The Western was once a peculiarly American genre, but time saw its influence spread overseas for variations on the themes.
There are fantastic international examples, particularly from Italy and Spain, but there's something special about homegrown Westerns. That's especially true for the so-called neo-Westerns that began hitting screens in the 1960s.
Just as the modifier turned noirs into seedy, explicit descents into desire and death, neo-Westerns take the traditional elements and twist them with new awareness, sharper cruelties, and even graphic violence. Imprint's latest boxset, Tales of the Wild West: Collection Two, collects five Westerns released from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, and while they don't all go hard on the neo angle, it's clear they come from filmmakers frequently reflecting on the genre as a whole.
First out of the box is actually a genre mashup called 5 Card Stud. The film features heavy hitters on both sides of the camera and tells an intriguing tale featuring a saloon, gunfighters, a poker game, and a murder mystery.
A small Colorado town sees a local card game go sideways when a drifter is accused of cheating. The locals lynch him as punishment, but it's not long after that those other players begin to be found murdered. Van Morgan (Dean Martin), one of those original players, sets out to find and stop the killer.
When is a Western not a Western? Well, never, but 5 Card Stud walks the line by using a Western setting as home to a mystery narrative. It's arguably not that strong of a mystery for film fans to crack, but the journey remains entertaining, well crafted, and frequently thrilling all the same. Martin shares the lead with Robert Mitchum, and they're supported by the always welcome Yaphet Kotto and Roddy McDowall.
Director Henry Hathaway, who previously worked with Martin on the excellent and more traditional The Sons of Katie Elder, shapes his scenes and set pieces well to take full advantage of both genres being explored here. The Western elements offer false comfort and expectations while the mystery provides thrills and suspense. It's both a good Western and a good mystery, and that's not nothing.
Imprint's Blu-ray presentation looks strong (and comparable to Vinegar Syndrome's recent restoration), and the disc includes two new extras: Film academic Eloise Ross provides a video essay, while film historians Lee Pfeiffer, Tony Latino, and Paul Scrabo offer a new commentary track.
The wild West wasn't always all that wild, and for most cowboys, life was just a series of arduous days, one after the last. Will Penny (Charlton Heston) is like most cowboys, but when chance and misfortune land him on the doorstep of a widowed woman and her young son, he discovers there's more to fight for in this life than he expected.
1968's Will Penny doesn't get mentioned a lot on Western best-of lists, but ask genre fans about it and they'll almost overwhelmingly sing its praises. Writer/director Tom Gries isn't aiming for flash, style, or big set pieces here, and the result is a strikingly sedate character study with brief explosions of violence.
That lean away from the usual tropes and themes of Western films made up through the 1950s is enough to land this one on the border between the genre and its neo counterpart. It's not a graphic film, but the idea that cowboys were both lonely and alone for the bulk of their lives -- no sassy sidekick, no evil nemesis, no heroic legend, no partner in life and love -- is the antithesis of most Westerns. To be sure, Will finds his way there eventually, but the film's recognition of that lonely truth still hits hard.
As with the film above, Will Penny comes to Blu-ray here with a solid HD presentation that's on par with the recent release from KL Studio Classics. Two archival featurettes are here, alongside a brand-new commentary track by film historian Daniel Kremer.
Everyone wants to be remembered, and Joe Baker (Dean Martin) is no different. Well, he's different in the lengths he'll go to make his mark, and this time around that includes kidnapping an Army colonel's wife in order to trade her for a big, beautiful Gatling gun. Unsurprisingly, things don't quite go according to plan.
Something Big is a Western that leans periodically into goofy comedy, and while some of those beats are extremely dated, enough of them land to give the sense that this is a fun enough time. The Western elements are no different, as some work better than others, resulting in a passable piece of entertainment that won't stick with you for long.
Martin is enjoyable, and while he doesn't make the kind of effort he made in something like Rio Bravo, for example, his persona earns smiles all the same, as he basically plays himself throughout. Brian Keith takes on the more challenging role of the colonel, and he succeeds despite some unfortunate "comedic" beats aimed squarely in his direction. Director Andrew McLaglen wrangles it all into an entertaining diversion for Western fans.
Imprint's HD presentation matches the film's playful tone in its color and vibrance, and the disc includes a new video essay by film historian C. Courtney Joyner that explores McLaglen's filmography with a focus on his many Westerns.
Revenge is the only thing on John Benedict's (William Holden) mind after he returns home to find his family slaughtered by Comanches. His anger only intensifies when he discovers that the raid was led by a white man, and he sets upon a plan for vengeance. He recruits six hardened convicts on a work release program (?) to help him track down and murder the man who took everything from him.
Daniel Mann's The Revengers is probably the most straightforward of the films in this boxset, as it's mostly a pure revenge film. Its inspirations are obvious with clear lifts from the likes of The Dirty Dozen and The Wild Bunch, but it's unable to reach those film's thrilling highs. It still entertains, though, and is well worth a watch.
Holden is his usually reliable self and compels as a man fueled by incredible rage who actually grows as the carnage and hunt proceeds. Woody Strode and Susan Hayward are also fine, but it's Ernest Borgnine -- of course -- who outshines them all. He plays one of the convicts, and he somehow manages to be utterly appealing despite his animalistic performance.
The Revengers still looks good in HD with bold colors and notable details, and while the occasional artifact flashes on screen it's never enough to distract from what's unfolding. The only extra on the disc is a new video essay by C. Courtney Joyner, exploring Holden's Western genre efforts.
It's good to have ambitions, and for Howard Nightingale (Kirk Douglas), those ambitions lead all the way to the White House. For now, he's just a firm, successful U.S. Marshall who always gets his man, but he thinks his next big takedown might be enough to land a seat in the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately for him, he's underestimated both his enemy (Bruce Dern) and his own weaknesses.
Kirk Douglas was a huge star, and two of his least seen films just so happen to be the only two movies he also directed. One is a comedic tale of pirates and booty, and the other is a Western called Posse. It's the stronger of the two across the board, starting with its subversive skewering of political motivations and the very thin line between good guys and bad guys.
Douglas is good fun in the central role, and he manages moments both serious and silly with the skill and talents you'd expect. Equally great, though, is Dern who brings a wild intensity to a villain who's more than just a simple antagonist. The two spar with wit and charisma all the way to an unexpected but very satisfying ending.
As with all the Blu-ray discs here, Imprint's HD transfer of Posse is bright, sharp, and in retention of the necessary grain. The only extra is a new video essay on composer Maurice Jarre by film historian Daniel Kremer.