Why aren't Westerns popular anymore?

Actually, a good, solid western just might do well at the box-office. "Unforgiven" and "Tombstone" come to mind immediately, not to mention the tv mini-series, "Lonesome Dove". Granted, all three of these films were released at least ten years ago but the Western was supposedly dead then too. There's hope.
I love a good western.

You don't need to go to the movies to watch a shoot out any more. Now all you have to do is go to Florida.

Or Iraq, Acquiunk.

They're popular on HBO -- watch "Deadwood."

:wink:

I think by now I have seen every western ever made. Thanks to cable. A western any western is better than a majority of the crap now being passed off as Hollywood's best.

People actually do become saturated with things. Colors disappear for years. Authors come and go in popularity. The so-called reality show is reigning supreme. I'd welcome a return to the Western. A few years back, there was an attempt to revive the genre with movies like, "Young Guns." The problem is the producers concentrated on the prettiness of the actors and not on the stories.

There are also some who say the Star Wars series is actually a western in space dress.

Lived here for 22 years and never seen one. Of course, NY and LA are completely free of violence in the streets.

It seems to me to be more like a fairy tale in which technology takes the place of magic.

But, "The Missing" with Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett wasn't too bad. I wish the Western would make a comeback.

All the good western, or cowboy actors have gone to the great roundup in the sky. Todays pansies would not be able to cut the mustard. Except for Clint.

Did you have a favorite? If so who?

Well, it's 20 years ago, but I really enjoyed "Silverado."

The cultural remembrance of those days is fading rapidly. Many folks who might have enjoyed a good western thirty years ago may not connect with the subject matter. I used to know a man who rode the last Wagon train ever from some place to Bandera, Texas. My own kids rarely saw the type of country that instills affection for those times. I love a good western and will at least give a new one a try. The pathetic effort about Wild Bill Hickock not so many years ago did not help the cause.

That there is violence in the street in all of America's metropolitan areas to one degree or another doesn't leave any city in Florida, California or New York off the hook nor, for that matter the entire country. The question has been and not just recently is violence in Westerns, to only focus on one genre, create violence in the street or is it something instrinsic in American life?

I wouldn't want anyone under age watching "Deadwood" but then I have no control over that. Acquink was being rhetorically funny so don't take it so seriously.

As far as recent Westerns in movies, maybe they'll take a clue from "Deadwood" and show the Old West without all the romantic embellishments that just doesn't ring true. In order to make life more fun, I suppose we could go back to totin' a gun in a holster "to protect ourselves." Apparantly, it's obvious to some that isn't necessary in some parts of Florida.

Lightwizard
If I want truth I will watch, no that won't do it. Read the, no that won't do it either. Hell truth and reality or not give me a good western. At least it is not being sold as the truth.

I don't get cable and so don't see Deadwood.

HBO has another winner with deadwood.

It's addicting and the characterizations are finely defined -- not much doubt what each of their motivations will be in any given situation. However, that doesn't mean some of them that aren't smart enough to have hidden agendas but that's what keeps one watching. It premiered with the highest ratings ever for an HBO series and hasn't slacked off. Again, if this popularity wakes up the studio heads (or dumb heads as I like to call them), we may see more intelligent Westerns on the big screen. Although "Open Range" qualified, it did only moderate box office. Perhaps because it looked like a similar plot line to "Heaven's Gate" which effectively killed the Western for nearly two decades?

I did hear that they are rereleasing MAJOR DUNDEE ,Sam Peckenpah's first film. I guess they have restored 15 or 20 minutes the studio cut.

Pax redid Bonanza a few years ago and called it "Ponderosa." It didn't last the season because nobody knew it existed. I liked it as much or better than the original, which is really dated.

Don't forget about Young Guns. That did great at the box office even with "Pansy" actors.

I think it's because the world has become a lot more Urbanized in the last 30 years, people just don't relate to the old west anymore.