A genre nearly as old as filmmaking itself, the western thrived throughout the years of the studio system but has zigzagged across rough terrain for the past forty or so years. For the last fifteen-ish years, the struggling, commercially unfriendly genre was either manifested in a neoclassical nostalgic form limited in potential mass appeal (Appaloosa, Open Range) or in reimagined approaches that ran the gamut between contrived pap and inspired deconstructions (anything from Wild Wild West to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). But last December, True Grit – a bona fide western remake that relied on the opportunities available in the genre’s conventions rather than bells, whistles, or ironic tongues in their respective cheeks – became a smash hit. Did this film reinvigorate a genre that was on life support, as the supposed revitalization of the musical is thought to have done a decade ago, or are westerns surviving by moving along a different route altogether? Three westerns released so far this year – Gore Verbinski’s Rango, Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff, and, as of this weekend, Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens – suggest mixed directions for the dusty ol’ genre.

When it comes to Original Songs, Robert Fure doesn’t settle for only slightly related content. Has he taken his obsession with movie music to absurd heights? Yes.

Brian Gibson loves to buy DVDs. Come with him on his weekly journey into the depths of credit card debt as he tells you what to buy, rent and avoid.

It turned out to be a brutal weekend for new releases — and for everyone at the box office, generally. Everyone, that is, except Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Robert Fure polished his tin star and took a ride through the Old West with Ed Harris’ “Appaloosa” and thought it swell. But it wasn’t perfect. Here’s what worked and what didn’t.

It was a crowded weekend at the theaters and the box office reflected it with one big winner and an awful lot of losers.

Kevin and Neil fight back another onslaught of movies from Hollywood’s dumping grounds.

“Megan Fox, Megan Fox, Megan Fox!!” What better way to drum up interest in this week’s edition of the Reject Report than to do some major name-dropping of one of the actresses in one of this week’s movies, How To Lose Friends and Alienate People.

Robert Fure can get mad over just about anything. This time, he’s had too much of a good thing and is concerned with a new Hollywood trend that leaves the traditional story arc behind in favor of more, more, more.

Join us as we saddle up and ride off into the sunset with an in-depth look into the history of the Western and its recent resurgence via Robert Fure’s love note to the genre.

As if you thought you couldn’t get enough of a good ole’ Western shoot ‘em up, here comes Ed Harris with Viggo Mortensen at his side in Appaloosa.