The Atlantic runs a long sad commentary here that doesn't say much. They never mention the real Western killer, Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. That came out in 1974, when the Western was getting long in the tooth, and many of us figured Westerns were for kids. Blazing Saddles drove this point home so hard, that no Westerns were attempted for 10 years, and the couple that were tried 10 years later flopped despite decent casts and screen writing.
I liked Westerns, the good guys won, the bad guys were beaten, the scenery was cool, tough guys acting tough, lots of action, what's not to like? But after Blazing Saddles trashed the genre so thoroughly, it was impossible to take them seriously ever again.
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