9 years ago Kurt Russell starred in two of the best modern westerns and they were released just 2 months apart

The success of modern western movies like Bone tomahawk, The Revenant, The Hateful EightAnd Django Unchained have led to a renewed interest in the Western movie genre. Westerns were immensely popular until the 1970s when, potentially due to less original ideas, Western movies took a dip in popularity. However, they have not completely disappeared, as several Hollywood actors and filmmakers have found great success in exploring the Wild Wild West on the big screen. Among the many contemporary actors to deliver quality Westerns in recent years is Kurt Russell.

With a history in the genre dating back to his days as a child actor, Kurt Russell has been starring in Westerns for decades. A year when he was particularly busy with his work in the genre was 2015; This year was not only a high point for Westerns, but it was also notable for Russell, as it saw him star in two standout Westerns, released just two months apart. Russell plays a sheriff in Bone tomahawkDirected by S. Craig Zahler, it sets out on a search party to find prisoners taken by cannibal cave dwellers. In Quentin Tarantino The hate eightHe plays a bounty hunter and defends himself from a blizzard with other criminals.

Kurt Russell starred in Bone Tomahawk & The Hateful Eight in 2015

Bone Tomahawk has one of the most disturbing deaths in a western

Unlike most Westerns, which usually contain at least one heroic character, The hate eight Has no real heroes, as the eight people in the cabin are killers and criminals. Russell plays John Ruth, the fur coat-wearing bounty hunter who trusts nobody and interrogates everybody. however, Russell’s character in Bone tomahawk is the archetypal good guy Seen in many classic Westerns: Russell plays Sheriff Franklin Hunt, who is determined to protect as many people as possible, even while in mortal danger himself. Dog’s bravery makes Bone tomahawkHis gory death is even more disturbing, as the audience sees it through Hunt’s eyes.

One destroying death in Bone tomahawk Is Notoriously difficult to watch, and unusually gory for a Western movie Which, although they rarely shy away from blood and violence, does not lead into the horror genre. Hunt’s search party finds the kidnap victims they are looking for, but are taken prisoner themselves, and Deputy Nick is scalped and dismembered while alive, as The camera remains on Nick and the bloodiest parts throughout. Nick’s gruesome death scene is not only memorable in its own right, but adds another interesting dimension to it Bone tomahawkMaking it both a western and a horror.

Bone Tomahawk vs. The Hateful Eight: Which Is Better (& Which Was Better)

The Hateful Eight was originally going to have a classic Western trope

Bone tomahawk drew a high Rotten tomatoes Score, box office success, and a shoutout from horror writer Stephen King, who praised Bone tomahawk For the dialogue. Bone tomahawk is considered a slow burn, but Russell is given a chance to show audiences who his character is in both domestic and dangerous settings. The hate eight It did not do so well at the box office, however, the performance of the cast, which also includes Tim Roth and Samuel L. Jackson, are praised as The hate eight Added a ‘whodunit’ aspect to the western genre.

Bone tomahawk And The hate eight Stand out from other Westerns as they include elements from other genres. Bone tomahawk The horror gradually increases throughout the movie, while The hate eightWhat began with a typical Western trope of a criminal being sent to be executed continues as a mystery, complete with a fake letter and spoiled coffee. The hate eightThe ending saw the characters doubting each other, Daisy being hanged, and Mannix and Warren dying as friends, however, Tarantino’s original ending has a Western trope: a shootoutWith each character killing someone, leaving Warren as the only character left alive.

Kurt Russell has a long history with the western genre

Tombstone is often considered Russell’s most popular western, but that depends on who’s writing

Kurt Russell’s second film role was in 1964’s Western Guns of Diablo. Since then, he has played a variety of characters, who often behave as if in a western, such as Escape from New YorkS snake flow. Although Russell appeared in relatively few Westerns when taking the many roles in his long film career into account, the Western movies with Russell were very well received. his 1993 movie, tombstoneFeatures what is arguably one of Russell’s best roles, in which Russell plays the legendary lawman Wyatt EarpAs well as producing and ghost-directing the movie.

The biopic of Wyatt Earp tombstone was seen as a career-defining movie for RussellAnd is especially praised for the action and dialogue. Russell praised himself tombstoneTelling GQ“It’s considered one of the greatest westerns ever made, I’m happy about it… I can’t say it, but I love hearing it.“Although tombstoneRotten Tomatoes’ rating is a lower-than-expected 73%, its audience rating is 93%. interesting, tombstones rating is almost exactly the opposite of Bone tomahawks ratingWith critics give Bone tomahawk 91% and audiences give it 74%. tombstone may be Russell’s Greatest West, but by the numbers, Bone tomahawk is only one point behind.

Source: GQ