Take a break from the present, Pilgrim and mount up! Jovial Jay and Shua strap on the chaps, kick on the spurs, and don the ten-gallon hat as they remember some of the great Western movies and TV shows they grew up with. Get along l'il doggies and Enjoy Stuff!

Hollywood may have romanticized the Old West to create a pretty unrealistic view of history, but it sure made for some great movies. Cowboy movies have been around for more than 100 years, but some of them really stood out as we were growing up. Giddy up, pardners and get ready to Enjoy some Westerns.

News

Kellogg’s and Nickelodeon are ready to fill your guts with slime! Well, Apple Jacks Slime Cereal anyway

We have new, official images of the LEGO Atari 2600 set, and it is almost cooler than the real thing. 

The ice cream van is coming down your street. And the sign on the truck says “Hot” and “Now” because there are new Ice Cream inspired donuts at Krispy Kreme

Nintendo is breaking into pictures! They just bought a movie studio to make their own movies based on their IP

What we’re Enjoying

Look out for Shua because he’s been flinging axes at a place in town called Flanneljax. Who knew that axe throwing could be a fun group activity? Well, Monty Python knew it was OK to be a lumberjack. Jay finally made it to see Pixar’s Lightyear. He enjoyed the story but thought they could have done even more. 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

Be sure to check out Jay’s articles on Retrozap.com. This week he revisits the 1995 Bruce Willis film 12 Monkeys. Willis plays a time traveler that is sent back in time to save the future from a raging disease. The world is a mess because of disease and famine and a bunch of leaders that aren’t helping to solve the…uh…  Um, I don’t think he succeeded. And don’t forget his articles on MCULocationScout.com for some great, interactive maps of filming locations. 

Enjoy Movies, Pardner!

Did you know that Westerns have been around since 1899? That’s practically the Old West anyway. (Maybe they were just called movies back then) The famous Great Train Robbery (1903) may not have been the first, but it helped secure the genre as a main staple in Hollywood forever. 

When we were growing up, a lot of the classics were played on TV. That’s where we saw great flicks like The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Clint Eastwood established himself as a very tough cowboy in the Spaghetti Westerns by Sergio Leone. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) especially has some legendary scenes. 

John Wayne really epitomized the cowboy image in a ton of movies. The Searchers (1956) didn’t paint a very good picture of the Native Americans, but director John Ford established some incredible vistas that movie makers still use to set the scene today. And True Grit (1969) won him an academy award for the part of Rooster Cogburn. A role that would be reprised in 2010 by Jeff Bridges in the remake. 

The 80s and 90s were no slouches when it came to Westerns either. The success of movies like Silverado (1985) brought forth a resurgence of the genre. Young Guns (1988) and Tombstone (1993) helped young stars make their mark and build some strong careers. 

But they weren’t all just straight Westerns. Some were hysterical, like Blazing Saddles (1974) or Three Amigos (1986). Or they may have Sci-Fi elements in them like Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) or Back to the Future III (1990). 

Plus, it was a genre that could be easily played out on TV. Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. were going strong for years. The Westerns audience was built up by early stories of The Lone Ranger, Davy Crockett, and Daniel Boone. 

Historically accurate or not, Westerns give storytellers the opportunity to tell some morality tales and establish some very interesting characters. 

Do you like any Westerns? Would you wear a white hat or a black hat? Are you reading all the show notes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “There’s a snake in my boot!” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com