Customer Reviews

The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: The Western

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If, like me, you love Westerns and have cable, this is a book you need to own. Its detailed synopses and reviews have helped me over and over again in deciding what previously-unknown movie to set the timer for. Each capsule-essay includes year of release, run time, director, major stars, and some information about the story, with brief critical remarks. The many bw photographs, though rather small, are just so much gravy. You can also just sit down with it and start going through the listings so you can compose a Wish List! With this book and Fenin & Everson's "The Western," you have a good basic foundation in Western-film criticism and history.

More than a dry listing of what westerns came out in what year, The Overlook Encyclopedia is actually fun to read.

The book begins in the 1930s (so no silent Westerns)and lists the Westerns that came out each year, giving a brief plot synopsis and then an evaulation.

The value of the book is that it shows the reader how many Westerns Hollywood made and when production rose and fell off. Also, the comments on the individual films are interesting and can point the reader in the direction of some films he might not otherwise have heard of.

The book concludes with several "ten best Western" lists from different film critics. Overall, a useful book for anyone interested in this genre.

I have just ordered this book. I had not done so previously because I have the first edition of this book written under a different title in about 1983. That is a wonderful book for the western fan and is a "must-own" in my opinion. However, one VERY SIGNIFICANT FAULT in that book is the fact that the author included an extremely high number of spoilers in the synopsis of most of the films. Why he would do that I cannot understand. But, be aware, if you do not want to read spoilers than do not read the thumbnail sketch of each film's plot before you view the film or you may be disappointed. I am hoping that the author did not repeat this stupid mistake in this new edition of the book. Otherwise I cannot say enough good things about the earlier edition.