Thursday, September 4, 2008

Spaghetti Western

There are some phrases that I never question. They are just so ingrained in everyday speech that I forget to say "Hey, that's weird why do we call it that?" So today I am saying, "Hey, that's weird why do we call it that?"

The subject of my confusion today is the phrase Spaghetti Western. I know that it is some kind of Western film in the mid 1960s, usually one that I wouldn't watch because I don't like Westerns. I also know that there usually isn't any spaghetti in the film. According to wikipedia the terms comes from the fact that the Westerns were produced by Italian studios sometimes with Spanish partner. Instead of shooting in the American Southwest, they were shot in Spain where the terrain resembles the southwest. The movies changed the entire idea of a Western.

The Savage Guns is thought of as the first Spaghetti Western. I was surprised to find out that "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More", & "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly" starring Clint Eastwood were all considered Spaghetti westerns. I'm glad I know the history but I probably won't say the phrase again.

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