The Quick and the Dead

Starring:Sam Elliott, Tom Conti, Kate Capshaw, Kenny Morrison, Matt Clark, Patrick Kilpatrick, Jerry Potter, Billy Streater, Del Shores, R.L. Tolbert, Jeffrey Meyer, Kurt D. Lott, Hardy Rawls, Larry Sellers, Bill Stedman
Director: Robert Day
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the town of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

Take one of the many martial arts contests to the death movies, transplant it to the Wild West, and you have the general idea what The Quick and the Dead is about. The head bad guy, Herod (played by Gene Hackman) sponsors a gunfight. First prize is enough money to choke a herd of horses. From all corners of the country they come, some nasty and some nice. There is Russell Crowe's character, a former outlaw who has renounced violence. There is Leonardo DiCaprio's character, only know as "the kid", who's fate is irrevocably intertwined with Herod's. Finally, there is the mysterious gun woman, played by Sharon Stone, who has her own agenda.

In theory, this movie should be a disaster. Not that many critics liked it, in some circles the nicest thing said about it was "ridiculous". This is regretful, because it is an excellent, exciting movie with precise, supercrisp camera work. The duels, while bloodless enough to avoid an "R" rating, nevertheless come across as rough, tough and nasty.

This is a must-see movie.

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

In THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995), Sharon Stone plays a cheroot-smoking, Clint Eastwood-mimicking 1800s gunslinger, and Gene Hackman plays Gene Hackman - think of a wood plank; you know, something just a little less rigid and a little more emotional than Clint Eastwood. For the intelligent reader, this is all the review that should be necessary. Sure, I could proceed point-by-point in illustrating what makes this movie such a putrid corpse (a real "Boot Hill" special), but frankly, it is not even worthy of a serious critique. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - along with Jack Nicholson's THE SHOOTING (1967) and Jane Russell's THE OUTLAW (1943) - represents "The Dreck Of The West" on celluloid, and it is a good example of why I completely stopped going to the movies two decades ago. I was tired of paying money to have my intelligence insulted (as well as having Hollywood's immorality paraded before my eyes).

Although this movie is an empty-headed, overly-produced, ultra-dippy "cartoon" (the Biblical allusion was especially stupid and any Yosemite Sam cartoon would be funnier and equally believable), it did amply show me what I borrowed it from the library to see - namely, MESCAL.

MESCAL is a frontier town movie set where numerous Westerns have been filmed. It is located near Benson, Arizona, just three miles North of Interstate 10 (exit #297) and on "the other side of the tracks." (I've always wanted to say that!) My brother, Napoleon, my friend, Pooh, and I sneaked into MESCAL a number of years back (a REAL Outlaw Trio), but I have since longed to take the "official" $8.00, 45-minute guided tour, and on May 3rd that dream was finally realized. The tour begins in the large saloon built specifically for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and there are no phones, johns, or refreshments available. (No saltwater taffy here folks! This is the REAL West . . . uhm, built for moviemaking.) Some other FAR BETTER Westerns that have largely or partially utilized the MESCAL set include:

The great Monte Walsh (1970) featuring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance (will this film EVER be released on DVD?!) MESCAL represented both Harmony and Charleyville. It was Roy Bean's Langtry, Texas, in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), and Paul Newman's courthouse/saloon is still standing! It stood in for (if memory serves me) Hays, Kansas in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), where that old cigar-store Indian of an actor, Clint Eastwood, asked the Confederate soldiers, "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" And it played the part of Tombstone, Arizona in Val Kilmer's Tombstone (1993). On the MESCAL tour, you will walk into The Oriental saloon (now an empty shell of its former self) where Kurt Russell slapped around Billy Bob Thornton and where later, Ol' Doc Holliday matched Ol' Johnny Ringo's gun tricks with a fancy exhibition of silver cup-handling. (The MESCAL tour operates on a very limited schedule, so call ahead -- (520) 883-0100; press menu option #7.)

I watched THE QUICK AND THE DEAD - filmed entirely at MESCAL - solely to see the movie set. And if you haven't got any gardening to do; a house to clean; children to watch; a good book to read; quality music to hear; a dinner to cook; letters to write; bills to pay; windows to wash; a dentist to see; a room to paint; a leaky faucet to fix; a friend to visit; a car to repair; a play to attend; a wife (or husband) to love; a drawing to sketch; a good movie to view; an enemy to fight; a dog to walk; a cat to kick; a geriatric to help; a mouse to catch; a fly to swat; a walk to take; dishes to scrub; laundry to fold; prayers to pray; shopping to do; a bank to rob; a supermodel to stalk; a nap to sleep; a game of solitaire to play, or a Louisville Slugger-wielding friend to batter you into unconsciousness, then by all means, I recommend that you borrow THE QUICK AND THE DEAD from your local library.

But be forewarned, if you do borrow it and your trigger finger doesn't hit that "eject" button QUICK enough when the movie turns stupid (which it does very QUICKLY), then this movie might render you brain-DEAD. Of course, if you actually PURCHASE this movie, then you probably already are!

The gunfights are the highlight.......2007-04-22

'The Quick and The Dead' is a good example of an anti-western. Released in 1995 and directed by Sam Raimi, the film features a female gunfighter played by Sharon Stone and some campy, over-the-top gunfights. Critics and western purists haven't been kind to this movie over the past several years. For that reason, it is better remembered by most as an early film vehicle for Russell Crowe than for being a "classic" western. Crowe's career benefitted more from this movie than that of other stars who appeared in the film such as Stone, Gene Hackman or Leonardo DiCaprio. The plot is as simple as a plot can get. Hackman plays John Herod, a grizzled outlaw who "runs" the town of Redemption which is a generic western town with a bar, a gun shop and a haven for prostitutes. Herod hosts regular quickdraw competitions in Redemption as part of a plan to goad other gunfighters, men who might challenge his rule, into coming onto his turf and, more often than not, eating lead. It is a simple and effective strategy that has allowed him to stay in power for many years. Instead of having these men sneak into town or gang up on him, Herod is able to get these men face to face in a one-on-one setting and either blow them away himself or sit back and watch while other gunmen do his dirty work for him in the contest.

The thin plot that exists in 'The Quick and the Dead' is centered around a few major and minor characters, each of whom have their own reasons for wanting to eliminate Herod (Hackman). The dialogue here is adequate and some characters (or actors) have better material to work with than others. Predictably, the worst dialogue comes from Stone herself and her character (Ellen) resorts to a large number of one liners. Such is the norm in a Sam Raimi movie. More often than not, though, Stone's performance is convincing and she does a much better job with the script than many leading ladies (circa 1995) might have done. Would Demi Moore or Julia Roberts have been better? Hardly. Before he was a household name, Russell Crowe contributed a convincing performance here playing the role of a preacher named Cort, who was once a riding partner of Herod's. Gene Hackman's performance is up to par and then some, even though 'The Quick and the Dead' is usually overlooked when one brings up his long catalog of films. Admittedly, there is nothing new here that a Hackman fan hasn't seen before but that doesn't mean his performance isn't good. It is. Leonardo DiCaprio uses his considerable talents to bring the character Fee to life. Known throughout the town of Redemption as "The Kid", Fee is purported to be John Herod's son and that eventually becomes more important as the competition moves on.

The actual plot does very little to drive 'The Quick and the Dead.' The most enjoyable moments take place during the actual gunfights and the challenges (banter), among the contestants, leading up to them. While the results of most bouts are predictable, the way things play out will both amuse and shock people who are new to the movie. One freshly dead gunfighter gets stripped to his skivvies by bandits who loot his corpse in the middle of the street, while the entire town is looking on. Another gunfighter, believed to be dead by no less than the town doctor, rises up and continues to fight. Meanwhile, the townspeople do show emotion when a gunfighter or two they are sympathetic with, or rooting for, is gunned down.

The plotholes here are forgivable, due to the excitement that takes place leading up to and during the gunfights. What is missing from the movie would be some character development or background on a few of the supporting cast members. Some of the supporting characters, particularly Ace Hanlon (played by Lance Henriksen) and Sgt. Clay Cantrell (Keith David), are great. Hanlon plays a card shark who goes from town to town doing "impossible" trick shots to entertain locals, before stopping in Redemption for the quick draw contest. During one early conversation Ace brags about how many men he has killed and in another scene, he talks about being as fast of a draw with his left hand as he is with his right. Nobody believes a word of it. Played to perfection by Henriksen, Hanlon's screen presence and dialogue is one of the best things about 'The Quick and the Dead.' It is just too bad his screen time is fairly limited and you get very little background on the character, other than one or two key scenes.

Sgt. Cantrell is a gruff, no-nonsense hitman who is hired by a group of townspeople to enter the contest and kill Herod (Hackman) by any means necessary. Somehow Herod finds out about this plan and confronts Cantrell before the two of them engage in a gunfight later that day. In a touch of irony, Herod admits he thought Ace Hanlon was the hitman hired by the town which led him to confront Hanlon first. Like Ace Hanlon, the character of Clay Cantrell gets very little screen time and it is too bad since he proves to be an entertaining character when he is on screen. Furthermore, Cantrell's last scene in this film is the most controversial one in the movie for people who are writing a review. Most Raimi fans love it but some western purists loathe the camera shot. Once again, Keith David's character is another minor character that the viewer would love to know a little bit more about. You'll notice that a lot of the minor gunfighters are just there and you never learn anything about their past and very little about their motives. Another minor character who provides a little entertainment is Jonathon Gill, who plays Spotted Horse and leads everyone into believing that he is impervious to bullets. One of the more talked about appearances is that of Gary Sinise, who makes it into the movie via a flashback. He plays the father of Ellen (Stone), who had his life interrupted by Herod when Ellen was just a child.

Sam Raimi's directing work here is very underrated and some of the best stuff is hidden beneath the surface. Watching the movie several times, a viewer can still notice new stuff each time out. Looking in the background of the bar while contestants are signing up for the contest, you will find a wanted poster for Virgil Sparks (wanted for murder and rape) who is one of the first round contestants. A moment or two after you see the poster, Sparks appears on the screen to enter the competition. Deep in the background of most shots, you don't just see extras but you can also see main (and minor) characters interacting with each other. Such a practice isn't common since the background of many major movies are regularly filled with extras and not the stars. This subtle camera work may have been entirely unintentional but I don't think it was. There are a lot of neat "props" and some character shots that you'll notice in the background when watching the movie in slow motion, rewinding over key scenes or stopping to press pause every so often.

The ending of 'The Quick and the Dead' is hardly a surprise and this movie finishes just the way you would expect it to. No twists, no "surprise" ending and thankfully, no legitimate opening for a sequel. What happens with John Herod is another point of contention for reviewers who have a grudge with this movie and it is something Sam Raimi gleefully included. What you will realize from watching the movie, or even reading most of these reviews, is that this is not a "traditional" or "pure" western. Not even close. Campy dialogue and fight scenes abound. The hero/heroine is a female gunfighter, which polarizes the audience right from the start. Some label this as a comic book style western. A recurring theme that 'The Quick and the Dead' shares with other westerns is its dark humor, most of which is provided by Hackman's character Herod. Some of the contestants in the quickdraw, including Eugene and Scars, are stereotypical outlaws. Those type of characters meet the norm for nearly any western.

What you get with 'The Quick and the Dead' is a movie that won't finish high on the list of most seasoned western fans or a list from a mainstream movie critic. It is a movie that is imperfect and could have been touched up in a number of places. Regardless, 'The Quick and the Dead' is a good introduction to Russell Crowe, a good catalog movie for Gene Hackman, a good cameo for Lance Henriksen (or Gary Sinise and Keith David, etc.) and a good stepping stone to help Leonardo DiCaprio cement his star status. This is one of the most commonly shown (and watched) movies on "regular" cable tv. It is regularly shown on AMC, TBS and TNT when they need to fill a late night or weekend time slot and there is a reason for it. 'The Quick and the Dead' is an easily accessible movie with just enough star power and just enough action to keep someone watching until the finish. When it is all said and done, the good things in 'The Quick and the Dead' outweight the bad and you are left with an above average movie and a three-and-a-half to a four star film.

"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!".......2007-02-19

I think that line (spoken by a crowd of evil children before they beat up an unarmed, chained Russell Crowe) sums up the movie well. This movie does an excellent job of communicating the sheer GLEE of sadism. Everyone in this movie (with the partial exceptions of Stone and Crowe) don't just like to inflict pain on others - they ENJOY it. They cackle and quip and snicker and guffaw as they blast enormous, ragged, bleeding holes into people. This is an excellent (if somewhat garish and comic-bookish) look at an evil that has infected a whole town. Imagine Eastwood's more sinister and sometimes turgid attempts (High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven come to mind), but with a wink and a sense of humor. More slow-mo than the Olympics. Pioneered the bullet cam that has since been done to death. Ms Stone shows a lot of leg. So, it's got a lot going for it is what I'm saying.

Average customer rating:

The Quick and the Dead, Sam Elliott
Sam Elliot was
A Very Good Louis L'Amour Western
A favorite cowboy in a disappointing western
Sam Elliott - Yum!

The Quick and the Dead
Starring: Sam Elliott , Tom Conti , Kate Capshaw , Kenny Morrison , and Matt Clark
Director: Robert Day
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008WJBH
Release Date: 2004-06-01

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Not to be confused with Sam Raimi's flamboyantly stylized Western of the same name, this made-for-cable adaptation of the Louis L'Amour novel is a lean, taut pioneer adventure set in the wilderness of the northern Midwest. Sam Elliott, sporting his trademark bushy mustache and eyebrows so thick they keep the rains off his face, stars as the mountain man and tracker Con Vallian. Tom Conti is Scottish storekeeper Duncan McKaskel bringing his wife Susanna (Kate Capshaw) and son from Pennsylvania to a homestead in Wyoming. When a scraggly gang (led by the wonderfully sleazy Matt Clark) marks the family as an easy target, Vallian makes himself their gruff guardian angel, partly out of attraction to Susanna ("You're a handsome woman," he likes to repeat). Pride, jealousy, and rivalry make Duncan and Vallian uneasy allies and Conti's musical lilt is a marvelous contrast to Elliot's gravely drawl. Capshaw is somewhat colorless but comes to life in a surprising explosion of angry violence. The beautiful landscape culminates in a stunning meadow where the homesteaders find their cabin, a location that must be the closest thing to heaven on Earth, but for the devils still on their trail. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In 1876 Wyoming, the gun is the only law. And for Duncan and Susanna McKaskel (Tom Conti and Kate Capshaw), newly arrived settlers beset by outlaws, rugged frontiersman Con Vallian (Sam Elliott) is the only hope. From the book by famed Western author Louis L'Amour, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD is a rousing adventure. It shares tried-and-true ingredients of those sagebrush sagas: a tale of peaceable folk driven to action under the guidance of a mysterious stranger.

Customer Reviews:

The Quick and the Dead, Sam Elliott.......2007-06-24

This movie, The Quick and the Dead starring Sam Elliott should not be confused with The Quick and the Dead starring Sharon Stone. How these movies ended up with the same title is a mystery to me.
My review is on The Quick and the Dead starring, Sam Elliott.
This western has action, romance, historical fiction, beautiful scenery, and the most rugged, handsome, cowboy ever, complete with his great horsemanship skills and own stunts. Sam Elliott is almost like a "guardian angel" who can speak the Sioux language and protects a single family who is traveling out west from danger when it's least expected. Good story line, the bad guys are great too.

Sam Elliot was .......2007-04-12

born to be a cowboy! Lots of action, lots of bad guys getting their due and at least one lady being rescued!

A Very Good Louis L'Amour Western.......2007-01-10

Sam Elliott played his part, as always, with great "presence" and appeal!
The story was layed out and poceeded immediately without a lot of non-essential acting on everyone's part. We found it very good and entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone who like a good western with a bit of humor, romance and typical Louis L'Amour.

A favorite cowboy in a disappointing western.......2006-12-17

Sam Elliot is one of my favorite cowboys yet he suffers from a story here that does not fit his usual noble toughman image. He is not the clear heroic character but instead one who seems bent on wife-stealing. His motives for helping the family he finds under siege are clearly self-seeking and only in the end does he give any indication otherwise. If you are a classic L'Amour western fan, this will likely be a disappointment and a confusion to you. It may be more to the "real-life" type but myself, I watch movies to escape real life, not to be reinforced in my cynicism. Still, Mr. Elliot's portrayal of a difficult and disappointing character saves this one from a less than mediocre rating.

Sam Elliott - Yum!.......2006-11-10

Love Sam Elliott; even when the material isn't tops, He is! This one is really good!

Average customer rating:

ABSORBED
Wonderful British drama.

Dandelion Dead
Starring: Michael Kitchen , Sarah Miles , David Thewlis , Lesley Sharp , and Peter Vaughan
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Release Date: 2002-08-27

Customer Reviews:

ABSORBED.......2005-10-03

"Dandelion Dead" is a really riveting presentation. It kind of sneaked up on me. At first, I found myself just enjoying the recreation, on screen, of a very idyllic time (1920) and place (small country town) with the seemingly gentle and harmless character of Major Herbert Armstrong played superbly by Michael Kitchen along with his most irritating wife wonderfully (and surprisingly for me) played by Sarah Miles. The next thing I was aware of, I was completely absorbed in this murder/mystery.

"Dandelion Dead" is NOT a "who done it?" From the very beginning, I was fully aware that the Major had poisoned his harpy of a wife. (in all honesty, to me, if anyone "had it coming" it was she-what a B....!) The "mystery/suspense" is how is the major going to get caught with justice prevailing. At first, it DOES appear that he has gotten away with murder. Believe me, by that time in the film, I WAS HOOKED.

For a very engrossing "murder/mystery", buy this DVD

Wonderful British drama........2002-10-05

The year is 1921--Major Herbert Armstrong is a respected landowner and solictor--respected by everyone except his wife (played by Sarah Miles). Mrs Armstrong seeks every opportunity to humiliate her husband--in public and in private. She clearly despises him. Major Armstrong copes quite nicely with his life by largely ignoring his wife, escaping to the office (where he does as little work as possible), and maintaining an obsession with poisoning every dandelion that dares to rear its head on his property.

Events upset the equilibrium of his unhappy domestic life, and Major Armstrong takes drastic measures to improve his situation.

This is nearly a 3 1/2 hour long DVD--a British television production which is based on a true story. The acting is nothing less than superb. Michael Kitchen plays the weak Major--a man who maintains that "the best years" of his life were during WW1--he spent the entire time whooping it up in Bournemouth. Kitchen is truly incredible to watch.

Amazon.com essential video

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Customer Reviews:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

The gunfights are the highlight.......2007-04-22

"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!".......2007-02-19

The Quick and the Dead / Bite the Bullet

Average customer rating:

The Quick and the Dead / Bite the Bullet
Starring: Gene Hackman , Candice Bergen , James Coburn , Ben Johnson , and Ian Bannen
Director: Richard Brooks , and Sam Raimi
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F48D4Q
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Average customer rating:

Quick & the Dead/Silverado
Starring: Kevin Kline , Scott Glenn , Kevin Costner , Danny Glover , and Marvin J. McIntyre
Director: Lawrence Kasdan , and Sam Raimi
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ASIN: B000CNESVW
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Average customer rating:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!
a good movie. fun to watch
You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!
The gunfights are the highlight
"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!"

The Quick and the Dead [Region 2]
Starring: Sharon Stone , Gene Hackman , Russell Crowe , Leonardo DiCaprio , and Tobin Bell
Director: Sam Raimi
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Customer Reviews:

Cool Quick, Delightful Dead!!!.......2007-06-30

a good movie. fun to watch.......2007-06-05

not accurate, but it is fun. It is very easy to get into the story. Gene Hackman is awesome.

You'll Need A Bottle Of "MESCAL" To Get Through This One!.......2007-05-17

The gunfights are the highlight.......2007-04-22

"Our daddy's gonna kill you, preacher!".......2007-02-19

Diabolique /Quick And The Dead (Two-Pack)

Average customer rating:

Diabolique /Quick And The Dead (Two-Pack)
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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