|
VERY pleased to announce an excellently fun gig with History Channel–the daunting task of recommending a series of westerns to savvy history buffs. Check out my recs at their History Shop (oh, and buy some westerns for holiday gifts, especially if you or your friend/lover/pard is the laconic hero type!). As a special bonus for this roundup of . . . → Read More: A Fistful of Westerns; or, History Channel Rounds Up Bucko’s Greatest Westerns   2 comments  Best Western Lists, CowboyLands Lists, Film Reviews, The Good the Bad the Fugly, Wild Western Web  acid western, b-westerns, Bucko of Cowboylands, classic westerns, cowboy hero, essential western plots, feminist western, greatest westerns, History Channel, modern westerns, revisionist western, silver-screen western hero, western movies They’re the snarling thugs behind the mustache-twirling villain. The what’s-his-name-again guys holding prisoner the beautiful cowgirl in distress. The cannon fodder who aim their guns at the well-armed Silver Screen Western Hero. On cue they say “Okay boss,” “Let’s get him!” or just grunt. Let's get 'em, boys! Henchmen come in all sizes, most ethnicities, one gender, and . . . → Read More: Zombie Cowboys; or, Why Western Henchmen Never Die 6 comments Cowboys Gone Wrong, Film Reviews, Movie Quotes, The Good the Bad the Fugly, Wrangling a Novel b-westerns, henchmen, henchmen in westerns, high noon, I need to finish that darn novel, in the nick of time, jack elam, lee van cleef, sisters brothers, the good the bad the ugly, western cliches, western movies Steer the rattling wagons into a tight circle! Protect the women and children! Draw your six-shooters as whooping Indians on painted war ponies streak over the rise of a hill! Look sharp, Tonto! This isn’t just a tired western stereotype, it’s a Silver-Screen Western Hero Equation! c. 2011 es cowboylands In reel life: Earnest pioneers moving to promised . . . → Read More: Circle the Wagons!; or, More Advice from a Besieged Writer In a reckless land…In a lawless place…Sometimes one man can make all the difference. –voice-over of trailer, The Miracle Rider
The story is an old one. Clichéd even. But satisfying. Writer’s hopes for perfect manuscript leading to speedy publication, six-figure salary, film, and several homes around the world are killed in some suitably dramatic, bloody way. The writer, . . . → Read More: The Miracle Rider; or, How Tom Mix Saved My Novel 4 comments Cowboy Moments, Cowboy Mythos, Cowgirl Mythos, Movie Quotes, Reach for the Skies!, The Good the Bad the Fugly, What Would Gary Cooper Do?, Wrangling a Novel 1930s serials, b-westerns, cowboy hero, cowboy up, novel writing, silver-screen western hero, the miracle rider, tom mix, western cliches, western movies, western serials, westerns, when will i ever finish this novel, writing novels is great Reel-life cliffhangers in western serials run a narrow range. But cliffhangers in real life are much more subtle, devious, and hair-raising. Cue exclamation points here, and lots of them. IN REEL LIFE: A wagon hurtles over a cliff! (Don’t fret: The hero will jump off in the nick of time.) A powder . . . → Read More: The Reality of Cliffhangers; or, Real-Life Versions for Real-Life People 4 comments Cowboy Mythos, Cowgirl Mythos, Reach for the Skies!, Reel Life vs. Real Life, The Good the Bad the Fugly, What Would Gary Cooper Do? b-westerns, cliffhanger, cliffhangers, cowboy hero, essential western plots, getting western, linda stirling, silver-screen western hero, western cliches, western cliffhangers, western heroines, western movies, western serials, women gunslingers, women in westerns, zorro's black whip It’s one of the hoariest cliches of westerns known to humankind: the cliffhanger. You know, the dramatic end of the episode when the good guy faces certain death and hangs from a cliff/is trapped in a room with a powderkeg’s lit fuse/is about to be eaten by mountain lions, only to save himself against all odds . . . → Read More: Get Your Heroic Story Arc On; or, The Teachable Moments of Cliffhangers 3 comments Cowboy Moments, Cowboy Mythos, Cowgirl Mythos, Reach for the Skies!, Reel Life vs. Real Life, The Good the Bad the Fugly, Uncategorized, What Would Gary Cooper Do? awesome cowgirls, b-westerns, classic western plots, cliffhanger, cowboy hero, cowgirl power, essential western plots, female western heroes, linda stirling, silver-screen heroines, silver-screen western hero, western cliches, western cliffhanger, western heroines, western movies, westerns, zorro's black whip Mortal humans who play silver-screen western gods–I mean heroes–have to go through rigorous vocal exercises to deepen their voices, strangle their vowels, and clip off extraneous words like adjectives (the last being a good plan for anyone, actually). These exercises serve to broaden the chest and strengthen one’s cajones–as George Montgomery can attest to. In The . . . → Read More: A Manly Star in the Firmament; or, George Montgomery’s Vox Viri Leave a comment Cowboy Mythos, Cowgirl Mythos, Film Reviews, Reach for the Skies!, The Good the Bad the Fugly b-westerns, cowboy hero, cruze, dorothy malone, george montgomery, lone gun, reach for the skies, silver-screen western hero, western cliches, western movies, westerns, what would a cowboy do, wild west The chasm yawns below me. My fingers ache from their grip on the rock; my feet kick wildly for purchase, nothing between them and novel-revision and work deadlines except dead air–and too few hours. I feel my fingers giving and I regret the many hours I spent on Twitter rather than doing finger exercises, and I . . . → Read More: The Good, the Bad and the Rinty; or, Another of the Worst Silver-Screen Animal Hero Westerns 10 comments Best Western Lists, CowboyLands Lists, Cowboys Gone Wrong, Film Reviews, Reach for the Skies!, The Good the Bad the Fugly, Wrangling a Novel animal heroes, animals in westerns, b-westerns, cowboylands, mighty flapjack42, Movie Quotes, reach for the skies, rin tin tin, serials, silver-screen animal heroes, silver-screen western hero, the lightning warrior, top ten worst westerns, western movies, westerns On the heels of Republic Pictures’ 75th anniversary (I’m guessing they’ll have a cliffhanger or two roasting on their barbecue tonight), comes more of the Top Ten Worst Silver-Screen Animal Hero Westerns! Flapjack42 is making the world safe for filmgoers everywhere! Yes indeedy, Flapjack42 watches these dogs (pun intended) so YOU DON’T HAVE TO! #7 Law of . . . → Read More: To the Rescue!; or Another of the Worst Silver-Screen Animal Hero Westerns 2 comments Cowboy Mythos, Cowgirl Mythos, Film Reviews, Movie Quotes, The Good the Bad the Fugly animals as silver-screen heroes, b-westerns, cliffhanger, cowboylands, flapjack rocks, i heart flapjack42, law of the wild, rex and rinty, rex the wonder horse, ridonkulous, rin tin tin jr., serials, silver-screen western hero, top ten westerns, top ten worst westerns, western movies, westerns, worst westerns, yakima canutt |
|
|
|
Copyright © 2013 CowboyLands - All Rights Reserved;
Web Design by LaFemmmeGeek |
||
Recent Comments