For the longest time it never occurred to me to see if there were short Western films on YouTube. The Western is among my favorite genres and YouTube more often than not provides fertile creative ground for individuals so it’s a little surprising I didn’t think of this sooner.
Enjoy the selection of shorts that I found!
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Wanted
- Directed by Jordon D. Foss
- April 20, 2015
A wanted man rides into a dusty town and all Hell breaks loose.
Wanted is a short little film about a tougher than tough outlaw who gets found in a small little town. It’s a nice homage to the older Westerns with some of the harder edged characters you might find in newer stuff. There’s not too much in the way of story but what we do get is enjoyable enough for Western fans. I would have liked another few minutes or so added to setup in some way the events that lead to the finale.
I do draw issue with the shoot out because it just moves a little slow. Things needed to be a little more frenetic. Even the older were faster paced than this. Quick cuts or something needed to be done.
The opening of the film starts with a slave who’s about to be hanged and you are left with the impression that he was going to be the center of things but that character just bookended the short and gave central character McQueen (Tyler Burke) where he was going to go next. It was a little bit of a bait and switch making what could’ve been an interesting character completely unnecessary.
I’m also not sure why there is a need to open it with a testimonial from Arizona’s Western film historian. Unless you’re super into westerns you may not know about this guy. Even if you are super into Westerns, you may not know about this guy. It just seemed…out of place.
In the end my issues are rather minor. Wanted is an enjoyable film short. It just needed a few more minutes. Having said all that I will give this an if you want.
FYI-the video is age restricted on YouTube so follow the link HERE.
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Red Dead Redemption: Seth’s Gold-Fan Film
- Directed by Guillermo de Oliveira
- February 17, 2015
A former outlaw is taken from his family and must capture or kill Bill Williamson to see his wife and son again.
I went into this completely ignorant of anything Red Dead Redemption. I’ve seen them around plenty but I have never played them so I cannot comment on how this stacks up in comparison to the mythos of those games.
Our main character John Marston (Russell Birdwell) feels like a Clint Eastwood character from his earlier work. Stern demeanor. Steely eyed. And definitely an individual not to be messed with yet not unwilling to throw a barb or two at the right time. The world he inhabits is much like those films as well. Not everyone is a saint, but they are not the worst of the worst either.
Seth (Roman Vogdt), the crazy guy at the beginning and whose name is in the title, was a little annoying. Not annoying because of the character but annoying because the actor behind him wasn’t too good in the part. I’m not sure if it was a lack of experience or what but he just couldn’t deliver as a convincing crazy guy. He looked like he was doing a bad impression of a crazy guy. This was filmed overseas so maybe his actual voice was dubbed over. Given what the actor’s IMdb page says that is a possibility.
The action isn’t bad and it’s a short and simple resolution to everything. When they open with the Gatling gun all heck breaks loose and it just becomes something special. Sometimes you just need to go ballsy, and they did just that.
Red Dead Redemption: Seth’s Gold while it is a fan film is a very good movie unto itself. There is some action, tough characters, and some pretty good direction. My only gripe is that it is too short. Whether you are fan of the games or not I think you can enjoy this one.
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The Dentist
- Produced, Written, & Directed by Michael Brian Rawlins
- June 26, 2020
A dentist traveling north in search of a town where he can practice is accosted by a bandit, but things are more complicated than they seem.
The Dentist is under 10 minutes but it packs in so much. This here is proof that a high-quality ending can vastly improve the overall material. This has a great twist I did not see coming that helped lift what was otherwise okay.
The Robber (Travis Jager) is pretty much your stereotypical Western outlaw, and The Dentist (Michael Brian Rawlins) comes off as your usual Western rube. There is more Don Knotts than Clint Eastwood in that character. I figured he would turn the tables on his attacker so that part was not too impressive.
I would love to see more films involving this particular character. Not ruin an ending but in the closing moments we learned that The Dentist is not actually a dentist. What exactly he was those is not clear but it teased an intriguing set of questions. And that made me want to understand this character’s story. I would pay good money to see a film based on this or I would make it a point to watch a regular series built around this particular character.
The Dentist is a well-directed and well written short film that packs a great story into a short amount of time. This is of those ones I think you should check out.
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YouTube has a surprisingly good selection of Western films to enjoy. This review only covers three but there is quite a wealth out there. Do what I did and search ‘Western fan films’ and I’m sure you’ll find something you like!
Warren Watched A Movie 