The western in all its forms is the subject of Jem Duducu's new fascinating book.
Even while the frontiers of the Wild West were being fought over, its myth was being forged. Sometimes this was in the form of incredibly popular pulp novels, on others the likes of the hugely successful Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show that even toured Europe and delighted monarchs. By the turn of the 20th Century, just as the era was being consigned to history, motion pictures began telling these stories in a new medium. Some of the early films were supervised by the very legends of the old west the movie was about. The era of the western was born.Some of the most important films of the 20th century were westerns. Many of Hollywood’s brightest stars regularly played cowboys and for decades, the simple western was a guaranteed way to make money and fill a movie theatre.Like every art form, over the years the western evolved. At times it was as wholesome as apple pie. There were times when it redefined cinema in terms of scope and storytelling. In other decades it created great anxiety about levels of violence and moral nihilism. The genre has been used to entertain, reveal the plight of indigenous peoples, explore racism, sexism and even homophobia. There have been westerns that have been analogies for the perils of McCarthyism. A few have been heaped with awards and critical acclaim, others were reviled by critics (and sometimes even their own studio) only to go on and be massive box office successes. Lines, images and scores from westerns have seeped into pop culture.Today the western no longer dominates cinemas as it once did but they are still hugely popular. Once again they have evolved with the times, becoming hit video games or massively popular shows on TV or streaming services.
Buy here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:18:09
--------
1:18:09
Tom Shone on The Greengrass Papers
Top author and friend of the podcast Tom Shone returns to talk about his new book The Greengrass Papers which gets up close and personal with one of the most influential film directors of our time Paul Greengrass. From The Murder of Stephen Lawrence through the Bourne films and Captain Phillips to his latest The Last Bus, we go through it all.
The book is available here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:20:03
--------
1:20:03
David Hughes on Night Moves by Alan Sharp
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Arthur Penn's neo-noir thriller Night Moves, starring the late Gene Hackman, Alan Sharp's novel based on his original screenplay – out of print since its first publication in 1975 – is presented here in a stunning new paperback edition, with exclusive cover art by the legendary Tony Stella, an introduction by Matthew Asprey Gear (author of Moseby Confidential) and an afterword by David Manderson (author of The Anti-hero's Journey: the Work and Life of Alan Sharp).
Out of print for 50 years, this special edition is strictly limited to 1,000 copies, and exclusively available from Plumeria here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:13:01
--------
1:13:01
Ellen E Jones on Screen Deep: How Film and TV Can Solve Racism and Save the World
Another chance to hear the episode on the Kraszna- Krausz Moving Image Book Award Winning Screen Deep by Ellen E Jones.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:12:35
--------
1:12:35
Ellen E Jones on the Kraszna-Krausz Moving Image Book Award
Today I talk to Ellen E Jones the winner of the Kraszna- Krausz Moving Image Book Awards 2025.
The event at the Barbican to celebrate Ellen's win is on 27 October - https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/imitation-of-life-12-with-introduction-reception
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writers on Film is the only podcast to focus on film books and to talk to the best authors working in the area of cinema. From Making Of tomes to biographies, studies to novelisations, author and film critic John Bleasdale is fascinated by where the written word intersects with the world of the big screen. Get bonus content on Patreon
A proud part of the Film Stories Podcast Network: www.filmstories.co.uk
Ireland