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Hellbent for Letterbox

Paxton Holley and Michael May talk Westerns in movies and sometimes other media.
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Hellbent for Letterbox
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All Episodes
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 31, 2018

This Kevin Costner/Robert Duvall classic is easily the most requested movie that listeners have asked us to cover, so Michael and Pax finally hit the Open Range. Also: Pony Express brings talk of a Western Christmas Carol, the real-life history behind The Night Riders, and the 2003 TV show Peacemakers. And Pax and Michael share some cool, Western comics: El Mestizo and Bat Lash.

Nov 30, 2018

On this episode of Hellbent Mike and Pax discuss the 1972 Paul Newman western The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, written by John Milius.

Nov 19, 2018

Michael and Pax explore the Three Mesquiteers. They talk about the history of the long-running series, then take a look at <i>Riders of the Whistling Skull</i>, in which Robert Livingstone, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune help a woman find her missing father and some lost treasure. Then in <i>The Night Riders</i>, Livingstone is replaced by John Wayne who leads the trio as masked vigilantes fighting an evil land baron.

It's '30s Saturday matinee pulp, but is it any good? The boys find out.

Oct 14, 2018

To celebrate the 50th episode of Hellbent for Letterbox, Pax and Michael set aside the Pony Express and Whatchoo Been Westernin' to focus exclusively on the two Young Guns movies starring Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and a couple of posses' worth of other '80s Brat Packers. 

Michael and Pax are both crazy about Young Guns, but have different opinions about the sequel. It's a great discussion, so make yourself comfortable and settle in for this double-size celebration. 

Sep 20, 2018

On this episode Michael and I are discussing Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales from 1976.

Sep 7, 2018

Michael and Pax raise the corpse of the DC Comics box office flop to figure out if it's as bad as its reputation and maybe even how to fix it. Jonah Hex stars Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and John Malkovich and was written (in part) by the notorious Neveldine and Taylor. 

Pax also talks about the 1985 Jonah Hex comics reboot, Hex, and Michael wanders away from comics completely to review 1952's Bend of the River, starry Jimmy Stewart, Julie Adams, and Rock Hudson.

All this and Pony Express!

Aug 16, 2018

On this episode of Hellbent Michael and Pax discuss the 1970 spaghetti western A Man Called Sledge starring James Garner and directed by Vic Morrow.

Aug 3, 2018

Michael and Pax talk about Walter Hill's misleadingly titled film starring Matt Damon, Jason Patric, Wes Studi, Robert Duvall, and Gene Hackman. 

Also: quick reviews of Rick Geary's The True Death of Billy the Kid and the 1920 silent film, The Daughter of Dawn.

Jul 10, 2018

On this episode of Hellbent Mike and Pax talk about the 1986 western comedy Three Amigos starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short.  We laugh and quote lines throughout this one, it's a fun show.

Jun 24, 2018

Michael and Pax talk at length about the financial and critical disaster that was William Fraker's Legend of the Lone Ranger, starring Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse, and Christopher Lloyd. But along the way, they cover other iterations of the masked rider's adventures, including the original radio dramas, the 1938 serial, the Clayton Moore TV show, and a couple of cartoons. 

Also in this episode: Pony Express mail featuring two lists of Must See Westerns as compiled by comics writer Chuck Dixon:

"Must See" Westerns

A More Advanced List of Western Movies

May 24, 2018

This time on Hellbent Michael and Pax are discussing the Coen Brothers' re-adaptation of Charles Portis' novel.  We also get in some discussion on the original John Wayne version.

May 4, 2018

Michael and Pax finally visit the John Ford/John Wayne classic, also starring Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler, and (uh oh?) Andy Devine. 

Also: Pony Express mail and quick reviews of McLintock! (1963) and The Great Missouri Raid (1951).

Mar 30, 2018

On this episode of Hellbent Mike and Pax discuss the 1971 East meets West western Red Sun starring Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Ursula Andress, and directed by Terence Young.

Mar 19, 2018

Michael and Pax giggle and groan over Hal Needham's slapstick comedy starring Kirk Douglas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ann-Margret. 

Also: a brief Lone Ranger discussion and mini-reviews of 1967's Hour of the Gun (with James Garner as Wyatt Earp) and Mighty Marvel Western featuring Rawhide Kid, Kid Slade, and Two-Gun Kid.

Mar 7, 2018

On this episode Mike and Pax are once again joined by Shawn Robare and this time we are discussing another Raquel Welch vehicle, Hannie Caulder from 1971.  We discuss what we thought of the movie as well as the influence it had on Quentin Tarantino.

Feb 22, 2018

Michael and Pax are joined by special guest Shawn Robare (Branded in the '80s, Cult Film Club) to talk about the Netflix mini-series Godless starring Michelle Dockery, Jeff Daniels, and Jack O'Connell.

And in "Whatchoo Been Westernin'?" we discuss the '80s cartoon Bravestarr and the movie Hostiles starring Christian Bale and Wes Studi.

Feb 11, 2018

Mike and Pax discuss the podcast on its 2nd anniversary, give a few hints as to what's to come and partake in a little Westernin'.

Feb 8, 2018

This episode Mike and Pax are talking about the 1975 western, Bite the Bullet starring Gene Hackman, James Coburn, Candice Bergen and Jan Michael Vincent.  

Jan 28, 2018

On this episode, Michael and Pax take a detour from traditional Westerns and talk about Blake Edwards' murder mystery in which Western movie star Tom Mix (Bruce Willis) and Western legend Wyatt Earp (James Garner) try to catch a killer in 1920s Hollywood. 

And as long as we're covering not-quite-Westerns, Michael shares some thoughts about last year's The Hero, starring Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman, Krysten Ritter, and Katharine Ross.

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