Lawman

Starring:Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, Robert Duvall, Sheree North, Joseph Wiseman, J.D. Cannon, Albert Salmi, Richard Jordan, John McGiver, Ralph Waite, John Beck (II), William Watson (III), Walter Brooke, Robert Emhardt, Charles Tyner, Lou Frizzell, Richard Bull, John Hillerman, Roy Engel
Director: Michael Winner
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review
Burt Lancaster is excellent as the title character, a pitiless, unbending marshal out to arrest seven cowhands who left a dead man in the wake of a drunken tear, in this stoic, modern take on a classic Western theme. He confronts a rancher baron, trigger-happy gunmen, and the cowardly hypocrites of a frontier town: the usual bunch of Old West types sculpted into intriguing character by a crack cast. Robert Ryan brings a sad dignity to his former gunfighter tamed into a meek town marshal, and Lee J. Cobb is introspective and thoughtful as the aging cattleman weary of his life of violence: "It took guns to take this land, guns to keep it, and guns to make it grow.... Each time we bury the cost." Robert Duvall, Albert Salmi, and a young Richard Jordan (as an idealistic cowpoke whose sense of honor gets a workout in the complex conflicts) also star.

Amazon.com essential video

Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The railroad's got to run through the town of Rock Ridge. How do you drive out the townfolk in order to steal their land? Send in the toughest gang you've got...and name a new sheriff who'll last about 24 hours. But that's not really the plot of Blazing Saddles, just the pretext. Once Mel Brooks' lunatic film many call his best gets started, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns, howlers, growlers and outrageous assaults upon good taste or any taste at all. Cleavon Little as the new lawman, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid, Brooks himself as a dim-witted politico and Madeline Kahn in her Marlene Dietrich send-up that earned an Academy Award nomination all give this sagebrush saga their lunatic best. And when Blazing Saddles can't contain itself at the finale, it just proves the Old West will never be the same!

Customer Reviews:

Blazing Saddles.......2007-07-03

Tastelessly ribald spoof of Hollywood Westerns packs a lot of silly madcap comedy into its 90-minute running time. Just about everyone imaginable becomes the target of Mel Brooks's shamelessly funny lampooning, and Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, and the great Gene Wilder turn in some of the loopiest performances of their careers. Madeline Kahn is especially memorable as Lilli Von Shtupp, a Marlene Dietrich-like chanteuse. If you're in the mood for humor that's lewd, crude and unabashedly infantile, hitch your wagon to "Blazing Saddles".

Funny, Funnier, Funniest.......2007-06-18

The first movie that my wife watched in one sitting and wanted to see again the next evening. Side splitting and healthy slapstick as only Mel could make.

Classic scenes are cut out.......2007-06-10

If you like this movie, DO NOT buy this edition, as some classic scenes have been cut out of this early-DVD era release. Buy the 30th anniversary edition instead.

Enjoyable once in awhile.......2007-06-01

Frankly, I don't find Blazing Saddles to be THAT funny. It's a movie that you can enjoy watching about once every ten years or so, but not any more often. Mongo is funny, and Gene Wilder gives a fantastic dramatic performance as always. Otherwise, there's not much about Blazing Saddles that's really that amazing. It's amusing, but not once did I laugh out loud. And even though it is obviously used to make a political statement, the repeated use of the "N" word still turned me off. I know it was being used tongue-in-cheek, but like most of the bits in this movie, I just didn't find it funny. Another mark against this movie is that due to its age, many of the cameos and cultural references go over the head of people today, not even realizing who they are seeing or that certain things are being parodied. Overall, more boring than funny, even when you know what the references are.

A Mel Must-Own.......2007-05-31

Probably the best, if not, the most influential of all of Brooks' films. Probably couldn't be released today with all the PC watchdogs howling, but that's another matter all together! Madeline Kahn at her finest with her tongue-in-cheek Dietrich send-up! No comedy collection should be without this masterpiece!

Average customer rating:

Your Brother's Not Always Right...
I love this movie!!!
Tombstone is tops
Tombstone review
Phenomenal

Tombstone
Starring: Kurt Russell , Val Kilmer , Sam Elliott , Bill Paxton , and Powers Boothe
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wyatt Earp (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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ASIN: 6304711905
Release Date: 1997-12-02

Amazon.com

This Western has become a modest cult favorite since its release in 1993, when the film was met with mixed reviews but the performances of Kurt Russell (as Wyatt Earp) and especially Val Kilmer, for his memorably eccentric performance as the dying gunslinger Doc Holliday, garnered high praise. The movie opens with Wyatt Earp trying to put his violent past behind him, living happily in Tombstone with his brothers and the woman (Dana Delany) who puts his soul at ease. But a murderous gang called the Cowboys has burst on the scene, and Earp can't keep his gun belt off any longer. The plot sounds routine, and in many ways it is, but Western buffs won't mind a bit thanks to a fine cast and some well-handled action on the part of Rambo director George P. Cosmatos, who has yet to make a better film than this. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A sizzling, star-studded cast brings to life the legendary battle to deliver justice to TOMBSTONE! Kurt Russell (MIRACLE, VANILLA SKY) turns in a gripping performance as U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer (THE MISSING, BATMAN FOREVER) ignites the screen as the outrageous Doc Holliday. Together, they team up to bring law to the lawless in a notorious showdown with the ruthless outlaws at the O.K. Corral! The all-star ensemble also includes Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Michael Biehn, and long-time Hollywood favorite Charlton Heston. Get ready for an explosive, action-packed adventure the Wild West would never forget!

Customer Reviews:

Your Brother's Not Always Right..........2007-06-30

But he's always your brother and that's the central theme of Tombstone. I was trying to think of a way I could be a little more detached about his movie than I feel like being, but there's no point in trying to do so. The fact is that this is a wonderful film with a wonderful story line and wonderful acting. Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday sucks out all the oxygen in every scene he's in (and even a few where he's off camera). He is devoted to his best friend Wyatt Earp for many reasons but chiefly because he's one of the only friends that he has. Admittedly, this is only a semi-historically accurate portrait of Holliday but the sacrifices he makes for the Earp brothers are touching and admirable. In my mind, the gambler/dentist is the perfect embodiment of loyalty and honor. These are very politically incorrect virtues so we must be thankful that some element of pop culture decided to enshrine them somewhere. Independent of its symbolic and emotional resonance, Tombstone is just a plain old good time. Whatever you want to call it--an action pic, a western or a drama--it's superb and fantastic cinema.

I love this movie!!!.......2007-06-13

Tombstone is one of my favorite movies!!! I thought it was about time I bought the DVD.

Tombstone is tops.......2007-06-11

This movie is very close to the actual circumstances of the OK Corral. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot (who is so perfect in westerns it makes you wonder if he was time shifted from 1880!!), and Bill Paxton are great! Then you see some of the actors from classic western movies and TV back as older men. Another one that we have memorized the lines to and still have to watch it each time it is on the satellite!! If you've never seen it....buy it, pop some popcorn, pour some butter on it and turn on the home theater!!

Tombstone review.......2007-06-08

Excellent movie. Hard to beat if you are a true western fan. Amazon service is great!

Phenomenal.......2007-06-05

This movie is absolutely awesome. Sure, that sounds like a young awe struck boy in its description of the film, but that is what it reduced me to. Some of the best one-liners of all-time, and a great chemistry between the always solid Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Kilmer is at his best as the Consumption addled (read TB) Doc Holliday. This is a novie that I have never heard a bad thing about, even though the discussions almost always involve guys. Really a fun and well-made film. One of the few movies that I can watch time and time again. A 5 star classic. Enjoy!!!

Average customer rating:

Beautifully composed trifle
The Best Films Being Made Today
Mixed
Chinese art
Incredible

House of Flying Daggers
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro , Andy Lau , Ziyi Zhang , Dandan Song , and Hongfei Zhao
Director: Yimou Zhang
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hero
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ASIN: B0007Q6VXC
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com

No one uses color like Chinese director Zhang Yimou--movies like Raise the Red Lantern or Hero, though different in tone and subject matter, are drenched in rich, luscious shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. House of Flying Daggers is no exception; if they weren't choreographed with such vigorous imagination, the spectacular action sequences would seem little more than an excuse for vivid hues rippling across the screen. Government officers Leo and Jin (Asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) set out to destroy an underground rebellion called the House of Flying Daggers (named for their weapon of choice, a curved blade that swoops through the air like a boomerang). Their only chance to find the rebels is a blind women named Mei (Ziyi Zhang, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who has some lethal kung fu moves of her own. In the guise of an aspiring rebel, Jin escorts Mei through gorgeous forests and fields that become bloody battlegrounds as soldiers try to kill them both. While arrows and spears of bamboo fly through the air, Mei, Jin, and Leo turn against each other in surprising ways, driven by passion and honor. Zhang's previous action/art film, Hero, sometimes sacrificed momentum for sheer visual beauty; House of Flying Daggers finds a more muscular balance of aesthetic splendor and dazzling swordplay. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully composed trifle.......2007-07-02

"House of Flying Daggers" is a truly beautiful film. The color palettes for different scenes, the locations, the costuming - every visual element of this film was carefully selected and then used to its best advantage. The cinematography is spectacular. Each frame could almost be a painting.

But all of this painstaking art is in service of a predictable and overly-long story. If you've ever watched a movie, you know about 5 minutes into this one where it's going and how it's going to end. And man, does this movie take its time getting there. When you essentially have 3 characters, it's tough to round out 2 hours of viewing time with those three people - especially when the story is nothing new.

It's worth a rent if you're into Chinese cinema and aren't expecting epic kung-fu battles. Otherwise, "Hero" or "Crouching Tiger" might be better choices.

The Best Films Being Made Today.......2007-05-12

China is reshaping the film industry and raising the bar world-wide making sophisticated, complex, and beautiful movies with messages that transcend the material plane while they redefine the hero and heroines of popular culture.
House of Flying Daggers is a classic along the lines of Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon and Hero. Refreshingly different - tender, artistic, and action packed. The challenge now is to bring these qualities to visions of our present day world - if that is even possible.

Mixed.......2007-05-07

The movie deserves 5+ stars for special effects/photgraphy. However, it has a huge story problem, with a plot that has no sense whatsoever. It should get 0 stars for the story!!

Chinese art.......2007-04-27

This Chinese/Hong Kong martial arts film has most things you could ever want from a movie: Theres a classic love triangle, some brilliantly choreographed martial arts, and its all beautifully photographed. This is a great cinematic experience, with many scenes you will never forget. Where the film also scores highly is in its basic story. It wouldn't surprise me if the director Yimou Zhang had seen "Mou gaan dou" (Infernal Affairs) and decided to remake it in a martial arts context.

Perhaps the best scene in the film is the one shot in the Bamboo forest. This looked absolutely breathtaking and on my 42" widescreen TV, sadly I never saw the film at the cinema but it must have been stunning. The use of colour in this scene, and throughout the film is another amazing aspect of the film, and even if you don't have a special interest in martial arts, you may well enjoy this in the same way as you might enjoy looking at a great painting.

I'll admit this won't be to everybodies taste, but on first viewing, its certainly one of the best films I've seen this year, and it won't be long before I have to watch it again.

Incredible.......2007-04-26

This may be one of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen. Virtually every frame is a visual work of art, every detail is like a painting. The plot is more of a fantasy, a mythical tale. The director isn't afraid of taking his time with developing the content of a scene, or using time to intensify the emotion or thought therein. This isn't a Western concept in film making, but works better for those who are given to deeper levels of thinking. So, if you're highly extroverted and addicted to sensationalism is Western films, spare yourself and watch something like Die Hard.

This film is in my top-drawer collection, along with the other rare masterpieces in cinema. What a genuine and moving work of art, this film.

Tombstone - The Director's Cut (Vista Series)

Average customer rating:

Your Brother's Not Always Right...
I love this movie!!!
Tombstone is tops
Tombstone review
Phenomenal

Tombstone - The Director's Cut (Vista Series)
Starring: Kurt Russell , Val Kilmer , Sam Elliott , Bill Paxton , and Powers Boothe
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wyatt Earp (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Unforgiven
Open Range
Silverado (2 Disc Superbit Gift Set)
Young Guns (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005RHGL
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Amazon.com

Description

George P. Cosmatos presents the Director's Cut of his incredibly popular TOMBSTONE, the action-packed, star-studded western that brings the legendary feud between the Earps and the Clantons to life. Former U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp's (Kurt Russell) plan for peace, quiet, and prosperity misfires when he, his brothers, and the outrageous rogue Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) encounter that ruthless band of outlaws, the Clantons. Gripping performances and explosive action fill the screen in this legendary western about Tombstone and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Customer Reviews:

Your Brother's Not Always Right..........2007-06-30

I love this movie!!!.......2007-06-13

Tombstone is one of my favorite movies!!! I thought it was about time I bought the DVD.

Tombstone is tops.......2007-06-11

Tombstone review.......2007-06-08

Excellent movie. Hard to beat if you are a true western fan. Amazon service is great!

Phenomenal.......2007-06-05

Average customer rating:

You Know My Name
Another fine acting job by Sam Elliot
Sam Elliot at his usual
Dissapointed
Very Well Done

You Know My Name
Starring: Sam Elliott , Arliss Howard , Carolyn McCormick , James Gammon , and R. Lee Ermey
Director: John Kent Harrison
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EOTUSU
Release Date: 2006-05-30

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Cromwell, Oklahoma, 1924: an oil boomtown full of saloons, cathouses, mud-and-crude-oil streets, bootleg whisky, and gun-toting roughnecks. Technology had overpassed the Old West, in the form of Model T's and oil rigs, but the mentality had stayed much the same. Add to that a population that's a bit tweaky from a combination of cocaine and morphine that had been going around, and you have a recipe for trouble. Enter Marshall Bill Tilghman, a contemporary of Wyatt Earp. Tilghman had made a silent film, The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws, and on the strength of his reputation had been called into service as chief of police in the hopes of restoring order to a lawless community. In this fact-based story, Sam Elliott plays Tilghman, a larger-than-life character who was one of the last of a dying era. Many Prohibition agents became renegades in the '20s; Tilghman's nemesis was Wiley (Arliss Howard), a rogue agent strung out on drugs and dealing in bootleg liquor himself. Howard's performance is as overwrought as Elliott's is restrained; together the two offset each other well. The flinty Elliott brings a measure of warmth to his role, especially in his relationship to his wife and kids; he's perfectly cast as the man on the cusp of a new age. As a modern-era Western, You Know My Name rises well above its made-for-cable roots to stand as a good character study and action picture. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

In six months, the population of Cromwell, Oklahoma, has climbed from 500 to 10,000. Boom times have come to the oil-rich town. So has a new breed of criminal. You Know My Name is the fact-based story of Bill Tilghman, a lawman and former partner of Wyatt Earp confronted by an emerging era when outlaws run whiskey instead of cattle and are likely to tote a tommy gun as carry a six-gun. An ideally cast Sam Elliott plays Tilghman, whose life takes on a newfangled wrinkle of its own. Tilghman makes a moving picture of his Old West exploits; and the success of that silent film, The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws, spreads his reputation like a brushfire. But that reputation may mean nothing to a thug (Arliss Howard) who hides behind a badge.

Customer Reviews:

You Know My Name.......2007-01-22

I'm a Sam Elliott fan ... and this was a good movie, but perhaps not in keeping with the other fine films that he has appeared in, such as The Quick and the Dead, or Connagher, where his abilities to portray a specific type of
character really showed up well. I think his portrail of a real life character in You Know My Name, sort of limited
what he could put into the role ... and of course, nobody likes to see the good guy get killed, even though the bad guy that did the killing eventually gets his in the end. Reminds me of John Wayne in the Cowboys ... the film wasn't so much about Wayne's character as it was about the young boys, and of course when the Duke bit the dust the film was really over ... ditto Elliott in this role.

Another fine acting job by Sam Elliot.......2007-01-16

Well done portrayl by Sam Elliot of noted law man Bill Tilghman. Gritty and realistic but less action than most of Sam's western films.

Sam Elliot at his usual.......2007-01-10

My interest in Tihlman arises from his connection with Louis L'Amour. He is supposed to have taught the young Louis and his elder brother how to use a six gun.

I was disappointed that the film only focussed on the last six to twelve months of Tihlmans life. That said the story and production are such that this is a DVD worthy of getting.

Dissapointed.......2007-01-05

This movie is not worth Sam Elliot. I was very dissapointed, I will most likely thow it away.

Very Well Done.......2006-11-02

As an Oklahoman, I remember thinking it was about time that Bill Tilghman had gotten his due when it came to a film about him. (I'd like to see Matt Braun's other book about him filmed.) I remember people in Oklahoma raising Cain, due to the fact it wasn't filmed in OK. However, if they don't make allowances to the film companies, it isn't going to happen. Some people complained about this and that when it came the the accuracy of the film, but this is based on a historical novel, aka fiction. It's not supposed to be 100% accurate. What is does do though, is entertain. Sam Elliot is perfect as Bill Tilghman, and I long for more films like this.

Average customer rating:

Rio Bravo
Rio Bravo 2 disc collection.
One of the best...........
Not if you don't mind your own business
Excellent DVD movie....

Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Dean Martin , Ricky Nelson , and Angie Dickinson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O599WG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

When it comes down to naming the best Western of all time, the list usually narrows to three completely different pictures: John Ford's The Searchers, Howard Hawks's Red River, and Hawks's Rio Bravo. About the only thing they all have in common is that they all star John Wayne. But while The Searchers is an epic quest for revenge and Red River is a sweeping cattle-drive drama ("Take 'em to Missouri! Yeeee-hah!"), Rio Bravo is on a much more modest scale. Basically, it comes down to Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne), his sobering-up alcoholic friend Dude (Dean Martin), the hotshot new kid Colorado (Ricky Nelson), and deputy-sidekick Stumpy (Walter Brennan), sittin' around in the town jail, drinkin' black cofee, shootin' the breeze, and occasionally, singin' a song. Hawks--who, like his pal Ernest Hemingway, lived by the code of "grace under pressure"--said he made Rio Bravo as a rebuke to High Noon, in which sheriff Gary Cooper begged for townspeople to help him. So, Hawks made Wayne's Sheriff Chance a consummate professional--he may be getting old and fat, but he knows how to do his job, and he doesn't want amateurs getting mixed up in his business; they could get hurt. This most entertaining of movies also achieved some notoriety in the '90s when Quentin Tarantino (director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown) revealed that he uses it as a litmus test for prospective girlfriends. Oh, and if the configuration of characters sounds familiar, it should: Hawks remade Rio Bravo two more times--as El Dorado in 1967, with Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and James Caan; and as Rio Lobo in 1970, with Wayne, Jack Elam, and Christopher Mitchum. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Rio Bravo.......2007-07-05

Another John Wayne Classic. Great Movie.

The Movie although old has been transfered
to the new digital format well. there are no problems.

Rio Bravo 2 disc collection........2007-06-27

I enjoyed it very much the second disc was the best some interesting doco,s i hadent seen before yes i rate this dvd highly.

One of the best..................2007-06-07

Recall seeing this first run when I was too cool to be a John Wayne fan. And this flick converted me, big time. Good story, interesting characters, great shoot out at the end, and John was never better, being John. And that's no put down. Not the critical or visual masterpiece that was the Searchers, but a more affiable outing for our hero. Action, humor and character development.

Not if you don't mind your own business.......2007-06-06

I love this movie. It's always been my favorite western, and while cinefiles may put "The Searchers" or "Red River" above it, I think no other western is more enjoyable and thrilling to watch than this one. As an examination of what the western really means, why it's such a durable art form, it is perfect. Right vs. wrong, good men vs. bad men, courage vs. cowardice, it's all in there.

Even though I've owned the old cardboard-box DVD for some time now, I bought this new edition the day it came out. (For one thing, I HATE those stupid boxes Warner Brothers put out and I'm glad to see they're correcting their mistake) The new edition contains an excellent 30-minute documentary on the making of the film, including a great interview with Angie Dickinson, who I believe is the only person involved with the movie still alive. I wish she was on the commentary, but she has plenty to say here. Another, shorter documentary talk about Old Tucson, where the movie was filmed and where westerns continue to be filmed even today. Finally, an excellent older hour-long documentary on Howard Hawks himself, with liberal sprinklings of scenes of his movies and a great long interview with Hawks from the early 1970's. It's all worth the price of buying the new edition.

There is also a commentary track with film historian Richard Schickel and director John Carpenter, who says this is his favorite film by his favorite director. The commentary is somewhat less successful, but still very interesting. It appears to be two separate commentaries spliced together; they refer to the movie, but not to each other. I'd rather they had included both commentaries separately, although it is true that by about midway through the movie they both kind of run out of steam and for long stretches you forget you've selected the commentary track at all.

Nevertheless the main thing is the movie, and it is a great one. John Wayne was never better, or at least never more powerful and charismatic, than he was here. Dean Martin calls him "Papa" at one point, and you see the truth of this: John Wayne is the patriarch of the movie, guiding it and helping it along, centering it with the force of his gravity. He's befuddled by the attentions of young Angie Dickinson, to be sure, but you never doubt that he's in charge of this town and he knows what he's doing. Dean Martin is a revelation as Dude, displaying all the raw acting talent he always seemed to hold back with Jerry Lewis because he knew he was the straight man. His torture as he goes through withdrawals from alcohol feel absolutely real, and we root for him as he slowly pulls himself up from the depths to which he's sunk the last few years. It's ironic that his next project was "The Young Lions" with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift; there are three great actors who all, in their own way, seemed to forgo on the promise of their talent and coast or dissipate themselves into oblivion. At least we have this performance, because Dean was a great, great actor. Walter Brennan is perfect as always, adding spice and flavor to every scene where he appears or is likely to appear. A greater character actor there never was. Rick Nelson is good, if a bit stiff, but he holds his own here and is enjoyable in the role. He and Dean sing a couple of great songs, too, because if you have two of the biggest singers in the world you put 'em to work. Finally, Angie Dickinson is wonderful as Feathers, she's a smart alec (alice?) and she's vulnerable all at the same time, as good as Bacall in her best days, and the difference in age between her and John Wayne is never jarring, not even for a second. You want them to get together, and since this is an old-school western you figure they probably will.

Great movie, great dialogue, great acting, great direction, great color cinematic scope, great everything. Great movie. Check it out. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Too bad.

Excellent DVD movie...........2007-05-26

Rio Bravo is one of John Wayne's more enjoyable movies and this movie is considered to be one of the greatest westerns ever made. Wayne is superbly supported by Dean Martin who also carried the movie as well as Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan and Angie Dickinson. Great cast, superb script and excellent direction make this movie a viewing a pleasure many times over. It has everything anyone want in a John Wayne movie. Gunfights, fist fights, slow developing story to developed all the main characters and even pacing with a song or two thrown in. So successful was this movie that it was remade two more times as El Dorado and Rio Lobo. Amazingly, all three movies were directed by Howard Hawks and starred John Wayne. Even more amazing is that all three movies proves to be just as good and entertaining as ever.

This two disc Special Edition of Rio Bravo is a definite upgrade in both quality of image as well as sound over the previous release. I found the running commentary by John Carpenter and Richard Schickel to be somewhat enjoyable but the extra features proves to be a disappointment. There are three special features on the second disc. Two of them, Howard Hawk's Rio Bravo and Old Tucson: Where Legends Walked proves to be quite interesting. However, I was pretty disappointed by the main feature of this second disc, Men Who Made Movies: Howard Hawks. This feature I have seen already on Bringing Up Baby two disc edition (superb Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie). I was very unhappy that a documentary already used in one DVD movie was reused for another. Warner Brothers made a cheap move here. (However, if you do not owned Bringing Up Baby, then you will get more out of the second disc then I did.)

I gave five stars for the movie, three stars for the special features, averaging out to four stars for this review. It should be noted that this two disc edition is exactly identical to the "ultimate edition" although that edition cost more and have a reproduction of Dell comic book based on the movie and promo booklet attached to it. (Much like the Ultimate Edition of the Searchers.)

Average customer rating:

Rio Bravo [Blu-ray]
Starring: Angie Dickinson , Ricky Nelson , Dean Martin , and John Wayne
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Warner Brothers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Blu-ray | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Comedy | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000P6XU5G
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

Description

There's a showdown at Rio Bravo when courageous Sheriff John T. Chance throws the brother of evil cattle baron Nathan Burdette in jail for murder. When Burdette's men lay seige to his jailhouse, Chance holds on until the arrival of a U.S. Marshal with the help of his drunken deputy, Dude, cranky old man Stumpy, and the beautiful long-legged Feathers.

Average customer rating:

Terrible image transfer quality. Don't purchase.
This HD sux
An unexpected love story
Good movie, but bad quality transfer
Great picture quality

House of Flying Daggers [Blu-ray]
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro , and Andy Lau
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000EZ7ZYK
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Customer Reviews:

Terrible image transfer quality. Don't purchase........2007-06-07

This is listed on many sites as having among the poorest image quality of all Blu-ray disks (bottom tier). It's a real shame, too, because this movie is filled with stunningly gorgeous shots filled with color and life. It looked to me as if the transfer was done from a poor-quality copy of the master. I am almost certain they will re-release this on Bluray one day with better picture quality, as has already been done with 5th Element and Superman. Don't buy this unless they do!

This HD sux.......2007-05-08

I got this dvd because i was excepting sweet HD and didn't get it. The quality of the picture wasn't much better than a DVD. The storyline was okay but as far as next gen disks go it lacked.

An unexpected love story.......2007-03-09

I purchased "Flying daggers" thinking it would be an interesting and beautifully filmed action movie. while it is that, I was surprised at the depth of the love story that propels this movie forward. It seems more a fable of old, a story meant to convey a moral lesson and it does and I found myself truly enjoying (and missing) this genre. I would highly recommend this movie. Just be aware that it is not an all-action tale but rather an very sweet love story with some very cool fight scenes.

Good movie, but bad quality transfer.......2007-02-12

I have the DVD of this, and in most of the movie, the DVD version looks better. The Blu-Ray version is so blurry and out of focus that I thought something was wrong. The only thing on the whole disc that looks nice is the trailers for Hitch and Resident Evil 2, which are sharp and colorful.

The sound in the movie is great, with uncompressed LPCM 5.1 (which has a bitrate so high that its about the same as the VIDEO on a DVD (around 4500kbps) and it also has DD 5.1.

I guess since this is a first-gen Blu-Ray disc that it will look a little blurry, but I can't understand why the movie looks so bad, but the trailers look amazing.

Hopefully, future Blu-Ray discs will look better.

Using an Acer Travelmate 8210-6038 to watch the Blu-Ray.

Great picture quality.......2007-01-01

I picked up a copy 2 days ago and I looks gorgeous. I couldn't believe many of the reviews I've seen that said the picture quality was awful on this picture. The colors of this movie are stunning, with rich blues, greens, reds, fire red.

I have a 55" Sony SXRD screen and a PlayStation 3 for Blu-ray player. I would not hesitate to use this disc to show off how good the TV is.

Average customer rating:

A real western

Rio Bravo [HD DVD]
Starring: John Wayne
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000P6XU56
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Customer Reviews:

A real western.......2007-06-04

This is John Wayne. You can spot the formula and most of his supporting actors for other John Wayne movies. O.K. you can also see that it is a Howard Hawks' movie.

Dean Martin plays himself as Dude. And Ricky Nelson as Colorado Ryan really fits in this movie.

You know the story. Good guys are holding baddy in the jail. All his compadres want him out. It is up to the town characters to prevent this from happening. How this is done or not done is the movie.

The only thing this movie needed to be perfect is black and white hats.

Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Rio Bravo
Review of ACTUAL Release
Hawks at his (near) best!
The Duke was always stylish...
Great,but where,s YELLOWSTONE KELLY/

Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Dean Martin , Ricky Nelson , and Angie Dickinson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O599XK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Rio Bravo.......2007-06-26

Hawks's colorful, exciting western boasts an archetypal, larger-than-life turn from the Duke, and perhaps Martin's finest acting job ever as Dude. Film neatly blends pathos, suspense, comedy, even songs to create top-notch entertainment. Look also for Ricky Nelson as Colorado (he and Dino get to croon together), and the leggy, alluring Angie Dickinson as Feathers, a young woman with her eye on Chance. Bravo indeed.

Review of ACTUAL Release.......2007-06-23

I believe at this point in time I'm unique in that I seem to be the only reviewer who's going to attempt a comprehensive review of the Two-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition of Rio Bravo. Since I also own the original DVD release, I can compare the two prints (although to be honest, I loaned it to my Russian doctoral advisor a few years ago and he seems loath to part with it; however, the extras include unrestored scenes which can form the basis). We all KNOW that this is "the greatest Western that John Ford never made," otherwise, why would we be on this page? So rather than preach to the converted (which is basically a waste of time), this review will concentrate on the extras and the print itself.
To be honest, I prefer the older release for print quality. Given that this film was shot in Technicolor, I would assume that Warner would do the right thing and not tweak the original color values (I'm guessing that Rio Bravo wouldn't be a candidate for Warner/AOL's Edge Enhancement restoration because it was probably shot on one strip of film rather than three). But this print looks 'way too dark compared to the first release, with a rather significant loss of detail in the night and interior shots. To be honest, the detail is excellent in the brighter shots, but overall, I think the earlier release looks better and is immediately recognizable as Technicolor; this one almost looks like it's DeLuxe or Eastman. Okay...maybe it's not quite THAT bad, but I don't think it's an upgrade--everyone is orange, including the horses.
I don't know exactly what the stated audio restoration entailed, but it sounds great. There's an excellent commentary by Richard Schickel and John Carpenter (who are clearly having the time of their lives), an alternate French audio track, and subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and--of all things--Korean. There are also a number of trailers for Wayne's B westerns, culminating in one for Rio Bravo.
The extras on the second disk include three documentaries which are all deserving of the proverbial enthusiastic thumbs-up. The first is an installment of Schickel's series The Men Who Made the Movies which focuses on Howard Hawks; the second is titled Commemoration: Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo that features (among others) the ubiquitous Peter Bogdanovich (whom I find irritating almost beyond enduring) and Walter Hill and which, in spite of my aversion, I found enjoyable; everyone involved is a serious Rio Bravo fan and has something of interest to contribute. The final installment is called Old Tucson: Where the Legends Walked; this tells the story of what was to become the Old Tucson Studio and which is the location on which Rio Bravo was shot. This was all new to me and, like the other two documentaries, was lots of fun. For those interested, there are Portuguese and Korean subtitles.
We now come to the non-video extras. You may have read mention of "a comic book" that's included with this set. What ISN'T mentioned is that it's a miniature reprint of a 10¢ Dell comic book that was released for sale concurrent with the film's theatrical release (these weren't uncommon during that time period, now that I think of it). Also included is a miniature of what looks to be a promotional catalogue intended for theater owners, explaining how best to promote the film.
Finally, there's a nice set of miniature theater cards that somehow managed to get somewhat mangled in their sleeve. Since the trays that hold the disks were damaged when I received my set and are therefore being returned, I'm hoping for better things next time around. Everything is beautifully packaged as a series of folders within a heavy, vellum-textured slipcase.
I was lucky enough to purchase this with a coupon for about the same price as the list for the Two-Disc Special Edition, so I decided to go for it (I'm a sucker for gimmicks). I don't know if I'd advise purchasing it for list, as the extras, while nice, aren't essential. In fact, I don't even know that this new release is essential. If you already own the original release, there's really no reason to go for this one unless you want the documentaries and commentary. I knocked off a star because I'm really not crazy about the print, there's no hard-copy chapter index (a major pain in the posterior, in my book), the menus are cheesy, plus it's impossible to turn off the audio commentary unless the disk is ejected. Regardless of which release you purchase, Rio Bravo is not only a must-have for anyone who claims to be a Western fan, it belongs in the library of every serious film buff.

Hawks at his (near) best!.......2007-06-05

It doesn't match up to the brilliant perfection of Hawks', "Red River", but it does have a great deal of gentle humor that the other lacks. This was always my third favorite Western after "Red River" and Ford's, "The Searchers". It has a sense of menace and a wonderful story, but it's so breezy and (unintentionally?) light-hearted (you can tell that everyone is having a blast making this film!), it's hard to take it seriously! The best thing to do is just sing along with Dean and Ricky (I always do!), and enjoy the ride!
P.S. It's "Winchester 73'"!

The Duke was always stylish..........2007-06-04

As my birthday is creeping up and this film was released in 59 and I shall turn 59 in June (07) I felt like splurging for the Two Disc Ultimate Rio Bravo. Happy I did. I love westerns but didn't know this film that well, thought I had seen it but realized when I started to unspool it that I had never seen it all the way through. It's a terrific film, I have other westerns favorites that I feel are superior; The Searchers, Winchester 73 (I think that's the caliber), One Eyed Jack etc., but this is very good and the packaging is terrrific. You even get a re print of The Dell comic of the film (reduced in size of course) also there is the advertising circular that Warners sent out to theatre owners. As for the film, it's The Duke at his Dukest and Dean Martin is pretty good, Ricky Nelson could never act but looks good on screen...Angie Dickenson steals the picture...in black tights even. Happy with my purchase and you will be too.

Great,but where,s YELLOWSTONE KELLY/.......2007-05-09

Although The Searchers is my no 1,there is no doubt about the class of Rio Bravo.If the Documentaries are even half as good as The Searchers 50th Anniversary Special Edition then, very well done Warners.
Kelly J Colvin reports that there are more Special Editions on the way.
WHERE IS YELLOWSTONE KELLY,Widescreen please;;
Rio Bravo has been reviewed thousands of times,i think we all agree about its status as an All Time Classic.
WHERE IS YELLOWSTONE KELLY?;;Not even on VHS,never mind DVD,AN ABSOLUTE SCANDAL,C,mon Warners,what are you playing at? A whole generation loved this classic,SO PLEASE DO SOMETHING;;
Davy,westernnut.

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