Oblivion (1994) is a terrible movie. And it technically takes place in the future, which I try not to include as Weird Westerns or else the definition of "Western" becomes a bit vague (I believe Space Western is a separate genre). But this really is just a Western with aliens (they don't go into space), so I'm including it.

Also, this movie has George Takei, and the writers really took advantage of that. They gave him lines like "Jim, Beam me up" while drinking Jim Beam, and "great Scotty!" when surprised. I guess he really needed a paycheck in 1994.

Here's a trailer, but honestly, I wouldn't recommend watching the actual movie. RiffTrax (the guys behind Mystery Science Theater 3000) made their own audio commentary for this movie which makes it bearable. Plus that's the version available on streaming. You can watch the RiffTrax version of Oblivion on Tubi and Pluto. I should mention there's somehow a sequel to Oblivion, called Oblivion: Backlash which also has RiffTrax versions on Tubi and Pluto.

When I watched the trailer Netflix had for RIPD 2, it just showed a clip of the main character in limbo where the RIPD is explained to him. So I just assumed it'd be like the first RIPD where even though Jeff Bridges plays a gunslinger, the movie actually takes place in the modern day. And I ignored this movie. It's not like the original RIPD was any good, why would a low-budget sequel be better?

But, I finally decided to watch RIPD2 and it's totally a Weird Western. The entire movie takes place in the wild west and they're hunting down demons that escaped hell. Here's a trailer that actually shows the movie and not just a single scene like Netflix showed me.

Of course, just because this movie is a Weird Western doesn't mean it's a good movie. Actually, if you look at the other movies I've mentioned in this community, they're almost exclusively bad movies. And this is another dumb one. It's mostly the lame jokes that irritate me. Also, personally, I don't think there were enough "weird" parts in the movie. They're hunting down demons but there actually aren't too many special effects until the last act. So that's disappointing too.

If you're willing to try it, the movie is still available to watch on Netflix. And maybe Apple TV+.

This movie is from 2020 yet I've never heard of it. And it looks like it perfectly fits my definition of a Weird West too. I have no idea if this movie is any good but I still wanted to share. It looks like it's streaming on Hoopla and Shudder if you have either of those.

Ninjas wouldn't usually be considered "weird" enough for a Weird Western but this is a highly-stylized movie where the ninjas can basically fly. They might as well be mythical creatures given how ridiculously they're portrayed here.

Of course, like most movies I've mentioned here, this isn't a good movie. So lower any expectations. It takes a while to get started and basically the first half of the movie is "slice of life" as the main character settles into his new life. Also, there's something weird with the lighting where I can't tell if the entire movie was filmed on a sound stage or if all the backgrounds are cgi (probably both).

Here's a trailer. You can watch it on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Vudu, and Plex.

I know the poster makes it look animated, but this is a live action movie. It comes from the man behind the bands Misfits and Danzig. Which is to say, he's not a filmmaker. Or wasn't until recently. So even if you've set your expectations low, this sounds like a truly terrible movie.

I haven't seen it, but I found a review: > There isn’t really a story to be found in Death Rider in the House of Vampires; just a setup that allows a bunch of characters to interact. Sometimes there’s a shootout; sometimes vampires are turned to dust. > ... > There is no economy of storytelling here. Or ever. These opening ten minutes of screen time could easily be combined into three or four, and Death Rider would be better for it. It’s true throughout the film’s 90-minute runtime – there’s maybe an hour of material that’s been padded out

So I'd only recommend this to fans of Weird West who have a high tolerance for terrible movies. Here's a trailer. I can't find it streaming anywhere though.

I mentioned in the pinned post on this community that once I start posting Weird West movies that take place in the modern day you'll know I'm starting to run out of ideas. Well, we've reached that point.

Ghost Town takes place in the modern day (of 1988, when the movie was made). It's about a girl who gets kidnapped by a bunch of zombies in an old west ghost town and only a modern-day sheriff can save her. I'll be honest with you, I've never seen this movie. I just came across it while looking for lists of Weird West movies and this looks right up my alley. I wish it was streaming somewhere.

Here's a trailer. And seriously, let me know if you find it streaming somewhere.

Pale Rider and High Plains Drifter are both Clint Eastwood movies that almost fit into the Weird West category. In both movies, there aren't any visuals that would make you think they were Weird Westerns; they're both standard Clint Eastwood Westerns. Yet both movies subtly hint that Clint Eastwood's character died prior to the events of the movie and he's back as a ghost to get revenge.

So if he's a ghost, then I'd say these would qualify as Weird West. Yet there's nothing in either movie that explicitly says or shows him being a ghost. It's like these movies follow the "letter of the law" as opposed to the "spirit of the law" when it comes to my definition of Weird West. That is, they may technically be Weird Westerns by definition, but they aren't what I picture when I think of Weird Westerns. Of course, this also means these are probably the most objectively good movies out of any others mentioned on this Lemmy community.

Here's a trailer for Pale Rider and High Plains Drifter. They aren't streaming on any subscription service but you can rent them on most services.

To be fair, I think the first half of this movie is great. There are a lot of long, slow shots which really feel reminiscent of a spaghetti western. But as it goes on, it eventually just turns into a mindless action movie with lots of quick cuts and as much CGI as they can fit on the screen. So yet another entry into the "yes, this movie is bad, but it's a Weird Western!" category.

Here's a trailer. You can currently watch it on Netflix.

Continuing my theme of "yes, this movie is bad, but it's a Weird Western!": Jonah Hex. Of course, this is a "big budget movie with theatrical release" bad movie, not a "direct to video" bad movie. So it's not nearly as bad as GallowWalkers or Bloodrayne 2. I personally think it's a fun action movie but I won't argue with anyone who says it's dumb.

Jonah Hex has the ability to speak to the dead if he makes physical contact with them and he uses that to track down John Malkovich and Michael Fassbender's characters to get revenge. I've never read the comics the character is based on so I have no idea how closely it follows the source material.

Here's a trailer. It isn't streaming anywhere right now but if you ever get a chance to watch it, I think it's a fun movie.

I think this will become a theme anytime I mention a movie here: yes, this movie is terrible, but it definitely falls into the Weird West category! It's about a half-human half-vampire hunting down Billy The Kid (who is also a vampire).

Now, you may be thinking to yourself "hold on, wasn't there already a terrible Bloodrayne movie that took place in the 18th century?" And yes, yes there was. This is the sequel. And it's worse.

Here's a trailer. You can watch it right now on YouTube, Tubi, Vudu, Plex, or Roku if you can handle bad movies.

A “Psychedelic Western.” Surreal, meditative, and a Neil Young soundtrack. One of my favorites. Also an insane cast!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man

rn on hboMAX

I was so excited when I learned of the existence of GallowWalkers. Wesley Snipes playing a vampire gunslinger in the Wild West? Sounds like it could actually scratch my itch for more Darkwatch!

But no, this movie is terrible. While I definitely went in with too high of expectations, this is a bad movie even with low expectations. My primary issue is the pacing; the movie is simply boring. I can handle bad writing and bad acting but I can't handle one boring scene after another. Such a shame.

Here's a trailer. And of course, being a bad movie, it's available for streaming everywhere! Tubi, Pluto, Roku, Amazon Prime/Freevee, anywhere you want!