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Among the most acclaimed American artists in entertainment and highly recognized filmmakers for fans of cinema, Howard Hawks made several iconic films that helped emphasize the craft of moviemaking and revealed how the medium can enthrall an audience no matter the genre. Working in the classic Hollywood era, Howard Hawks made dozens of movies ranging from comedies, dramas, gangster features, sci-fi flicks, film noir, war films and Westerns. Moreover, whatever subject the director tackled, Howard Hawks made sure to infuse his distinct style that champions dynamic characters, emphasizes sharp wit and delivers recognizable thematic elements throughout his work, and in his Western films, the auteur knew how to connect with viewers.

As a staple of the American film language, the Western genre has been defined by many talented artists since its inception and, despite only making a handful of Westerns, Howard Hawks left an impression with each film that showcased...

A fan-favorite Western film starring the iconic Burt Lancaster will arrive on Prime Video soon. 1971's Lawman will hit the streaming platform on December 1.

Directed by Michael Winner, Lawman follows Lancaster's Jared Maddox, a marshal from Bannock trailing five cowhands from Sabbath, who shoot up his town, leading to the death of an elderly citizen. Maddox demands Sabbath's Sheriff hand them over, threatening to murder them in cold blood if they fail to surrender to him in twenty-four hours. However, the culprits work for one of the town's wealthiest men, Victor Bronson, who attempts to pay off Maddox. The Bannock marshal cannot be bought, inevitably leading to an epic showdown only the best Westerns can deliver.

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Alongside Lancaster,...

The director of Rio Lobo was deeply unhappy with his final John Wayne movie - and wasn't above pointing the blame elsewhere. Rio Bravo was John Wayne's angry response to High Noon because, despite this Gary Cooper Western being acclaimed upon release, Wayne and director Howard Hawks despised its politics. Rio Bravo has celebrity fans like Quentin Tarantino and John Carpenter and is now just as well regarded as High Noon. The film wasn't intended to lead to a trilogy of movies either, but Wayne and Hawks kept going back to the same well.

The Rio Bravo movie trilogy is an unofficial one, since the three films aren't direct sequels. Instead, they remix the same themes, characters and scenarios, often involving a heroic figure played by Wayne being besieged by killers in an isolated town. The final entry Rio Lobo landed with a thud in 1970, receiving tepid reviews and bombing financially.

Fans of John Wayne can now stream the actor's classic Western Rio Lobo, which was originally released in 1970. The film, which drew some ire from famed movie critic Roger Ebert, is now available to stream on Prime Video.

Rio Lobo was directed by Howard Hawks, and the screenplay was penned by Burton Wohl and Leigh Brackett. Wayne had previously collaborated with Hawks on 1959's Rio Bravo and 1966's El Dorado before Rio Lobo, which ultimately turned out to be the director's final film. In the film, Wayne plays a Union leader who vows revenge against the traitors who'd assisted Confederate forces in a deadly attack against his troops during the Civil War. Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O'Neill, Jack Elam, Victor French, and Susana Dosamantes also star.

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John Wayne was a legend of the Western genre and his final film,...

Rio Lobo closed John Wayne's unofficial Rio Bravo Western trilogy. El Dorado and Rio Lobo essentially remade Rio Bravo, remixing characters and themes. Despite criticism, Rio Lobo, the last film of Howard Hawks' directing career, is a laidback, enjoyable ride.

Rio Lobo marked the end of an unofficial John Wayne trilogy, and has come to be regarded as one of his most underrated Westerns. John Wayne fronted 80 Westerns throughout his long career and starred in them right up until his final film, The Shootist. The 1970s was a grim time for the genre because outside of Wayne or Clint Eastwood, the popularity of the Western was on a downward trajectory in terms of box office. Many of Wayne's final efforts in the genre weren't up to the quality of his earlier work either.

The likes of Cahill U.S. Marshal and Wayne's only sequel Rooster Cogburn were lame efforts,...

John Wayne's Western trilogy includes Rio Bravo, El Dorado, and Rio Lobo, each with their own unique charm and themes. Despite their varying reputations, each movie showcases Wayne's legendary career and iconic roles in the Western genre. The chemistry between Wayne and his co-stars, as well as the influence of these movies on future filmmakers, adds to their lasting impact.

Rio Bravo is viewed as one of the most influential Westerns of all time and a highlight of John Wayne's legendary career, but some fans might not realize it is part of a trilogy from the actor. Wayne is mostly linked to the Western genre and appeared in some of the most iconic films in the genre, including True Grit, The Searchers, Red River and The Cowboys. Even with the decline in popularity of the Western, he was making movies in the genre right until the end of his career,...

John Wayne holds a very dear place in my film fandom – it was his films, and his Westerns particularly that I remember most from my very early childhood. Watching them with grandfathers on a Sunday afternoon, I’d come to welcome films like The Searchers, Shane and True Grit as part of my life, and I still count The Quiet Man as one of my favourite of all time, and I continue to base my idealised vision of male heroism on his wide shoulders.

A lot of Wayne’s films will forever be cruelly classified as too similar, and I suppose there is a very pressing argument that you know what to expect from Wayne, especially in his Western work. But that isn’t to say they aren’t still great film experiences.

Two of the great man’s lesser known films – Rio Lobo and Big Jake – have just been released on blu-ray,...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

X-Men: First Class – James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence

Movie of the Week

X-Men: First Class

The Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence

The Plot: In 1963, Charles Xavier (McAvoy) starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr (Fassbender), his best friend, and future archenemy.

The Buzz: The film’s preliminary reviews have been solid, with 41 favorable reviews to 1 unfavorable, as of today at Rottentomates. The cast is really strong too. However, I personally have zero interest in this film, as it looks to have zero style (other than the standard nerdy film-version X-Men vibe), but perhaps this will be the first good X-Men film? I loved the comic books, was a pretty big reader for awhile there, and I’ve always felt like, of all the Marvel films, the X-Men films have fallen the furthest from their book.