WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (*** 1/2)
At our Western Night at the Movies gathering the other night, Johnny Boggs provided an excellent double feature: BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, a modern-day Western noir from 1955, and JOE DAKOTA, a low-budget remake of BAD DAY made a few years later and...
WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (**)
Directed by George Sherman, who made a name for himself in the thirties and forties directing B Westerns, and written by Christopher Knopf, perhaps best known for his script for THE EMPEROR OF THE NORTH, HELL BENT FOR LEATHER sometimes runs on the Starz Western channel.
WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES – EYES OF TEXAS (**1/2)
Bizarre as it sounds, this movie is noirishly dark and surreal as we witness Roy hogtied and dragged behind a horse (you can tell in the long shots it’s a dummy). Later, he’s beaten, bloodied and whipped by four of the old lady’s henchmen. Roy’s famous and trusted palomino, Trigger, arrives in the nick of time to save Roy a couple of times, as well as soothing one of the vicious dogs that was wounded during an earlier chase.
WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES BREAKHEART PASS (***)
When you think of Charles Bronson movies, say CHATO’S LAND, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST or DEATH WISH, goofy fun isn’t likely to come to mind. But it perfectly describes BREAKHEART PASS (1975), my choice for our Western movie gathering...
THE DALTON GIRLS (***)
For our January Western film night, Johnny D. Boggs (seven-time Spur Award-winning author) brought THE DALTON GIRLS (1957), part B-Western, part potboiler, and a real surprise. The title girls are the daughters of members of the outlaw...
WESTERN NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: THE PROUD ONES (**) – WAY OUT WEST (***)
It was Robert Nott’s turn to curate our December Western Movie Night this past Sunday and he chose “The Proud Ones” (1956), about a marshal trying to keep order in his town when the first cattle drive arrives. It’s a watchable film in spite of its uneven plotting.
