Should You Eat Grandpa Slop?

Today we dive into the decline of the Western, starting with Seven Samurai and its influence on The Magnificent Seven. We compare the 1960 original with the 2016 remake, praising the remake's casting while arguing that it leaves out some of the original's most meaningful scenes. Are modern stories losing the lessons of heroism that people like Bernardo O'Reilly's worked so hard to craft?

From there, we explore how Westerns evolved from simple good-vs.-evil morality tales into the morally ambiguous films of the Clint Eastwood era, and why Unforgiven may have marked the end of the genre's cultural dominance.

Along the way, we also discuss what classic Westerns reveal about courage, masculinity, self-defense, and changing cultural values. Could the Western's irrelevance actually make it more interesting to watch today? We close by recommending several classics, including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

We’ll be back next week, thanks to our patrons!

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