Viggo Mortensen

“This is a real classic. Stagecoach.”

“Red River.”

“Forty Guns, Sam Fuller, the master of pulp fiction movie storytelling. There's a great shot that starts the movie where she's riding hell for leather, leading her 40 men with their 40 guns. Barbara Stanwyck is really great in this movie.”

“The Gunfighter. I had my doubts about Gregory Peck in this role. He plays a veteran gunfighter who was trying to leave that behind, hang up his gun and lead a more peaceful life. But it's a dark kind of psychological drama. I didn't know if he'd be dark enough psychologically, but I was wrong, he's great in this movie.”

“The Furies. This is another great Barbara Stanwyck role. She's not the boss, but she's pretty bossy. The boss is played by Walter Huston in his last role, directed by Anthony Mann, who's one of the icons among Western directors.”

“The original 3:10 to Yuma. Delmer Daves, studio director, very capable, very efficient. It is a really well-paced movie, really well done. Another thing about this movie, 3:10 to Yuma, is Glenn Ford on a horse. He was probably one of the top two or three horsemen among popular western actors. I think he was probably the best. It's not just the way he rode, it was the way he would get on a horse or approach a horse.”

“This is the newest of the westerns I picked, it's McCabe & Mrs. Miller. It's part of like the New Hollywood in that the story is kind of messier than what you're usually getting from Hollywood until that point. Oh, I love the music in this movie and it features primarily three songs by Leonard Cohen. These songs are beautiful. I can't think of this movie without thinking of Leonard Cohen, the songs are perfect.”

“This is a great box set. I love these movies. These are Budd Boetticher, who made a series of B-westerns. He teamed up with actor-producer Randolph Scott. He did five under this label, the Ranown Westerns. These five movies are The Tall T, Decision at Sundown, Buchanan Rides Alone, Ride Lonesome, and the last one they made together, Comanche Station. They're lean and mean. Legendary partnership.”