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The best movie and TV Westerns, according to Ransom Canyon's Jack Schumacher
Ready to ride into the Western genre? Jack Schumacher from Netflix's latest Western, Ransom Canyon, has some recommendations
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There are a staggering amount of Westerns across movies, television, books, video games, and more. And while the genre certainly had its heyday from the mid 1940s through the mid 1960s, the genre has had a recent resurgence thanks to the popularity of the Yellowstone universe. Whether you're a newcomer to the genre or a grizzled Western veteran, there are always new takes on the genre to check out.
Recently, we had the chance to talk to Jack Schumacher from the new Netflix Western show, Ransom Canyon, about his favorite Westerns. Schumacher's enthusiasm for the genre was undeniable, which you can check out below.
When asked about his favorite Westerns, Schumacher said, "So my number one movie, it's a modern Western as well, would be Hell or High Water. I think that stands above. It's in my top five favorite movies of all time," before switching gears to the Western's resurgence in television. Schumacher continued, "Obviously Yellowstone. I’ll be rattling off all the Taylor Sheridan stuff, man. Sheridan's just got like a monopoly on this stuff. Yeah, Land Man. That’s amazing. The numbers, 1923, 1883, yeah, yeah."
Schumacher also looked back at Western films both past and present: "You can always go back to the classic Clint Eastwoodss. Then spaghetti westerns. I mean Django Unchained, like how do you not love that movie? The Hateful Eight. I'm clearly a Tarantino fan. I could just start rattling these off forever, but I think those would be like my main go-tos for TV and film."
Hell or High Water is a thrilling modern Western that I second Schumacher's recommendation on. Starring Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, and the legendary Gil Birmingham, Hell or High Water was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 2017 Oscars. And guess who wrote that screenplay? None other than Yellowstone creator, Taylor Sheridan.
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