That's it for me, folks!  As always, thanks loads for making this week such a rollicking summer tradition. 😃

Why the parenthetical 's,' you ask?  Because I have two different kinds of to-watch lists, you see.  There's the "absolutely plan to watch this, no questions asked" list, and then there's the "am in interested in watching this but have some qualms about it" list.  I thought it'd be fun to share examples from each. 😉  ⸻ ⸺ Five Westerns That I Definitely Want to Watch ⸺ Silverado (1985) I'd actually planned to watch and review this for this year's party, but 'twas not to be.  Maybe next year!  I think I'll enjoy it.  The trailer amused me ("Can't you tell this horse loves me?"), so that's a good sign. Slow West (2015) Another one that I was hoping to get to this year, but would you believe it?   It was removed from the streaming service on which I'd been banking.  The audacity! Anyway, looking forward to watching this whenever I do.  It looks like one I'll enjoy. The Harder They Fall (2021) I can't WAI...

I'm kiiiinda bending the party's rules with this one, because this post was originally published over on Charity Bishop's Femnista .  So it's not brand-new.  However, it hasn't made an appearance on here  until now, so I'm saying it counts. 😉  And, since Femnista is closing down on August 1 and Charity has given contributors permission to repost their articles on their own platforms, Legends of Western Cinema Week seemed like the perfect time for this post's  Rivendell debut.   (Note:  What follows is my original draft of this piece, along with a couple of final 2022 tweaks — not the slightly edited version which appeared on Femnista back in 2020.)   ⸻ The 2006 miniseries Broken Trail brings several unique perspectives to the traditional Western paradigm, not the least of which is its exploration of what it’s like on the other end of the brothel business.  Before we get into all of that, though, let's begin with a brief synopsis f...

I always watch at least a few new Westerns in the weeks leading up to LOWCW, and 2022 was no exception.  Unfortunately, however, most of this year's selections underwhelmed me.  *insert disappointed cowboy sigh here* Still!  I have higher hopes for next year's roster, and at least there were elements that I liked in each of the ones I watched for this year's party. Let's discuss, shall we? ⸻ Open Range  (2003) Was I blown away by this?  No.  Did I like it well enough?  Yes.  I feel like it's a "cottagecore Western," if that makes sense.  And, while I fully appreciate that aesthetic, I think that, in this instance, the film could have benefited from more verve. For example, for such a long movie, it's puzzlingly underdone.  I say that as someone who loves understated stories, understand — I firmly believe that there's very little that's richer or more artistically valid than economical (but potent) storytelling.  The problem is, ther...

Let the shenanigans commence!  Today marks the beginning of this year's Legends of Western Cinema Week.  I hope you're as excited as Rachel and Heidi and I!   As usual, let's start off with a bang by participating in the tag. ⸻   First, this year's questions, for your copying ease: 1) Favorite western focused on a lone hero? 2) Favorite western focused on a group of compadres? 3) Favorite western with a female main character? 4) Favorite western with a POC main character? 5) Favorite western with kids in it? 6) Favorite western set somewhere other than the United States? 7) Favorite "western" that doesn't fit the genre's dictionary definition? 8) Favorite funny western? 9) Favorite tragic/sad western? 10) Favorite western TV show? ⸻ Next, my answers!  Obviously, there would be some overlap between these questions if I were answering each of them individually, but the set-up of this year's tag is really geared toward sharing a different favorite ...