Sukiyaki Western Django

2007

98 minutes

5 Stars

Adult-R for violence

This is one of the strangest westerns I've ever seen. In fact, it is the strangest. A whole new genre of the spaghetti western. Soba western? Noodle western? It is violent (including rape). And it is funny. It takes place in the southwestern town of Nevada Utah, which is a cross between an old west town and a Japanese village. The Red Clan and the White Clan are fighting over the gold the villagers dug (and hid) when into the town comes the stranger. A Japanese film, in English (suggest subtitles—pronunciation is great, syntax is "off." Quentin Tarantino has a couple of cameos, and as always, he's wonderful! Takashi Miike is the director, and if you're familiar with his work, you won't be disappointed. Parody? Homage? I dunno, but I enjoyed it to the end.

Trailer

Western, Surreal Style

The Last Rites of Ransom Pride

English

83 minutes

5 Stars, Violent

This is a movie you'll love—or you'll hate. I loved it. A dark western, a good story, and I loved the high speed cutting of flashbacks. Important: Note the subtitles that give the dates. The cast is outstanding with Dwight Yoakam, Lizzy Caplan, Cote de Pablo, Peter Dinklage and Kris Kristofferson. The story of an outlaw woman who wants to bring her dead outlaw lover home for burial, and all the people who want to stop her. The story is great, the photography, directing, and acting superb. There is nothing romantic about this western, but there is love. If Peckinpah had done movies like this, I would have loved them! The violence is germane to the story, but not dragged out. Oh, did I mention the costumes are great, too?

Trailer, which does not do it justice