PODCAST · tv
Hellbent for Letterbox
by Michael May and Paxton Holley
Paxton Holley and Michael May sit at the campfire to talk Westerns in film and other media.
Episodes
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Brimstone (2016)
This episode Mike and Pax are joined by their Crestwood House co-host Shawn to talk about a very dark and disturbing horror western for Halloween, Brimstone, starring Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce.
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Rust (2024)
Michael and Pax talk about Rust, the Alec Baldwin Western with a tragic behind-the-scenes history. It almost wasn't completed, but completed it was, so we discuss not just its past, but also how it turned out.
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The Lone Ranger (2013)
Mike and Pax delve into the kind of a mess Disney Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer.
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Shanghai Noon (2000)
Michael and Pax finally cover one of their favorite Western comedies, Shanghai Noon starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Lucy Liu.
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Shalako! (1968)
Mike and Pax dig into this 1968 western based on a Louis L'amour novel starring Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot.
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The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974)
Michael and Pax revisit one of Michael's childhood favorites to see if it holds up. The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams was a cultural phenomenon in its day, but is it as good as all its sequels, TV show, and lunchboxes suggest? We also rank our favorite Western movie posters, which you can see…
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Nevada Smith (1966)
Pax and Mike seek out the 1966 revenge adventure Nevada Smith starring Steve McQueen, Brian Keith, and Susanne Pleshette. We also talk a bit about the movie The Carpetbaggers from 1964 where the Nevada Smith character originated.
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Hell Bent for Leather (1960)
Michael and Pax finally visit the podcast's namesake (more or less): George Sherman's Hell Bent for Leather starring Audie Murphy, Felicia Farr, and Stephen McNally.
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Wild Bill (1995)
Mike and Pax discuss the Walter Hill directed Wild Bill starring a cast of thousands including Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, and John Hurt.
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Don't Fence Me In (1945)
For the second time in Hellbent history, Michael accidentally picks a non-historical Western. This time he has Pax join him on a 1940s dude ranch for Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Gabby Hayes in Don't Fence Me In.
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Chisum (1970)
In this episode Pax takes Mike to Lincoln County New Mexico and they talk about the misadventures of John Wayne as Chisum!
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Hostiles (2017)
Michael and Pax finish a double-feature of 2017 Westerns with Scott Cooper's Hostiles, starring Christian Bale, Wes Studi, and Rosamund Pike.
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The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017)
Mike and Pax discuss the 2017 western Ballad of Lefty Brown starring Bill Pullman, Peter Fonda, Jim Caveziel, and Tommy Flannagan.
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The Devil's Mistress (1965)
Michael and Pax welcome back Shawn Robare to finish this year's spooky season double-feature. We're watching the little-known The Devil's Mistress about a gang of ruthless outlaws who stumble across the wrong cabin on their run from justice.
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Ravenous (1999)
Mike and Pax are joined by their Crestwood House co-host to talk about the horror western Ravenous from 1999 starring Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle.
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Appaloosa (2008)
It's been on our list a long time, but Michael and Pax finally get around to talking about Appaloosa, directed by and starring Ed Harris. It also stars Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, and Jeremy Irons, and is based on the novel by Robert B Parker.
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Red Headed Stranger (1986)
In this episode Mike and Pax finish up a Willie Nelson double header with Red Headed Stranger from 1986.
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Barbarosa (1982)
Michael and Pax watch one of Michael's favorite '80s Westerns, Barbarosa starring Willie Nelson, Gary Busey, and Gilbert Roland.
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Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
Mike and Pax cover another Peckinpah. Will they love it or hate it? Listen to find out!
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The Violent Men (1955)
Thanks to a listener's suggestion, Michael and Pax watch Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G Robinson, and Brian Keith in Rudolph Maté's The Violent Men. The movie also features Dianne Foster and Richard Jaeckel. It begins with a couple of classic Western tropes, but takes them in surprising…
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There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
In this episode Mike and Pax talk about a twisty western comedy called There Was a Crooked Man starring Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Warren Oates, Hume Cronyn, Burgess Meredith, and John Randolph.
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Tall in the Saddle (1944)
Michael and Pax check out Young John Wayne and Ella Raines in the Western mystery Tall in the Saddle. The movie also features Gabby Hayes and Ward Bond.
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My Darling Clementine (1946)
In this episode Mike and Pax continue watching OK Corral movies with this acclaimed adaptation by John Ford starring Henry Fonda and Victor Mature.
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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...
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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.
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Michael and Pax finally revisit Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a movie that Michael liked on first viewing, but Pax didn't, and neither has seen in a very long time.
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The Old Way (2023)
Mike and Pax discuss The Old Way from 2023 starring Nic Cage.
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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.…
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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.
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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,...
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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!
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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…
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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.
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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....
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hellbent for Letterbox have?
Hellbent for Letterbox currently has 207 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hellbent for Letterbox about?
Paxton Holley and Michael May sit at the campfire to talk Westerns in film and other media.
How often does Hellbent for Letterbox release new episodes?
Hellbent for Letterbox publishes regularly with 207 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Hellbent for Letterbox?
You can listen to Hellbent for Letterbox on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hellbent for Letterbox?
Hellbent for Letterbox is created and hosted by Michael May and Paxton Holley.
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