Reply to Topic
The Western is as old as cinema itself. But while the form and tropes may be familiar there are seemingly limitless ways to use, re-use, and subvert them. Just look at the variety in the work of the acknowledged titans of the genre: Ford, Hawks, Mann, Leone, Peckinpah, Eastwood. Generations of cinematic artists have used the language and meter of the Western to spin all kinds of yarns, and this tradition continues today. I expect Westerns will be part of movies for as long as they make ‘em. Whether you are a hardcore fan who delights in every subgenre and era or a more casual film fan who may not profess much love for or knowledge of Westerns, this genre has spawned bonafide classics that have stood the test of time and its influences are in the very DNA of movies.
Here at the Movie Forums we figured it was time to attempt to name some the best of the best. First off, here’s which MoFos participated in forging this list…
That is sixty-seven members of our forums. On a personal note, thank you again to each of you for engaging in the fun and challenge of making a list. Six months ago in THIS thread we began the process of discussing the genre, naming some personal favorites we hoped others might consider, and determining eligibility. A pair of Hall of Fame screening groups were also erected (clicky HERE and HERE) for deeper dives and reviews of selected titles. Then it took some soul searching and rearranging of bests and favorites.
Those sixty-seven members turned in ballots of between ten and twenty-five titles, weighted so that your first choice was designated 25 points on down to 1 point for your twenty-fifth choice. The ballots were collected and the scores tabulated. A total of 275 different titles were named on those 67 ballots, 17 of which were partial ballots of at least ten but less than the full twenty-five spots allotted. The collective Top 100 will be revealed here in this thread. Once completed it will forever reside in the LISTS section of the site, which allows users to keep track of what they have seen and devolp watchlists.
For those who may be unfamiliar with our countdown process that we've developed over time for all of these site-wide lists, each day two titles will be revealed, starting at 100 and working our way down to the film that garnered the most points. Once we reach the Top 10 the pace will slow to only one title being revealed per day. This builds some suspense, prolongs the fun, and allows each movie its opportunity to be examined, exalted, decried, and debated. I will also reveal the list of “one-pointers”. These are films that occupied the twenty-fifth spot on a ballot and wound up as that title’s sole vote.
If you are one of the sixty-seven members who turned in a ballot you must not reveal what is on your list or its placement there until it is either revealed on the countdown or the countdown has finished. As your choices make the countdown it is fair game to say where it fell on your ballot. Whether you turned in a ballot or not, speculate away on the order and what may or may not make the cut of our Top 100.
The scoring was done by Ennio Morricone, of course.
That's a joke, Kids. Each title accumulated points depending on where it placed on the individual ballots. When titles ended with the same totals, tie-breaking procedures were implemented to determine final placement on the collective list. The initial tie break goes to the film that had more votes and the second tie break goes to the film with the single highest-point vote. For example: if three movies finished with 100 points each and film#1 appeared on twelve ballots while film#2 and film#3 appeared on eight ballots each, film#1 places highest. If film#2’s highest of its eight votes was a third-place ballot choice and film#3’s highest of its eight votes was as a fifth-place ballot choice, film#2 would place above film#3.
A running tally of the revealed titles will be logged below as the list grows. Each title there will be clickable and will lead to its reveal in this thread. You will also notice IMDb and Wikipedia icons below each revealed title. These are quick links for more information on the movies.
And that’s about it! Be passionate about your opinions while remaining respectful of others. Let’s saddle up and do this. YEEEEEEE-HAAAAWWWW!
__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
Last edited by Holden Pike; 05-26-20 at 09:38 AM.
So will be following the thread closely. I've seen 3 of the first 4. Some of these I've wrote up in my Western Log.
