Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . .

Another Legends of Western Cinema Week has come around the mountain, y'all!  Today marks the beginning of a rollicking summer tradition hosted by Heidi , Rachel , and myself, during which we celebrate all things Western.  We invite you to join in the fun by contributing your own Western-themed posts over the next several days:  reviews, lists, analyses, games, etc. — you name it!   As always, we're starting things off with a fresh set of tag questions — or, in this case, tag prompts.  Following last year's lead, we're providing you all with a list of adjectives to fit to the Western of your choice.  Want to see what I mean?  Read on for my own answers. 2024 Tag Prompts Cozy Gritty Serious Comedic Romantic Lively  Unpredictable Hopeful Joyful Adventurous My Tag Answers Cozy Does it get any cozier than the outrageous Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)?  Not in a conversation about Westerns, at any rate.  Romanticized pioneer lifes...

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 ...

All Hamlette ever has to say are the words Christmas, movie, and tag in the same sentence and I'm there.   And, to make it even better, Katie actually tagged me!  Thanks, friends. ♥  Be sure to check out Hamlette's post for a full run-down on the deets of the tag.  #1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree ⎼ movie that involves agriculture Skylark , from the Sarah, Plain and Tall trilogy.  (Which, by the by, is something we should be talking about more.)  In this installment, in particular, the Whittings have to navigate the challenges of cultivating that wild land Out West.  And it's fairly stirring, what.  There are Meaningful Themes about needing to etch your name in the land to survive. The land, the land, the land. #2. Turtledoves ⎼ movie about a long-lasting relationship October Baby features a couple long-lasting relationships: Hannah and her lifelong best friend, Hannah and her dad . . . Fabulous movie, by the way. ♥ #3...

I don't even know about ranking anymore, y'all.  I know the top three and beyond that it's all malarkey.  ⎼ ⎼ ⎼ ⎼ ⎼ #10. Carousel My love for this musical has abated somewhat over the last little while, but I still think it's excellent.  It examines some weighty, complicated issues that most other stories don't have the guts to do (especially nowadays).  When does a person become "irredeemable"?  Does someone who does genuinely bad ⎼ perhaps even abusive ⎼ things still have value as a human being?  Can they "come back" and be welcomed into society and relationships again? There is no one-size-fits-all solution to these situations, but this story contains a dialogue on the concept that is refreshingly open-minded.  #9. Hello, Dolly! This is such a goofy, light-hearted, oversized musical.  It makes me happy, and I think it'd be fun to experience in lots of different adaptations, not just the Barbra Streisand movie tha...

1. Do you tolerate, like, or love Westerns? I wuvs them, precious! :D (I mean, I don't watch/read a ton of new-to-me ones because of personal content concerns, but I love the ones that I do watch and enjoy very much indeed.) 2. What do you enjoy about them and, more broadly, the West? (Eg. the history, accompanying paraphernalia, etc)? I love that they're such a distinctive aesthetic.  I love their simplicity. I love the vistas of the American West to be found in them. While there's probably room for more female-centric Westerns, I do like that they tend to explore male dynamics in examining the dissonance between "healthy" masculinity and "toxic" masculinity.  While they don't always get that examination "right," necessarily ⎼ in that not every negative trait of every cowboy is presented as such ⎼ they do present interesting and worthwhile questions.  When is violence justified?  Can aggression be appropriat...