So I know the party officially went through Saturday, but hey, I was a tad busy last week. (As always happens, right? You plan something out months in advance and... yeah.)
Anyhow!
Obviously, I have to answer our tag. So here goes.
1) Western movies or western TV shows?
No preference. It depends utterly and entirely on what I'm feeling like at the moment. I love the concise, sweeping power of a film, but there's a 'living in the story' feel you get through episodic shows that's charming.
2) Funny westerns or dramatic westerns?
Dramatic. I do enjoy a funny western from time to time (and of course, LOVE little quips and wry humor sprinkled through my deep heart stories), but when I want a western I want my sweeping drama. I've got other stuff on hand for clearing out the cobwebs and scattering sunshine.
3) Westerns that focus on loners or westerns that focus on families?
Loners. Particularly loners that ride together. Or loners that find families. ;) Just not so much the settler-family-motif.
4) Male-centric westerns or female-centric westerns?
No opinion. It really depends on the story itself and a bazillion other factors.
5) 1930s to 1960s westerns or 1970s to 2020s westerns?
Numerically, I love more old classics, but currently more of my all time top favorites are more recent so... not quite sure how that shakes out. ;D
6) Westerns that take place in America or westerns that take place internationally?
If referencing filming locations, American and/or the North American Continent. Story wise, um... the same. (I just haven't seen many yet where the story's set Down Under or the Arabian Desert, etc. etc.)
7) Family-friendly westerns or edgier westerns?
Generally family friendly (though my definition for family friendly is fairly broad).
8) Straightforward good guy or conflicted hero?
Straightforward good guy -- though he can have his inner struggles and tortured past and missteps as he's growing into it. In fact, the more of all that the better. (That came out wrong, we're talking about complexity here. Make sense? Good, I knew you'd all understand.) Still, when the dust settles and the lines are drawn, he's on the right side all the way, even if he had to wrestle and fight every step of the way to get there. (Sooo.... maybe actually conflicted hero? :P) I just don't generally want him to go off on his merry way at the end, entirely unchanged in any deep, meaningful way by the crucible he's undergone. So ok, I'll officially change my answer to conflicted hero.
9) Historically accurate westerns or westerns that aren't afraid to take some creative liberties?
If done intentionally, I don't mind a few creative liberties in terms of historical accuracy etc. but don't care for it when the storytellers veer too far or inject too much modern perspective. The exception to all this would be films where the liberties are for comedic effect -- like the 2013 Lone Ranger or Maverick. As for landscape, sets, and all the rest, I don't care and am entirely willing to go with whatever tells the story well. We're talking about legends here and legends aren't always neat and tidy. 'Nuff said.
10) Bittersweet or happily-ever-after endings?
I was seriously planning on saying happily-ever-after (and don't get me wrong, those make me very very happy), but I just realized a lot of my favorites still have (to quote from my prior self last year) "that relentless twinge of longing" which makes them epic. A lot of times, because it's taken so much blood and sweat and tears for our characters to arrive at that happiness, it can never just be hearts and sparkles. The pain and heartache have made them what they are and it will always be there, with them. Healed, yes, but forever shaping and molding and changing them. And so there is a kind of bitter-sweetness there. Hm. Fascinating to think about. (But! To clarify, I don't generally like all our main characters to end up dead or, as aforesaid, have the filmmakers just be trying to make some morbid point. That's just the bitter with no sweetness. :p)
/ / /
Thanks for reading -- let me know your thoughts and if we have any answers in common!
Also, the game answers for Along the Brandywine, wrap-up post, and giveaway winners will be coming later today, so hang in there, folks!
Awwwwwww. So many cute pictures in this! That one of Button, for instance -- all the heart eyes.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's John Reid arguing with Tonto -- oh my goodness, that scene makes me laugh!
There's a lot to be said for bittersweet endings. I much prefer them to tragic endings, which I almost never like. Bittersweet can be wonderful, and like you say, sometimes it's what's needed. But I like my hearts and sparkles too ;-)
That picture of Bertie Wooster amuses me so much. xD
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