Michael May and Paxton Holley

Hellbent for Letterbox

Tv EN ↓ 202 episodes

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

Author

Michael May and Paxton Holley

Category

Tv

Latest episode

Jul 3, 2026

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Episodes

Seraphim Falls (2006) 15.10.2019

Michael and Pax watch Liam Neeson hunt Pierce Brosnan in David Von Ancken's thriller (and probably parable) co-starring Michael Wincott and featuring cameos by Anjelica Huston, Wes Studi, Jimmi Simpson, and Xander Berkeley. Also: a podcast recommendation,  Wild West  magazine, a couple of silent Jesse James films with James' real-life son playing the legendary outlaw, and this excellent primer on...

Blazing Saddles (1974) 26.09.2019

Michael and Pax are once again joined by Evan Hanson, this time to discuss the 1974 Mel Brooks western parody, Blazing Saddles.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) 17.09.2019

Guest Evan Hanson returns to help Michael and Pax survey Seth MacFarlane's Western comedy.

Winchester '73 (1950) 19.08.2019

On this episode Michael and Pax discuss the first collaboration between director Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart, Winchester '73 from 1950.

Lonesome Dove (1989) 05.08.2019

In this Texas-sized episode, Michael and Pax cover the classic mini-series starring Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and a supporting cast as epic as the story itself. Also: Pax reads Larry McMurtry's Buffalo Girls while Michael does something Westerny for Fathers Day and reads a Mickey Mouse Weird West comic.

One Eyed Jacks (1961) 11.07.2019

On this episode of Hellbent, Michael and Pax discuss the one movie Marlon Brando directed as well as starred in, the 1961 western, One Eyed Jacks.  Also starring Karl Malden and Ben Johnson.

The Man from Snowy River (1982) 24.06.2019

Michael and Pax jaw about George Miller's (not  that  George Miller, though) Australian Western. One remembered loving it; the other remembered hating it. Have they changed their minds? Do they agree? What happened to Cookie's leg? A couple of those questions actually get answered. Also: DC Comics discussion as Pax reads the early adventures of Bat Lash and Michael checks out the beginning of the...

Bad Girls (1994) 05.06.2019

On this episode of Hellbent Michael and Pax are once again joined by their wives, this time to discuss Bad Girls from 1994 starring Madeline Stowe, Andy McDowell, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Drew Barrymore.

Five Bold Women (1960) 22.05.2019

Michael and Pax welcome their wives, Stephanie Holley and Diane May to weigh in on the women-focused Western, Five Bold Women starring Irish McCalla and Jeff Morrow. Pax also shares a couple of Western comics he's been reading: the first volume of Stern from Europe comics and the first couple of issues in Dynamite's Man With No Name series. Meanwhile, Michael's been watching the contemporary Weste...

7 Men from Now (1956) 08.05.2019

On this episode of Hellbent Michael and Pax return to the Budd Boetticher-Randolph Scott oeuvre to talk about their very first collaboration in 1956, 7 Men from Now.  Also stars Gail Russell and Lee Marvin. 

Dodge City (1939) 22.04.2019

Michael and Pax visit Michael Curtiz'  Dodge City  with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Bruce Cabot. But before that they also talk briefly about a couple of '70s Robert Redford movies ( The Sting  and  The Hot Rock ) and Vincent D'Onofrio's new Billy the Kid movie,  The Kid  starring Dane DeHaan, Ethan Hawke, and Chris Pratt.

The Train Robbers (1973) 27.03.2019

On this episode Mike and Pax discuss The Train Robbers from 1973 starring John Wayne, Ann Margaret and Ricardo Montalban.

Buffalo Boys (2018) 14.03.2019

Michael and Pax talk about the Indonesian Western Buffalo Boys by director Mike Wiluan. Also, Pax reads more Hex (guest-starring Batman!?) and Michael watches Charles Bronson as Wild Bill Hickok in The White Buffalo .

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 27.02.2019

In this episode Michael and Pax discuss the 1969 western classic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and Katharine Ross.

Shane (1953) 11.02.2019

Michael and Pax come back to shoot the breeze about George Stevens' classic Shane , starring Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, and Jean Arthur. Is Marian in love with Shane? Is Joey the most annoying character in cinema? What's up with that ending? And how does Batman fit into all this? There's also Pony Express mail and short discussions of the Wrong Reel podcast's Billy the Kid episode and a couple of film...

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) 09.01.2019

On this episode Michael and Pax discuss Robert Redford in the 1972 classic, Jeremiah Johnson, written by John Milius and directed by Syndney Pollack.

Open Range (2003) 31.12.2018

This Kevin Costner/Robert Duvall classic is easily the most requested movie that listeners have asked us to cover, so Michael and Pax finally hit the  Open Range . Also: Pony Express brings talk of a Western  Christmas Carol , the real-life history behind  The Night Riders , and the 2003 TV show  Peacemakers . And Pax and Michael share some cool, Western comics:  El Mestizo and Bat Lash .

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) 30.11.2018

On this episode of Hellbent Mike and Pax discuss the 1972 Paul Newman western The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, written by John Milius.

Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937) / The Night Riders (1939) 19.11.2018

Michael and Pax explore the Three Mesquiteers. They talk about the history of the long-running series, then take a look at Riders of the Whistling Skull , in which Robert Livingstone, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune help a woman find her missing father and some lost treasure. Then in The Night Riders , Livingstone is replaced by John Wayne who leads the trio as masked vigilantes fighting an evil lan...

Episode 50: Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II (1990) 14.10.2018

To celebrate the 50th episode of  Hellbent for Letterbox , Pax and Michael set aside the Pony Express and Whatchoo Been Westernin' to focus exclusively on the two  Young Guns  movies starring Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and a couple of posses' worth of other '80s Brat Packers.  Michael and Pax are both crazy about  Young Guns , but have different opinions about the seq...

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) 20.09.2018

On this episode Michael and I are discussing Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales from 1976.

Jonah Hex (2010) 07.09.2018

Michael and Pax raise the corpse of the DC Comics box office flop to figure out if it's as bad as its reputation and maybe even how to fix it. Jonah Hex  stars Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and John Malkovich and was written (in part) by the notorious Neveldine and Taylor.  Pax also talks about the 1985 Jonah Hex comics reboot,  Hex , and Michael wanders away from comics completely to review 1952's  Ben...

A Man Called Sledge (1970) 16.08.2018

On this episode of Hellbent Michael and Pax discuss the 1970 spaghetti western A Man Called Sledge starring James Garner and directed by Vic Morrow.

Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) 03.08.2018

Michael and Pax talk about Walter Hill's misleadingly titled film starring Matt Damon, Jason Patric, Wes Studi, Robert Duvall, and Gene Hackman.  Also: quick reviews of Rick Geary's  The True Death of Billy the Kid  and the 1920 silent film,  The Daughter of Dawn .

Three Amigos (1986) 10.07.2018

On this episode of Hellbent Mike and Pax talk about the 1986 western comedy Three Amigos starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short.  We laugh and quote lines throughout this one, it's a fun show.

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