It sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn’t it – what do you get if you put zombies in a Western? Answer? To Kill A Dead Man! In all seriousness, zombies in a Western aren’t such a strange proposition. The weird Western has been around since the days of Robert E. Howard, and […]
What’s the appeal of the Western?
The appeal of the Western lies partly in the scenery. Think of gunfights and horse chases, played out against a dramatic backdrop like Monument Valley or the plains of Kansas. Picture the railroad, curving through the landscape, while cowboys drive cattle across the wide open plains. All very epic, yeah? By contrast, I grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, […]
Does The Revenant score points for the Western?
You’d think I’d have been over the moon to see Leonardo DiCaprio in a Western, and I had really high hopes that The Revenant would be phenomenal. The trailers certainly promised as much. But sadly… The Revenant is BRUTAL It’s not an enjoyable film, it’s an endurance test. I’ve seen other reviewers toss around the […]
How to write a Western from the UK
When The Guns of Retribution was first published, I got quite a few questions from prospective readers who wanted to know if it was a Western, or an adventure story, or a pulp tale. Really, it’s all three. I actually started describing it as a pulp adventure in the Old West, just to cover those […]
Is The Hateful Eight a Tarantino Triumph?
It’s taken a while for The Hateful Eight to see its UK release, compared to the US release, but by God, it’s definitely been worth the wait! After the relative disappointment that was Django Unchained (for me, at least), I was half-hesitant and half-excited to see Tarantino do another Western, but thankfully I was not let down. […]
Has Tarantino has made the Western popular again?
Looks like Quentin Tarantino might be making the Western popular again with the release of The Hateful Eight! I saw it last night and by God, it was marvellous, but I’ll be doing a video review so I’ll talk more about it then. That was more just a passing comment before I get to the […]
