Rustlers' Rhapsody

Yes, I’m serious. Great movie, professional movie reviews are worthless. Buy it, be happy.

This is a hilarious spoof of Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood westerns. It stars Andy Griffith as the evil cattle baron and Patrick Wayne as a lawyer/good guy. For those of you that don't know, Patrick Wayne is John Wayne's son - which makes his role even more hilarious !

I stumbled upon this movie by accident back in the 80's and have loved it ever since. One of my top 10 movies. We watched it on family vacations when the kids were younger and now they quote lines from it at the most random times. Good, clean spoof on old time spaghetti westerns.

This review is an excerpt from my book “Killer B’s: The 237 Best Movies On Video You’ve (Probably) Never Seen,” which is available as an ebook on iBooks. If you enjoy this review, there are 236 more like it in the book (plus a whole lot more). Check it out! RUSTLER’S RHAPSODY: Legend has it that between 1938 and 1947, Hollywood churned out 52 low-budget Westerns starring Rex O’Herlihan, “The Singing Cowboy” (Berenger). But what would one of those old B-movie “horse operas” look like if it were made in today’s self-conscious, post-modern world? Rex finds out when he rides into Oakwood Estates and realizes that the town is virtually identical to every frontier town he’s ever been in, complete with stereotypical characters like “Miss Tracey” (Henner), a virginal hooker with a heart of gold; a power-mad cattle baron, “Colonel Ticonderoga” (Griffith), who really runs the town; and “Peter” (Bailey), the eccentric but friendly town drunk. Rex is a bit confused about why he’s reliving the same “sheepherders versus cattle baron” plot for the 53rd time—and he’s getting a bit tired of it as well. His presence threatens The Colonel, who enlists the aid of the villainous railroad builders to kill him. And just about the time Rex gets a handle on this “self-awareness” thing, people start throwing him curves. Peter trades in his drunk suit for a “sidekick” outfit, for instance. And The Colonel devises a giddily twisted plan to pit Good Guy Rex against the single foe he’s never faced and can never defeat: another Good Guy. Discussion: It’s “Blazing Saddles” for intellectuals: an absurdly aware romp that asks the insidiously simple, comically quirky question, “What would happen if a character in a movie suddenly became aware that he is a character in a movie?” The real wonder of this Western is that it works on many levels. On the surface, it’s a fun-filled, affectionate tribute to a long-gone genre; a gentle lampoon of childhood idylls about cowboy idols like Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey and Hopalong Cassidy. Wilson knows these flicks inside out, and hasn’t missed fondly mocking even the most minor detail. His Rex O’Herlihan is an archetype among stereotypes, complete with all the external accouterments of the perfect Singing Cowboy (flashy, color-coordinated costumes, hand-tooled boots, extravagant guitars), as well as all the psychological characteristics that qualify him as a Good Guy: humility, respect for a lady’s virtue, and a pledge never to shoot a bad guy anywhere but in the hand. As wild parody, it’s stocked with strange takes on standard cardboard characters: The sheepherders are Hassidic Jews, for example, and Griffith does a truly eccentric turn as the closeted Colonel. Wayne alone almost steals the film in an engagingly enthusiastic performance as the “other good guy,” Bob Barker. (His every line is a gem, especially those concerning his own background, and his requirements for being a Good Guy.) But Rustler’s Rhapsody is more than just smart slapstick, insightful foolery and poignant nostalgia. Rex’s blossoming into consciousness has devastating effects. He’s cursed with foresight, for one; merely remembering his repetitious ride gives him a thorough education in Western movie conventions. And almost like a communicable disease, Rex’s self-awareness seems to infect everyone—and critical awareness changes everything, liberating them all from endless repetitions of their habitual patterns of “oater” action. Even Rex grows increasingly edgy, first at the oddity of his newfound knowledge, and eventually in realizing that something is about to happen that has never happened before. Wilson asks an obvious question, impeccable in its logic and childlike in its simplicity: What happens if you pit a Good Guy against another Good Guy? In the morally unambiguous universe of “B” Westerns, Good always triumphs over Evil. But how can Good triumph over Good? The complications and implications are both mindbending and hilarious. Wilson accomplished something new—something no one ever thought of before. There is of course the danger that overanalysis can strip the film of its fun—but fun is just the surface of this surprisingly insightful flick. I absolutely adore this sweet, unique and memorable gem, and would forgive Hugh Wilson a hundred “Police Academy” entries for creating it.

With Andy Griffith playing the villian (a cattle baron of questionable sexuality) this predicitable comedy delivers unpredictable humor.

This movie is one of the most underated movies of all time. From the moment I first saw it I have counted it as one of my favorites. The comedy is the best I've seen. The acting is wonderful and the shtick is great! You can't do better than this if you want to have a great time.

This is one of the most original movie comedies you can watch. Funny script and some music you actually enjoy. A real take on the early western and later versions of westerns. Don't rent, own it.

Seriously, this movie is very funny. One of my old favorites, which I will buy:)

Seriously, SO funny. If you know anything about the genre you will be laughing all the way through. Even if you don't you'll still see it as over the top and a great flick.

This movie is in the grand tradition of Airplane! and Blazing Saddles! I laughed until I cried. Thank you, iTunes for adding this one to the selections and, uhh... hold the hair!