Beginning in the mid-1940s, the bleak, brooding mood of film noir began seeping into that most optimistic of film genres, the western. Story lines took on a darker tone and western films adopted classic noir elements of moral ambiguity, complex anti-heroes and explicit violence. The noir western helped set the standard for the darker science fiction, action and superhero films of today, as well as for acclaimed TV series such as HBO's Deadwood and AMC's Breaking Bad. This book covers the stylistic shift in westerns in mid-20th century Hollywood, offering close readings of the first noir westerns, along with revealing portraits of the eccentric and talented directors who brought the films to life.

This text identifies a handful of plot elements that consistently recur within film noir and analyses in depth the memorable pictures that, while being vivid prototypes of certain cinematics themes, bend and break their moulds to find new ways to enthral and frighten us.

What is the future of the American West? This book look at works of utopian, dystopian, and apocalyptic science fiction to show how narratives of the past and future powerfully shape our understanding of the present-day West.

This broad-ranging survey considers the importance of the Western in American history. It explores the interconnections between the Western (in literature, film and history) and America in the 20th century

This book presents over one hundred crime and gangster movies highlighting fifty groundbreaking movies and offering profiles of legendary performers, directors, and other contributors.

This lavishly-illustrated collection of writings on western movies covers close to a century of American cinematic achievement and includes almost a half-century of essays, commentary, and interviews. The history, mythology, and landscape of the western are skillfully explored.