The film critic on archetypes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the quintessential Texas film.
Ten greatest Texas films
Director: Joel and Ethan CoenPlot: Man hires hit man to kill his wife. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: RAPP: But, you know, I put it next to Blood Simple or No Country for Old Men, and there’s no comparison. Blood Simple—that film is almost flawless. BLOOM:…
Director: Joel and Ethan CoenPlot: Man finds briefcase full of drug money. Is pursued by maniac killer. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: BLOOM: I’ve seen so many scary movies that there are very few movies that can scare me. No Country scared the crap out of me.
Director: Bruce BeresfordPlot: Out-of-luck country singer seeks redemption through love. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: LEAGUE: I thought it was beautiful and spartan. You understand so much of the characters with so few syllables, which is also a very Texan trait. You know, you compare that to…
Director: Tobe HooperPlot: Friends fall prey to a family of cannibals while on a road trip. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: LEAGUE: A lot of people have argued this is the most influential horror film of all time, and at the same time, there are Texas themes…
Director: Peter BogdanovichPlot: Teenagers come of age in a fading small town. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: RAPP: Last Picture Show is a documentary of the first twenty years of my life. I watched it again last night, and I’d forgotten just how authentic it is. I…
Director: Arthur PennPlot: Boy meets girl. Murderous bank-robbing rampage ensues. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: KELLY: All right. We have four votes for Bonnie and Clyde. RAMÍREZ BERG: I was the one who didn’t vote for it. It doesn’t scream out, “This is a Texas movie.”…
Director: Martin RittPlot: Aging rancher struggles with his brash and callous son. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: BLOOM: If we were to make this harder and say we have to pick the best movie based on a Larry McMurtry story, even though I think I should vote…
Director: John FordPlot: Civil War vet hunts for his niece, who was kidnapped by Comanche. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: LEAGUE: I want to throw one more monkey wrench into the criteria. The Searchers is a bit of a mess as a movie, but it’s been so influential.
Director: George StevensPlot: Rancher with East Coast bride sees Texas transformed by discovery of oil. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: LEAGUE: It’s a deeply flawed movie, but if we’re here to talk about Texas movies, then Giant has to be on the list. I mean, subject material,…
Director: Howard HawksPlot: Tensions flare on a cattle drive. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: RAPP: What about Red River? LEAGUE: It’s a little too ham-handed. The complexity of issues in The Searchers is more interesting. BLOOM: But John Wayne is a meaner son of a bitch…
Director: Joel and Ethan CoenPlot: Bar owner hires hit man to kill his wife and her lover. Double-crossing ensues. Excerpts from our roundtable discussion: BLOOM: I like Blood Simple too. But it’s very cinematic. It is based on images and ideas of Texas from film history and…