Yoohoo! (click, click) I’ll make you famous!

Ah, Saturdays. I loved that day as a child and I still love it. As I type this I am thinking about how glad I am that tomorrow is that day. I think my daughter, Erika and I will watch The Empire Strikes Back sometime around lunch. It was on the Saturdays of my childhood that I was introduced to Westerns. Cartoons were in the morning. Late morning was either Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling or Star Trek, and the afternoon was westerns. I think this is why whenever I see an old Star Trek episode, an old wrestling match or an old western I think of baked beans. The funny thing is, even though I said I wanted to be a cowboy then, and even though my friend and I called our little cabin we’d made out of an old truck bed cover “The Cowboy Cabin,” I really wasn’t into westerns. It had only been since college that I started to watch them. And I realize that as a kid I didn’t know what I was missing.

One of my favourite scenes. “…we both have got scars.”

Westerns are one of the most classic of genres in popular culture. From Gene Autry to Gene Hackman, Doc Holliday to Dr. Quinn, High Noon to 3:10 to Yuma, these works of art bring us back to an era that’s closer to the present than what may seem real. My favourites seem to typically show up in the 60’s (The Good the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, Once Upon a Time in the West) and the 90’s (Tombstone, Unforgiven, Young Guns, Dances With Wolves).

And, as always, I’m a big fan of making lists. So here is my top ten list of favourite Westerns:

10. For a Few Dollars More (1965)

9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) – No this one isn’t about Toronto’s crack smoking mayor. Brad Pitt, once again, is the man. And in this one, so is Casey Affleck.

8. The Searchers (1956) – This is, in my opinion, John Wayne’s best western of all. Wait… I’m not talking about hotels here you understand…

7. 3:10 to Yuma (2007) – Christian Bale + Russell Crowe + an original story = one amazing movie!

6. True Grit (2010) – This movie, more than any other I’ve seen, brings me right into the time period and makes me feel like I’m there.

5. Unforgiven (1992) – Unbelievable. Only one of three westerns to win the Oscar for Best Picture (the other two being Dances With Wolves (1990) and Cimarron (1931). And those of you who have watched it can understand why.

4. Django Unchained (2012) – It seems every year I become a bigger fan of Quentin Tarantino. This one brings out the emotion of the North American slavery era and adds the cowboy-as-super-hero element. I freaking love this movie.

3. Tombstone (1993)- Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are not only iconic 80’s actors, they are also amoung the most overlooked and underrated. Their performances in this movie are unforgettable. And beware: you’ll develop a craving to play poker after watching it.

2. Once Upon a Time in the West(1968) – I’ve never seen a movie like this one. Truly one of a kind. Few movies are more visually and audibly rich.Charles Bronson’s harmonica–awesome.

1. The Good the Bad and The Ugly (1966) – This is the ultimate Clint Eastwood western. In this movie he’s as cool as a cucumber and the story is so engaging. Here is an interesting bit of trivia about it: In one scene a skeleton is seen in an opened coffin. This was a real human skeleton! A deceased Spanish actress wrote in her will she wanted to act even after her death.

Congratulations The Good The Bad and The Ugly. This is Your Week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Claudia Cardinale in Once Upon a Time in the West

Best Actor: Clint Eastwood. In my book he’s the greatest and most iconic western actor, even above the Duke, John Wayne.

Best Quote: “How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can’t even trust his own pants.” – Henry Fonda as Frank in Once Upon a Time in the West.

It feels wrong that Three Amigos and Blazing Saddles didn’t crack the top ten. True classics. Honourable mentions should be also given to The General, A Fistful of Dollars, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Young Guns 1&2. As I type this it’s just 5 minutes before Saturday. Hmmm. Makes me think of baked beans.