Report About music movies Western Movie Posters

So the classic interpersonal dynamics prompt came up again—this time on the starkly hilarious show, The Office: if you could take five movies to a deserted island, what five titles would you choose? I’m thinking it’s time to reshape that question, so that lovers of a specific genre get a fair chance. And at the same time, how about if with each of the film choices you get the original western movie posters to go with, given how you will have nothing else to hang on your hut or cave walls? So here’s the deal, if you had to pick your top five western films, those you would be willing to watch for the rest of your life, and at the same time, had to take the accompanying western movie posters (which you would have to look at for the rest of your life), NOW what are your top five choices?

To be fair, I’ll play along. I would have to choose an actor who will stand the test of deserted island time, so a Dustin Hoffman movie is a must. Did he do any westerns, you ask? You bet: LITTLE BIG MAN. Brilliant, balanced, tightly scripted…and, of course, fabulously acted. As for the western movie posters that would come with—well, the pink and white one, with three Dustin Hoffmans representing the split personae he (the character) had to adopt according to his situation seems apt.

Next, you need the classic buddy pic. So it probably goes without saying that BUTCH CASSIDY and the SUNDANCE KID is a winner, though the collective “buddy” film might include THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Both of these films have beautiful and engaging western movie posters accompanying them: BUTCH…posters feature the two stars in dynamic poses, for example; and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN poster with Yul Brenner in super-size hovering in the background in profile, overlooking, so to speak, the seven astride animated and romantically rendered horses…is appealing enough to last you a few decades.

Next, I would insist on having a western with a star who is pretty to look at: Robert Mitchum is beautiful. (yes, Redford and Newman are indisputably attractive, but this is my fantasy, so….) So that means (since I can’t choose his stellar role films and have to stick with the western theme) I would go for THE RIVER of NO RETURN. And if I happen to get stranded with a hetero male, he will appreciate some of the western movie posters for this particular film, for, as you likely know, Marilyn Monroe was Mitchum’s co-star, and some of the western movie posters for this flick have just her, while others, the ones I would of course choose, have both stars on the front…the one I favor being the CinemasScope poster with the bait/chase/grapple scene recaptured….

Then there are two romantic westerns that I could watch over and over, for conceptualization, themes, acting, and direction: DUEL in the SUN is a sadomasochistic social commentary delight (and the western movie posters are alluring with Peck standing in a dueling pose and his wonderful co-star, Jennifer Jones reclining in come-hither fashion); and ANGEL and the BADMAN, with the now predictable plot but the enduring, touching conversion theme.

Granted, much more could be said about the films, the storylines, the names (Quirt and Lewt, for starters), and the acting, directing, and lighting. More could also be said about other westerns or “better” films for each of the stars I have named here, and…yes, other westerns take higher prizes. I have not, for instance, forgotten about THE FORGOTTEN. But nough said for now. After all, the choosing is the hard part. Which 5 would you narrow the list to?

Report About music movies Western Movie Posters