Maverick (1994)

Gambler Bret Maverick is determined to go to St. Louis for the poker tournament game, where you can win half a million dollars; only problem is he's three-thousand dollars short of the entry fee. And he wants to show how good of a card player he is, so he goes to the town of Crystal River to collect the money that is owed to him. There he meets a man named Angel, a woman calling herself Mrs. Annabelle Bransford, whom he discovers that she is quite the sneaky con-artist, and lawman Marshal Zane Cooper. Bret, Annabelle and Zane share a stagecoach and head to St. Louis but Bret doesn't realize they're some shady characters that don't want him in the game. A terrific blend of action and humor, along with a charming Mel Gibson makes this film a real treat. Based on the 1950's television series of the same name. Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Graham Greene, Dan Hedaya, Danny Glover 7/10

Blazing Saddles (1974)

In the American Old West of 1874, the peaceful town of Rock Ridge is attacked by a pack of murderers and thieves, led by Taggart who is in cahoots with the conniving State Attorney General Hedley Lamarr. The townsfolk refuse to surrender to them so they wire the governor that they need a new sheriff. But Hedley doesn't want law and order so he schemes to find one that will shock the people so much that they'll drive him right out of town. So he gets an African-American man named Bart; however with the help of drunk gunslinger Jim aka The Waco Kid, Bart works to prevail over the townsfolk's hostile nature towards him. Mel Brooks' hysterical spoof on westerns; with a wonderful mix of characters and double entendres. My favorites: Lili von Shtupp, The Waco Kid and Hedley Lamarr. Starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise 7/10

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

When an evil Mexican bandit named Calvera and his posse terrorize a little farming village and steal their food, the farmers won't put up with it anymore. So they search for and hire some gunmen, seven in all to keep Calvera out. However Calvera has over a hundred bandits with him, so he forces the gunmen to hand over their weapons and leave the town. But the seven refuse to run, so they decide to go back to the village for a final showdown. A remake of the Japanese film The Seven Samurai, with an all star cast and a excitingly catchy music score, this is a one of a kind treat, and a great classic film! Starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, Horst Buchholz 8/10

Giant (1956)

Bick Benedict is a wealthy Texas rancher who visits a farm in Maryland one afternoon to buy a prized horse. While there he meets and falls in love with Leslie, the owner's daughter. They marry soon afterward and she travels back on the train with him to his ranch. But unfortunately Bick's sister Luz doesn't take to Leslie at all, thinking that she won't be able handle the hard life of a rancher's wife. But Leslie is a strong woman and she eventually adapts to it. Ranch hand Jett Rink who works for Bick wants to have his own ranch and takes a liking to Leslie. One unsuspecting day he strikes oil and becomes rich. An epic romantic drama; although the story is mostly centered around Rock and Elizabeth's characters, James Dean undoubtedly steals the show, in his last performance. Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor, Earl Holliman 9/10

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

Don Diego de la Vega is Zorro, a masked swordsmen who fights for the people of Spain. One night when returning home to his wife Esperanza and baby daughter Elena, Don Rafael Montero, the ruthless Governor and enemy of Zorro discovers Diego's secret identity. While under attack Diego's wife is murdered, his daughter is taken and his house is burned. He is arrested and sent to prison, and Rafael raises Elena as his own. Twenty years later, Diego escapes prison and returns to claim his lost daughter back, now a beautiful young woman. A man named Alejandro Murrieta, who with his brother helped Zorro twenty years before wants revenge on Captain Love, Montero's commander-in-chief who killed his brother. With Diego's help he trains Alejandro to become the new Zorro. Alejandro also becomes smitten with Elena, but doesn't realize that she's Diego's daughter. Together they try to save California from Rafael and his plans. A fun swashbuckler; Hopkins is terrific as the former Zorro and Banderas is perfect as his replacement. Starring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, Victor Rivers 8/10

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

Stone plays Ellen, a tough female gunslinger who rides into a small and dirty town with a secret. Hackman plays John Herod, the owner and ruler of the town. She finds out that he’s set up a gun-fighting competition and the prize is a pot of money. So everyone signs up but for different reasons; some revenge, others respect. Herod, who is the fastest gun in the town is also in on the contest, as well as his son “The Kid”. Cort, a local preacher and former henchmen to Herod who refuses to use a gun again is forced by Herod to be in it too. Intense and fun western, the best gun fighter flick. Starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio Keith David, Lance Henrikson, Pat Hingle, Gary Sinise, Kevin Conway 7/10

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Bale plays Dan Evans, a rancher and ex-soldier who lost his leg in the Civil War. He owes a large amount of money to a man named Hollander. But he’s poor and doesn’t have the money so he goes into Bisbee to ask for more time. While there a man named Butterfield needs men to help him escort cold-blooded outlaw Ben Wade to Contention and on the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. Desperate, Dan volunteers to do the job for the two-hundred dollars cash reward that is offered. One of the best westerns I’ve ever seen, with lots of action and a great cast. A fantastic remake of the 1957 version starring Glenn Ford. Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Logan Lerman, Dallas Roberts, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol 9/10