Because of the iconic themes and ideals with in the western movie, which often mirrors the fantastical elements in a sci-fi tale, such as (but not limited to) unknown wilderness and the survival of pioneers, and social decay and order, it would not be very long before the two genres merged, given us a new sub-category called the Weird West.

The first notable example was in The Phantom Empire from 1935, a sci-fi/western, which marked the debut of Gene Autry. The singing cowboy had to deal with Thunder Riders from a super-scientific underground empire of Murania, an empire complete with towering skyscrapers, robots, ray-guns, elevators tubes that extend miles from the surface, and evil blonde Queen Tika. The 12-part serial was a box office hit, launching Autry’s career in western, but proving early, there’s a fan-base for the atypical western. The film would later be re-cut into a 70 minute movie often called Men with Steel Faces. The 1930s saw two other weird westerns in Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937) and The Terror of Tiny Town (1938), that mixed horror elements in.

From then, the 1940s and the 1950s strictly focused on the sci-fi genre in the world of B-pictures, but it was the 1960s that saw some Poverty Row-types of weird westerns in Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966) and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966), which quite frankly are pretty bad films, made famous from Elvira’s Movie Macabre. Both are also notable because of Forry Ackerman’s coverage of them in his Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, more than the actual content of the film, which are near Ed Wood levels of production quality. Speaking of Ed Wood, he tried to do his own weird west movie with Bela Lugosi called The Ghoul Goes West, but it was left un-produced.

Probably the first real stand-out weird west film was from 1969′s The Valley of Gwangi, a cowboy/dinosaur hybrid with exceptional stop-motion FX from Ray Harryhausen. Using some ideas and themes from his mentor Willis O’Brien when he did a forgotten sci-fi western back in the ’50s called The Beast from Hollow Mountain that involved an Allosaurus and cowboys, Harryhausen crafted a superb sequence in which a group of cowboys are trying to wrangle the Allosaurus like a bull. But the elements of dinosaurs and cowboys were successful mixed due to tackling the project in a real sense of the film’s world, and not in high camp. Jon Favreau did the exact same thing in Cowboys & Aliens.

From here the sub-genre became spotty, with some rare good entries like Westworld (1973) a Micheal Crichton-directed film with robotic-cowboys;  Near Dark (1987) that used the Spaghetti Western with vampires angle; Back to the Future Part III (1990) that gave the series a nifty spin in the Old West – DeLorean and all; and Ravenous, a cannibal horror-western that echoes the real life incidents of the Donner Party and Alferd Packer, who also got a musical-comedy-horror film from Trey Parker and Matt Stone in Cannibal! The Musical. But from Gwangi on, we most got stuck with some weird west films that failed to mash-up the genre successfully like in 1982′s Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann and 1999′s Wild Wild West, a big-budget version of the campy TV series.

Despite the spotty nature of this genre, it’s been at the forefront once more in the current years, with 2000′s Shanghai Noon, a blend of martial arts and guns; Ginger Snaps Back given some werewolves a chance to roam the 1800s; Sukiyaki Western: Django, which is a clever and odd mash-up of the samurai genre and the Spaghetti Western; Jonah Hex which is a skeletal film based on the DC Comics supernatural cowboy; and this year’s Priest 3D and of course, Cowboys & Aliens.

The western is the one proud genre that has been the back bone of American cinema since the beginning of the talkies, and whatever else a film-maker can add to it to spruce it up, they will, as evident in this Brief History of the Weird West in Movies.

Thoughts? Comment below!

Both Captain America and Harry Potter brought in another $24 million and $21 million, ensuring their dominance at number 3 and 4 at the box office. Potter was also the first film in the franchise to singly cross a billion world wide.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens this weekend.

Source: Collider

And I do mean western. It’s got the requisite cowboy loner, the sheriff, the bartender, the maid, the wealthy landowner, the boss’s son, the bandits, the misfit cattle hands, and Native Americans, and they’re all banding together to fight the common alien enemy. Except the boss’s son, he’s rather useless.

The confusing part of this film, unless you’ve read the comics on which it’s based, is that we don’t really know what to expect. On one hand we’re ready to see some cowboys and the wilderness and the gruff nature of the wild west. On the other hand we’re anticipating some aliens and the technology and the unknown nature of the science fiction.  It’s not only two sides of a coin, but two completely different coins that have never really been brought together at this scale. The screenplay felt dumbed down at parts to help glue the two together, but without calling the aliens demons, the story wouldn’t be believable.

Like most westerns, the best character of the film was the lone wanderer. Daniel Craig brought the quintessential western bad ass to the screen like only James Bond can, with more than one scene of him flaunting his pain threshold. He takes no lip from anyone and refuses to flinch (or even blink?). I was quickly convinced that he could handle himself in a fight with multiple people let alone one alien. When it came time to use the “arm gun” blaster bracelet, I didn’t question that he could.

Harrison Ford delivers a convincing role as the wealthy landowner father who makes up with ruthlessness what his brat kid lacks in testosterone. Lacking so much in fact, that the boss’s son, played by Paul Dano, turns into one of the damsels in distress who requires rescuing.

Olivia Wilde was, indeed, the wild card. Not quite the damsel, not quite the heroine, she kind of sneaks up as being the most important character in the plot. It may seem that the big reveal was wedged in a bit, but only because we get so caught up in the context of the west that it’s easy to forget that, hey, there’s aliens in this.

All of the characters, of course, get their turn beating some “demons” in the final action set piece. Given the context, the action scenes were thankfully not overrun by technology. While the script doesn’t lend itself to pulling me back in for a repeat, Cowboys & Aliens hogties the grit of The Western and the excitement of aliens together into a very satisfying film that’s worth a watch.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jake Lonergan is a stranger with no memory of his past, who stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. But the town is soon invaded by aliens and Jake must pull together a posse comprised of former opponents to combat these extraterrestrials.

Source: AICN

(July 1st)

[Note: We already covered Transformers: Dark of the Moon in our June Movie Preview here, due to Paramount's last minute switch to a June 29th release date, but for everyone's convenience, we'll recover the film below on its original release date.]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The IMDb plot: “The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers’ final battle.”

3D Option? Yes.

Jon: [My review is here] Here’s a first: I’m actually excited for a Michael Bay film. No this isn’t Donny, it’s still good old Jon, but why you ask? I wasn’t really sold until a few weeks back when I saw the trailer in stunning 3D. Stunning. 3D. Bay has always had a way with action sequences, and this is going to be his epic orgy of destruction and the 3D looks to actually add to the mayhem. Still, that replacement girl Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is no Megan Fox, but that’s what the sound design is for: distraction. After stutter-stepping in the first few films, this is the one where Bay gets it right. See it.

Donny: I have always been a fan of fine cheese and Michael Bay knows how to deliver in that department. I’m disappointed that Megan Fox isn’t in the picture, but I’m always down to watch Bay blow s**t up. See it.

(July 8th)

Horrible Bosses

The IMDb plot: “Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: I am extremely excited about this movie! The cast is incredible and the concept is interesting. I’m gonna be there on opening night. See it.

Jon: Is it bad that I can relate to this movie? Sorry Donny. Jokes, jokes, I have other jobs were my bosses would benefit the work force by being six feet deep, and this little morbid comedy should fit the bill for my sadistic tastes. Good cast, neat idea, see it.

(July 15th)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II

The IMDb plot: “The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes…”

3D Option? Yes.

Jon: Oh, no! It’s the final Harry Potter film EVER! [falls to his knees and cries out to God] Actually, I don’t care, but I understand the success and popularity of the series, which this film should close it out in epic fashion. If you haven’t jumped on this train yet, no sense in doing so now so I’m skipping it, but fans will gladly see it twice.

Donny: Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course I’m gonna see it! I’ve been a Harry Potter fan from the beginning and I’m not about to stop now. One of my favorites is coming to an end and I will definitely be there. 

(July 22nd)

Captain America: The First Avenger

The IMDb plot: “After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.”

3D Option? Yes.

Donny: I’m not completely sold on it. The trailer looks slick, but the CGI skinny version of  the Captain looks terrible. I’m gonna reserve judgement until I see it.

Jon: Out of all the Marvel superheroes, I also thought a movie version of Captain America would be risky, and possibly cheesy. When they announced Joe Johnston as the director, I was still skeptical. I loved his Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III was fun, but recent works left a lot to be desired. Then the trailer hit. WWII action, superb casting, killer outfit, and all of that cheesy aspects I felt wouldn’t translate well went away, and we might have one hell of a movie here. Plus, it’s the last Marvel movie before The Avengers. See it.

Friends with Benefits

The IMDb plot: “While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: Ah, friends with benefits. A concept foreign to Donny and I, since we’re married men, but remember back in January there was another movie based on this sexual concept called No Strings Attached? This looks really funny, and better than the Ashton Kutcher/Natalie Portman sexcapade comedy. Plus, I can fantasize about having Mila Kunis as my “friend with a benefit”… See it.

Donny: I have slowly become a fan of Justin Timberlake’s acting and Kunis is hotter than fish grease. While I’m not impressed with the story of this one (we’ve all seen this before) I still want to see it.

Another Earth

The IMDb plot: “On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: Looks fantastic. I’m a sucker for sci-fi flicks and from the looks of it, I don’t think Another Earth is going to disappoint. See it.

Jon: More drama than action sci-fi, it wowed festival audiences before getting picked up by Fox Searchlight. Neat, quiet sci-fi concept. Worth a look if you’re tiring of big budgeted summer fare. See it.

(July 29th)

Cowboys & Aliens

The IMDb plot: “A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: If there’s any genre that has been stale for a good long while, it’s the western. Now, we love our gunfights, our hard-nosed heroes, our Americana, but let’s face it: it’s a genre that probably won’t ever change or become as popular in Hollywood as it was in the 40s and 50s. So the solution is to add aliens? Hell yeah! This is one of the genre offerings this summer I cannot wait for. Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, aliens, Jon Favreau, shit son, this is going to rock. How could it not? See it.

Donny: Jon Favreau + Daniel Craig = kick-ass action! See it.

Attack the Block

The IMDb plot: “A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: I don’t know much about ATB, but it sure looks like fun. I’m gonna disagree with Jon and maker sure my ass is in the theatre on opening night. See it.

Jon: Apparently, this is the coolest thing since Monster Squad, yet nothing has gotten me excited for it. The posters are ‘meh’, the trailer looks okay, but word on the street is this is 2011′s cult classic. Until I see it (and I’ll probably eat my words), it hasn’t done it for me: Thrill me. Skip it.

The Devil’s Double

The IMDb plot: “A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein’s sadistic son.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: This film has a solid director in Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) and early buzz for Dominic Cooper’s performance, yet outside of the solid gold (and creative) poster, little has really grabbed hold of my interest. It’ll probably be a decent film, but wait. Skip it.

Donny: This is one of my most anticipated films of the year. Great director, interesting story, and ass-loads of style. See it.

July Spotlight

The Ward

The IMDb plot: “A thriller centered on an institutionalized young woman who becomes terrorized by a ghost.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: John Carpenter is one of those directors that I’ll follow no matter what. While he has made a few stale flick, all of them are still watchable. With that said, I’m going to see it.

Jon: Early word has been mixed, but how could we not feature the latest John Carpenter movie, especially given his absence? I love Amber Heard and Danielle Panabaker and the concept seems tried and true. Even average Carpenter is worth watching over the highly saturated studio horror movies released every other month. See it.

It’s a pretty interesting month for genre releases, huh? We will have reviews of these films and more all month long here on the genre site of awesome, Killer Film! We told you what to see and skip, but comment below letting us know what you’re exciting for or what are you not seeing?

“1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.”

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, and Olivia Wilde star. Wicked.

The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents-townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors-all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Source: Coming Soon

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents–townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors–all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Thanks to The HD Room for the embedded video.

Source: Apple Trailers

The official synopsis: “1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.”

According to Heat Vision Blog, Spencer will play a “prostitute named Alice, a former lover of Craig’s character who makes him change his ways.” The film is based on the graphic novel by Platinum Studios. Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will be producing, with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg representing Platinum Studios. Filming is currently underway in  Sante Fe, New Mexico. Jon Favreau will be directing.

Cowboys and Aliens will open on July 29, 2011.

If Craig does sign on, he’d be the journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is looking for the missing woman, Harriet Banger (The Wrap). Carey Mulligan is circling the production, eyeing one of the lead roles. Principal photography is expected to start this October in order to reach a December 2011 release date.

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger’s are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves

The film centers on an extraterrestrial species lands in Arizona in the mid-1800s. The aliens plan to squash the Wild West and enslave humanity, but thecowboys and native Apache have other plans. Those already part of the cast include Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano and Noah Ringer.

Principal photography is beginning this summer in time to make their July 29th, 2011 release date from Universal Pictures and DreamWorks SKG. Recently Beach was seen in the lastest season for the hit HBO series Big Love and wrapped up filming his role in Michael F. Sears’ Warrior.

The story, based off the comic created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, is set in Silver City, Arizona, where Apache Indians and Western settlers must lay their differences aside when an alien spaceship crash lands in their city. Rockwell will play a bar owner named Doc who joins in the pursuit of the aliens (Heat Vision Blog). Daniel Craig heads the cast that includes Noah Ringer, Olivia Wilde and Harrison Ford.

Cowboys and Aliens is set to begin principal photography this June with a July 29th, 2011 release date from DreamWorks SKG and Universal Pictures. Check out Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer in the Marvel Studios sequel Iron Man 2 coming out in theaters and IMAX this Friday.

In the future, the world is reeling from an outbreak of vampirism. The vampires have an uneasy truce with humanity, but recently there’s been a new series of attacks from vampires in Russia in possession of nukes. The protagonist, Captain Ethan Cutter, must lead his elite commando unit behind enemy lines to bring an end to the blood nation before the vampires bring an end to the world.

Platinum Studios is currently got their arms wrapped around the production of the Jon Farveau directed feature Cowboys and Aliens. With the seemingly never-ending wave of comic book adapted features, is there any particular property that you would like to see appear on the big screen?