One of the most beloved genres in cinema, the universal themes featured in Westerns have always appealed to audiences, and enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. To celebrate the release of the brilliant, gritty modern day western Two Men in Town (out on DVD and digital platforms from 6th July, 2015, courtesy of Signature Entertainment) we take a look back at some other brilliant modern-day takes on a classic genre…

Two Men In Town (2015)

Starring Forest Whitaker and Harvey Keitel, this gritty tale of redemption focuses on the life of troubled youth Will Garnett (Whitaker) who is finally being released after an 18-year long stretch in prison. With the help of an idealistic parole agent (Brenda Blethyn) and his new-found Islamic faith, Garnett struggles to rebuild his life; but vengeful Sheriff Bill Agati (Keitel) has other ideas. Convinced that Garnett is irredeemable and major a threat to the security of his county, Agati launches a vicious, sustained campaign to return Garnett to prison for life. The question is, how far will he go?

No Country for Old Men (2007)

The Coen brothers racked up the awards for this brilliant, brutal take on the Cormac McCarthy novel, starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones and Kelly Macdonald. Set in rural Texas, welder Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) discovers the remains of several drug runners from a botched exchange- and decides to take the two million dollars left behind for himself. However, unbeknownst to him, this incurs the wrath of the psychopathic Anton Chigurh (an Oscar- winning turn from Bardem) who embarks on his trail, systematically murdering everyone standing between him and Moss. Meanwhile, Sherriff Ed Tom Bell (Jones) struggles to investigate the ever increasing list of violent crimes he is attempting to prevent.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, Ang Lee’s heartbreaking adaptation follows the lives of two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are hired to tend livestock on Brokeback Mountain and develop a fierce bond. Forced to hide their love affair, the two men attempt to live the lives society deem acceptable by marrying (Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams play their wives in stunning supporting turns), but return to the mountain once a year to rekindle the affair, leading them to question what their secrecy is really costing them.

Lone Star (1996)

Writer-director John Sayles‘ acclaimed drama uses the discovery of a 25-year-old corpse as the jumping off point for a brilliantly insightful, astute look at life in a Texas border town. Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), the chief law officer of the town of Frontera, is called to investigate the murder- and the body turns out to be former sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson). Deeds also happens to be the son of the late Buddy Deeds (played in flashbacks by Matthew McConaughey), who also served as town sheriff and holds a legendary status amongst locals for ousting the brutal, corrupt Wade. The discovery of Wade’s decades-old skeleton, however, calls this legend into question, and Deed’s search for the truth forces him to face up to his own troubled past.

Star Wars (Episodes IV – VI)

George Lucas’ classic trilogy takes its cue from classic tropes of the Western genre, and is often referred to as a ‘Space Western’ due to the similar themes. Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness), who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the clutches of the evil Empire.

The Last Stand (2013)

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Johnny Knoxville star in this action thriller, which sees disillusioned former LAPD officer Sheriff Owens (Schwarzenegger) fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. However, when the most wanted drug kingpin in the US (Knoxville) escapes from his FBI prisoner convoy, he heads straight to the border with a fierce army of drug members in tow. He’s headed straight for sleepy Sommerton Junction, where the whole of U.S. law enforcement are waiting to make a stand and intercept him before he escapes forever. At first reluctant to become involved, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility to lead the face off…

TWO MEN IN TOWN arrives on DVD and digital platforms from 6^th July, 2015, courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

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