The Duel

I feel like this tense drama missed the mark a bit. There was no real roundness to the characters - they all felt like roughly drawn caricatures to me. This was most true of Harrelson's character, which was a shame because so much could have been done, especially given the quality of actor Harrelson is. I knew where this film was going from the beginning, and it would have been nice to have a turn or two in the plot. It was beautifully directed and well acted, but lacked the depth to be a truly great film. 3/5

The Duel on Netflix

The Hateful Eight

Oh dear. If I hadn't seen "Inglourious" or "Django" I might be tempted to be done with Tarantino after this god awful mess. This was needlessly long, gory for no real point, crass, and just plain annoying. I lost count of how many times I heard the "n" word, most of the time just for shock value and not to further the plot. By the end of the first hour I was rolling my eyes at how ridiculous a story this was. By the end of the second, I was exclaiming out loud. By the end I was just cursing Tarantino for being so utterly self-indulgent at the sake of what could have been a decent movie if it had an editor and a much better writer. The actors were all great, but that's to be expected. Oh, and only Kim Ki-Duk gets to write things like "The 8th film by" before the title. Tarantino gets maybe one more shot from me before i toss him on the same pile I threw Malick a while back. Ugh. 2/5

The Hateful Eight on Netflix

Diablo

This is getting flack from Netflix reviewers who are objecting in some form or other to the plot developments of this modern Western thriller. I thought they were fairly self-explanatory and pretty well done, but that's me. I always love Walton Goggins in anything, and he is excellent as usual. I liked Scott Eastwood fine, but I feel if he had added more depth to his portrayal a lot of this movie's critics would have been silenced. 3/5

Diablo on Netflix

Jeremiah Johnson

I got where this film was trying to go, but my mind just kept drifting. The pace was too slow and there wasn't enough meat on the bones to really keep me interested. I haven't seen a movie with an Overture and Intermission musical break in a while, so that was interesting just as a side note. 3/5

Jeremiah Johnson on Netflix

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

This is as fine of a film as you'd ever want to see. Exceptional performances by Wayne and Stewart, beautiful direction by Ford, and a tight, well written script that keeps the action going. This is my kind of Western - loved it. 5/5

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance on Netflix

The Salvation

This modern western has the same brutal gritty feel that "The Proposition" does - that would be a great double feature. 3/5

The Salvation on Netflix

Slow West

This new Western is beautifully lensed but a bit short on content & consistency. Solid acting & good pacing. 3/5

Slow West on Netflix

The Homesman

This "western" is dark, bleak, & terribly tragic. The acting was top-notch & Tommy Lee Jones' direction was aces. 4/5

The Homesman on Netflix

Shane

A classic story told very solidly & compellingly, although it did feel more than a bit long to me. Well done. 3.5/5

Shane on Netflix

Blackthorn

This film had such a great premise & was gorgeously shot but was just too slow & messy for me. Good, not great. 3/5

Blackthorn on Netflix

High Plains Drifter

Even as a Eastwood Western hater, I really enjoyed this avenging-angel-wreaking-havoc Western adventure. 4/5

High Plains Drifter on Netflix

Bad Day at Black Rock

This classic thriller is intriguing & satisfying in its ultimate payoff with class acting. Well done. 4/5

Bad Day at Black Rock on Netflix