"The Weird Old West: Horror And Fantasy" Topic

"At its heart, the Western is about bringing "civilization" to uncharted and untamed territory. Most movies that fall under that genre show us that strength, determination, and a strong moral code turned the frontier into a paradise for white settlers (superior firepower certainly helped, too). What's not addressed (or rarely addressed, especially in classic Hollywood Westerns) is that the rush for Manifest Destiny and its promised opportunities also forced pioneers to face brutal conditions and people with very different ideas about turning over their ancestral lands…"

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Armand
 

…[sigh]

I worked at Little Bighorn for ten years as an interpretive ranger with the National Park Service.

We relished in the "trash" that academia claimed was the inside story if only for the fact that we could dispel the myths.

Great to see that the Lieutenant Colonel (Brevet Major General, U.S. Army) still commands so much attention.

Thanks

Armand

Good list of films though! I'd like to see Hex in particular.

(smile)

Armand

I watched Bone Tomahawk, Ravenous and The Burrowers when they showed up at a local Public library on DVD. I've seen Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter and Gwangi several times.Anyone that has spent any time alone in the wilderness will understand frontier horror. Though set far from North America, the Australian outback setting of films such as The Proposition and Picnic at Hanging Rock might fit the theme.

Although it's horrifically violent, 'The Proposition' is a straight Aussie western with no supernatural dimension – and very little connection to colonial Australian reality.

The writer, musician Nick Cave, was hugely influenced by the westerns he watched as a child, and the visual elements and plot of the movie reiterate tropes from that genre.

There's a new TV series version of 'Picnic…' I might take a look at it if ever turns up on free-to-air TV.

Nick Cave wrote a movie? Gotta go see that now…

He also wrote and performed the soundtrack, eto.

Don't forget The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956) and Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs (2015)

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Never saw it but definitely not old west.

Campfires in the Boy Scouts were all about horror stories. My favorite was the legend of Swampy. All sorts of tales came out of Camp Wilderness at Owasippi. Alien abduction had not yet become popular.

Cowboys vs Dinosaurs, you say?

He also wrote and performed the soundtrack, eto.

Well now I have to watch it. And … it's on Amazon prime! I didn't know NCatBS were still around. Next thing you'll tell me, Phil Dirt and the Dozers are still playing …

If you don't follow the Arizona Ghostriders on YouTube, you should.

A T-Rex is a regular part of the cast, and the information Santee provides is excellent.

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Etotheipi, is the gentleman with the beard wearing a T-shirt that says what I think it says? And if so, is the young lady seated next to him aware of it?

That said, is the young lady wearing a US-China Chamber of Commerce hoodie?

I hadn't ever paid attention to what Chris' shirt says, but probably what you are thinking. The hoodie has a Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast logo. I think specifically for the aquatics program.

OK, I watched Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs. LOL… No spoilers but I laughed myself silly. All the modern stereotypes, Millennial drama, and B-rate acting. Special effects are better than the acting.

Hint though: If you see a twenty-something in a bikini, and there are quite a few, a velociraptor is not far behind….so to speak.

Ah … for the Good Old Days(TM), when our B-Movies starred Adrienne Barbeau, the acting was bad, and the special effects were worse!

(smile)

Armand

Adrienne Barbeau had her own special effects.