Hellbent for Letterbox - podcast cover

Hellbent for Letterbox

Michael May and Paxton Holleyhellbentforletterbox.libsyn.com
Paxton Holley and Michael May sit at the campfire to talk Westerns in film and other media.

Episodes

The Dead Don't Hurt (2023)

For Valentine's Day, Michael and Pax watch the Western romance, The Dead Don't Hurt , written and directed by Viggo Mortensen. Mortensen also wrote the score and acted alongside the movie's real star, Vicky Krieps. The film also features Danny Huston and Deadwood favorites W Earl Brown and Ray McKinnon.

Feb 14, 20251 hr 16 min

Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957)

Mike and Pax discuss another OK Corral movie, this one starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as Wyatt and Doc. And with appearances by DeForest Kelley, Jack Elam, and Dennis Hopper.

Jan 25, 20251 hr 9 min

The Old Way (2023)

Mike and Pax discuss The Old Way from 2023 starring Nic Cage.

Dec 21, 202455 min

Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1980)

Always on the lookout for Westerns starring women, Michael and Pax watch Lamont Johnson's Cattle Annie and Little Britches . Amanda Plummer and Diane Lane insert themselves into a demotivated outlaw gang (run by Burt Lancaster and Scott Glenn) as it tries to avoid capture by Marshal Rod Steiger. Pax also watches The Thicket (2024) while Michael takes a look at Heart of Arizona (1938) and The Bold Caballero (1936).

Nov 22, 20241 hr 5 min

Joe Kidd (1972)

In this episode Mike and Pax discuss another Clint Eastwood western, Joe Kidd, also starring Robert Duvall, John Saxon, and directed by John Sturges.

Nov 13, 20241 hr 4 min

House II: The Second Story (1987)

Michael stretches the definitions of both "Western" and "Horror" when he makes Pax and guest Shawn Robare watch House II: The Second Story . Though it does have undead cowboys. The movie is the sequel to 1985's House and stars Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, John Ratzenberger, Bill Maher, and Lar Park-Lincoln.

Oct 31, 20242 hr 46 min

Knife for the Ladies (1974)

It's October! Check out the first of Hellbent's Halloween episodes where Mike and Pax are joined by Shawn Robare to discuss Knife for the Ladies from 1974 starring Jack Elam!

Oct 19, 20241 hr 22 min

Comanche Station (1960)

Michael and Pax finish watching the Budd Boetticher / Randolph Scott Westerns with Comanche Station , also starring Nancy Gates and Claude Akins. And Michael also watched a couple of 1930s Westerns: Buck Jones and Louise Brooks in Empty Saddles (1936) and William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy in Partners of the Plains (1938).

Oct 11, 20241 hr 3 min

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Mike and Pax discuss a listener request; The Last Train from Gun Hill from 1959 starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn.

Sep 20, 20241 hr 4 min

Westbound (1958)

Michael and Pax welcome back Evan Hanson (the Classic Film Jerks podcast) as we get back to Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott's Ranown Westerns. This time Scott plays a Union officer tasked with transporting gold from California to Washington DC through Confederate-sympathizing territory. Westbound also features Karen Steele, Michael Dante, Andrew Duggan, Michael Pate, and Virginia Mayo.

Sep 04, 20241 hr 6 min

The Grand Duel (1972)

Mike and Pax welcome hosts of the New Classic Film Jerks, Evan and Jeff, to discuss a Lee Van Cleef spaghetti western, The Grand Duel from 1972.

Aug 21, 20241 hr 18 min

The Shadow Riders (1982)

Michael and Pax celebrate a listener's birthday with a Sam Elliott Western, specifically The Shadow Riders , a TV movie co-starring Tom Selleck. It was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and also features Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson, and Geoffrey Lewis. Pax also watches James Arness and Angie Dickinson in Gun the Man Down (1956).

Jul 12, 20242 hr 36 min

Cat Ballou (1965)

In this episode Mike and Pax are discussing the western comedy Cat Ballou starring Jane Fonda as Cat Ballou and Lee Marvin as the drunken, washed up gunfighter Kid Shelleen.

Jun 12, 20241 hr 8 min

The War Wagon (1967)

Michael and Pax continue celebrating their birth month with movies from their birth years. This time, Michael picks John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in Burt Kennedy's The War Wagon. The movie also features Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr, Keenan Wynn, Valora Noland, Bruce Cabot, and (briefly) Bruce Dern. Pax also talks about the comic Ladies with Guns by Olivier Bocquet and Anlor.

May 29, 20241 hr 12 min

Boss (1974)

For the month of May, Michael and Pax are doing movies released within their birth year. First, up, Pax picks the Blacksploitation western Boss from 1974 starring Fred Williamson.

May 21, 20241 hr 6 min

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Michael and Pax continue April Fools Month, talking about movies that are Western-connected if not actual Western movies themselves. For this episode, we talk about Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure featuring time-traveling historical figures like Billy the Kid.

Apr 26, 20241 hr 15 min

Bloodrayne 2 - Deliverance (2007)

Happy April Fool's Month! In this episode Mike and Pax cover Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance which features Pat Garrett and a vampire Billy the Kid!

Apr 17, 20241 hr 8 min

Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)

Michael and Pax continue exploring the Ranown Westerns with Budd Boetticher's Buchanan Rides Alone , starring Randolph Scott and also featuring one of our favorites, LQ Jones. And Pax reads a Western detective novel, Holmes on the Range .

Mar 27, 20241 hr 14 min

Shanghai Joe (1973)

Mike and Pax are joined by their good buddy Jeeg to discuss the 1973 Eastern meets Western, Shanghai Joe starring Chen Lee and Klaus Kinski.

Mar 14, 20241 hr 20 min

Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)

Michael and Pax celebrate the 150th episode of Hellbent with last year's Bass Reeves mini-series starring David Oyelowo, Lauren E Banks, and Forrest Goodluck. And guest-starring Barry Pepper, Shea Whigham, Dennis Quaid, and Donald Sutherland. Pax also talks about his recent guest-appearance on the Authorized Novelizations Podcast discussing Theodore Sturgeon's novelization of The Rare Breed ....

Feb 23, 20242 hr 41 min

My Little Chickadee (1940)

Michael and Pax foray once more into western comedy with the Mae West classic, My Little Chickadee, from 1940 costarring WC Fields.

Feb 16, 20241 hr 3 min

Decision at Sundown (1957)

Michael and Pax resume their tour of the Ranown Westerns directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. In Decision at Sundown, Scott comes to town gunning for vengeance against the community's most powerful citizen, but Scott's not saying exactly why. The movie also features John Carroll, Karen Steele, Valerie French, John Archer, and Noah Beery Jr. And in a special Christmas-themed edition of Whatchoo Been Westernin'? the fellas talk about Jack Palance as the title character in Ebene...

Dec 19, 20231 hr 20 min

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969)

Mike and Pax talk about the other 1969 western starring Robert Redford and Katharine Ross. This one also kind of based on true events.

Dec 08, 20231 hr 12 min

The Wind (2018)

Michael, Pax, and their Crestwood House podcast co-host Shawn Robare talk about another weird Western just in time for Halloween. The prairie is full of eerie isolation in Emma Tammi's independent film, The Wind , starring Caitlin Gerard, Ashley Zukerman, Julia Goldani Telles, and Dylan McTee.

Oct 27, 20231 hr 17 min

Grim Prairie Tales (1990)

It's Friday the 13th! Mike and Pax are joined by their Crestwood House co-host Shawn Robare to begin the Halloween season with Grim Prairie Tales from 1990 starring James Earl Jones, Brad Dourif, William Atherton, and Marc McClure.

Oct 12, 20231 hr 13 min

The Tall T (1957)

Michael and Pax are in the mood for some Ranown Westerns, starting with The Tall T . Directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, of course. Co-starring Maureen O'Sullivan and Richard Boone. And based on a story by Elmore Leonard. Also: Michael checks out a stage production of the classic Shane .

Sep 22, 20231 hr 22 min

The Walking Hills (1949)

Michael accidentally pulls a fast one and makes Pax watch a non-historical Western, John Sturges' The Walking Hills . It stars Randolph Scott and Ella Raines as two members of a party that enters the desert dunes looking for a lost wagon train and (according to legend) the gold that it was carrying. But even though the movie takes place in the 1940s, the comic Pax read does not. It's the Sixth Gun mini-series Shadow Roads .

Aug 04, 20231 hr 11 min

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976)

Pax and Michael tackle another western-comedy. This one stars George Segal and Goldie Hawn and is directed by White Christmas' Melvin Frank!

Jul 21, 20231 hr 1 min