How the West Was 'Cast

Anyone interested in westerns, or in Hollywood genre films more generally, should listen to every episode. The hosts combine an incredible depth of knowledge with a polished, engaging style.

This is not only my favorite Westerns podcast, But also right now, one of my favorite podcasts period. it’s a veritable course in movie westerns. it reminds me of another favorite podcast of mine, Out Of the Past podcast.That was an audio course in film noir. And although that one ended a long time ago, I still listen to episodes over and over again, like a good audiobook or audio course. And while this one is still going, I’ve already found myself listening to certain episodes more than once. I especially like the episodes where there is a lecture that one of the hosts has given. But the discussions on movies are also just great. Both entertaining and educational.Highly recommended. Actually, for me, I’d give this my highest recommendation.

The first of several, (and formerly favorite), western cinema podcast I listened to was “Westerns With Dad”. It was very entertaining, but “How the West was Cast” takes this genre to another level. It is not only entertaining but insightful, intelligent, and incisive. I enjoy its discusions on westerns ranging from classic, (High Noon), revisionist, (Little Big Man), box office flops, (The Lone Ranger) and contentious (Heaven’s Gate). I also enjoy the deep dives into some of the more obscure elements of film, such as scores and costumes. This is a must for anyone with any interest in westerns or any fan of film history in general.

This is a great podcast for intelligent discussion on westerns. I like the conversation between the hosts as well as the guests. I’ve learned a lot from the pod and added a lot of films to my watchlist If they do a full episode on My Darling Clementine I’ll add a 6th star.