The Legends of Western Cinema Week 2025 Tag // where I pretend that I watch enough westerns to know what I'm talking about

Howdy, "pardners"! 

Buckle up, as today is the last day of Legends of Western Cinema Week, hosted by Hamlette, Heidi, and Olivia! These gals have hosted this a score of times over the last few years and it's exciting to see their continued knowledge of the genre!

I'm dropping in to fill out the tag because it's been a couple years since I last did, and I figured that I'd probably seen more western movies to increase my participation. Turns out I have seen...1 more western. I am clearly not doing this genre justice. This is not entirely for a lack of trying because for our last family movie night, I came up with eight (8) options, all of which were westerns, and my dad didn't like any of them and instead came up with his own choice. According to my calculations, I've seen about 39, so that should be sufficient to answer these 10 questions!

Cliff -- a tense cliffhanger: 

It's been YEARS since I watched it, but I remember everything falling apart and then ending in Dances with Wolves (1990). Good times. Definitely didn't scar me. *eye twitch*

Gulch -- a cool ambush scene: 

The Magnificent Seven (1960) is all about staging an ambush to protect a small town from the local outlaw oppressors.

Canyon -- a big gunfight: 

I remember being impressed with the gunfight scene in The Man From Laramie (1955), but I remember nothing else about it. Besides that it was maybe a one-on-one, so one couldn't call it a BIG gunfight.

The biggest gunfight I can think of is in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1972). They also talk about the skill because "I'm better when I move."

Mountains -- high stakes: 

Back to the Future Part III (1990). It's high stakes because due to time travel one possible future is known and the characters are trying to prevent that. So all Marty has to do is stay out of trouble...but that's not really his strong suit as he hates to back down from a fight. What with knowing his character tendencies from the last two movies as well as possible futures, the stakes are as high as you can get.

Valley -- a beautiful romance: 

While it's probably a basic answer, I'll say The Man From Snowy River (1982). I love Jim Craig so of course Jessica, the daughter of Jim's boss, also fancies him.

Desert -- a suspenseful plot: 

The original True Grit (1969) claims this spot. Rooster Cogburn, Ranger La Boeuf, and Mattie Ross are trying to catch the man who killed Mattie's father. They're hot on the trail yet there's suspense of whether they'll catch him or if this is a wasted journey. And not to mention that final scene which throws all the more complications into the suspense.

Forest -- themes about renewal: 

The Big Trees (1952)? This is maybe not quite a western and I didn't really like it, but hey, it's what I've got. The film features a lumber company that is cutting down the trees that California is famous for and it is about the conflict of the people who live there and love the trees. If I recall correctly, there's some rhetoric about using the lumber for new things vs. how the new things will have no purpose if the land is destroyed. I'm not a Kirk Douglas fan though I did find it hilarious that someone named Douglas---like Douglas firs---was in a movie about trees. And it goes with the prompt "Forest."

River -- traveling to a new home: 

This is kind of lacking on the traveling part, but Ransom Stoddard is trying to set up a new life and a law practice in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and we see him arrive to town because that's right when everything starts going wrong. Those bothersome stage robbers...

Plains -- characters who are farmers: 

In Home on the Range (2004), the cows are trying to save the Pearl's dairy farm "Patch of Heaven." This was one of my favorite movies when I was little. We had this little mobile player that you could put DVDs in and my sisters would get tired of watching Home on the Range so I'd just watch it by myself on that tiny screen.

Mesa -- an animal central to the story: 

While the last answer also fit this category, I'm going to put my most recently watched Western here: The Rare Breed (1966). It features a lot of ranching, most prominently the sale of the adorable Vindicator. While ranchers are plotting and making deals they start to wonder which is feistier: Vindicator, or the mother-daughter duo who owns him.

Those are my answers! Make sure to check out the master posts HERE, HERE, and HERE for the links to all the other tag answers, giveaways, games, and more!

Thanks to Hamlette, Heidi, and Olivia for hosting this again! I love the challenge to try to watch more westerns and I hope to have a few more under my belt by the next time this roles around.

Thanks to all of you for reading! Have you seen any of these movies? What are some western suggestions for me? Does anyone here love the suspense of True Grit? Is anyone surprised that I mentioned not one or two but THREE Jimmy Stewart movies? Is there anything that you're better at if you move? 

Happy trails!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // July and August 2025

Hello, friends!

This post has twice the fun for Heidi's monthly Inklings because I'm posting my answers to the prompts for both July and August. I'm late for July because I was gone for most of the month, but as the prompt is one of my absolute favorite things, of course I want to be able to ramble about it. 

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post.

HERE are my previous entries; this is one of my favorite link-ups!

July 2025 prompt: 

A sword dueling scene in book or film

Link to the other July entries HERE.

Sword duels are essential to swashbuckling films and I love swashbuckling to my CORE. I would say it's my favorite genre but I don't think I've watched enough to count. But I definitely count The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), which has all kinds of delicious dueling.

There are a couple of scenes here to fulfill the dueling requirement, so I'll just choose the first one, which starts with some formalities.

"Who are you?"

*brandishes sword* "My friend here will introduce me!"

"Don't worry, my father was the best swordsman in France!"

The sword fight even gets some action on the stairs (with someone rolling down them in style!). I can't find images from it, so you'll have to go enjoy the scene yourself. Which is very easy to do as this movie is in the public domain!

I started rewatching The Son of Monte Cristo just to watch the swashbuckling bits while writing up this post, but now of course I'm going to watch the rest of it. This used to be my 4th favorite movie of all time and I would say that I could watch it on repeat and never get tired of it. While it's not in my tippy top favorites anymore, I still adore this movie despite the rest of my family thinking I'm crazy. It just scratches a particular itch that I have when it comes to stories.

Now that I've watched it again I'm going to have to say it's back up into my tippy top favorites. It's dorky but it's dorky in my kind of way.

August 2025 prompt: 

A bread-making scene in book or film

Link to the other August entries HERE.

My choice is from the film Support Your Local Sheriff (1969). Prudy is one of my favorite characters and I relate to her based on how many unexpected situations she finds herself in. One of which completes this prompt. 

Let's just say it's full contact baking.

Which leads to fire...

...and frustration because why do these things keep happening to her??

Which is usually how my cooking turns out, too. Just now I'm sporting a cut from doing the dishes, so you can imagine what happens when I get close to the stove.

Me answering this prompt in this way has a second motive because Support Your Local Sheriff is my favorite western and currently Heidi, Olivia, and Rachel (Hamlette) are currently hosting Legends of Western Cinema Week! Go to any of these posts to join the fun: Along the Brandywine, Meanwhile in Rivendell..., and Hamlette's Soliloquy. 

What are movies that scratch an itch for you? What's an ingredient (such as a sword fight) that makes you love a story? How are you when it comes to baking (i.e. how much flour ends up in your face and hair)?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19) // The 'Triangle of Regret' Trope

Howdy, partners!

There’s this popular trope in stories--I’m sure you've heard of it--called ‘The Love Triangle’. There can be any combination of genders but for example let's talk about it when a woman is being pursued by two different men (This post is not a throw down--I don't know if this is a real phrase but we're going with it--of that trope. That’s for another day...which may be an appreciation post…). A lesser known trope is the sequel to 'The Love Triangle'. I don’t know if it has a name, but let’s call it the ‘Triangle of Regret’, keeping with the math themes, you know.

Using our example, 'Love Triangle' stories end when the woman chooses one of the men. The sequel is usually when we never saw the decision process, but the woman chose one of the men and is now unhappily married and that comes to the surface when the other dude comes back to town.

(The Great Gatsby is famous, y’all. That is a little bit different, but you get the point?)

Long story short, I DETEST this trope. It lacks honor and justice and dignity. It portrays women to be unable to read their own hearts. It breaks promises and puts suspicion between friends. It’s all around a gnarly thing.

Which is why we’re going to talk about it today.

As an aspiring writer, I’m always trying to figure out what makes stories lovable for me and what doesn’t. Therefore we’re doing a deep dive into some pros and cons of this trope through some examples. Because all tropes are subjective and even if I dislike it majorly, I can usually find a version that works for me.

Besides the aforementioned Fitzgerald novel, what comes to mind when I think of this trope are two very different stories. They employ the same trope but the notable difference is GENRE. Technically both are period dramas, but one is a British saga and the other is a western. We're looking at Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19). 

(A disclaimer is that I’ve only seen each story once. So pardon any errors in the plot or whatnot. It could be that I’m majorly misinterpreting this, but I don’t claim it to be accurate, only my interpretation.)

(Because I figure these stories generally draw different crowds (please correct me if I'm not the only one to have seen both), this will be mainly spoiler-free. I will talk about the progress each character makes but without the context so you don't know what happens. Not the plot but the development of the characters)

Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19):

Whispering Smith is about suspicious happenings on a railroad so a marshall/detective comes to determine the causes and soon begins to think that one of his old best friends is involved. Poldark (the part that I want to talk about) is about a man returning from the losing side of the war and trying to fix his home that's in shambles while fighting against injustices and his past feelings.

Doesn't seem that similar, right? The biggest differences are when it comes to the plot, but those dwindle away when it comes to the characters and their relationships with each other. 

Luke Smith vs. Ross Poldark:

Similarities: Titular character. Have been away for a while and return at the beginning of the story. Doesn’t ‘get "the girl"’.

That's where the similarities end.

I should state (and I probably will more than once) I do NOT like Ross. Sometimes he's tolerable but never likable to me. I do not like his decisions--and he makes a whole lot of bad ones. It's good to have flawed characters so we can see them grow, I support that 100%. But growth? Ross hasn't heard of that. Just when you think he's finally learned his lesson, the end of season 2 is a DISASTER. But we're not going to talk about that.

(But MC, why did you watch ALL 5 seasons if you didn't like the main character? One of my friends told me the whole story of seasons 1-4 so I had things I really wanted to see with certain characters. Namely: Verity, Dwight, Francis, Caroline, Drake, Sam, Morwenna, Geoffrey Charles, and Cecily. Please, if anyone loves Ross, I would love to hear all the reasons why! I'm not trying to slam a favorite character. I'm just making notes about what works for me and what doesn't.)

Luke, on the other hand, is precious. You can tell he's been through a lot and you respect his gentleness all the more for that. He has an air of hardship about him but doesn't complain or let that alter his decisions.

Murray Sinclair vs. Francis Poldark:

Similarities: ‘Gets "the girl"’ but feels that "the girl" in question regrets that. Tangles with the wrong type of person.

Both of these guys are fascinating. There's a lot of struggling with insecurities. Their characters explore trying to convince themselves that it's all in their head. Should they give over to the fact that their triumph has ironically been their downfall? Is it a downward spiral of bad decisions in a negative character arc? A cautionary story? There's lots of thinking on the human condition prompted by this.

Marian Sinclair vs. Elizabeth Poldark:

Similarities: Feels that she chose the wrong man when the other love of her life returns.

I don't like either of them so there's not much to say. It's the biggest fault of this trope that gets used every time, so can writers FOR ONCE not make the gal flaky?

(Can we talk about how CONFUSING it is to have Robert Preston always be yelling "Marian!" and then Shirley Jones doesn't appear? I've probably just watched The Music Man too much...)

The relationship dynamics:

So, MC, you've talked about how you don't like the decisions Ross makes but, doesn't Francis make many of the same decisions? He's not exactly what you would call an upstanding citizen. Sure, they both make bad decisions but I have a line to cross when it comes to certain decisions (like gambling vs. adultery). But why I like one character over the other is the REASON they make those decisions. 

Ross makes his decisions because he is full of confidence that quickly turns to arrogance. He figures he knows what justice is, that he can do things by himself, that some people are too stuck up for their own good (pot calling the kettle black?). 

Whereas, Francis makes his decisions because he's lacking confidence and faith in himself. He sees himself as the second, unwanted choice. He feels that his father would've preferred Ross for a son. The poor guy is miserable and doesn't see a way out so he lets life get away from him. Because he thinks nothing he's going to do is going to make Elizabeth love him. The poor guy! My heart melts for him! I relate to him so much (Fine, you caught me, I'm biased because I relate to Francis. I have a post planned for those similarities but I want to watch the show again before I make those points. I'm trying to get my sister to watch because I know she's going to be in love with Dwight and Drake. Who isn't?) That doesn't pardon what Francis does, but it makes it more human to me (both Ross and Francis have issues with consent. Though Francis knows to back off and Ross doesn't).

(It should be noted that the 'romance' issues in Poldark do not end with the three peeps I've been talking about. It's not even a triangle as much as a star. It's really messy. So we can't really blame Francis, but we can blame Ross. Not that that's important to what I'm talking about, BUT it shows that it has more than just the 'Triangle of Regret' trope. That's only the starting position)

You see, I don't like characters who are brash and full of bravado. I like the quiet ones with deeper things going on under the surface. The ones you only see 'whispers' of their thoughts...which leads us to Whispering Smith. 

Luke is confident in his instincts--that's what has got him his job--but he's not brash about it. He is patient and kind. He shows the girl in question (Marian) that he cares but respects the decisions made. He's trying to do the right thing and make sure people don't get hurt.

Just LOOK at the posture each of these characters exhibits, as that tells a lot. I can't stand Ross's smirk, ugh.

Unlike Francis, Murray turns more to anger as opposed to sorrow. He blames Luke even though Luke has done nothing wrong. It's more of revenge instead of hopelessness. I don't really feel anything for him besides pity and regret. Francis, on the other hand, puts work in and realizes that he can't let others' opinions get the best of him. He has to be the best person he can, and the best father he can be. Humility is one of the most attractive traits to me. (Oh, when you get into the layers of bravado to hide insecurities I will also melt at that, but none of those characters have that. Sorry, tangent.)

So, who wins this face off? Which do I like better, Whispering Smith or Poldark? Well, neither. I think it would be best if elements of the two were combined. I want Luke Smith and Francis Poldark to work together. But why don't I like either? I don't like Poldark because of the aforementioned Ross problem, and I don't like Whispering Smith because I can't. stand. the. ending. ack.

Redemption is very important to me (a post on that coming soon, I hope...). Whispering Smith decides that one character can't be redeemed where I think he had a chance. Poldark decides one character is automatically redeemed (unfairly!) because he's the main character, and I don't think enough work is ever put in. And yes, I don't like how things end in Poldark, either, but it seems more like a BBC/Masterpiece shock factor thing which I am used to by now. 

Maybe each works with respect to the antagonist/rival? Maybe I wouldn’t love Francis so much if Ross was decent and I wouldn’t love Luke so much if Murray had it together?

But I think not. I think I would still love Luke and Francis more. And I think it would be cool to have them together. So if I were ever to write this trope I would do three things:

-Have the woman be confident in her decision.

-Have EVERYONE, namely the two hopefuls, be respectful of her decision.

-Reduce the amount of bluster and show a human side of everything.

You’re probably all wondering where this came from. Well, I’ve been swearing that I’ll do something fun for Legends of Western Cinema Week for YEARS and this year I finally bit the bullet. Thanks to Olivia, Hamlette, and Heidi for hosting this again!

Today is the last day! So get on over to the hosts posts (mwahaha, that rhymes) to check out the tags, games, and giveaways!

(Thanks to Hamlette again because I found a lot of the Whispering Smith photos I used on her blog!)

Thanks for reading! Yes, I compare really strange things, but is this as bizarre as my Sense and Sensibility vs. Frozen post? What do you guys think of this trope? Do you have a version you like? Do you like a louder main character or a quieter one? Has anyone else seen both Whispering Smith and Poldark? Is 'the Triangle of Regret' a good name?

Happy trails!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The Legends of Western Cinema Week 2022 Tag: Two Lies and a Truth

Saddle up for some fun!

If you guys didn't know, this week was Legends of Western Cinema Week! It is just wrapping up, so I'm trying to get in just in time. This event is hosted by Hamlette, Heidi, and Olivia (click on their names for the links!) every year and is quite the celebration of all your favorite fictional cowpokes, outlaws, and wranglers. I had big plans for reviewing some things, but manual labor got in the way. Thankfully, I was in the shade so I didn't feel like I was out on the prairie, but I can only participate in the tag this year.

Also, I have only seen 34 westerns (give or take). Which, compared to any other genre, sounds like a lot, but, as far as the participants of this party go, I'm on the light side. I often just stick to the same ten over and over again anyway. I'm quite predictable! And I am so boring. Because of that, I'm putting my own spin on the tag this year. You've all heard of "Two Truths and a Lie"? Well, for each answer I will have "Two Lies and a Truth". I may have seen some of the movies in each question, but there may be red herrings that I've only heard of. Or some I detest. 

There are two wild card answers here, though: For one, I haven't seen any of them (in their entirely, only parts), and for another there is no lie.

Pay no mind to the gifs and pictures. They aren't clues, I'm just trying to spice the look of the post up.

 What are you readers supposed to do? Nothing, actually! You can just smile smugly if you can easily spot the truth. These questions are fabulous, but my answers are just another plate of cold beans. This is quite wild, I'm sorry, but it's what I come up with when I'm digging holes for hours... No more dillydallying, let's get to dishing out some tall tales!

The Legends of Western Cinema Week 2022 Tag:

1) Favorite western focused on a lone hero? 

Destry Rides Again (1938), The Man From Laramie (1955), The Man Without a Star (1955).

2) Favorite western focused on a group of compadres? 

The Magnificent Seven (1960), Rango (2011), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965).

3) Favorite western with a female main character? 

The Angel and the Badman (1947), The Cowboy and the Lady (1938), The Proud Rebel (1958).

4) Favorite western with a POC main character? 

Duel at Diablo (1966), The Magnificent 7 (2016), Wild Wild West (1999).

5) Favorite western with kids in it? 

Albuquerque (1948), Big Jake (1971), True Grit (1969).

6) Favorite western set somewhere other than the United States? 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1966), The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966), The Man From Snowy River (1985).

7) Favorite "western" that doesn't fit the genre's dictionary definition? 

Back to the Future Part III (1990), Home on the Range (2004), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002). 

8) Favorite funny western? 

Shanghai Noon (2000), Support Your Local Sheriff (1969), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).

9) Favorite tragic/sad western? 

Dancing with Wolves (1990), Night Passage (1957), Whispering Smith (1948).

10) Favorite western TV show?

Gunsmoke, Have Gun--Will Travel, The Wild Wild West.

Some of those are right, some are wrong. The world will never know (unless you ask nicely for the answers. Then, of course, I'll tell you immediately).

Thank you so much to the three wonderful hosts! This is always a treat! My dear partners (aka readers), you must read all of the other posts for this event as soon as possible! Links are above.

Is this too easy? How well do you guys know me? What would lies to these questions be for you guys?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The 2021 Legends of Western Cinema Week This or That Tag!

Howdy, y'all!

I hope you're all wearing your cowboys hats because it is currently Legends of Western Cinema Week! It has returned and is once again hosted by Olivia, Heidi, and Hamlette! 

The party has been going wild with fun the last few days! There have been games, giveaways, and reviews a plenty! I'm jumping on here quickly with my tag answers that the lovely ladies have created the questions for. I had hoped to review a movie for this, too, but time rolls away like drifting tumbleweeds.

The 2021 Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag:

1. Western movies or western TV shows?

I love TV shows because they give more character growth. That's what we all think, right? Well, so far with the western TV shows I've seen, that's not been the case. All I know is that everybody's gettin' out of Dodge.

I prefer Western movies because they give you all the good feels of a western and you can enjoy it for two hours then be done. Plus they get creative with how to wrap up the plot. Sure, "creative" usually means a shoot out, but that's expected, I guess?

 

2. Funny westerns or dramatic westerns? 

Considering that one of my top ten movies of all time is a western that happens to be the funniest movie I know, you would think that I would chose that one. Well, Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) is in a league of its own.

There is something about the word "western" that just demands to be dramatic, right? You picture towns on the brink of disaster and people riding off into the sunset, right? For the sake of today, I'm feeling more like a dramatic western, but I wouldn't be opposed if it was funny at the same time.

3. Westerns that focus on loners or westerns that focus on families?

This is the hardest question! I feel that a western heightens the mystery of a loner. I think most of the westerns I've seen have been with either that or found families instead of birth families. Usually other families involve too much feuding. But, sometimes that's just what I'm looking for! One movie that I saw long ago, where I think it was Night Passage (1957), was about brothers who were on different sides of the train tracks, so to speak, and I LOVED IT. I'm feeling too vague today to make a definite decision.

4. Male-centric westerns or female-centric westerns?

Well, if I had seen a female-centric western than it might be my new favorite thing, but as of now I can only truthfully say that I've only seen male-centric westerns. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to change this?

5. 1930s to 1960s westerns or 1970s to 2020s westerns?

Some westerns from the 1930s to 1960s have Jimmy Stewart, so that's the obvious answer.

6. Westerns that take place in America or westerns that take place internationally?

I've only seen one international western which was The Man From Snowy River (1962). I really loved it so I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more! As far as quantity go, westerns that take place in America win.

7. Family-friendly Westerns or edgier Westerns? 

My instinct is always to go with more family-friendly westerns. Most of the edgier westerns that I've seen are that way for no reason, you know? Now if we were dealing with a serious topic then I would love to see a western about it, but handled well. 

8. Straightforward good guy or conflicted hero? 

Usually I want all the conflict in the world. Which is a bizarre statement, I know. But in Westerns it is so comforting to have someone who is steady and secure in a terrain that is prone to treachery. Now I'm just trying to sound poetic. But really Thomas Jefferson Destry Jr. and Jim Craig are such good and lovable characters! Then there is also Ransom Stoddard, who is so deeply good and just yet has conflict aplenty. So, why not both?

9. Historically accurate Westerns or Westerns that aren't afraid to take some creative liberties? 

I am probably wouldn't know the difference, actually, so give me all you've got!

10. Bittersweet or happily-ever-after endings?

Bittersweet! But only when it comes to this genre. I like Westerns to show me that there was a toll paid for what happened. If the "bad guys" are just terrible shots and everyone gets what they wanted, it feels like a cop-out. There are some times that I definitely wanted a happy ending and just get too sad about what happens (like a certain Alan Ladd movie from 1948), but usually my heart is aching in a satisfied way.

There you have it! This party is going to be ending soon, so check it out! Thank you again to all of the wonderful hosts! There are so many stunning posts entered here, I recommend checking them all out!

What do you think of my answers? Any western recommendations? As of now, that I can count off the top of my head, I've seen 37 films and 2 tv shows that fall into that genre. I'm someone who usually loves happy endings, so does anyone know why I prefer bittersweet endings in this genre? Has anyone seen Night Passage and can help confirm if that's the movie I have seen?

See you around, partner!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Book Review: One Bad Apple - by Rachel Kovaciny

 Howdy, “pardners”!

February is sometimes agreed to be the gloomiest month of the year, but it is almost behind us. I didn’t think it was that boring (I mean, there’s snow, so that’s good in all ways!) but these early months are good for reading and I did a lot of that. Technically, I read the book that I’m reviewing now in October, but all the same I think it could be ideal for all of you in this kind of weather to brighten your mood.

This book is the third in the Once Upon a Western series. All of these books are fairy tales retold in a western setting without any magic! Well, that last part isn’t true as Ms. Kovaciny must use magic while writing to make these books so delightful. None of the books contain the same characters (expect for small cameos that please me tremendously) so you can read them in any order. All the same, if you want to read the books in the order that she wrote them, but want to know more, then here are my reviews for the other books in the series:
Book 1: Cloaked
Book 2: Dancing and Doughnuts

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


One Bad Apple - by Rachel Kovaciny:

Levi Dalton and his six siblings and cousins have been left all alone by their covered wagon train. They have all lost their parents and their only remaining guardian is an uncle they have never met but they have to get to him in Junction City. Soon they are found by a wagon train consisting of all Black pioneers. They let the children join their group, but only a few, like Hopeful Mallone and her father, trust them. Levi is soon fascinated by Hopeful’s stepmother who helps heal people and he wants to learn her ways. All seems to be going well, but is something sinister brewing on the horizon?
Genres: Western, Fairytale retelling, Young Adult.
Characters: 9, the characters were great! Ms. Kovaciny deals well with working with big casts of characters and making them unique. It could be quite hard to wrangle all of Levi’s relatives, but she does it with easy as well as have prominent members of the wagon train.
My favorites:
Levi: He is my precious child. This fourteen year old boy is so realistic! He is so sweet with just wanting to help people so there aren’t more deaths as he’s lost too many people already. He wants to be seen by his family but he hates too much attention.
Hopeful: Her name suits her 100%. She sees the good in people, but she isn’t naive and recognizes danger. Too few people listen to her, but she is still strong. Her love of God makes all others hopeful, too!
Jacob: He gets the role of being the oldest and trying to watch out for all the other kids. He is very distant, but not in a lazy way, very understandably. This sentence describes him perfectly: ‘The surest way of making him refuses to do something was by urging him to do it.’
Ness: Poor Ness goes through a lot, but I love him. He is patient and kind, which are the best things.
Words/Writing style: 9. No bad words at all. It is told in first person, past tense. The reason that I enjoy it so much is because it is told through Levi’s perspective! It is the perfect basis for the story. I wouldn’t have thought of it, but nothing could’ve fit it better. Grief has made him grow up quickly, but he is still very much a child.

‘The ache of missing them had become a tender throb and not the first sharp pain I’d thought would split me like kindling.’

World building/Setting: 8. This is a new category for me! It is set on a wagon train heading west which fits the story like a glove. I have done a lot of research about the Oregon Trail, but I still learned loads.
Quotability: N/A. As my reviews mature (at least, I think they’re maturing and getting better...) I’ve found that this doesn’t apply much to books. Mostly because I have no one to quote them too unless my sisters are familiar with them. Don’t doubt that this had good lines, though!
Content: 9. There is death and how to deal with grief which is very poignant. Other death is there with killing and plotting, but it is shown to be wrong. It also addresses racism and shows how judgement is a terrible thing, which I loved!
Originality: 10. I love the fairy tale of Snow White and therefore have read many versions. This was new in all ways! Ms. Kovaciny is not lacking creativity in any ways. There are tie-ins to a certain Shakespeare play which are well done. I’m only mildly acquainted with that play, but I’m sure others who know it more will notice things I didn’t catch.
Good For: Fairy tale lovers, western fans, families.
Age Range: Though this is Young Adult, it is perfectly fine for any age. In fact, I think it could be beneficial for younger readers especially, but older people will enjoy this, too.
Overall Score: 9!
Worth reading?: Indeed, as the day is long! Sorry, that might not make any sense but I’m trying to sound like I’m from the west. The Snow White factor brought me in, but Levi ensured that I stayed! It is a Christian book as Hopeful’s father is a Reverend and has messages of faith. If I had been in a different mood I might’ve found it “preachy” in one or two places, but it was just what I needed at the time.
Will I read again?: I went through all the trouble of getting a copy, so yes I will! I want my sisters to enjoy it, too, though they aren’t as into Snow White as I am.
Bonus thoughts:

“Don’t matter what you look like so much as what you do!”

There is a character I can’t forget to mention, Mrs. Mallone! She is a very complicated character, and while her relationship with one character felt rushed, I know that this is a short book so there isn’t a lot of time to delve into things.
American History month, and this book is rich in just that! This book is inspiring for what people went through way back when, but African Americans had even bigger troubles. This book takes a look at that and is eye-opening. Let’s not make that same mistake as history did.


By the way, after, and only after, you’ve read this then you should read Rachel’s short story, Run, Run! It takes another fairy tale and uses these characters to take a peek into their lives after the book has ended.



There you have it! Have any of you read this? What are your favorite Snow White retellings? Tell me some other African American books (or movies!) that I should try. Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

The Legends of Western Cinema Week 2020 Tag!

Howdy, y'all!

Hamlette at Hamlette's Soliloquy and Heidi of Along the Brandywine are again hosting The Legends of Western Cinema Week! I wasn't able to join last year, so you can bet that I'm going full out now!

They have created a fun tag which I am filling out today! Now, I haven't seen a ton of westerns so I have decided to try to use no movie in more than one answer and therefore make it look like I've seen a lot. We'll see how this works out...

The Questions and Answers:

1. What's the last western you watched?

Big Jake (1971) which I reviewed for this week. I actually really liked it, which I wasn't expecting.

2. A western of any stripe (happy or tragic) where you were highly satisfied by the ending?

It's kind of funny, all the westerns I'm thinking of being really satisfied with the ending I don't clearly remember. I don't even remember the exact ending, I just have a feeling of being satisfied with it. Like Destry Rides Again (1938).

Also, a movie that I saw ages ago and don't even know what it was (I'm 80% sure that it's Night Passage (1957)) had an ending that absolutely destroyed me, but in a good way. And if it's in my favorites then I'm probably pretty content with that end of the story.

3. The funniest western you've seen?

Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)! In fact, this movie is in my top ten all time favorites because it is just so hilarious! If you haven't seen it, you totally should. Any time I watch it it just makes my day!
"Now that's funny, that's real funny."

4. What similar elements/themes show up in your favorite westerns?

Jimmy Stewart. I know that he isn't an element or theme, but he is my favorite part of most westerns that I've seen.

To be serious though, I think sacrifice. People putting others before themselves and making sacrifices, even of their life, to help the cause! This happens in all genres of movies, but it is something that connects quite a few of my favorite westerns.

5. Favorite actress who made 1 or more westerns?

I'm looking at my list here of all the westerns I think I've seen, and there are only a few repeating actresses, but none of them are in more than two (so far as what I've seen). I'm going with the incredible Olivia de Havilland because I've seen her in Dodge City (1939) and The Proud Rebel (1958). She just passed away last month and we will miss her terribly!

6. Favorite western hero/sidekick pairing?

Now I would list different people, but I already used that movie in the funniest question. Shucks, this is hard. But, never fear, I still have another pairing. I saw The Lone Ranger (2013) for the first time this year, and while there were parts I didn't like, the dynamic duo of John Reid and Tonto made the whole movie worth it.

7. Scariest villain/antagonist in a Western?

Liberty Valance from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He's your standard "baddie" but extra mean. That isn't what is scary about him. What's scary is how he affects Ransom Stoddard, a lawyer just trying to do justice. Ransom stays strong for so long, but Liberty's constant cruelness starts to get to him, and that's scary to me. This movie is incredible and one of my favorites!

8. Favorite romance in a western?

This isn't even a question, it's so easy! Jim Craig and Jessica Harrison from The Man From Snowy River (1982). Ack, I love this movie (getting about time for a rewatch...) and these two are the reason!

9. Three of your favorite westerns?

(Note to self: Read through questions before deciding to not use any movies twice.)

If I have said in another question that it is one of my favorites, then it is and you should go watch it. Here are just some more:

The Magnificent Seven (1960)
True Grit (1969)
Home on the Range (2004) (Look, this one is full of nostalgia for me and I'm running out of options...)

10. Share one (or several!) of your favorite quotes from a western.

Well, these are going be from Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) and because we're talking about quotes instead of movies I can do that. I made the rules, I can break them. These are going to be out of context, but I hope that I can get you curious enough to watch this movie!

"I've made it no secret that I'm on my way to Australia."

"60 for who and 40 for who!?"

'"It doesn't sound a little childish to you?"

"No, I told you, I think it sounds mature."' 

(You need to hear that in Prudy's voice!)

"How dare you walk into my office and pull a gun on me."

'"Pa, you been touching up your hair again?"

"What do ya mean again!?"

"Nothing. It looks better in spots, that's all."

"What do ya mean spots!?"

"Nothin'!"'

A huge thank you to Hamlette and Heidi for hosting! Check out HERE or HERE for all things western! You're also free to do this tag, then link up with them so everyone can read it.

Thanks for reading! Anybody else seen Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)? What do you think of my answers?

MovieCritic