The good, bad and flinty: Western rivalries

Yer new word for the day: Westosterone.

Definition: the product of a mano a mano faceoff between gun-toting alpha males in a Western flick where the testosterone flies like lead at the O.K. Corral. See: "3:10 to Yuma."

Seriously, see it. New to DVD, "3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate, R, $29.95) was one of 2007's most entertaining films and featured an epic rivalry between Russell Crowe as a charismatic outlaw and Christian Bale as the desperate rancher determined to get him to the train bound for Yuma Prison. After you've finished the DVD — whose extras include some deleted scenes that add a little texture, and a respectable documentary about outlaws — you may have a hankering for more of the same. So here's a roundup of great Western adversaries you can hunt down for yourself.

"Deadwood"

Timothy Olyphant vs. Ian McShane

(HBO, $99.98 per season box set): In David Milch's brilliant, profane, mud-caked cable series, Olyphant's Sheriff Seth Bullock could captain the U.S. Olympic Seething team, emanating a rage so palpable that there ought to be a cloud of it around him. McShane's aptly named saloon-owner and pimp Al Swearengen cusses with more eloquence and conviction than a longshoreman with Tourette's and a stubbed toe. When their rivalry finally explodes in season two, it's a jaw-dropping street fight. But it doesn't get them out of each other's hair.

Now that Milch's "John from Cincinnati" has been put out of its misery, let's hope he gets off the stick and makes the "Deadwood" wrap-up movies he'd once planned.

"Seraphim Falls"

Pierce Brosnan vs. Liam Neeson

(Sony, 2006, R, $19.94): It's James Bond against Qui-Gon Jinn as resourceful Brosnan runs through the wilderness from relentless Neeson and his men for reasons that aren't spelled out until near the end. Highlight: Brosnan surprises them by leaping out of a horse that he had gutted and crawled inside. It's an entertaining and visceral chase flick until the surreal climax — which involves devilish Angelica Huston and a mystical coach — spoils everything.

"Ride the High Country"

Randolph Scott vs. Joel McCrea

(Warner, 1962, $19.98): Aging Western icons Scott (see his great work with director Budd Boetticher) and McCrea play longtime pals who team up to transport gold, then become enemies when one tries to steal it. Director Sam Peckinpah knew a thing or two about male relationships, and the betrayal — and its ultimate resolution — resonate with emotion. Asked why he won't testify for the tied-up and prison-bound McCrea, Scott answers bitterly, "Because he was my friend."

"Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid"

James Coburn vs. Kris Kristofferson

(Warner, 1973, R, $19.98): Peckinpah again, pitting Coburn (aka superspy Derek Flint) against Kristofferson (that really, really hairy guy) in a singular Western masterpiece. Coburn is magnificent as the ex-outlaw who becomes sheriff — hey, times are changing. "Times, maybe. Not me," says his old friend Billy. But Garrett's heart definitely isn't in the task of hunting down his unrepentant pal. The supporting cast is a Who's Who of old characters — and includes Bob Dylan.

"The Missouri Breaks"

Jack Nicholson vs. Marlon Brando

(MGM, 1976, PG, $14.98): The two acting giants square off in a bizarre one that could only have been made in the '70s. Nicholson plays it straight as the leader of a gang of horse thieves who tries to set up a legit-looking farm on a rancher's land. It's fun to speculate on Brando's sanity and/or chemical intake as you watch him play the eccentric Irish "regulator" that the rancher hires to kill the outlaws. He munches a plate of carrots. He disguises himself in a dress and bonnet. He sings. And he's utterly ruthless — blasting a man who's just sat down in an outhouse, no less. There's a code, people!

"The Last Hard Men"

Charlton Heston vs. James Coburn

(1976, R): Not available on DVD yet, but you can find it on VHS at Scarecrow Video (5030 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; 206-524-8554 or www.scarecrowvideo.com) and online. Coburn plays a vicious criminal who breaks out of Yuma Prison with a gang of lowlifes and a jones for revenge against retired lawman Charlton Heston and his immaculate toupee. Directed by Western vet Andrew V. McLaglen, it's run-of-the-mill — and outright clunky in spots — until the shockingly brutal final act. One prolonged assault in particular will make you wonder what they were thinking with that title. "You don't die for women, you kill for them," Coburn tells his men. Although the two macho men get little screen time together, Coburn's relish in the final confrontation with his nemesis is a bloody joy to behold.

"The Big Country"

Gregory Peck vs. Charlton Heston

(MGM, 1958, $14.98): To hell with Atticus Finch. Peck is awe-inspiring as a sea captain who moves West for marriage and refuses to rise to the bait of surly ranch hand Leech (Heston), who digs the same woman. Preferring to use his head and not show off like the other Neanderthal man-children, Peck's James McKay won't mount a wild horse in front of them, but breaks it expertly on his own when everyone's gone. In fact, he does such a slow burn — and in the middle of a range war turning ugly — that everyone begins to doubt his manhood. Until he proves he's more man than any of them. When McKay and Leech finally throw down in director William Wyler's nearly three-hour epic, the impact is palpable. Burl Ives got an Oscar as the white-trash rival landowner.

"3:10 to Yuma"

Glenn Ford vs. Van Heflin

(Sony, 1957, $19.94): The original, with Glenn Ford as outlaw Ben Wade and Van Heflin ("Shane") as Dan Evans. It's not nearly as action-packed as the remake but still plenty tense. Ford is memorably smooth as Wade, playing mind games with Evans as they wait in a hotel room for the train to prison — while his gang's on the way to rescue him.

"Faccia a Faccia" — aka "Face to Face"

Tomas Milian vs. Gian Maria Volonte

(1967): When it comes to spaghetti Western faceoffs between sweaty tough guys, you already know and revere the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood classics — "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More." Venture off the beaten path for this extraordinary one from director Sergio Sollima. Volonte (the villain in the "Dollars" flicks) plays an Eastern professor whose notions of civilized society crumble after he moves West for his health and gets swept up in the gang of lethal, charming outlaw Beau Bennet (Milian). Initially weak and nonviolent, the prof gradually butches up. Too much. The newly transformed prof becomes a far greater bastard than Bennet, and only one of them can lead the gang. Not available on DVD, but anyone smarter than a steer can track down a copy on eBay or elsewhere online.

Mark Rahner: 206-464-8259 or mrahner@seattletimes.com