Adventures of The Galaxy Rangers - The Collection, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)It was the beginning of the massive use of Computer Generation Image (CGI), but beyond that, Galaxy Rangers was something unique, the tradition of the space opera working perfectly with old and new kinds of animation under the command of wonderfull scripts.
For those who don't know this the basic story is: in a far future the contact with other alien races let the human race go to the stars, creating a group of special officers of law to keep the peace in the galaxy.
But Zachary Fox the leader of this team knows well there's another mission: stop any attack of the evil Queen of Crown, who's trying to conquer the galaxy.
These things makes this show a unique combination of wonderfull animation with clever stories to people of all ages.

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Hitch a wagon train to the stars with Zachery Foxx, "Doc" Hartford, Niko, and Shane Gooseman – The Galaxy Rangers – a team of courageous pioneers committed to the highest ideals of justice and dedicated to preserving law and order across the new frontier. For the first time ever, experience episodes 1-32 of the groundbreaking series, Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, in chronological order with all continuity and storylines intact. BONUS FEATURES: never-before-seen pilot/demo reel on-camera interview with series creator Robert Mandell select episode audio commentary with Robert Mandell, story editor Christopher Rowley and voice talent Henry Mandelloriginal music tracks and "No Guts, No Glory" music video recreated slideshow of the vintage talking storybook "Tortuna, The Outlaw Planet" 32-page "Visual Guide to Characters" collectible booklet

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Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)LDTOL is one of the best TV shows ever. It's right up there with the 1st season of Michael Mann's Crime Story from the mid 80's. This is the show HBO's Deadwood wishes it could be.
Start with the opening credits. The editing and the theme music of the credits themselves are worth the price of admission and a good precursor to the overall quality of the show. To break it down further, the opening shot of the credits, Call on his horse coming into town, is a knock out image. If they'd put it on a poster I'd buy it.
The characters in the show are complex and richly drawn, a testament to the quality of the shows writing. The tension between Call and Moseby is the highlight but all of players in LDTOL mesh seamlessly to the greater good of the show.
And finally, the actors. To hell with Will and Grace, the Clay Moseby character is the one Eric McCormack was meant to play. (And hopefully, the one he'll be remembered for once the immediately forgetable W&G leaves the air.) Scott Bairstow as Call completely dominates every scene he is in. Tracy Scoggins and Kelly Rowan are smoking hot but their sensuality is relentlessly downplayed through the course of the series.
Finally, the one big quibble.
The set comes in a five disc package. Why the creators couldn't manage the simple task of placing these episodes in their chronological order, by air date, is beyond me. For the serious fan who wants to view them in their intended order this is the sequence to use. (Note: the number in parens is the actual episode number. For the last two numbers, 1st Number- the CD, 2nd Number- Episode No. on CD in their order on the set).
__1st_______2nd________3rd________4th_________5th
(1)_1-1___(5) 2-1____(9)_3-1____(13) 4-1____(18) 5-2
(2) 1-2___(6) 1-4___(10)_3-2____(14) 4-2____(19) 5-1
(3) 1-3___(7) 2-4___(11)_2-3____(15) 4-3____(20) 5-3
(4) 2-2___(8) 3-3___(12)_3-4____(16) 4-4____(21) 5-4
_____________________________(17) 4-5____(22) 5-5Starting with the end of disk one thru disk three they completely shuffled the deck with the episode order. The long narrative arcs and the character developments are scrambled to the point of distraction.
IMO you don't need any extras (director's commentary, promos, whatever) for this series. The quality of the writing, the acting and the production values sell themselves. If the bozos who packaged this set could just get the order right they would really have something.

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Featuring 22 Episodes! The untamed glory of the Old West as it really was returns when Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years saddles up for another season of high-spirited episodes, with a new look and an exciting cast of characters struggling to survive on the wild frontier. The year is 1880. Curtis Wells, the locale of Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, is now a boomtown on the Montana frontier. When neighboring Sweetwater was left in ashes by a prairie fire, its whores and desperadoes took up residence in Curtis Wells, changing its character forever. Newt Call has come back to the town after living the past two years on the trail as a bounty hunter. Call is a man whose past has left its scars. Having left Curtis Wells a few nights after the explosion which killed his beloved Hannah, Call went on a downward spiral, aimless and soulless, eventually hitting bottom. Coming back to the town has reopened some of those old wounds for Call, not the least of which is his unresolved business with Clay Mosby, the man who coveted his wife before the fire took her. Mosby has made Curtis Wells his personal dominion. Behind his charming, roguish facade, he is a ruthless businessman, swift and severe with those who cross him, ready to shape the town to his own dark vision. Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years brings to life all the grit, romance and excitement of the West--an untamed world where anything is possible.

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Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Set in 1950s Utah and filmed on location there, "Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy" depicts 16-year old Roy Parker's search for the truth about his great-uncle, the infamous real-life Western outlaw Butch Cassidy (the alias of LeRoy Parker). The fatherless youth must overcome the opposition of his determined granddad, who scolds him, "I spent the better part of my life trying to live down the reputation that your hero has laid out for the Parker name and you grow up worshipping him." After a jailbreak engineered by Jess, his best friend, Roy and Jess are joined by two other teens in a chase for Cassidy's buried treasure, pursued by dangerous criminals. Superb cinematography takes full advantage of Utah's rugged scenery in exciting chase sequences by automobile, river raft, steam train, and even airplane. Roy Parker is played by handsome Ryan Kelley, familiar to viewers of the "Smallville" TV series. Only an implausible ending detracts from this entertaining family film, suitable for all ages.

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According to legend, Butch Cassidy died in Bolivia. But what if he made it back to the States under an assumed name with a fortune in Ortega gold? Young Roy Parker aims to find out after discovering an old belt buckle that once belonged to his Great Uncle Leroy (a.k.a. Butch Cassidy ). Roy s determined to redeem the family name, learn his uncle s true fate and find Butch s stash of buried treasure with the help of his best friend, his arch rival and the girl who has stolen his heart. But they re not alone, a dastardly villain is hot on their trail and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on the fabled loot!

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The Magnificent Seven: The Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)First, a review of the series itself: 5 gigantic gold, gleaming stars. I caught a few re-run episodes on Encore Westerns and fell in love instantly. Amazing cast, phenomenal acting, great sets, and no gore. It achieves that delicate balance of drama and adventure of the genre without the violence and sex that plagues most modern movies/show today. I really credit whoever cast the series because each actor shines in his role and their personalities play off each other perfectly. I am saddened that the series was cut off after two (all too short) seasons and was floored when I heard that it only came back a second year after an intense fan campaign. Once again primtime networks don't know a truly good show when they see it.
So why 4 stars? I was very disappointed at the picture quality of the DVDs. In the age of digital media when consumers are seeking crystal clear imaging, this set has the graininess of a VHS. Acceptable for an old show of the 60's or 70's, but one that aired in 1999? No way. The quality of the current TV re-runs far exceedes these DVDs. Apparently this is just a re-packaging of the individually sold seasons so I can't imagine that purchasing them separately would be any improvement.
That said, don't pass up the series on that account. Better to have it available with a sub-quality picture than not have it it all. The subperb show itself far outweighs this one downfall and I look forward to re-watching both seasons again and again.

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Disc 1: Magnificent Seven SSN 1 Disc 2: Magnificent Seven SSN 1 Disc 3: Magnificent Seven SSN 2 Disc 4: Magnificent Seven SSN 2 Disc 5: Magnificent Seven SSN 2

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Big Valley - Season 2, Volume 1 (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Big Valley" reruns were my childhood favorite, and after buying this set and season one, I can say the show lives up to my memories. It would be a shame if Fox stopped releasing the DVDs--which brings me to the info:
After searching for a way to complain about the price-gouging on season two, I finally contacted a site that monitors DVD releases. They said sales of season one were poor and that Fox raised the price to recoup their losses. But since this half-set isn't selling well either, they probably won't release the rest.
Maybe if all the people who bought season one decide to buy this set they'll release more. Maybe not. Personally, I think Fox bungled the whole thing. When it comes to short-run series (Big Valley only ran four seasons), it makes more sense to release the complete series (with extras) at a premium price. Most fans would pay more up front to get the whole series and not have to worry about studios dropping the project. As it is, Fox has done nothing but shortchange consumers and undermine its own profits.

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BIG VALLEY Season 2 Volume 1 continues the adventures of the wealthy and powerful Barkley family in the untamed Old West.

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The Outlaw Josey Wales (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although Clint Eastwood gained his greatest critical acclaim as a director for 1992's "Unforgiven" and 2003's "Mystic River" -- both of which are incredible pieces of American cinema -- his best film remains this perennially popular Western from 1976. Here's Eastwood's own take on it: "I do believe that if I'd made that picture in 1992, in place of `Unforgiven,' it might have received the same amount of attention, because I think it's equally as good a film. I think the subject matter of `Josey Wales' is timeless." Orson Welles himself named it one of his favorite movies!
Yet critics at the time completely dismissed it as just another Clint Eastwood Western-Revenge flick. On the surface, the plot might give you that illusion: Missouri farmer Josey Wales loses his family to marauding Union cutthroats during the civil war. In retaliation, he joins Qunatrill's raiders in the guerrilla warfare that flames across Missouri. When the war ends, Wales refuses to surrender. He flies west across the country, chased by his former leader Fletcher (John Vernon in a great, sympathetic performance) and Terrill, the Union captain who murdered his family (Eastwood regular Bill McKinney). It seems Wales has no future except to stay alive long enough to get his revenge.
But...that's not at all what movie ends up being about. Gradually, Wales finds himself at the center of a growing community of outcasts from many different backgrounds: an old Cherokee named Lone Watie (Chief Dan George, in the film's most unforgettable performance), a band of Northern settlers (including Sondra Locke in her first role with Clint), a girl from another Native American tribe, the residents of a dying Texas town, and a red bone hound. Gradually, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turns into a story about forgetting revenge and a fixation on death, and instead about embracing life and rebuilding a community. "Dying is easy for men like you and me," Wales says to a Comanche chief (Will Sampson) in one scene. "It's living that's hard." It's one of the most unexpectedly uplifting and moving films ever made. And, let's make no mistake about it, it's also an action-packed, tough, and exciting film.
Strangely, the film came out of extremely difficult circumstances and rough beginnings. Eastwood purchased the rights to Forrest Carter's novel "Gone to Texas," only to discover that the author was actually Asa (Ace) Carter, who had worked as a speech writer for George Wallace supporting racial segregation and had once created a subgroup of the Ku Klux Klan. Upon meeting Carter, Eastwood and his producer Robert Daley found the man to be a borderline sociopath (he drew a knife on one of Daley's secretaries at a restaurant). Regardless, Eastwood loved the beautiful story too much and pushed on with making the film. He hired Philip Kaufman to both write and direct the movie, now re-named "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Kaufman (along with Sonia Chernus) wrote a stunning script, but after only a few days on the set, it became obvious he wasn't working out as a director; his style clashed with Eastwood's. Eastwood quietly removed him as director and took over the job himself. As Eastwood's biographer notes, "Kaufman was to a degree the victim of Clint's growing confidence in his own abilities."
Despite this confused beginning, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" turned into a magical piece of Western cinema and a huge hit with audiences. It gets better and better with each viewing: a thrilling adventure when you first see it, its many layers of beautiful subtlety emerge each time you go back to it. Bruce Surtees's photography is astonishing, Jerry Fielding's music exciting and unusual for a Western, and every performance top-notch. Few films are as all-around well done as this American classic.
The DVD offers the film in a glorious widescreen transfer with a new 5.1 sound mix, but there are no extras. Considering the history behind the making of the film, this disc really ought to sport some fascinating commentaries and documentaries, but alas, nothing. Still, I can recommend few films higher than "The Outlaw Josey Wales."

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Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 09/02/2008Run time: 135 minutesRating: Pg

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Gunsmoke Movie Collection (Return to Dodge/The Last Apache/To the Last Man) (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)Just watched the Gunsmoke movie collection and all three movies are excellent. Return To Dodge is my favorite, but Last Apache is damn good too. All three movies hit the mark. Arness had seen better days, but his performance is top notch in all of these. He looks older than the mountains he rides past, but I liked him more as Matt in these movies than on the Gunsmoke show. The show was classic, but Arness' personality and character got better with age. Too bad all five Gunsmoke movies aren't in this set, but Return and Last Apache are the must haves for my collection. I'm glad to have 'em on DVD. This is a fantastic set.

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GUNSMOKE MOVIE COLLECTION 3PK - DVD Movie

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Once Upon a Time in the West (Special Collector's Edition) (1969) Review

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(More customer reviews)My title is a cliche but in this case it's the only phrase to use. The version of this movie available now, with its extra disc full of great bonus material, is an example of how to bring DVD format to its highest potential. First of course there's the movie, and its director Sergio Leone. Every Leone movie I've seen--Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good Bad and Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America--is wonderful, but this tops them all. Imagine the year 1969: what a great time to be a western film lover. You had this, and Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch in the same year. Incredible. Anyway, it's impossible to list all the great scenes, so I'll stick with the first. If you love the credit sequence you'll love the movie; it's not for everybody, however. So those credits, mostly silent except for a windmill creaking, which Leone somehow makes sinister, and one of the minimal details he uses to establish authentic mood, are the litmus test. You'll either love the movie or hate it. The scene is built on a genius contradiction: it's so tense that you want it to end, but it's so beautifully done, so built on image and gesture and glance, that you also hope it never ends. The whole movie is that delicious. And the cast--wow. Everyone is at top form, but check out Henry Fonda as the leanest meanest bastard imaginable, but also someone you can't avoid enjoying because it is the GREAT Mr. Fonda, with Leone getting maximum mileage out of close ups of Fonda's ice-blue eyes, as unforgiving as a western sky, generally acting like the amiable stalwart figure he always plays, until he shoots little kids and fat lackeys whom he doesn't trust because they wear both suspenders and belts: and as Fonda says, how can you trust a man who can't even trust his own pants? As the heroine, Claudia Cardinale isn't just gorgeous she's luscious, lust-us. And tough. Watch for the scene where she looks at herself in the mirror when she's all alone in her house. whose previous residents, her family, have been killed by Fonda and his thugs. Charles Bronson--what an underrated actor. Dangerous yet entirely sympathetic here. He finds wit in his role, knows exactly what the unique Leone's up to and gets in sync with the vision. Jason Robards is incapable of giving a performance less than brilliant, and this is another highlight in the film. As Cheyenne he is funny and tough and smart, maybe the most complex performance in the movie. There's so much more, too--the finest Ennio Morricone soundtrack, killer dialogue, extraordinary cinematography. This DVD is put together so well it's even a pleasure to look at the menus--you'll see what I mean. And all this for under FIFTEEN U.S. DOLLARS. What are you waiting for?

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When the husband of Jill McBain is killed by ruthless outlaws in the old West, she hires two guns of her own to get revenge.Genre: WesternsRating: PG13Release Date: 30-JAN-2007Media Type: DVD

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Tombstone (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)1993 and it was the battle between two films based on the iconic western figure Wyatt Earp. Screenwriter Kevin Jarre ("The Mummy", "Glory", "Rambo: First Blood Part II") and Kevin Costner were originally set to make the film together but due to a disagreement, Costner would go on to film "Wyatt Earp" while Kevin Jarre would take his script to Buena Vista for distribution and sure enough, it became a contest of sorts as who would get their movie out first and which one would dominate in the box office.
Fortunately, despite numerous problems on the set of "Tombstone", if there is one thing that the film had was its all-star cast as Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestly, Dana Delany, Thomas Haden Church, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Rooker, Terry O'Quinn and many more.
Directing the film would be George P. Cosmatos ("Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Leviathan", "Shadow Conspiracy"), cinematography by William A. Fraker ("Rules of Engagement", "Father of the Bride Part II", "Street Fighter") and music by Bruce Broughton ("Lost in Space", "Bambi II", "Tiny Toon Adventures").
In the end, "Tombstone"earned $56 million domestically and did much better than Costner's "Wyatt Earp" in the box office.
VIDEO:
"Tombstone" is presented in 1080 High Definition (2:35:1). For the most part, the good news is that "Tombstone" looks very good on Blu-ray. The cinematography by William A. Fraker is absolutely beautiful during some of the scenic shots overlooking the fields, the skyline, dusk and dawn. While many parts of the film showcases many colors and for the most part, detail of the town, the saloon, the skin pores, etc. look great on Blu-ray, I noticed that the scenes look a bit dark at times. I haven't had the chance to compare with the original DVD release of "Tombstone" but there are times that seem as if shots were taken during overcast or the shadows of the hats are covering the faces of people.
But despite the dark look of some scenes, "Tombstone" definitely looks sharper and more contrast is seen on the Blu-ray release and blacks are nice and deep. Only one scene which was stock video where you a bit of aliasing but for the most part, I didn't detect any major artifacts or blemishes.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"Tombstone" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA (48 kHz/24-bit), French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Audio dialogue is quite clear and for the most part, the majority of the film is dialogue driven until you get into short action scenes at the O.K. Corral and the final half hour in which the film starts to have more action-based scenes. But one of the things that you will notice is the use of the surrounds in terms of capturing the ambiance of the outdoor scenes. I was watching when Wyatt and Josie were horseriding and are taking a break and all of a sudden I started hearing birds chirping and rustling the trees. I thought that was pretty cool. Also, you will hear the thunderstorms come to life and of course, the gun battle sequences in which you hear rifle shots, gun shots and more. Overall, "Tombstone" sounds very good via lossless.
Subtitles are in English SDH, English ESL, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Tombstone" comes with the following special features in 480i, English 2.0 Dolby Digital audio and subtitles in English SDH, French and Spanish. Included are:
* The Making of Tombstone - (27:19) This featurette goes into the cast of Tombstone as they talk about their characters and filming a Western. Director George P. Cosmatos talking about making an authentic Western and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
* Director's Original Storyboards - (4:00) A special feature showcasing the original storyboards of Director George P. Cosmatos.
* Trailers and TV Spots - Featuring two theatrical trailers (:60 and :120) and the "Friends" TV spot (:30).
JUDGMENT CALL:
"Tombstone" is an enjoyable film and for those who enjoy Westerns and for those who like the stories of lawmen vs. the outlaws, the film is quite entertaining and a storyline in which both Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer actually do a remarkable job. Russell as the Wyatt Earp, the caring brother and also not afraid of anyone! And Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday at his most charming and also his most vulnerable and how Kilmer plays off the sickly version of Holliday is really well-done.
But what I did enjoy about "Tombstone" when I first watched it over a decade ago, was how it tried to capture the life of Wyatt Earp and led to the "Gunfight of O.K. Corral" and "Wyatt Earp and the Immortals". Granted, the film is not exactly historically accurate and the adaptation would be of what took place had to receive the Hollywood touch but for the most part, it did capture many of the stories that took place especially with Virgil Earp becoming a marshal, some of the battles that took place and more.
If there was one thing that I was hoping for, it would be a more climactic battle between Wyatt and Curly Bill Brocius. With Brocius being the leader of the Cowboys, I felt that the battle between both men was rather short. Also, there were some scenes of certain characters that felt out of place and this goes with the troubled production as the original screenplay was longer and had a story emphasizing sub-plots of the various characters but was nixed. The fact that "Tombstone" has quite a bit of starpower, I just felt that certain characters were never utilized and if they were, what was the purpose. For example, why was Deputy Billy Breckinridge (played by Jason Priestly) even shown and also, with no historical fact towards his sexuality, why was she shown to have gay tendencies? Also, the character of Sherman McMasters (played by Michael Rooker), just an added scene showing why he broke off with the Cowboys would have been nice to see as well.
As for the Blu-ray, the film definitely looks and sounds better than its predecessor. It's important to note that the Blu-ray version features the 130-minute version and not the 135-minute director's cut version of "Tombstone". Missing is the audio commentary by director George P. Cosmatos and also "The Tombstone Epitaph - Actual Newspaper Account" featured in the Director's Cut Televista DVD version. But the making-of featurette, director's original storyboards and trailers remain intact. But you can't help but be pleased with this Blu-ray release.
Overall, "Tombstone" was an enjoyable Western that I have seen a good number of times. Does it rank high compared to the best Western's out there? Definitely not but in my opinion, it's the best Wyatt Earp film that I have seen yet and it's a film that I just found enjoyable from beginning to end. Definitely recommended!

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Kurt Russell (Miracle, Death Proof) and Val Kilmer (Deja Vu, The Missing) will blow you away in this explosive, action-packed adventure! And now, the legendary battle for justice in Tombstone hits home on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever. Russell is U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp; Kilmer is the outrageous Doc Holliday. Together, they team up to lay down the law in a notorious showdown with ruthless outlaws at the O.K. Corral. With an all-star cast that also includes Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Jason Priestley, Michael Biehn and Hollywood icon Charlton Heston, this Wild West epic will transport you back in time and land you smack dab in the center of the crossfire. So strap on your six shooters as you experience the remarkable picture and theater-quality sound of Tombstone in Blu-ray™ High Definition.

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Bonanza: The Official First Season, Vol 1 & 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been waiting for this box set for ages! And it has finally arrived. I wasn't around when this show first aired. But I remember my first viewing of it sometime in the 90's (I know, really late to the party) and I fell in LOVE! Ugh, there was just something about it that made me obsessed with it. For some strange reason there is a sense of tranquility that I got from that one viewing that there just doesn't seem to be on TV anymore.
From that one viewing, I started watching it religiously, it came on as a two hour block. And I watched every flippin' two dang hours, every dang day of the week. And was happy to find out that they spazzed out with marathons of it on weekends! I was in Bonanza heaven! And then the networks took it from me! No more Little Joe, Hoss - Adam! I had some serious withdrawals. And I was not only shocked but a little bit upset to find out that this classic television show was not available on DVD!
But that has been fixed. The packaging is OK. Nothing to rave about. It doesn't even come in a box! You just get two dvd cases. Would it have killed Paramount to give us loyal viewers a customized box! You do get a summary of each episode and you do get the original theme song. Yes, I find that very important. On youtube, you get some bastardized version and when I want my Bonanza I want the original. The discs look great, a bump in quality than what they usually look like on television. The extras are not mind blowing, some of them consist of: alternate pilot ending, a tribute remembering Michael Landon/Dan Blocker etc.
I don't have to recommend the show to those who love it, but for those who don't, give it a chance.

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One of the longest running and most popular of all television westerns, Bonanza was both an action/adventure classic and family drama. For fourteen seasons, audiences enthusiastically tuned in to see the High-Sierra adventures of the Cartwright clan. Nestled amongst the pines above the shores of Lake Tahoe is the Ponderosa ranch, the thousand-acre home of Ben Cartwrignt and his sons, Adam, Hoss and Joe (aka "Little Joe.") Plots featuring revolving cast of interesting guest players helped to set Bonanza apart from the usual gun-slinging formula Westerns of the day.

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Robert Rodriguez Mexico Trilogy (El Mariachi / Desperado / Once Upon A Time In Mexico) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)There is some confusion as to the releases in this set, based on the reviews so far and the limited information in the amazon.com description. I hesitated to buy it at first based on the fact that the back of the outer case simply had credits and the typical info box for all three films giving the languages and aspect ratios of the films, but nothing as to the other content of the discs contained.
Here is what is included in the set:
Disc 1:
El Mariachi (Special Edition)
- 1.85:1 Widescreen Anamorphic/81 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- Robert Rodriguez's Short Film "Bedhead"
- "10-Minute Film School"
Disc 2:
Desperado (Special Edition)
- 1.85:1 Widescreen Anamorphic/103 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- "10 More Minutes with Robert Rodriguez: Anatomy of a Shootout"
Disc 3:
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
- 1.78:1 Widescreen Anamophic/102 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez
- Ten-Minute Flick School
- Ten-Minute Cooking School
- Inside Troublemaker Studios
- The Anti-Hero's Journey
- The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: Inside KNB FX
So this set re-packages the most recent release of each of the titles into a great little package. Little being the key word - this set uses the slim-line DVD cases often used in TV on DVD packaging and most recently seen in the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Double Feature Gift Pack. Two slim-line cases take up the space of a single standard DVD case, so this set with 3 slim-line cases is nice and compact.
The transfer of El Mariachi here is the newest one ("From the original negatives supervised by Robert Rodriguez") not the older 1.66:1 transfer from the earlier Director's Double Feature release.
Also worthy of note is that all 3 film are Anamorphic despite the packaging indicating that El Mariachi and Desperado are just "Widescreen" while Once Upon a Time in Mexico is listed as "Anamorphic Widescreen." Columbia Tri-Star has always had a bad habit of not indicating when releases were anamorphic although most of their early releases were in fact anamorphic.

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EL MARIACHI: All he wants is to be is a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from director Robert Rodriguez. Financed with earnings from a month-long stay in a research hospital, this astonishing action adventure was shot with no second takes, using borrowed equipment and a talented cast of unknowns. The riveting result is a wild bullet-dodging ride through a world of bandido violence, from the suspense of the opening shoot-out to the tragedy of the unexpected conclusion. With little more than a great story and a lot of heart, Rodriguez has created pure movie pleasure, setting new standards for independent filmmaking, and establishing himself as an unquestionable talent. "An enormously entertaining movie." (Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES). DESPERADO: Antonio Banderas, Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot-'em-up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction. Director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film, El Mariachi, with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend. ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: Leaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero "El Mariachi" is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.

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Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)When Dances With Wolves first came out, I had some doubts about seeing it. All of my life I had seen movies that either presented my tribe (the "Sioux" or more accurately the "Lakota") as a bunch of savages, or used non-Native American actors to portray "Indian" roles. The book, Dances with Wolves was dumb (they were Comanches???). The movie surprised me. If it hadn't been for Kevin Costner's acting, I would give this five stars. He did a great job of directing the movie, but he came across as a total idiot in the movie ( in my opinion). What I liked most about the film was the accuracy, and use of the language (which was my first tongue), as well as the Native American cast. The extended version is even better, filling in a few gaps, and expanding on a few scenes that needed it. Overall, a very good movie; I can't count how many times I have seen it.

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A "truly spectacular" (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is "a cinematic masterpiece" (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of "a triumph" (Roger Ebert)!Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he's sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared. But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choiceone that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation.

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Big Valley - Season 1 (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)There were few TV shows that made a greater impression on me growing up than did this classic western, The Big Valley, which ran on ABC from 1965-1969. From its stellar cast featuring the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria Barkley, (the matriarch of a close-knit, proud and prominent family in 1878 California,) well-written/action-packed scripts, to stirring music, The Big Valley remains a standout in the barren plains of TV mediocrity.
The first TV drama to feature a powerful female lead (a woman the commercials proudly proclaimed had "backbone and bite"), it also dealt realistically with situations formerly taboo for TV. It began by revealing that Victoria's husband, Tom Barkley, a prominent, wealthy cattle rancher now deceased, had been involved in a secret affair leading to the birth of an illegitimate son. In addition to the ranch, the family controlled gold and silver mines, citrus groves as well as logging camps.
This five-disc (episodes on "A" and "B" sides) boxed set contains all 30 of the show's first season episodes, including its pilot. A few of these episodes were available years ago on poor quality VHS tapes, but this fantastic release represents the first time that the entire first season of the series has been available to the public in ANY format! As such, most of these episodes have not been seen uncut since the show aired more than 35 years ago.
The pilot, which introduces the powerful and proud Barkley family, depicts the conflict when the illegitimate son, Heath, abruptly arrives at the huge Barkley Ranch in the San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, Calif., in the midst of a range war and claims his birthright.
After the recent death of his mother, Heath had learned his father's identify. None of the Barkleys had known of his existence, and it is later revealed that Victoria's husband had broken off the brief affair with Heath's mother and that she had never told him that she was pregnant. Victoria immediately accepts Heath and soon treats him as one of her own sons.
In addition to Miss Stanwyck (who performed many of her own stunts despite her age), the cast included Richard Long as eldest son, attorney Jarrod, Peter Breck as son and ranch foreman Nick, Lee Majors as Heath, Linda Evans as daughter Audra, and during its first season, Charles Briles as youngest son Eugene, a character who was dropped without explanation. Napoleon Whiting portrayed the family's servant, Silas, throughout the series.
First season episodes included in this set are: (Disc 1, Side A) Palms of Glory; Forty Rifles; Boots with My Father's Name; Young Marauders; (Disc 1, Side B) Odyssey of Jubal Tanner; Heritage; (Disc 2, Side A) Winner Lose All; My Son, My Son; Earthquake!; The Murdered Party; (Disc 2, Side B) The Way to Kill a Killer; Night of the Wolf; (Disc 3, Side A) The Guilt of Matt Bentell; The Brawlers; Judgment in Heaven; The Invaders; (Disc 3, Side B) By Fires Unseen; A Time to Kill; (Disc 4, Side A) Teacher of Outlaws; Under a Dark Star; Barbary Red; The Death Merchant; (Disc 4, Side B) The Fallen Hawk; Hazard; (Disc 5, Side A) Into the Widow's Web; By Force and Violence; The River Monarch; The Midas Man; and (Disc 5, Side B) Tunnel of Gold; and Last Train to the Fair.
As of this writing, the studio had not announced what, if any, special features would be included in the boxed set.
Just a few of the guest stars in this first season were Andrew Duggan, John Anderson (Richard Dean Anderson's father), Jeanne Cooper (Young and the Restless), Katharine Ross (The Graduate), Charles Bronson, Warren Oates, Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible!), Ron Howard, Anthony Zerbe, Claude Akins, Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), William Shatner (Star Trek), Bruce Dern (Laura Dern's father), Jill St. John, George Kennedy, and James Whitmore.
Here's hoping the remaining seasons of this award-wining series will be released ASAP! We can also only hope that this means other studios that own the rights to other worthy vintage westerns, like The High Chaparral, will get the message that there is an appreciative audience anxiously waiting and begin releasing these episodes on DVD complete season boxed sets.

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The Powerful Saga of One Family's Lives and Loves in the Old West!Venture back to the days when the land was still untamed and the West was still wild with Season One of The Big Valley, the TV classic starring Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors, and Linda Evans.The Barkleys are the wealthiest and most powerful family in California's San Joaquin Valley in the 1870s, owning and controlling cattle herds, gold mines, citrus groves, and logging camps. Follow and share the family's trials and tribulations as matriarch Victoria Barkley leads her brood through joys and heartache, adventure and danger, and laughter and pain in Season One of this seminal and timeless Western Soap!

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Dead Man (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)How unfair is it that Tim Keogh of the Amazon.Com organization gets to lead off the list of reviews for this movie by stating - "This disappointment from Jim Jarmusch stars Johnny Depp in a mystery Western about a 19th-century accountant named William Blake, who spends his last coin getting to a hellish mud town in Texas and ends up penniless and doom struck in the wilderness." I don't know if Tim was busy stuffing his face with popcorn but he makes three erroneous statements in this first line of his totally off-base review.
1) This movie is not a mystery! 2) Johnny Depp spends his last coin buying whiskey. 3) The "hellish mud town" of Machine is on the West Coast - not Texas. (After all, it would take a while to ride by horseback from Texas to British Columbia where the Coastal Indian Tribes were located).
You may be asking yourself why I take issue with such mundane details? The answer is obvious - to prove the point that Tim Keogh wasn't even watching this movie, and therefore, has no right to review it. Simply put, Dead Man is a cinematic masterpiece! Jim Jarmusch has made a number of strong movies, but Dead Man surpasses the others as a brilliant work of art.
You can see by reading the other reviews that support for Dead Man borders on fanatical. There are few movies that I have watched repeatedly but I continue to see this one over and over again. Everything about the film is different from the conventions of Hollywood mass consumption "fast-film". The story unfolds in a slow and methodical manner and requires much attention on the part of the viewer. If you invest in it, Dead Man will repay you many times over.
If you liked Forrest Gump and The Sixth Sense then you can go see another mindless mainstream movie with Tim Keogh and the majority of the ignorant American public. If you need more than that . . . buy Dead Man. I'll bet you watch it more than once!

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Johnny Depp (CHOCOLAT) delivers a remarkable performance in this highly acclaimed tale of adventure and intrigue in the wild, wild west! A young man in search of a fresh start, William Blake (Depp) embarks on an exciting journey to a new town ... never realizing the danger that lies ahead. But when a heated love triangle ends in double murder, Blake finds himself a wanted man, running scared -- until a mysterious loner teaches him to face the dangers that follow a "dead man." With an outstanding supporting cast including Gabriel Byrne (THE USUAL SUSPECTS) and Robert Mitchum (CAPE FEAR), and a sizzling soundtrack, DEAD MAN is another motion picture triumph from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch.

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Stagecoach (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)Great little gem of a movie starring the outlaws of country music. A lot of people are comparing this tv movie to that of the original starring John Wayne, there is no comparison. The original will always be a classic, and teamed legendary director John Wayne with The Duke.
But, for me it is hard not to like a film that stars Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. They all do a great job with their roles, and are backed up by a fine supporting cast which includes John Schneider and Elizabeth Ashley.
The film follows the same storyline as the original. Will the stagecoach make it safely to it's destination without meeting its demise at the hands of Geronimo? Will The Ringo Kid get his revenge against the Plummers? How can I find out what will happen? The simple answer is, pick up Stagecoach, and take a trip to the west with The Highwaymen.

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Country music stars Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings team up for this version of the popular Western story about a group of desparate travellers on a dangerous stagecoach ride to Arizona.

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3:10 to Yuma (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although many say the Western is dead, in books as well as movies, it continues to rear its head and make itself known every so often. There's something inherently noble and visceral about the artform and the subject matter, the calm delineation between good and evil, that stubbornly continues to attract an audience.
In 2007, the Western showed back up at the box office in a trio of films that came out roughly at the same time. 3:10 TO YUMA was the first out of the gate, but it was followed in quick order by THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.
The movie had been made fifty years ago, and much of the plot in that version made it into the remake. Both movies were based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, who has had several of his Western and crime novels made into films.
Christian Bale stars as Dan Evans, a one-legged, down-on-his-luck rancher struggling to keep a home together for his wife and two kids. Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, an intelligent and heartless outlaw who's leading one of the blood-thirstiest gangs to ever take up the owlhoot trail.
Both stars take turns stealing scenes. Bale has the hard-edged look of coarse rawhide. Crowe possesses some of the deadest eyes ever shown in movies.
One of the best portrayals in the movie was a surprise to me, though. It took me a minute to recognize Peter Fonda as professional bounty hunter turned Pinkerton agent Byron McElroy. Fonda reminded me a lot of his father Henry, but part of that is because Fonda has aged. He also delivers a quality of acting and honesty in the character that is just amazing, and he was content to carry the supporting character role and didn't try to upstage anyone.
Logan Lerman was another surprise. He stared as William Evans, Dan's 14-year-old son. I'd thought Lerman was much older, but as it turned out he was 14 when the movie was made. He was likeable and intense.
When it came to truly cold-blooded villains, though, Ben Foster as Charlie Prince totally blew me away. The hair on the back of my neck went up as soon as he stepped on stage, and within a minute I hated him.
The story is simple. Dan is struggling to make ends meet and bumps into Wade during an armored wagon job. Later, after taking Byron McElroy into town for medical attention, Dan confronts Hollander, the man who's trying to run him off his land. When Hollander won't give him an extension on his loan, Dan finds Wade and helps take him captive. Then he agrees to help transport him to Yuma for $200.
The movie quickly spins out into the action of the violent road trip. In addition to being one of the fastest gunmen around, Wade is also a skilled psychological warrior, constantly taunting his captors and seeking out their weaknesses.
The action involves traveling through hostile Indian lands, meeting up with a team of killers working the railroad coming through the area, and a final showdown in Yuma that is one of the most exciting I've ever seen in a Western.
For two hours, I sat marveling at the characters, then tensely awaiting the outcome of the latest danger they were all facing. Even then, the twists and turns of the characters, the back stories they were all hiding till the very last moment, were awesome. No one was quite who I thought they were.
Westerns succeed best by having good men with a history of bad violence and bad men who haven't completely gone over to the dark side. 3:10 TO YUMA is one of those.
One caveat I will offer to people who have seen the original movie starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, this version does NOT follow the same paths or end up the same way. Expect to be surprised and shocked at how things turn out. And you'll be tense nearly the whole way through.

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3:10 TO YUMA - DVD Movie

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Deadwood: The Complete First Season (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)The best kept secret on television is Deadwood, a semi-true story of the lawless town in South Dakota that popped up during the gold rush days of the 1800's. The real Deadwood boasted legendary residents like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. Both figure prominently as characters in the TV series but are far from the only great characters on display.
Perhaps you've heard of the series, but never gave it a look. Or perhaps you were warned by others that the language was so profane as to render it unwatchable. True, the series isn't for anyone under the age of 18, but it must be understood that this semi-historical piece was written to represent the actual dialect and social tenor of the region at that time. Deadwood was a rough place without real law, and gold was on everyone's mind. All the elements for great drama were there. Greed, corruption, deceipt, innocence, morality (or a lack thereof), hope, hate, fear, addiction, murder, jealousy and love. Deadwood truly represents a kind of sociological study of human evolution within a laissez faire society.
It was clear from episode 1 that the new Deadwood series on HBO was something special. By episode 4, I was certain that Emmy nominations/awards were imminent. The show was largely ignored by the Emmys, likely sufferering from a combination of "newcomer syndrome" and overshadowing by The Sopranos. But make no mistake, it was more than worthy with the actors comprising a splendid balance of the familiar and the unfamiliar. Regardless of fame however, there isn't an off performance to be found in the season. Nor is there a grossly derivitive one. The characters are all satisfyingly deep, nuanced and often downright quirky.
The writing, as is the case with most HBO original series, was entirley engaging with a character and rhythm all its own. It is to be savored as a fine wine or concerto. Unlike many adult drama series on the "other networks", Deadwood never loses its momentum. There is no need to manipulate the audience with cheap antics to get them to care week to week. The story, actors and writing take care of that. Each episode flows to the next with amazing fluidity while always maintaining an anticipatory mood.
There is really no need to get into plot points as it would require a review the size of the Deadwood script and would involve spoiling much of the drama that one should experience as purely as possible. Suffice it to say if you enjoy adult themed series such as The Sopranos, you will love Deadwood. Even if you don't like westerns, it won't matter. The acting, writing, and plot are just that good. Give it a chance. You won't be sorry.

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(HBO Dramatic Series) 1876. In the Black Hills of South Dakota lies Deadwood, a lawless town inhabited by a mob of restless misfits ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The richest gold strike in American history provides the backdrop for HBO's next great drama.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryFeaturetteOther

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