Last week director Quentin Tarantino confirmed that his next movie is set to be another Western, following the unprecedented success of the critically acclaimed Django Unchained. So in honour of the genre that defined early Hollywood, you might want to take a look at some other recent Westerns, all available for you to enjoy in high definition on Blu-ray this weekend.
Django Unchained Limited Edition Steelbook
On top of exceptional box office success, Tarantino also picked up two Oscars for his first Western, Django Unchained. Jamie Foxx stars as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles. The Limited Edition Steelbook is still available and boasts several exclusive special features, including a featurette on reimagining the spaghetti Western, a look at costume design and a piece on Tarantino’s other iconic movies.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Like Django, this movie puts a modern twist on the Western, this time revisiting the true story of cowboy Jesse James (Brad Pitt). Jesse is coming to the end of his career, living as an outlaw in Missouri. He senses it is only a matter of time before he is either picked up by the authorities, or sold out by one of his treacherous bandmates. The awkward teenager Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) has spent a lifetime idolising Jesse, collecting newspaper clippings chronicling his escapades, and finally gets a chance to join Jesse’s gang. The relationship between Jesse and Robert deteriorates with devastating consequences. The stunning cinematography of the Wild West’s snowy vistas and vast plains is brilliantly captured on 1080p Blu-ray.
Tombstone
A high energy, tough talking Western, Tombstone is loosely based on real life events at the notorious silver mining town, Tombstone, Arizona. When former Sheriff Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) rocks up in Tombstone hoping to enjoy his retirement by opening a gambling den, he’s soon disturbed by the local bandits and forced to bring peace to the town. The expertly designed soundtrack, dusty Wild West streets and the infamous gunfights including one at the legendary OK Corral sound and look superb on high definition Blu-ray. The special features include insights on the creative process behind the movie, story boards and deleted scenes.
