Sam Peckinpah

Writer for The Rifleman who went on to direct The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs, and other manly stuff.

Straw Dogs (1971) -- Probably the best movie about a pushover who eventually stands up to bullies, mainly because the the ultimate "heroism" of that situation is arguably worse for the guy (Dustin Hoffman) than when he was a pushover. A complicated movie with scenes that would, from a lesser director, really turn me off (number one being the woman who seems to enjoy her rape). We really get to have our cake and eat it too here: Peckinpah shows how evil violence can be, but at the same time it sure is fun to watch it from the safe distance of our movie couch, so that it's both depressing and exhilarating.