Here’s Wikipedia’s definition: A science fiction Western occurs in the past, or in a world resembling the past, in which modern or future technology exists. The anachronistic technology of these stories is present because scientific paradigms occurred earlier in history but are implemented via industrial elements present at that time, or because technology is brought from another time or place. The genre often overlaps with Steampunk.
After watching Cowboys & Aliens yesterday, I started to wonder if there were more movies that mix sci-fi elements with a western setting.
Aliens
attack a Western town!
Ghost Rider
In the American Old West, the Devil, Mephistopheles, sends his bounty hunter of the damned, the Ghost Rider, to retrieve a contract for a thousand corrupt souls from the town of San Venganza. Given that the nature of the contract would give Mephisto the power to bring Hell to Earth, the Rider refuses to give him the contract and goes into hiding. (Wikipedia)
Back to the
Future Part 3
On November 12, 1955, Marty McFly discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown had become trapped in the year 1885. Marty, with Doc's 1955 self, uses the information in Doc’s 1885 letter to locate and repair the DeLorean. While retrieving the car, Marty spots a tombstone with Doc's name, dated six days after the letter. Learning that Doc was killed by Biff Tannen's great-grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Marty decides to go back to 1885 to save Doc. (Wikipedia)
Wild Wild West
Army Captain James West and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon have to stop a gigantic mechanical spider and its owner Dr. Arliss Loveless. This one is steampunk-y.
Except for Ghost Rider, I've seen them all.
I love the idea
of mixing a Western setting with aliens or modern technology (not only steam
powered machines).
Do you know more films that could be categorized as Sci-fi western? Or maybe even books? I'd love to read sci-fi western books!
It's not a movie, but the short-lived Bruce Campbell TV show The Adventures of Brisco County Jr definitely falls into this category. It was one of the reasons I loved it (the other, of course, being Bruce Campbell :-).
ReplyDeleteSacrilege! You left off Firefly/Serenity!
ReplyDelete(And technically, Star Wars is a "western in space".)
@Adam: Oh, I need to check that one out!
ReplyDelete@Josin: LOL! Umm, will I really embarrass myself if I admit that I don't know what Firefly is??
And I wanted to keep Space Western off the list because apparently that's an extra category (according to wikipedia)! There are so many genres!!!
Get yourself to Netflix and watch Firefly RIGHT NOW. It's only like 16 episodes (you can skip the film 'Serenity'; it was awful).
ReplyDeleteIf you're familiar at all with "Castle", the lead actor was the lead in Firefly, and there are a TON of in-jokes in Castle for the fans of the space-series.
I definitely recommend checking out Firefly and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. Also wanted to add that the movie "Wild Wild West" is based off an old TV series with the same name.
ReplyDeleteNow as for science fiction Western books, my fiance suggests Mike Resnick's A Weird West Tale series ("The Buntline Special" and "The Doctor and the Kid") as well as Harry Turtledove's "Guns of the South". I have not read these books but he really liked them.
I highly recommend Kat Falls's DARK LIFE. Sci-fi western, and it's even YA! Its sequel, RIP TIDE, is pretty awesome (but scary!), too :-)
ReplyDelete