With Taylor Sheridan having contributed to the resurgence of the Western genre, which was thought to have become obsolete over the last few decades, a new generation of audiences can experience the joy of watching classics for the first time. This month presents them with the opportunity to check out perhaps the greatest movie that belongs to the genre’s sub-category, known as spaghetti Westerns. This term was used exclusively for Westerns produced in Italy; as you’d imagine, they were soupier and saucier compared to the American Westerns of that era. Sergio Leone, who was widely regarded as the greatest spaghetti Western director of them all, made a groundbreaking trilogy starring Clint Eastwood.
The most acclaimed installment of that trilogy is now officially streaming on a variety of streaming apps, including Prime Video, MGM, and Tubi. The movie was released in 1966 and remains the benchmark for the genre even six decades later. Quentin Tarantino was hugely inspired by it, calling it “the best-directed film of all time” and “the greatest achievement in the history of cinema.” He paid homage to the movie in his own work, going back to his debut feature, Reservoir Dogs. The film also inspired numerous homages across the world and influenced Stephen King to write his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series.
The Greatest Spaghetti Western Ever Is Just One Click Away
Image by Nimesh Niyomal Perera
By now you’ve probably guessed that we’re talking aboutThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Along withFor a Few Dollars More andA Fistful of Dollars, it was part of Leone’s landmark Dollars Trilogy. The movie now holds a “Certified Fresh” 97% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Arguably the greatest of the spaghetti Westerns, this epic features a compelling story, memorable performances, breathtaking landscapes, and a haunting score.”
The film also featuresEli Wallach andLee Van Cleef, and has a memorable original score composed byEnnio Morricone. Tarantino, who has famously avoided scores throughout his career, broke the trend when he had Morricone compose the music for his own spaghetti Western-inspired feature,The Hateful Eight.
WhileThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is streaming for free on Tubi alongside an expansive catalog of free westerns, includingA Fistful of Dollars and essentialJohn Wayne features likeThe Alamo andRed River, the classic Eastwood western is climbing the global streaming charts on MGM, where it’s jumped to number 15.
You can watchThe Good, the Bad and the Uglyon a variety of streaming platforms from Tubi to MGM. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on must-see westerns.
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December 22,1966
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<!––>Agenore Incrocci,Furio Scarpelli,Luciano Vincenzoni,Sergio Leone,Mickey Knox
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