Lone Star

Starring:Stephen Mendillo, Stephen J. Lang, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth PeÃ±a, Oni Faida Lampley, Eleese Lester, Joe Stevens, Gonzalo Castillo, Richard Coca, Clifton James, Tony Frank, Miriam Colon, Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Monahan, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Morton, LaTanya Richardson, Eddie Robinson, Ron Canada, Chandra Wilson
Director: John Sayles
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

This complex and rich film by John Sayles stars Chris Cooper as the contemporary sheriff of a Texas border town still under the sway of his late, legendary lawman father (Matthew McConaughey, seen in flashbacks). The discovery of a skeleton and crusted-over badge--buried some 40 years--initiates an investigation into an old crime no one wants to talk about but which will determine for Cooper's character, once and for all, various truths about his father's life. Sayles ingeniously sets this mystery against the backdrop of a developing, multicultural community losing its economic base while haggling over a history of racism. The overall effect is of a complicated American tragedy mitigated by the possibility of personal redemption. A terrific experience. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

American Masterpiece.......2007-05-16

There have been six Masterpieces produced in American Cinema that go to the heart of being an american (if this doesn't start a war I don't know what will!). They are in order:

Citizen Kane - 1941
Casablanca - 1942
The Last Picture Show - 1971
American Graffitti - 1973
Parenthood - 1989
Lonestar - 1996

They vary as much as they remain cohesive. They were made by visionary Directors, with the exception of Casablanca which represents the best of American film making by committee, and they all share one American attribute that will garner them immortality - they have Heart.

Few films can compare, none can surpass.

While The Last Picture Show is the best of the lot in that it captures the changing of our country from rural to urban from the fifties onward and the beginning of the ache for that lost Americana, Lonestar does the same thing with the results of those changes we are all experiencing now - proving that that ache still resonates in our souls.

The other four movies deal with different aspects of the American experience, but do so equally well in their own arena.

I cannot recommend Lonestar highly enough. You will be moved in ways that cinema moves it's audience best - in your heart of hearts.

You are your family, like it or not.......2007-04-23

"Lone Star" is another amazing John Sayles film. It takes place in a small Texas town on the Rio Grande. The town is shaped by the constant influx of Mexicans hoping for a better life. It begins with the discovery in the desert of a skull, a Masonic ring, and a sheriff's badge. The present sheriff is the son of a past, deceased sheriff who is revered by the residents. By investigating the death in the desert, he starts uncovering secrets from before he was born. As a son, he never knew his father the same way everyone else knew him. Part of his investigation is curiosity about who his father really was.

Meanwhile, an Army colonel who left town never expecting to return again finds himself in command of the Army base there, where his father is "the mayor of Darktown", i.e. the informal leader of the African-American community. The colonel is both a son of this man, and a father to his own son, who is also curious about his heritage.

The third family to be explored is that of the sheriff's high school sweetheart who is now a teacher in that same school. Her mother, a Mexican, is a pillar of the community and owns a successful restaurant. Again, the teacher is both a daughter of a stern, disapproving mother and a mother to her own children, who are teenagers with teenager problems.

The histories of these three families are interwoven with creative use of flashbacks and the dogged investigation by the sheriff of the death of the murdered sheriff. As the sheriff explores the classic principles of motive and opportunity for a murder that happened before he was born, he learns more than he wanted to know about the history of his town and his family.

A Murder in a Small Town.......2007-04-08

"Lone Star" is director John Sayles's brilliantly subtle, deliberately paced and multi-layered dissection of a murder investigation in a small Texas border town. The corpse of a long-missing former sheriff is discovered, triggering an investigation by the current sheriff (played by Chris Cooper). As the investigation proceeds, the sheriff begins to suspect the involvement of his own father (played by Matthew McConaughey), a now deceased town hero, who was also his predecessor as sheriff. The son has lived long in the shadow of a father with whom he had many issues, and will seek the truth about his father in pushing the investigation to its bitter end.

Sayles tells the story in a nicely parallel fashion in the past and present, as we learn that the murdered sheriff (played with venemous malice by Kris Kristofferson) was a corrupt murderer and racist who ran the town like a personal fiefdom. The character played by McConaughey was one of his deputies, who may or may not have stood up to the corrupt sheriff.

Elizabeth Pena plays the childhood love interest of the present day sheriff. The two of them attempt to revive their relationship but discover to their dismay that their fate together is also tied to the resolution of the murder mystery. This last plot twist provides an additional and surprising kick at the end of the movie.

Sayles does a good job providing context for a small Texas town where the long-dominant Anglos are slowly being pushed out of the majority by a mushrooming Mexican-American population. A small black population is caught in between the two larger groups. The resulting frictions show up in politics, schools, and personal relationships.

This movie is very highly recommended both as a superbly-filmed murder mystery and as a dissection of a slice of American life over two generations in one Texas town.

Great Film That Needs a Special Edition DVD release.......2006-11-27

If ever a film needed a new DVD release it is this one, and I am not just saying that because I am a native Texan, this movie is great on so many levels, it would not matter which state or even country for that matter that it was set in, it is a masterpiece of great film making the way movies could be if Hollywood would give a bit more effort, the cast is above average, the script was amazing, the Directing outstanding, the only let down is that this film's dvd is just too simple with no extras, it really does deserve a double disc special edition in my opinion.

One of the great films of all time.......2006-08-05

This is one of the great films of all time -- and I'm talkin' Casablanca, Maltese Falcon, GWTW, Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, 2001, yada yada yada.

I'm happy to say that I saw this film when it first came out at an artsy-fartsy theatre in Tucson, which means I first saw it on the Big Screen in a Small Theatre.

It was great then, and it's even better now.

This film has so many dimensions, and can be viewed from so many angles, that it's worthy of an entire semester of "Film Study 101" in its own right. I couldn't even begin to describe the way it looks at things from a familial, ethnic, racial, social, political, historical, personal perspective, not to mention the wonderful mystery that it depicts, which, alas, being a mystery, can be sustained only for the first vieweing. But, once you get past the mystery, you can watch the film for all of its other wonderful qualities, not least of which are the cinematic techniques that Sayles employs (invented?), such as his panning flashbacks, which sustain the movie's plot. Sayles is a Master, at the top of his game. And I haven't even mentioned the excellent cast and their performances.

I've viewed this film many times since I saw it the first time in Tucson. (It's like listening to Beethoven's Ninth, or looking at Rembrandt's Night Watch. Can you ever get enough?)

Believe me, I'm a movie lover, with very high standards, and this movie exceeds all of them. I can't believe that any human being with a pulse in his or her veins would not give this Great Work of Art five stars -- no, ten stars.

This is a great film, and I'm convinced that it will eventually be considered one of the best ever made.

Average customer rating:

Cheese, anyone?
sorry, think its a disappointment.
Hysterical
Very Funny...
"They torn down my Dixie Chicks poster!"

Lone Star State of Mind
Starring: Joshua Jackson , Jaime King , Matthew Davis , Ryan Hurst , and John Mellencamp
Director: David Semel
Manufacturer: Columbia TriStar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Shadows in the Sun
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ASIN: B00008AOWC
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Amazon.com

Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek and ex-model Jamie (formerly James, Pearl Harbor) King are (Lone) star-crossed lovers in this broad rural romantic comedy. Despite the fact that they've recently become step-siblings, Jackson and King are in love and want to flee their small Texas hometown for Hollywood. A kink in their plan arises in the low-wattage form of King's cousin (DJ Qualls), who lands in hot water with the local mob after robbing a drug dealer. Jackson must now make things right with a host of unsavory criminal types and get King to Tinseltown. Jackson is personable as the reluctant hero, and King is easy on the eyes, but the rest of the cast (which includes Matt Davis, Thomas Haden Church, and John Mellencamp) mugs furiously, and the script rarely aims any higher than poking fun at Southwestern stereotypes. --Paul Gaita

Description:

Joshua Jackson (The Skulls, TV's "Dawson's Creek") and Jaime King (Pearl Harbor) star in a hysterically rowdy look at small-town life and big-time trouble… deep in the heart of Texas. Also starring DJ Qualls (The New Guy, Road Trip), Matthew Davis (Blue Crush), Ryan Hurst (We Were Soldiers, Remember the Titans) and recording artist John Mellencamp (Falling From Grace).

With a couple grand in the bank and a dream in their hearts, Earl Crest (Jackson) and his girlfriend Baby (King) plan their escape to Los Angeles from their hometown of Bennett, Texas. But a dim-witted cousin (Qualls), an ex-con and an angry drug lord threaten to derail their plans. Now, with just 48 hours to straighten things out, Earl finds himself in the middle of a mess - bigger than the entire state of Texas!

Customer Reviews:

Cheese, anyone?.......2007-03-09

So, I first saw this movie upon the request of my boyfriend, who like me, lives in Texas. It's not an awful movie, it has a few spurts of comedy, but for the most part it's just one cheesey cliche moment after the other.

And I'm also worried that out-of-state viewers of this film (though God knows why they would want to watch it in the first place) might get the wrong impression of Texas. It's not just a bunch of BBQ joints and bars and boots and cowboys. Sure, we've got it all, but this movie makes it seem like California is salvation in comparison.

The acting was not terrible. The script was less-than-clever, and an actor can only do so much with what he's given. But accents go in and out a bit, and it just wasn't entertaining. It was cute at best.

I would say, okay watch the movie. But only if it's free. And only if you are prepared to roll your eyes.

sorry, think its a disappointment. .......2007-01-16

I was recommended this movie by two friends, in this recommendation they acted out a certain part of the movie which caused me to laugh but when I saw the movie, It didnt tickle my fancy. I would of been better off just having my friends re tell the parts, cause they verison surely is more funny than what was really acted out. Needless to say, I got about half way through the movie and didnt finish it as of yet, its just sitting around on the shelf collecting dust, which is more than it deserves.

Hysterical.......2007-01-10

The first time I saw this movie was the day I came home from the hospital after having my oldest child. I laughed so hard I was afraid I was going to bust my stitches. LOL I love it, every time I watch I still find it hysterical. This is the third copy we have bought...toddlers can destroy a DVD no matter how "indestructible" the industry says they are. I plan to keep this one under lock and key as it is my absolute favorite movie.

Very Funny..........2006-12-29

I agree with the reviewer that you MAY have to be Texan to LOVE this film, but it IS hilarious. When Jr. says the "bad guys" beat him up and made him feel bad about himself, I nearly cried from laughing. I borrowed it from a friend, watched it last night, and bought it this morning. I'll probably watch it with everyone I know.

"They torn down my Dixie Chicks poster!".......2006-04-04

My cousin brought this over a couple months back and told me to watch it. She said it was the funniest thing she's ever seen and I said "Joshua Jackson, funny?" and she said "JUST WATCH IT"...and she was right...this movie is downright histerical. Earl (Jackson) is engaged to his step-sister Baby (Jamie King, the hot former model) who is determined to be a soap star and thus is intent on moving to LA. They live in some rinky dink Texas town. Baby has a wayward cousin Junior (DJ Qualls) who she entrusts Earl to keep an eye on, but Junior is almost more trouble than Earl can chew. You see junior and his delinquent friend Tinker (Ryan Hurst from Remember the Titans) just robbed a pizza delivery boy, the only problem is that he wasn't a pizza delivery boy, but more like a drug runner for some important coke dealers and now Tinker and Junior (mostly junior) find themselves in deep $hit when these men want their drugs and money back. Earl then enlists the help of his gay best friend Jimmy (Matthew Davis) to help him deliver the goods that Tinker won't hand over. Problem after problem arises and someone loses a pinky finger resulting in some of the funniest dialog in movie history. I'm a huge fan of this film. The cast is spot on, and even though Jackson isn't funny in this movie (he's the serious hero type who hardly cracks a smile) the rest of the cast, including John Mellencamp as Earls hilarious stepfather (Baby's father), is downright brilliant!

Average customer rating:

Where is Sabata?
Surreal Opening helps save this Spaghetti Western
LEE VAN CLEEF CLASSIC FINALLY ON VIDEO

Return of Sabata
Starring: Lee Van Cleef , Reiner Schöne , Giampiero Albertini , Ignazio Spalla , and Annabella Incontrera
Director: Gianfranco Parolini
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Sabata
The Hills Run Red
Fury at Furnace Creek
The Great Silence
Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 2 (The Texans / California / The Cimarron Kid / The Man from the Alamo)

ASIN: B000NIBUYY
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Return of Sabata, producer Alberto Grimaldi and director Frank Kramer's (real name Gianfranco Parolini) third and final film about the adventures of the enigmatic, steely-eyed gunman of that name, is both the strangest of the three and arguably the one that most embodies the spaghetti Western aesthetic. Lee Van Cleef is back in the title role (Yul Brynner had stepped in for Adios, Sabata, the middle installment). So is essentially the same story formula (Sabata and his sidekicks take on the greedy villain who's extorting tax money from the good citizens of Hobsonville, with double-crosses the most common currency), as well as several of the actors (in different roles here) from the first two films; the white guy who works both with and against our hero, a staple of the series, is played this time by Reiner Schone, who's appealing in a Luke Wilson kind of way. But like Van Cleef's new hairpiece, his return is not all good. The stoic, silent-but-deadly mystery man of before is now a veritable nattering nabob, with a heretofore unseen interest in the fair sex; nothing wrong with that, but the lighter, frothier Sabata certainly takes some getting used to. So does the surprising lack of fancy gunplay relative to the first two, not to mention the terrible dialogue dubbing that plagued the 1969 original. What's more, producer Grimaldi's association with the Italian master Federico Fellini (he produced Fellini Satyricon) is on full display, starting with a surreal opening sequence that finds Sabata working in a carnival sideshow. The music, too, is absolutely nutty, establishing some sort of spaghetti Western benchmark with a mix that includes J.S. Bach-like organ workouts, acid rock, and a laughably insipid title tune of the sort normally heard on a very bad sit-com. If all of this sounds entertaining, well, for the most part it is, but Return of Sabata is a mighty peculiar way to bring the saga to a close. The DVD contains no bonus features. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Where is Sabata?.......2004-12-06

All I'd like to know is why Amazon.com does not carry the first Sabata installment? Such a classic spaghetti western undoubtedly deserves the respect of being included herein.

Surreal Opening helps save this Spaghetti Western.......2004-04-22

The surreal opening of this sequel to SABATA is absolutely incredible and is in the best tradition of the outrageousness of the Spaghetti Western genre. Lee Van Cleef once again is Sabata. This film once more demonstrates the humorous acrobatics and ballistic gadgetry of the Spaghetti genre. Unfortunately the story, if there is indeed one, is almost impossible to follow. However, Van Cleef's tongue-in-cheek approach, which he plays expertly off Reiner Schone's scheming loser, saves this one. At this point in time the Spaghetti Western was in its death throes of existence. This film managed to keep the genre going for a few more years.

LEE VAN CLEEF CLASSIC FINALLY ON VIDEO.......2001-11-14

Anytime a Lee Van Cleef Euro-Western makes it to video, it's an occasion. When it makes it in perfect, pristine condition, it's a special occasion. This Amazon.com exclusive was duplicated by MGM/UA, so the picture quality is excellent. Many of Van Cleef's Italian westerns are duplicated from bad 16mm prints, not so here. This is third in the Sabata series. Van Cleef appeared in the original United Artists feature Sabata, which was followed by Addios, Sabata with Yul Brenner (his only Italian western). The plot about Sabata, gunslinger turned sideshow performer after $5,000 owed to him, is so-so. It's a two star film at best, but the quality of the video brings it up to three stars. NOTE TO AMAZON.COM: let's get more of these films available to us through your arrangement with MGM/UA.

Johnny Mack Brown Double Feature, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

JOHNNY MACK BROWN - All action B-Western Double Feature. Plus Extras
"Exciting adventures from the early '40s from VCI ~ Johnny Mack Brown"
Two fine Johnny Mack Brown movies on DVD
A Must for B Western Fanatics

Johnny Mack Brown Double Feature, Vol. 1
Starring: Johnny Mack Brown , Bob Baker , Fuzzy Knight , Anne Gwynne , and Bill Cody Jr.
Director: Ray Taylor
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000087F3M
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Description

Former All-American halfback, Johnny Mack Brown, was consistently one of Hollywood's Top 10 big-screen cowboys. During his film career, which ran from 1930 until he retired in 1953, he starred in over 200 B-Westerns and became a hero to millions of admiring fans. In the first film of this rip roarin' double feature, Bad Man From Red Butte (1940), Johnny Mack plays a dual role. He rides into town with his two sidekicks (Bob Baker and Fuzzy Knight) to offer aid to an old friend who is about to lose his ranch to a couple of conniving outlaws. In Rawhide Rangers (1941) Johnny Mack Brown is a Ranger who goes undercover to route out the man responsible for extorting money from the local ranchers and discovers that this is the same person that killed his brother. A satisfying blend of western action, music and comedy relief! Bonus Features: Bonus - Chapter #1 of Johnny Mack's Universal serial "Wild West Days" (1937)| Previews of other VCI Western Classics| Scene Selection| Bios. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 114 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1943-1941; SRP - $19.99.

Customer Reviews:

JOHNNY MACK BROWN - All action B-Western Double Feature. Plus Extras.......2006-05-11

Born in 1904 Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college footballer, he turned down professional football offers and instead headed for Hollywood. In 1927 he signed a contract with MGM and played the lead in many top-budget films. In 1930 he enjoyed great success in the title role of King Vidor's BILLY THE KID from then on for the next twenty odd-years it was B-Westerns all the way! This double feature DVD from VCI Entertainment (Dolby Digitally Remastered) is a perfect introduction to Johnny Mack Brown westerns. In 1940 he was ranked at number 6 out of the 10 highest Money-making B-Western Stars, top places at that time going to Gene Autry, William Boyd and Roy Rogers. A bonus with this DVD is Chapter1 of "Wild West Days (1937) and among the first-class color previews look out for the two top-notch "Lone Ranger" trailers. Excellent, B-Western-fare for all cowboy aficionados.

BAD MAN FROM RED BUTTE (1940 Universal - 58 Minutes)
Johnny Mack Brown plays the dual-role of the good and bad twin-brothers. Buck Halliday (Goodie) rides into town with his two sidekicks frontier lawyer Gabriel Hornsby (Bob Baker) and snake oil Peddler Spud Jenkins (Fuzzy Knight). Brady is mistakenly arrested for crimes committed by his twin brother who calls himself Gils Brady (Baddie). The love interest is the new schoolmarm (Anne Gwynne) Bob Baker and others sing a song or two with Fuzzy Knight providing the comedy

RAWHIDE RANGERS (1941 Universal - 56 Minutes)
Texas Ranger Brand Calhoun (Johnny Mack Brown) is sent on mission to find the boss of a local gang of outlaws. In a gunfight was the gang Calhoun's brother Steve (Roy Harris) is killed. Calhoun hands in his badge and goes under cover to infiltrate the gang and route out their leader. The love interest here is the daughter of a local rancher Joanne (Kathryn Adams) Once again Fuzzy Knight provides the comedy and the "Texas Rangers" singing group provides the songs.

"Exciting adventures from the early '40s from VCI ~ Johnny Mack Brown".......2005-09-14

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Bad Man from Red Butte" (1940) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '40s...the storyline is excellent with outstanding productions...Johnny Mack plays a dual role of a gunman Gils Brady and our hero and good guy Buck Halliday...when a shootout starts Benson and his henchman try to pin a murder on Buck who they believe is Brady the gunmen...when a lynch mob is out for blood, can Buck be saved by his friends Gabe and Spud...will the trio be able to prove Benson is the guilty party...well it's not over yet so stay in the saddle and see the final chapter of this exciting story.

Under director Ray Taylor with screenplay by Sam Robins...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Gil Brady/Buck Halliday), Bob Baker (Gabriel 'Gabe' Hornsby), Fuzzy Knight ('Spud' Jenkins), Anne Gwynne (Tibby Mason), Bill Cody Jr (Skip Toddhunter), Norman Willis (Hal Benson), Earle Hodgkins (Hiram T. Cochran), Roy Barcroft (Hank - Henchman), Lafe McKee (Dan Toddhunter), Lloyd Ingraham (Turner), Buck Moulton (Jitters - Henchman)...another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Universal Pictures during their heyday of the early '40s.

CHAPTERS
1. Unlawful
2. Mistaken Identity
3. Survey Plans
4. Wrongfully Accused
5. Politics
6. Justice

The second feature on the bill from VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Rawhide Rangers" (1941) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '40s...the badmen running the territory is a gang of outlaws lead by Blackie...Ranger Brand Calhoun and his brother stumble onto a stage holdup the brother is killed...shortly after that Brand quits the Rangers and becomes an outlaw...Brand is taking all the loot and Blackie's gang capture him and make him one of their gang....can Brand alert his fellow Rangers of the next planned robbery...will he discover who the real brains is behind the outlaws...will Sing Lo the cook catch Fuzzy stealing his pies once again...or does Sing Lo have other plans for Fuzzy...don't leave the theater because things are just about to break loose.

Under director Ray Taylor with screenplay by Ed Earl Repp...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Brand Calhoun), Fuzzy Knight (Porky), Kathryn Adams (Jo Ann Rawlings), Nell O'Day (Patti McDowell), Riley Hill (Steve Calhoun), Harry Cording (Blackie), Al Bridge (Rawlings), Ed Cassidy (Alec Martin), Frank Shannon (Ranger Captain McDowell), Bob Kortman (Dirk - Henchman), Chester Gan (Sing Lo, the cook)...Johnny Mack Brown's films were a step above other B-Western...he was a better actor than many of his contemporaries...Brown had a long and prosperous career as a B-Western star well into the 1950s.

CHAPTERS
1. Assignment
2. Hijack
3. Ranger to Outlaw
4. Joining the Gang
5. The Plan
6. Shootout

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
Johnny Mack Brown
Fuzzy Knight
Anne Gwynne
Nell O'Day
Ray Taylor (Director)

VCI TRAILERS:
Cattle Queen of Montana (Ronald Reagan & Barbara Stanwyck - in color)
Tennessee's Partner (Ronald Reagan & John Payne - in color)
The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels - in color)
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (same cast - in color)

BONUS:
"Wild West Days" (featuring Johnny Mack Brown) (Chapter One) (1937)

Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure enjoyed this serial check out other western double features by Johnny Mack Brown:

JOHNNY MACK BROWN WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Raiders of San Joaquin/Law of the Range (VCI #7226)
2. Pony Post/Ragtime Cowboy Joe (VCI #7238)
3. Brand A Coward/Rogue of the Range (VCI #7244)
4. Guns in the Dark/Partner of the Trail (VCI $7260)
5. Bar Z Bad Men/Between Men (VCI #7282)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above five titles as they are not available on Amazon as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment...if you enjoyed "Bad Man from Red Butte" and "Rawhide Ranger" why not pick up other copies of Johnny Mack Brown Double Features...also the latest Bobby J. Copeland's book on "Johnny Mack Brown: Up Close & Personal" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on, published by Empire Publishing and available on Amazon.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch B-Western from VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 225 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8419 ~ (6/21/2005)

Two fine Johnny Mack Brown movies on DVD.......2003-11-15

VCI Entertainment has given us two classic Johnny Mack Brown B-western, beautifully and cleanly transferred. Brown was never at the level of Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, but his long career at Universal and later Monogram, give proof to his popularity. Bad Man from Red Butte and Rawhide Ranger are two of his better Universals Westerns. Production values are high in these Universal releases, and sidekick Fuzzy Knight and other stock Brown B-Western cast members help make this two offerings very enjoyable. VCI should be encouraged to release more of these. Highly recommended.

A Must for B Western Fanatics.......2003-06-02

This presenation by VCI of Johnny Mack Brown's B westerns is magnificent. This release has been described as the first in the series and we can expect many more. After all, Johnny Mack Brown appeared in a LOT of westerns.

The Bad Man from Red Butte has very good production values. There's a lot of horse riding, shooting, fisticuffs and the other stuff that makess B westerns exciting. Unlike others of the genre, this particular film stands out because Universal did not apply Poverty Row techniques. There is hardly use of stock film, so common in other B westerns. There are so many hired extras and people appearing in this feature that this has the feel of an A western. Universal is definitely not Lone Star Productions or any of those [other] companies of that time. This is recommended viewing for fans of the genre.

Rawhide Ranger was produced by Commonwealth Films but still under Universal. So, despite the use of more stock film, the production values are still high and would be considered among the better B westerns produced.

The quality for both features is good. Picture clarity and contrast and sound are excellent. You hardly notice any film deterioration and VCI must have obtained well preserved copies of these two films, though some scratches were very noticeable in the first feature.

A notable extra to this package is the more than 15 minute Chapter One of a Johnny Mack Brown western serial.

Another plus are the trailers. When I saw the Lone Ranger trailer, I decided to buy a copy for my collection for the picture quality is pristine.

Description

The 20th century was powered by oil--a fact made possible by a discovery early in the century at a lonely spot called Spindletop in Texas. A gusher of oil was unleashed that rocketed 100 feet skyward for nine straight days. Suddenly, the Lone Star state was flush with a new breed of men--the wildcatters. Part gambler, part geologist, a wildcatter risked everything he had to drill a hole in the ground, and made it possible for a horse and buggy nation to become a world of automobiles and airplanes.

New Fist of the North Star, Vol. 2: The Forbidden Fist

Average customer rating:

Even Better

New Fist of the North Star, Vol. 2: The Forbidden Fist
Starring: New Fist of the North Star
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Sci-Fi Action | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

New Fist of the North Star, Vol. 3: When a Man Carries Sorrow
New Fist of the North Star (Vol. 1)
New Fist of the North Star - The Complete Collection
Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star, Vol. 4

ASIN: B00062IZSG
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Description

Lord Doha falls deathly ill, and Kenshiro takes up the quest to retrieve the serum, but he'll have to cross through a land haunted by demons. Will he survive and bring back the medicine in time? And who's this mysterious martial artist that has suddenly arrived? Has the balance of power once again been thrown into chaos as fist is pitted against fist?

Customer Reviews:

Even Better.......2004-11-10

This 2nd installation of New Fist of the North Star also rocks. It also leaves me hungry for more, and nothing short of my demise shall prevent me from buying the next one!
In this episode we see Kenshiro about to embark on a quest which only he can see through. He must save a life, the life of the young Lord Doha. He must obtain a life-saving serum by traversing a path towards danger. Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say he will be pitted against deadly foes of a familiar and surprising nature. There are revelations, the introduction of a new foe, and something disturbing happens to Sara.
I highly reccommend this series, and this dvd. The outstanding visuals, storyline, and action are awesome! And don't forget, this stars Kenshiro! The Fist of the North Star returns!

If it is allowed I'd like to mention my recent acquisition of the complete entire series of the original Fist of the North Star. The original, all 152 glorious episodes! Despite the poor translation, I highly reccommend this for FOTNS fanatics like myself. Find out what happened to Bart and Lynn! Did Yulia really die? and who is The Fist King? find out. Purchase these dvd's if you can find them.

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Destination: Texas

Manufacturer: Discovery Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Lone Cowboy: Lawless Frontier/Star Packer/Hurricane Express/Trail Beyond

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Lone Cowboy: Lawless Frontier/Star Packer/Hurricane Express/Trail Beyond
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Vintage Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0007VF20A
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Description

THE LAWLESS FRONTIER - An outlaw Zanti kills John Tobin's father, then attempts to kidnap Ruby and kill her grandfather Dusty, but Tobin intervenes just in time to put a stop to it.

THE STAR PACKER - U.S. Marshal John Travers is hoping to catch an outlaw chieftain known only as "The Shadow".

THE HURRICANE EXPRESS - "The Wrecker", a master of disguise, tries to sabotage the L. & R. Railroad to bolster an airline service.

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

American Masterpiece.......2007-05-16

You are your family, like it or not.......2007-04-23

A Murder in a Small Town.......2007-04-08

Great Film That Needs a Special Edition DVD release.......2006-11-27

One of the great films of all time.......2006-08-05

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Lone Star Kid

Manufacturer: Feature Films for Families
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

The Lone Star Kid is about a compassionate eleven year old boy who becomes mayor of a small town in Texas when he witnesses an accident and a death due to lack of ambulance services. He is determined to bring big-town services to his small town.

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