How the West Was 'Cast

Are you brave enough to venture into the harrowing world of The Thicket? Join us for an in-depth conversation with visionary director Elliott Lester, the man behind the mayhem! In this gripping episode, Andrew Patrick Nelson sits down with Lester to discuss the making of what many consider the best theatrical Western of 2024. Currently topping the movie rental charts on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV+, Tubi, and more, The Thicket is a bold and brutal winter Western t...

You asked for it, so we’ve delivered! Since the launch of this podcast, John Ford’s masterpiece The Searchers has been our most frequently requested film by far. In this highly anticipated episode, we have a fascinating conversation about it that you won’t want to miss. Joining us to discuss Ford’s influential Western is author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Frankel, whose bestselling book The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend belongs on the shelf of every serious Weste...

On this super-size episode, Matt and Andrew discuss the biggest Western movie event in recent memory. Is Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 a bold and breathtaking vision of the Old West or a television miniseries masquerading as a feature film? Our hosts debate the issue, covering everything from key scenes and performances to John Debney’s score to the critical and commercial reaction to the movie. And in a special bonus segment at the end of the episode, returning ...

The official trailer for Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga was just released, and Matthew Chernov and Andrew Patrick Nelson are sharing their first reactions to it in this special episode! What clues to the film’s story and characters are hidden within this 3-minute trailer? What tone is Costner going for this time around, and how will his wildly ambitious cinematic epic fit into his already impressive Western filmography? There’s a lot here to chew on, so join Matt and Andrew as they...

This year marks the centennial anniversary of Warner Brothers, the legendary Hollywood studio founded by Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner. To commemorate the occasion, we're joined by author Chris Yogerst, whose latest book - The Warner Brothers - was recently published by the University Press of Kentucky. On this fascinating episode, Chris and Andrew Patrick Nelson discuss the history of the Western film genre at Warner Brothers, and they look at several of the most memorable and importan...

On this special bonus episode, we take a look at the factual Western drama series Into the Wild Frontier, which is entering its fourth season on the INSP network. Our very own Andrew Patrick Nelson has appeared numerous times on the series, providing info and commentary about the legendary figures and historic events covered on the show. Joining us on podcast to discuss the series is Emmy-nominated filmmaker Paul Epstein, the executive producer and showrunner on Into the Wild Frontier. Don’t ...

Return with us now to the decade that gave the world Zima®, Beanie Babies, and the Macarena. That's right, we're traveling back to the 1990s for a discussion about six overlooked Westerns that deserve more attention! You won't find iconic '90s classics like Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven, orTombstone on this particular show. Instead, we're focusing on '90s Westerns that have been either ignored, forgotten, or underappreciated for far too long. So toss a burger on your George Foreman Grill®, l...

The gripping story of a down-and-out cowhand who becomes ensnared in a complex scheme to dupe a local rancher out of a fortune, the moody 1948 film Blood on the Moon combines the mythic milieu of the Hollywood Western with the dark psychological themes of a classic noir. On this engaging episode, Andrew Patrick Nelson chats with acclaimed author, biographer and film noir expert Alan K. Rode, whose latest book – titled Blood on the Moon – offers a fascinating analysis of this influential Weste...

Think about your favorite Western and chances are you can practically hear the rousing theme music playing in your head. On this melodious new episode, musician Mark Swan, from the band Natalie Pryce, joins us to discuss six Western film scores that we highly recommend. It’s an entertaining look at classic movie music from the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘90s. We also chat about Mark’s amazing new album, Frontera USA, which is the soundtrack to an imaginary Spaghetti Western! So get ready to hum al...

Later this month, the Pioneertown International Film Festival makes its debut in California’s High Desert region, kicking off three days of classic Westerns, world premieres, documentaries, shorts, concerts and live workshops. On this special bonus episode, we chat with Julian Pinder, the co-founder of the festival, and Todd Luoto, the festival’s head programmer, to find out more about the exciting Western-themed events they’re planning! For tickets to the festival, or for info about the scre...

More than 40 years after its initial release, Michael Cimino's ambitious Western epic Heaven's Gate remains one of the most divisive films of all time. Some still see it as a colossal failure in every way, while others (like our very own Matthew Chernov) regard it as an astonishing work of art. On this special episode, we speak with author Charles Elton about his new book Cimino: The Deer Hunter, Heaven's Gate, and the Price of a Vision. Join us for a revealing interview about the controversi...

If there's a quaternity of artists whose work in the Western genre continues to attract legions of fans and inspire generations of filmmakers, it's most certainly John Ford, John Wayne, Sergio Leone, and Clint Eastwood. On this episode, co-host Andrew Patrick Nelson discusses the profound impact these four giants had on the genre, and reveals that many of the popular notions we have about them may not paint the full picture. It's a fascinating lecture that was originally delivered at th...