Monte Walsh (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is not a plot-driven movie so much as it is a portrait of that moment in time when the Old West was disappearing and the men who made the Old West what it was had to adjust, die or just fade away.
It is beautifully shot and there is a lot of attention to detail. If one is looking for a ton of action, this is not the western you are looking for. But, if you love cowboy movies this one is a real treat. It would make the watcher wistful for those days when the horse ruled the west, except that you know that Monte Walsh would have none of that pointless sentiment.
No living actor looks more like a cowboy should than Tom Selleck and I'd be thrilled if he focused on those movies for the rest of his career.

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Times change, Monte Walsh doesn't.For him, being a cowboy isn't a job, it's a life. And that's something the fenced-in, corporate-bean-counting ways of the onrushing 20th century must never alter.Tom Selleck plays Monte, struggling to continue the life he knows while seeing the new era nudge the cowboy way toward history's dustbin. Lonesome Dove Emmy winner Simon Wincer directs this Western featuring a superb supporting cast and based on a novel by the author of Shane.

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Texas Rangers (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)If these actors are Texas Rangers then Charlie's Angels are real detectives. I am a Western fan and this movie has no redeeming value. Tom Skerritt should be ashamed to appear in this film. If I could have rated this video at -5 I would have done so.

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Starring James Van Der Beek (TV's DAWSON'S CREEK, VARSITY BLUES) and Dylan McDermott (TV's THE PRACTICE) alongside Ashton Kutcher (TV's THAT '70s SHOW) and Usher Raymond (THE FACULTY) ... After the Civil War, Texas is at the mercy of murderous bandits! From the chaos emerges a group of young cowboys summoned to reform the Texas Rangers and restore order! Under the fearless leadership of Leander McNelly (McDermott), the new Rangers find themselves severely outgunned and outgunned, but unmatched for courage and determination. From the director of HALLOWEEN: H20 and featuring Rachael Leigh Cook (SHE'S ALL THAT) and Robert Patrick (SPY KIDS).

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Crossfire Trail (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent, old-fashioned classic western. Tom Selleck plays a cowboy who makes a promise to a dying friend to watch over the man's ranch and wife, and means to keep his word. Taken from a Louis L'Amour novel, CROSSFIRE TRAIL is a winner.
For those of us who haven't gone out of our way to track Selleck's career this movie is a revelation of sorts. He fits comfortably in the John Wayne/Randolph Scott/Gary Cooper tradition of the strong, dependable western hero. Fast paced and well photographed (see it in wide-screen if possible), with an above average cast, this movie is definitely going to please anyone who thinks they don't make them like that anymore.
CROSSFIRE TRAIL also contains one of the best final shootouts I've seen. Not only is it well choreographed and understandable, it also pulls off the unique trick of resolving some minor character questions - in particular those surrounding the town sheriff (Barry Corbin), who tries to drown his self-loathing while the guns are blazing. Simply a strong and smart western, essential for classic western fans, strongly recommended to the rest of you.


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A restless wanderer makes a promise to a dying friend to help the man's widow and daughter hold onto their ranch in the lush but lawless Wyoming Territory. But when oil is discovered on the land, the unsuspecting hero must contend not only with the two women who are suspicious of his motives, but also with ruthless men plotting to seize the ranch. Based on the novel by Louis L'Amour.

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Cowboy Up (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)The marketers positioned this movie as a love triangle between sibling rodeo cowboys (Kiefer Sutherland and Marcus Thomas) and a girl (Daryl Hannah), which is about as wide of the mark as missing the broad side of a barn. The key character who drives these brothers apart is their father, a champion bull rider, long retired, and long absent from their lives, played terrifically in a cameo performance by British actor Pete Postlethwaite. The old man gave all his attention to the one who took after him and scorned the other, who had the more tender heart. Then he left home, at the wrong end of a shotgun, pointed at him by the boys' mother, played wonderfully by Melinda Dillon. But his impact continues to be felt.
Both boys grow up to become bullriders, like their father. Only one (Sutherland) opts out and turns his talents to being a rodeo clown (bull fighter) and raising rodeo stock, specifically a fierce bull that no cowboy can ride. Like the old man, the bull does his damage, but not before one of them has suffered a near-fatal accident after being named Rookie of the Year and then returns to the circuit against the wishes of brother, mother, and girlfriend (Molly Ringwald). Celia (Daryl Hannah), a barrel racer figures in there rather briefly as one of several things that estrange the two brothers. There's also pill popping, groupies, and angry outbursts. The two men are finally reunited and reconciled at the national bullriding finals in Las Vegas.
From what I know of rodeoing, and it's not extensive, the representation of life on the circuit is pretty accurate. The slow motion photography used to heighten the dramatic tension during the rides is realistic only if you think of it from the perspective of the riders themselves, for whom eight seconds can surely seem close to an eternity. There's some depth to the script, and scenes are played in a way that let the characters seem more three-dimensional than your usual cowboy-hero movie. Sutherland, in fact, is interesting to watch as a self-conscious man who goes all clumsy around a woman he'd like to impress. Thomas needs only to look lean, a little haunted, and good in a pair of wranglers to convey the troubled, driven man who cannot stay away from a sport that has already nearly killed him. And he does all that nicely.
Compared to a rodeo movie like "8 Seconds," about real-life bullrider Lane Frost, this one is not so predictable, a little grittier, less sentimental, and it doesn't go overboard in glamorizing rodeo. Here, for instance, the lovers split up and stay that way. In Garth Brooks words, "that damned old rodeo" takes its toll on everyone.

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Two brothers, one a bull rider and the other a rodeo clown, compete for the love of the same woman.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: PG13Release Date: 3-AUG-2004Media Type: DVD

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Warden of Red Rock (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good solid movie with occasional 'gems in the rock', particularly the development of the loving relationship that slowly builds up between warden John Flinders ( James Caan) and the widow McVale (Rachel Ticotin), whose first husband had gone to the gallows, for murder.
The setting is Arizona Territory 1910, as the West was 'a changin,' and there is even an early scene of a motor car in this otherwise conventional western.
If you want sex scenes and plenty of foul language, then don't bother with this movie. However if you want to watch a good western with fine acting by Caan and Ticotin in particular, then this is worthwhile. Personally, I think the slow inter personal development between warden and widow makes this flick far more interesting than watching some mad bedroom romp and is probably far truer to the the way the sexes related to each other in that early period of the 20th century.
The 'baddy,'Mike Sullivan, is played by David Carradine, who looks remarkably like Jason Robards, and unlike his old mate, the warden, is a thoroughly unredeemed villain.
Fine supporting performances come from Brian Dennehy, and the child actress, Gisela Sanchez, who convincingly looks like her screen mother.
This film provides good family viewing with, some nice horse flesh a few shoot-outs-well it wouldn't be a western without those would it?

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High Noon (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this DVD in the bargain bin at my local Wal-Mart for $4.99. At that price, and being a big fan of the original, I was intrigued. I am also a fan of Tom Skerritt who stars in this one as Will Kane, the hapless marshal whose integrity and honor force him to make a solitary stand against four bad guys and an apathetic town.
I am sorry to say that, despite a valiant effort by Skerritt, this remake and the rest of the cast fall woefully short. Even at bargain price I would pass on this one if I were you. It's just an impossible task to do what is attempted here: remaking or improving on perfection. Gary Cooper defined the role of Will Kane. Period. You might as well attempt a remake of THE COWBOYS, TRUE GRIT, THE SHOOTIST or THE SEARCHERS with someone other than John Wayne in the lead.
THE HORSEMAN


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Rawhide - Season Three, Vol. 2 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)CBS Television and Paramount Pictures presents "RAWHIDE: SEASON THREE VOL. TWO" (24 February 1961 - 16 June 1961) (779 mins/In Glorious Black & White) (digitally remastered in Dolby) -- Rawhide was a television western series that aired on the U.S. network CBS from 1959 to 1966. The show starred Eric Fleming and launched the career of Clint Eastwood --- The series ran for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 episodes, all filmed and broadcast in black and white --- It was produced and sometimes directed by Charles Marquis Warren who also produced early episodes of Gunsmoke --- Warren based Rawhide on the movie Cattle Empire that he directed in 1958 and for which Endre Bohem was a screenwriter and Paul Brinegar, Steve Raines and Rocky Shahan were actors; all also worked in Rawhide --- Its premiere episode reached the top 20 in the Nielsen Ratings. It rose steadily in popularity until, towards the end of the series run, it was one of America's top ten shows --- Rawhide was the fourth longest-running American TV western, beaten only by nine years of The Virginian and Wagon Train, fourteen years of Bonanza, and twenty years of Gunsmoke.
The episode would be introduced, usually by some words from Gil Favor but sometimes by others --- The typical Rawhide story involved drovers, portrayed by Eric Fleming (Trail Boss Gil Favor) and Clint Eastwood (ramrod Rowdy Yates), coming upon people on the trail and getting drawn into solving whatever problem they presented or were confronting --- Some of the stories were obviously easier in production terms but the peak form of the show was convincing and naturalistic, and sometimes brutal. Its situations could range from parched plains to anthrax, ghostly riders to wolves, cattle raiding, bandits, murderers, and so forth --- A problem on such drives was the constant need for water, and the scout spent much of his time looking for it, sometimes finding water holes, even rivers had dried up - In some ways it was similar to the TV series Wagon Train that debuted in 1957.
Of all the western characters on TV, these were the only real cowboys, because they drove cows. There were also sheep boys who drove sheep, pig boys who looked after pigs, etc. The name cowboys became a generic name in western films and TV series --- The theme song's lyrics were written by Ned Washington in 1958. It was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and sung by pop singer Frankie Laine. The theme song became very popular --- It was covered several times and parts of the song also appear in more recent movies like The Blues Brothers and Shrek.-- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
List of Season, Episode, Title and Original Air Date:
1. Season 3, Episode 16: Incident on the Road Back (guest star Brian G. Hutton)
Original Air Date--24 February 1961
2. Season 3, Episode 17: Incident of the New Start (guest star John Dehner)
Original Air Date--3 March 1961
3. Season 3, Episode 18: Incident of the Running Iron (guest stars William Schallet & dwayne Hickman)
Original Air Date--10 March 1961
4. Season 3, Episode 19: Incident near Gloomy River (guest stars John Cassavetes, Leif Erickson & Rosemary De Camp)
Original Air Date--17 March 1961
5. Season 3, Episode 20: Incident of the Boomerang (guest stars Woody Strode & Patricia Medina)
Original Air Date--24 March 1961
6. Season 3, Episode 21: Incident of His Brother's Keeper (guest stars Jack Lord & Susan Oliver)
Original Air Date--31 March 1961
7. Season 3, Episode 22: Incident in the Middle of Nowhere (guest stars Cecil Kellaway & Elisha Cook Jr.)
Original Air Date--7 April 1961
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8. Season 3, Episode 23: Incident of the Phantom Bugler (guest star Jock Mahoney)
Original Air Date--14 April 1961
9. Season 3, Episode 24: Incident of the Lost Idol (guest star Claude Akins)
Original Air Date--28 April 1961
10. Season 3, Episode 25: Incident of the Running Man
Original Air Date--5 May 1961
11. Season 3, Episode 26: Incident of the Painted Lady (guest star Marie Windsor)
Original Air Date--12 May 1961
12. Season 3, Episode 27: Incident before Black Pass (Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Scott & Robert Armstrong)
Original Air Date--19 May 1961
13. Season 3, Episode 28: Incident of the Blackstorms
Original Air Date--26 May 1961
14. Season 3, Episode 29: Incident of the Night on the Town (Dan Hagerty & Grady Sutton)
Original Air Date--2 June 1961
15. Season 3, Episode 30: Incident of the Wager on Payday
Original Air Date--16 June 1961
BIOS:
1. Eric Fleming (aka: Edward Heddy)
Date of Birth:: 4 July 1925 - Santa Paula, California
Date of Death: 28 September 1966 - Tingo Maria area, Peru (drowned)
2. Clint Eastwood
Date of Birth: 31 May 1930 - San Francisco, California
Date of Death: Still Living
Great job by Paramount Pictures and their staff for releasing this long awaited edition with collectible Seasons with unforgettable episodes --- looking forward to more of the same from the rousing CBS Television vintage era --- order your copy now from Amazon their Western Classics -- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 779 mins on 4 DVD's ~ Paramount Pictures ~ (12/09/2008)

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Rawhide is the tale of tail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming) and rugged cowhand Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) driving cattle across the old west while meeting up with adventure and drama along the way.

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Deadwood: The Complete Third Season (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Deadwood" either is your cup of tea or isn't, and if it isn't, then you probably have no business even considering prchasing these DVDs; the third season in't gonna change your mind. If it IS your cup of tea, and you're just wondering whether or not the third season meets the high marks set by the first two seasons, allow me to answer: it does. In some cases, it even surpasses them.
The third season finds the camp in a general tizzy about the upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff, and Al Swearengen in a bit more specific tizzy about the impact the arrival of George Hearst has had on his life and livelihood. In a sense, the entire season is about the power play between these two titans, with Cy Tolliver trying to edge himself into the mix somewhere and Seth Bullock trying to figure out what his place is in the whole mess.
Amongst the other plot threads explored in this season: Jane's growing friendship with the increasingly troubled Joanie Stubbs; Alma's opening a Deadwood bank; the feud between Steve and Hostetler; the oddly touching relationship between Trixie and Sol; Elsworth's marriage to Alma, which may not prove to be the bed of roses he had hoped for; the appearance in town of the Earp brothers, and of a troupe of actors; and, of course, Seth Bullock's ever-present willingness to be grumpy with the wrong person, Farnum's weasly nature, and Merrick's desire to write about it all.
The plots don't matter much, though. The dialogue and the acting are what make this show great. "Deadwood," in its three seasons, had so many iconic moments that it makes most other shows look like film-school projects in comparison.
In addition to the regular cast standouts -- Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, W. Earl Brown, William Sanderson, Brad Dourif, Molly Parker, Powers Boothe, Robin Weigert, and so on, ALL of whom do Emmy-caliber work -- I think special mention needs to go to Gerald McRaney, who turned up right at the end of season two but becomes an integral character in the third. His portrayal of Hearst is just awesome. Not that he's better than anyone else on the show; he just immediately fits in with the tone of the show, so much so that it really feels as if his character had been there all along, lurking in the shadows somewhere.
Much has been written about the fact that HBO decided to cancel the series, and pretty unexpectedly; but don't fret too much about the show ending on a cliffhanger. Not all plot points are resolved, but there is at least a sort of closure; it's like the first two seasons, where it feels as if a chapter has ended, but the novel will continue. Well, it looks like the novel WON'T be continuing -- HBO has claimed that there will be two two-hour movies to wrap things up, but no filming dates seem to have been set, and it's been months since anyone had anything to say about that project -- but if the series has to end with the close of the third season, I won't feel as if I was cheated too terribly badly. I'd prefer it had run for ten or twelve years, but hey, we're lucky the doggone thing ever even got made.

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(Rolling Stone) "The Best Drama on Television" is back with the third season on DVD! Timed to coincide with Father's Day, HBO will release Deadwood: The Complete Third Season DVD on June 12, 2007. Watch as the lawless era of Deadwood comes to an end. This DVD is loaded with bonus features including two featurettes, audio commentaries and more.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryFeaturette

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Danger Beneath Sea (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pretty well everything about this movie is standard fare but it is done well enough to make watching it a pleasurable enough experience .All the ingredients you would expect in a submarine movie all are present and correct here.There is the new skipper ,still finding his feet in an operational situation (Casper Van diem);there is the first officer who feels he should have got the job ,a mutinous or potentially mutinous crew and an outside enemy -this time North Korea.The direction by Jon Cassar is tense and tight and the cast do fine in their relatively undemanding roles
This is a good way of spending 90 or so testosterone fuelled minutes and confirms my view that Van Diem is worthy of more prestigious projects and bigger budgets

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Love's Unending Legacy (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have watched all of the movies since the very first one, Love Comes Softly, and fell in love with the series so much so that I bought the books to read and couldn't wait for this movie. I was very disappointed with this particular installment. This was so far away from the book that I didn't recognize it when I watched it. Other than the observations already noted (Belinda as Missie's daughter not sister, etc.), it also seems to have lost her brothers and their adopted son, Jeff. If there was only about 4 years difference between this movie and the last one, then her brothers would not have been old enough to be out on their own, yet there was no mention that they even exist. However, I am glad that they are able to keep Dale Midkiff as Clark, but think they could find a better substitute for Katherine Heigl as Marty. To kill off Willie just to give Missy a new love interest was a travesty. I gave it two stars and hope if they make the last books, they follow the books as best they can (outside of resurrecting Willie via a dream sequence).

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In the latest Love series installment, two years have passed since the tragic death of Missie's husband Willie. Missie is forced to move back to her father's ranch in Tettsford Junction and ends up adopting a teenage orphan girl who tests her faith and strength. Missie is compelled to defend the girl's orphan brother who is being mistreated by his adoptive family all the while fighting her own feelings of love for the town sheriff.

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Mail Order Bride (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I rarely give "bad" reviews, but this is one situation where I agree with the other reviews that this movie isn't a very good one. I, too, have enjoyed most of the Hallmark movies. This one, however, is an exception. My husband and I got through almost a half hour of it before turning it off. The plot was strange, and I, too, found myself not caring about the characters. The language, including the Lord's name in vain was also a turn-off, as was the personality of the main characters. Fortunately I just rented this DVD and didn't waste the money to buy it. If you want to watch a good movie, check out "The Christmas Card" or "Clancy."

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The Wild West just got a little wilder…
Trouble hits con woman Diana McQueen (Daphne Zuniga) when she decides to call it quits with her menacing boss, Tom Rourke (Greg Evigan). But for Diana, the only way to escape his grasp is to move out West and take the place of her friend as a mail order bride. Wyoming rancher Beau Canfield (Cameron Bancroft) has no idea of the trouble that\'s heading his way.

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Bonanza - V.1 (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)The DVD arrive in very good shape. I am happy that they finally release the seasons.

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These are the Western adventure stories of the Cartwright family: Ben Cartwright, the father, played by Lorne Greene; Adam, the eldest son, played by Pernell Roberts; Hoss, the middle son, played by Dan Blocker; and Little Joe, the youngest son, played by Michael Landon.

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Gunsmoke - The Third Season, Vol. 1 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Gunsmoke - The Third Season, Volume 1 continues the release schedule for one of television's alltime greatest television series. Beloved and revered, this series will always be considered one of the alltime best. Yes, because of its' longevity, but also because of the great acting, directing, and writing displayed on the series.
But still, I cannot recommend these sets. There is no excuse, no justification the studio can make for splitting a 20-season series up and dividing each season into multiple sets. It's greed, shortsighted, fear of producing full season sets that won't sell - maybe one or more or all of these things. But the Western lover, loyal as we are to our favorite stars, our favorite movies and series, are being made to pay a price that is way too high to pay. To think how long it may be before the entire series is released is too painful. Suffice it to say that it will be WAY TOO LONG at the current rate.
At this point, it is probably too much to expect the studio to come to its senses. But it is worth it to say that they need to come to their senses, and soon.

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Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) is in charge of Dodge City, a town in the Wild West where people often have no respect for the law.

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Deadwood - The Complete First Two Seasons (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here in Oregon, we have a reputable Shakespeare company in Ashland, and my wife and I make annual pilgrimages to see the latest productions.
I mention this autobiographical trivia because I couldn't put my finger on why DEADWOOD seemed so familiar to me. It was not because I've seen westerns before, because DEADWOOD is profoundly different from any western that's ever been made.
And then I realized it: This is the equivalent of modern-day Shakespeare.
Lest the good reader think I am overreaching, let's review DEADWOOD's merits: Layered storylines, exemplary casting and acting, pathos and comedy, gritty realism... but most importantly, the language, my God, the LANGUAGE!
Much has been made of DEADWOOD's incredibly salty lingo, but I think discourses on the show's profanity unfairly overshadow the fact that the lines these characters deliver are pure gold. In Deadwood, conversations are masterful displays of timing and wit, and even lowly characters like Farnum get delicious speeches that plumb their souls, please our ears, and stir us if we are willing to listen. Just like the Bard wrote!

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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.

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The Bonanza Collection (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm 21 years old and have grown up watching old westerns such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Laramie, Big Valley and Wagon Train. Out of those five, Bonanza is my second favorite (Gunsmoke is my first). I have a lot of Bonanza DVD's and all of them have episodes the others have. As much as I like Bonanza, I will not buy anymore DVD's unless they are season sets or have different episodes. This set has the same exact episodes that all of the other Bonanza DVD's that have been released in the past have. I don't understand why they keep releasing the same episodes over and over again. All they are doing is changing the covers of the DVD cases.
Now if there is someone who doesn't have these episodes, let me tell you they are great episodes and you wont regret buying them. But if you are like me, who have these episodes on other sets, then don't waste your money.
I give Bonanza five stars and usually I give the DVD's that have been released five stars. This one I am giving three stars because of the fact that these episodes are already out there on numerous Bonanza sets.
They need to start with the seasons sets now and if for what ever reason they can't do season sets, I understand but at least release different episodes that people don't have.

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Bonanza is one of the most popular and longest running shows in television history! This outstanding 4-DVD collection features 20 of the very best episodes of television's most-beloved series. With its timeless mix of action and family drama, Bonanza defined the American TV Western! Disc 1 1. The Fear Merchants 2. The Spanish Grant 3. The Stranger 4. The Last Trophy 5. San Francisco Disc 2 6. Feet of Clay 7. Dark Star 8. Showdown 9. The Mission 10. The Mill Disc 3 11. The Hopefuls 12. Denver McKee 13. The Abduction 14. Breed of Violence 15. The Last Viking Disc 4 16. The Trail Gang 17. The Savage 18. Silent Thunder 19. The Courtship 20. The Spitfire

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Deadwood: The Complete Seasons 1-3 (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, "Deadwood" has the most constantly profane and racist language, and graphic sex and violence I have ever seen on mainstream film. So, those who are offended by material of this nature should not watch. But if you can get past that, "Deadwood" is brilliant.
Let me begin by giving an example of the writing. In the following scene, Al Swearengen, Deadwood's ruthless leader, deplores the fact that the self righteous Sheriff, Bullock, is too involved in his adulterous affair with Alma (who controls a rich gold mine) to focus on the political struggles the community is facing in its attempt to be annexed into the United States. Swearengen watches Bullock leave the hotel after being with Alma. One of Swearengen's men remarks that Bullock means no disrespect. Swearengen replies:
"Horror is, you are f**kin' right. He don't know if he's breathin' or takin' it through f**kin' gills. He is that f**king c**t-struck. They're afloat. In some fairy f**kin' bubble, lighter than air, him, her snatch, and his stupid f**kin' badge...Self-deceiving c**k-sucker I am, I thought, when America took us in, Bullock would prove a f**kin' resource. Look at him, stridin' out like some randy, maniac Bishop."
"Deadwood" is a true western because it is the story of the creation of a community on the frontier. The town of Deadwood was born when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, lands ceded to the Sioux by treaty. All kinds of non-Native Americans, Europeans, and Chinese invaded the area. This action was illegal under the laws of the United States and, of course, considered grounds for war by the Sioux. So, the people who founded Deadwood, of every class, were all true outlaws. And Deadwood had no law but custom and the knife and gun. In three seasons, "Deadwood" tells the story of how the town was founded and ultimately annexed to Dakota Territory.
Many of the characters portrayed are based on historical personages. Formost among them is Al Swearengen the "Bloody King of Deadwood," who operated the town's first saloon and bordello. Swearengen is played by Ian McShane. It is the role of McShane's career and he is astounding. As the episodes progress, Swearengen's charachter evolves to amazing complexity, far beyond the simple villain he at first appears. We come to root with guilty pleasure for Swearengen, the murderer and whoremonger, and to admire his cunning as he allies with Bullock and others who attempt to hold their own against even worse and more powerful and morally corrupt forces; Cy Tolliver, the despicable overlord of a competing gambling house, Wolcott, mining engineer, serial killer of prostitutes and agent of the ruthless, implacable mining magnate, George Hearst, and against corrupt and idiotic politicians from Yankton who would deprive Deadwood's founders of political rights of self determination.
The thing I enjoyed most about "Deadwood" is the fact that it is brilliantly and blatantly Shakespearian. Scenes of high drama are artfully alternated with comic vignettes. A number of characters actually engage in soliloquies with strange yet understandable sentence structure. It is surprising and pleasing to see how well such scenes work in a western. For example, Swearengen keeps the head of a dead Indian in a box. When he is beset by fools, his lackeys, Swearengen, like Hamlet to Yoric, confides his feelings, questions and stratagems to "The Chief." In one such scene, Swearengen complains to The Chief about one of his men. Swearengen says:
"Dead, and without a body, you still outstrip him for intelligence."
There are a few pure and good souls represented in this savage work. Calamity Jane, played by Robin Weigert is a true Shakespearian "wise fool." In one of my favorite scenes (it made me laugh and cry) Calamity visits the grave of the murdered Wild Bill Hickock, who she adored. It is her custom each night to tell Wild Bill the news of Deadwood. On this night, she is joined by Charlie Udder, Wild Bill's other closest friend. She allows Charlie to tell Wild Bill the news. But he breaks down. He asks Calamity:
"Can I...can I tell `im some more tomorra?"
Calamity replies with kindness:
"Sure. What the f**k you askin' me for? I don't make the rules."
The scene is at once melancholy, hilarious, and profound. And there are many such scenes in this brilliant masterpiece.
"Deadwood" is an innovation, in the American western, so profound that it will be studied by many over time. Whether it will ever be matched is an open question.




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(2007) Timothy Olyphant; Ian McShane

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The Real West - Cowboys & Outlaws (History Channel Ultimate Collections) (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love this series by the History Channel. The scenery photos are beautiful. The commentary taken from the diaries of cowboys and newspapers are accurate accounts. The History Channel created a small glimpse into the history of the old west into an hour long show. They could not tell all in only hour long glimpses into history. If you want to gain an insight into the old west this is a great way to begin your journey. If you want to become an historian on the old west then you can read many books on the subject. But as a fan of the old west I love watching this series and hope to find more of this series available on DVD.

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Join host Kenny Rogers as THE HISTORY CHANNEL brings to life the most legendary cowboys and notorious outlaws of America s western frontier. Then get ready to draw, draw the line, that is, between the facts and fictions about the most fabled men from this bygone era.Learn the real story behind former rebel soldier turned outlaw Jesse James and his James gang, anti-heroes Billy the Kid and Doc Holiday, as well as lead-slinging lawmen like Stephen F. Austin and his illustrious Texas Rangers. Then meet the real men behind the show business legends of Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody through authentic diary entries, period accounts, rare photos, and expert commentary. And, of course, you ll get up close and personal with two of the most dreaded names in Western lore, Smith and Wesson.This collection of eight films from the critically acclaimed and fan-revered THE REAL WEST series from THE HISTORY CHANNEL includes:DISC 1: Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill HickokDISC 2: Legendary Cowboys and Law From Behind The Tin StarDISC 3: The James Gang and The Texas RangersDISC 4: Outlaws: The Ten Most Wanted and The Guns That Tamed The WestDVD Features: Laws of the Old West; Glossary of Old West slang; Extensive photo gallery of guns of the Old West; Wanted poster photo gallery; Text biographies of Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock, Jesse James, and the Texas Rangers

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Click here for more information about The Real West - Cowboys & Outlaws (History Channel Ultimate Collections) (2008)