HELL ON WHEELS is a great new Western series

The new western series, Hell on Wheels, which premiered on AMC back in November of last year is winding down for the season with one more new episode left for this Sunday night. Set in the 1860's it centers on former confederate soldier Cullen Bohannan, whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad. Newcomer Anson Mount is great as Cullen. And he is supported by a great cast. Including Colm Meaney as railroad baron Durant. Common as Elam, Cullen's right hand man. Tom Noonan as the local reverend. Dominique McElligott as the headstrong Lily Bell, a woman whose husband worked for Durant and was killed by Indians. And Christopher Heyerdahl as The Swede, who runs the railroad camp with a strong hand.

Anson Mount as Cullen

Colm Meaney as Durant

Common as Elam

Dominique McElligott as Lily

Cullen is looking for the men who killed his wife and as he finds them, he kills them one by one. Along the way he works as the boss of the railroad and makes friend with Elam. Which riles the other men since Elam is a Negro and is seen as nothing but a slave. And he buts head with The Swede on a daily basis. And plus there is conflict with the local Indians as the railroad is forging ahead through the land where they live.

All in all, there is so much going on here, that it is a joy to watch each and every week. If you love westerns, then this is a very entertaining series. It is quite graphic and the language is raw but not as strong as Deadwood was. Catch this great series, now airing on AMC. Oh and if you're wondering, Hell on Wheels is the name of the town where it is set. And it has this awesome theme music that grabs you right away.

Frank, Dean, Anita and Ursula are 4 For Texas (1963)

This 1963 western paired up friends and Rat packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in a breezy western about two sharpshooters who meet up on a stagecoach that is attacked by robbers. The duo managed to fight them off but Dean (as Joe Jarrett) makes off with the $100,000 Frank (as Zack Thomas) was guarding. The two will meet up again in Galveston as Dean arrives and decides to open up a casino with the help of lovely Max (played by Ursula Andress). Zack has to deal with his unscrupulous partner played by Victor Buono, who hires killer Matson (Charles Bronson) to take out Zack. And throw in the exotic beauty Elya Carlson (played by Anita Ekberg) who runs a barber shop, who is Zack's lady love. Lots of gunplay and humor are prevalent in this easy going western. It opens with an exciting 10 minute sequence involving the stagecoach robbery. And ends with a wild melee involving over a hudred guys and a surprisingly violent shoot-out between Sinatra and Bronson. A good western that will please both guys and girls. The men have the Ekberg and Andress to look at while the ladies can watch Dino and Ol Bue Eyes do their thing. Oh and there's a cameo by the Three Stooges.

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VIVA MARIA! is part musical, part western and it is wonderful...

I don't even know how to describe this movie. It's part musical, part western, part comedy, part adventure. And somehow mix all that together and it works. Set in Middle America in 1907, the fiery Maria 2 (played by Brigitte Bardot) meets up with a traveling circus after her terrorist father is killed. She ends up blowing up the bridge that the soldiers are on who have killed her father and is now on the run. The circus she hooks up with has veteran singer Maria 1 (played by Jeanne Moreau). As luck would have it, the circus has just recently lost a singer, Maria 1's sister and Maria 2 jumps at the chance. During her first appearance she accidentally invents the strip-tease and the circus becomes hugely successful. Things are going great until the pair meet up with a socialist revolutionary and finding themselves leading this revolution against the dictator, the capitalists and the church.

Like I said this mix of music, action, and comedy somehow all works. I think this may be Brigitte Bardot's best film performance. She is headstrong and doesn't back down from anyone. Moreau gives a good performance as well, more understanding and sympathetic. And plus they both look stunning. For the ladies they have George Hamilton to ogle over as a local hero who falls for Moreau. I liked this movie. Be warned it is subtitled but I didn't mind one bit at all.

The new True Grit does the original John Wayne version proud

The updated western True Grit is the best film of 2010 as it does the original John Wayne version proud.

Fans of the original story remember that the young Mattie Ross (in this one played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) seeks vengeance on Tom Chaney (played by Josh Brolin), the man who murdered her father. Since the law doesn't seem to be in a hurry finding Chaney, she hires one-eyed and drunk U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (played by Jeff Bridges) to do the job. A Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) is also looking for Chaney for a different crime and joins the duo.

The Coen Brothers direct this film and tone down their usual shtick and makes an effective modern western. There is lots of humor and several exciting action sequences. The three leads are wonderful. Steinfeld is easily the best performer in the cast as she holds her own with veterans Bridges and Damon. Her Mattie Ross pretty much is the main character unlike the first film version which focused more on Cogburn. Speaking of Cogburn, Bridges is very good as the stubborn marshal and has several emotional scenes with Steinfeld. But he also gets tough when he needs to be when dealing with the Ned Peppers Gang, who have Chaney as part of their group. Damon actually provides a good deal of the laughs as he is in constant conflict with Cogburn. The cinematography and music score are also top notch. I enjoyed True Grit immensely and think it's even better than the original, save for the awkward ending. So I will honestly say that True Grit was my favorite film of 2010 and I can't wait to see it again.

A

True Grit (2010) trailer is awesome!

Can't wait for Christmas to see this. Sounds and looks very good.

Monty's Top Ten Westerns

Dawn, I take it those are your favorite westerns on the sidebar. Great picks. I decided to add my top ten westerns of all time as well.

1. RIO BRAVO (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson
2. TOMBSTONE (1993) Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Powers Booth, Sam Elliott, Dana Delaney
3. UNFORGIVEN (1992) Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris
4. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976) Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke
5. THE SEARCHERS (1959) John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond
6. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Coburn, Charles Bronson
7. SHANE (1953) Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon de Wilde
8. BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) Paul Newman, Robert Redford
9. DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart
10. DODGE CITY (1939) Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland

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Quigley Down Under (1990) is one of the great newer westerns...

Rousing western with Tom Selleck as american sharpshooter Matthew Quigley, who comes to Australia in the 1860's under the false pretense of hunting wild dogs for bad guy Alan Rickman. But once Quigley realizes he was brought in to kill aborigines, he decides to fight back against Rickman and his desperadoes. A different type of western but still a very good one. Selleck is awesome as Quigley and he carries one of the longest rifles I have ever seen. And trust me, he knows how to use it. Alan Rickman once again is dead on as the bad guy, who is a pretty good shot himself. And Laura San Giacomo is a hoot as Crazy Cora, a woman Quigley saves by accident. A good fun movie. Oh, and a great music score to boot. If the music sounds a little familiar, it's because the same guy who did Quigley also did the stirring Lonesome Dove. His name is Basil Poledorius and he is one of my favorite film composers of all time. But suffice to say Quigley is one of the best of the modern westerns.

Crazy Cora: Don't worry, on a new job it's quite common for things not to go well at first.

Broken Trail (2006) is highly recommended

Dawn and Paul,

I hope you don't mind if I talk about some of the newer westerns. But I have to talk about Broken Trail. Somehow I missed this when it premeired on TNT back in 2006. But since it stars one of my favorite actors, Robert Duvall, who has made quite an impression in the genre of westerns, thanks to his excellent performance as Augustus 'Gus' McCrae in the classic Lonesome Dove mini-series, I had to check it out.

Set in 1898, Duvall is cast as Prentince Ritter, a cattleman who teams with his nephew Tom (strongly played by Thomas Haden Church) to take a herd of horses across the country to Canada. But their journey is sidetracked when they come across five abused Chinese women. They take them on their pilgrimage and care for them like family. But these women were actually bought for by this brothel madam named Big Rump Kate (great name right?) for prostitution. So Kate ends up sending out a ruthless killer named Big Ears (Chris Mulkey) to bring them back. Big Ears is fresh out of prison and his first act out is to promptly kill an old buddy of his who he thought ratted him out. Yeah this guy is mean as they come. He also likes slapping around Nola (a surprising Greta Scacchi) who flees him to take up with Prentice and Tom and the chinese girls.

Tom also picks up this drifter/guitar player named Gilpin who tags along too. Along the way Prentice and company encounters Small Pox Bob, a killer for hire, who goes from town to town spreading the disease of small pox. Prentice goes all hard core on him in a blazing gunfight. Duvall may have been around 75 when he made this movie but he still can get the job done. In the meantime Big Ears and his mates are steadily closing in on our heroes that will culminate in a bloody and brutal confrontation. I enjoyed Broken Trail immensely. I believe it's right under Duvall's other epic tale, Lonesome Dove. The performances are all solid especially Duvall and a surprising turn by Thomas Haden Church. The actresses who play the chinese women don't speak much English but they are very pivotal and emotional in their scenes involving Prentice and Tom. The scenery is breathtaking and the music score is awesome. Check out Broken Trail if you get the chance. Just because it was made for TV, that doesn't take away from it's brilliance.

BROKEN TRAIL- MOVIE TRAILER.