Keith-Carradine Movie Reviews


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VHS movie reviews for "Keith-Carradine" sorted by average review score:

Eye on the Sparrow
Released in VHS Tape by Republic Studios (01 July, 1998)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: John Korty
Average review score:

thru the eyes of the blind they see their own prejudice
This TVM is based on the (presumably true) lives of Ethel and James Lee, a blind couple who were the first to legally adopt children in America. What distinguishes the teleplay by Barbara Turner is her presentation of the couple played by Mare Winningham and Keith Carradine as individuals, in spite of being blind. Often writers are tempted to make martyrs of those living with handicaps, in the "testament to the human spirit" nauseating genre, but Turner avoids that sanctimoniousness. These people are extraordinary and not just for being blind. Since the narrative begins with Ethel Lee as a child, Turner's focus is more on Winningham, than Carradine, and Winningham gives her Ethel a subtle eccentricity. Winningham soars over her "I'm playing a blind person" business, something which Carradine with his more passive persona is less a success at, since it's hard to catch him "acting" in other roles anyway. Turner occasionally slips in some semantic goofs like "Let's see" and "I'm looking forward to" but perhaps one's antennae is as attuned to these as much as one waits for either of the couple to fall over something. The idea that the child Ethel should be taken from her po' white trash home to a school for the blind also seems unnecessary since her blind child is so remarkeably accomplished and domesticated. She makes Patty Duke's Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker look positively insane. I was actually glad when Winningham took over from the child playing Ethel since the little girl gets to sing the title song in an uninspired "heroic" moment. Ethel's temporary adult sightedness is left unexplained, particularly when the period is definitely pre-laser surgery, though it's probably just as well her blindness returned since the glasses she wore for sight are so unattractive. Director John Korty scores an unintentional laugh when she wears those ugly frames under her wedding veil. Korty's montage of Ethel performing practical household chores for the education of social workers who are assessing her suitability for adoption, to an idiot soundtrack so that we get that Ethel is being patronised, negates a sighted person's natural curiousity about how a blind person manages, and is later paralled with a demonstration of chores that only the Lee's sighted friends seem able to do - the hanging of curtains and paintings on the wall. When we see Ethel speaking into a tape recorder it is only later that we realise that this is the way she "writes a letter". When the Lee's are finally allowed to be adoptive parents they are used by agencies for short term placements, as a judgement of prejudice, as well as providing a definition of the unwanted children as "garbage", though these short term placements help to convince the authorities of the Lee's capability. Since Ethel came from a family of 11 children, she has the common sense to deal with someone "difficult" and Winningham has a scene where her spanking a child turns to an embrace, revealing her maternal instinct. The kinds of children that the Lees accept reminded me of Mia Farrow, though they were made legal parents in 1969, I think before Farrow began to collect her brood. Mention is made of Conchata Ferrell as a social worker who becomes their greatest defender against the adoptive beaurocracy. And Turner ends the treatment on a clever note.


Hostage Hotel
Released in VHS Tape by Artisan Entertainment (19 December, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Hal Needham
Average review score:

Man...
There is nothing better than seeing Burt Reynolds as an action star. This is the straight-to-video/straight-to-television film that premiered on and was made by TNT (Turner Network Television). The story is about a candidate for congress whose speech at a congressional convention is ruined because a Vietnam vet has set-off grenades inside the ritzy hotel in which it is all taking place. The villain kidnaps the congressman's wife and daughter, and holds them hostage inside, while Burt Reynolds' long time partner tries to save them, but ends up a hostage himself. Now it is up to Logan McQueen (Reynolds) to come to the rescue and save everybody inside, including his partner (now it's personal). The story is okay, the acting is good, but it all ends up being the funniest movie of all time because not only does Jefferson from "Married With Children" make an appearence, but we get to sit for 90 minutes and watch Burt Reynolds make the funniest faces ever! This is a cool film and could rank as one of the most horriblist, most funniest, and most greatest films of all time!


Dead Man's Walk
Released in VHS Tape by Hallmark Home Entertainment (05 August, 1998)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Yves Simoneau
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Keith Carradine, and Patricia Childress
Average review score:

One of the dullest, most inane movies that I ever watched
To be fair, I also disliked the much praised Terms of Endearment, so maybe McMurtry fans will love this. For myself, if there are ever prizes for the worst beginning and end of a movie, this is a contender for both. The first beginning is an elderly Native American woman warning her son to beware of a truly odd pair of women. Then it switches to a fascinating discussion among the cowboys: "Woody, did you ever see a whore (pronounced hur) with a snapping turtle?" "Why no, Gus, I never did see a hur with a snapping turtle. How about you Clem, did you ever see a hur with a snapping turtle?" "Why gracious sakes alive, no, I never did see a hur with a snapping turtle." I'm sure it didn't really last for twenty minutes, but it was a long time until she finally threw it at someone. "How about you Slim, did you ever see a hur with a snapping turtle?" "Oh no, I seen an investment banker with a snapping turtle, but never no hur." Maybe the idea is to convince us that, say what you will about television, it beats flying snapping turtles. "How about you, Russ ..." Most of the movie consists of watching the characters drop like flies from various causes, mostly being shot. This is less exciting than one might think: the very few characters I liked died, and I was utterly indifferent to the fate of the rest. Finally, our surviving heroes are held captive by the Mexicans and then sent on their way with two women and a boy. They are nearly attacked by the aforementioned Native American warrior. However, his mother did warn him that if he saw a white woman with leprosy riding naked on a horse followed by a black woman, also riding, brandishing a sword, he should high-tail it out of there. The most bizarre thing is that the women assume these postures as if this were the well-known, sure-fire method of scaring off attacking Indians. The viewer should take the hint and vamoose as well.

Really great movie.
Its about Gus and Call, when they're not yet 20. It has a different ending than the book, but, I thin its a good ending, if a little strange. The way Call was portrayed in Dead Man's Walk was a little akward, but it was a good way to portray him. He wasn't that social, but willing to learn, and he was probably akward to. It makes sense. A lot of people think he wasn't ever akward and he was always competent. Thats not true. The music isn't as good as Lonesome Dove's music, but still, this is a movie worth while.

A very very enjoyable movie based on Larry McMurtry's novel.
Dead Man's Walk is based on Larry McMurtry's book by the same name. The main characters, Woodrow Call and Gus McRae (from his best known in this series - Lonesome Dove) are shown as young men - probably in their late teens or very early twenties. This one is a little bloody at times. David Arquette (fiancee of Courtney Cox and they guy on those goofy 10-10-321 commercials) is Gus McRae. Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Hackers, Afterglow) is Woodrow Call. Jonny Lee is the standout in this video. His interpretation of Woodrow Call is right on the money - he says so much with just an expression and since Woodrow doesn't say much - that's pretty important. We really enjoyed it but again, younger kids might want to skip this one.


Hunter's Moon
Released in VHS Tape by Monarch Home Video (23 July, 2002)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Richard Weinman
Average review score:

Mostly Good Cast
It would have been better without Carradine (What is with that stupid smirk on his face?). Haley Du Mond is beautiful and talented. It must have been a chalenge for her to act as though she loved Carradine's character. Reynolds was good but the flowing long hair in the 1920's? The diologue was also inconsistant with the time period, as were many other details. The sound quality was [poor]. It is too bad because with a little effort this could have been pretty good.

pretty good, actually.
I have always been a big fan of Burt Reynolds. Even though I haven't enjoyed all of this movies, i think that he isa highly underrated actor. It does me good to see him in a great role. Hunter's Moon is one of those films that you see sitting on the new release shelf at your video store and you wonderto yourself why you've never heard of it. It could mean one of two things. It is absolute straight to videocrap or could be an overlooked gem that is actually worth your time. this is one of the latter. I was very suprised at how enjoyable it was. There is a great sense of atmosphere through the effective use of musci and Reynolds does some of his best work in years. I'm sure that he signed on (to steal a line from Smokey and the Bandit) "mostly for the money" but here he gets to have fun playing a complete mad man. The( )main( )plot( )is fairly straight forward but the side plots do add texture. All in all, it's a lot of fun and it's worth a couple hours of your time.

Entertaining all the way
Richard Weinman does a lot with a little budget in this vehicle for Burt Reynolds with some of his most colorful work in years. When have you seen Reynolds cry? -- after committing murder. He is sardonic, evil and sympathetic. The ensemble work is superb with Keith Carradine solid, and Pat Hingle wonderfully venal. Newcomer, Hayley DuMond, carries her weight and often the weight of the movie itself. She is the center of the emotional storm, complex and driven. Weinman's choice of authentic folk music is worth the visit alone. I had a good time.


Mary of Scotland
Released in VHS Tape by Turner Home Entertai (10 April, 1991)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: John Ford
Starring: Katharine Hepburn and Fredric March
Average review score:

STORYBOOK HISTORICAL SAGA.
Mary was/is many a school-girl's heroine and her story is well-known. Mary, onetime consort of the young French king, who had died prematurely, comes to Auld Caledonia, where she is the rightful monarch. To the south, her cousin Elizabeth, Queen of England, fears the threat the Scottish queen represents, as she is next in line for the English throne. Mary, a Catholic, runs up against the Protestant leaders and the power-hungry, recalcitrant lords. To insure the succession to the throne and enhance her position, Mary married the weakling Lord Darnley whom she does not love.....Helen Hayes had played Mary to great acclaim on Broadway; while this picture will never go down in the books as one of the all-time greats, it did, however, display Hepburn's arresting and distictive personality in a role that called upon all her acting resources - and she revealed herself as an actress of greater range than was previously believed. Ford gave the film careful directorial handling, and it was handsomely mounted in all departments. March garnered excellent reviews as the bold and dashing Bothwell. Both Bette Davis and Ginger Rogers (!) fought for the role of Elizabeth I which was ultimately given to Florence Eldridge (Mrs. March) who did a commendable if not brilliant job playing Good Queen Bess.

In Some Ways, Better than Vanessa's Movie
I have known about the existence of this movie for years, having seen a brief clip on a Katharine Hepburn documentary. The narration in that documentary included it among Hepburn's many failures during the 30s, leading to her being labelled "Box Office Poison". I was prompted to rent it as part of my immersion in things Scottish in preparation for a trip to that country.

I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by this movie; in no way would I consider it as much of a dog as that documentary would have it. Hepburn is young and fresh--I liked her Mary much better than Vanessa Redgrave's in "Mary Queen of Scots" thirty-some-odd years later. This Mary is a match for those attempting to dominate her, whereas Vanessa's was always something of a weak sister. Like one of the other reviewers, I also found John Carradine's ill-fated Riccio to be a good characterization--what a woebegone love song he sings to the young queen.

Dislikes? Weird staging is a little too stark for my tastes. This is clearly the same John Ford who made "The Informer" a year earlier. How did he break through and develop his other style, I'd like to know. Another discordant note for me was Frederic March; I particularly was puzzled by a scene when he's warming himself by a hearthside, but appears to have lifted up his kilt to relieve himself into the fireplace. I can't imagine that's really what was happening, but look for yourself.

So, feel free to fling yourself into an easychair to see how Kate serves up Mary.

Katharine Heburn as Mary, Mary, quite contrary
One of my favorite stories about the absurd way that Hollywood thinks is that in the 1936 film "Mary of Scotland" starring Katharine Hepburn as Mary Stuart, her leading man Fredric March plays the Earl of Bothwell, whose real family name was Hepburn. But since Katharine Hepburn was a direct descendant, it would have been wrong to use the name in the film and suggest the actress was having a love affair with an ancestor. You just cannot make reasoning like this up in your spare time.

Directed by John Ford, this costume drama begins in 1561 when Mary Staurt returned to Scotland from France as the Queen of the Scots. Elizabeth Tudor (Florence Eldridge), Queen of England, feared the threat that the Catholic Stuarts presented to the English throne. Consequently, "Mary of Scotland" is a story of political brinkmanship during the Elizabethan period. Mary tries to strengthen her position by marrying the weak Darnley (Douglas Walton), and putting Bothwell in the position of being her protector. She gives birth to a son James (later King James VI of Scotland and King James I of Great Britain), but Darnley betrays her to the Scottish chiefs in an effort to rule the kingdom and is killed. Mary's marriage to Bothwell inflames the Scots even more. Bothwell leaves the country and Mary is imprisoned by the Scottish lords. Smuggled out of prision, Mary flees to England and seeks sanctuary from Elizabeth.

"Mary of Scotland" is based on Maxwell Anderson's play, which had Helen Hayes in the title role on Broadway, although the original blank verse is eliminated by Dudley Nichols's script. The chief attraction of this bio pic is the final confrontation between Mary her cousin Elizabeth. Anderson is one of several dramatists who could not accept the historical fact that the two queens never met, simply because the idea of that confrontation is too good to give up. Under Ford's direction the film is much more about spectacle than history, and there is a nice scene when Bothwell brings in a horde of bagpipes to drown out the religious rants of John Knox (Moroni Olson). Many scenes are shot at night, to provide a somber tone to the story of Mary's descent and death.

Hepburn has some trouble with the Scottish accent, as she would throughout her career whenever she tried to do something that covered up her distinctive speaking voice. However, it is the very idea of being a hapless queen that runs against the very persona of Hepburn as an independent woman. If you contrast the performance and the character from this film with her celebrated Oscar winning role as Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter," you can easily see the differences on both scores. This is the most lavish of the costume dramas Hepburn did for RKO, as well as the most historical, despite the noted attempts at dramatic license. The result is okay, but not great, which is what you would expect from a film that brought Ford, Hepburn, and March together.


Wild Bill
Released in VHS Tape by Mgm/Ua Studios (10 April, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, Keith Carradine, David Arquette, Christina Applegate, and Bruce Dern
Audiences overlooked this film, one of the better westerns in several years, featuring yet another terrific performance by Jeff Bridges, America's most underrated movie actor. As James Butler Hickock, he captures the sense of a man at the end of his career, one of the first media superstars who discovers that his legend is more burden than blessing. As he heads toward his final hand of poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, he flashes back to his younger days and the events that built his reputation, even as he copes with encroaching blindness caused by syphilis. Walter Hill blends action and elegy, utilizing a screenplay based both on Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood and on Thomas Babe's play Fathers and Sons. Wild Bill features strong supporting performances by John Hurt (as a Hickock sidekick) and Ellen Barkin (as the tough, lusty Calamity Jane)--but the centerpiece is the sad, manly performance by Bridges, who more than measures up to the part. --Marshall Fine
Average review score:

Great performance wasted
I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Accurate? Don't know, but Bridges is great.
Unlike the other reviewers, I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of this film. What I can say, however, is that I thoroughly enjoyed Bridges' portrayal of the rough and tumble Wild Bill. I lost the sense that I was watching an actor at work behind the moustache, twin pistols and gruff mannerisms that Bridges brings to the character. I found the central conflict of a very tough and manly man coming to terms with his own legacy poignant and interesting. I recommend giving it a look-see, and I plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD.

Once again, Hollywood forgoes the truth and films the legend
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot dead from behind in a Deadwood, South Dakota saloon holding what is now known as the "Deadman's Hand" of aces and eights. This 1995 film from director Walter Hill ("The Long Riders") is not so much about the infamous death or even the storied life of "Wild Bill" (Jeff Bridges) but more the man's death wish. The film is an exploration of the legend and not the recreation of history; Jack McCall (David Arquette, in a very controlled performance of his usual edgy little creep), the dirty low-down snake who plugged Wild Bill from behind, does so in this film version because the famous gun-fighter lawman broke the hat of Jack's mother (Diane Lane). In "fact" Jack told the miner's jury in Deadwood that found him not guilty that his brother had been gunned down by Hickok who had promised to shoot McCall if he saw him. It was only after McCall kept bragging about killing Hickok once too often that Federal lawmen arrested him; before he was hung McCall claimed he had been hired by others to do the deed.

The screenplay by Hill is based on the book "Deadwood" by Pete Dexter and the play "Fathers and Sons" by Thomas Babe. In the film's climax McCall and a gang of thugs have gotten the drop on Wild Bill. Inexplicably, the thugs wait for McCall to decide whether or not he has the guts to shot Hickock. At one point Wild Bill offers to shoot himself, just to stop the stupid arguments. Charlie Prince (John Hurt), Wild Bill's educated English friend (and the narrator of the film) says: "Let him do it. He's been trying to kill himself his entire life." This line sounds like it unlocks the entire meaning of the film, but that is only if you take it at face value. "Wild Bill" shows a man playing by the rules of the game, and if he is incapable of loving any woman beyond the moment he is with her, even Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), it is not like the West is the land of romance.

The collision of Hickok and McCall is the backbone of the film, which reduces the other events in Wild Bill's life to two sets of flashbacks. In color we get the gunfights on which the Hickok legend was born, such as shooting wheelchair bound Will Plummer (Bruce Dern) while tied to a saloon chair, as well as the failed attempt to perform on stage in New York City with Buffalo Bill Cody (Keith Carradine). But there are also high contrast black & white sequences that are supposed to indicate significant moments in his life of a spiritual or personal nature. These might make him aware of his mortality and his character flaws, but these do not translate into a death wish.

Wild Bill Hickok sat down in a chair with his back to the front door of the saloon because it was the only open spot in the poker game (the gambler in the seat he wanted refused to give it up). That ironic element in the most famous death in the history of the Old West is jettisoned in this film, replaced instead with the rather paradoxical idea that his downfall was due to an uncharacteristic act of sentimentality on his part. In the end, "Wild Bill" comes down to a series of dazzingly brutal gunfights through which Bridges snarls his way. These are scenes that emphasize the choreography of the violence for effect rather than spraying a lot of blood all over the place. In the end, all you have to do is count the number of bullets that come out of his six-shooters to remind yourself this film is Hollywood invention. The final irony is that "Wild Bill" is undone by the very death scene that made Hickok immortal.


Wild Bill
Released in VHS Tape by Mgm/Ua Studios (10 April, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, Keith Carradine, David Arquette, Christina Applegate, and Bruce Dern
Audiences overlooked this film, one of the better westerns in several years, featuring yet another terrific performance by Jeff Bridges, America's most underrated movie actor. As James Butler Hickock, he captures the sense of a man at the end of his career, one of the first media superstars who discovers that his legend is more burden than blessing. As he heads toward his final hand of poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, he flashes back to his younger days and the events that built his reputation, even as he copes with encroaching blindness caused by syphilis. Walter Hill blends action and elegy, utilizing a screenplay based both on Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood and on Thomas Babe's play Fathers and Sons. Wild Bill features strong supporting performances by John Hurt (as a Hickock sidekick) and Ellen Barkin (as the tough, lusty Calamity Jane)--but the centerpiece is the sad, manly performance by Bridges, who more than measures up to the part. --Marshall Fine
Average review score:

Great performance wasted
I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Accurate? Don't know, but Bridges is great.
Unlike the other reviewers, I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of this film. What I can say, however, is that I thoroughly enjoyed Bridges' portrayal of the rough and tumble Wild Bill. I lost the sense that I was watching an actor at work behind the moustache, twin pistols and gruff mannerisms that Bridges brings to the character. I found the central conflict of a very tough and manly man coming to terms with his own legacy poignant and interesting. I recommend giving it a look-see, and I plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD.

Once again, Hollywood forgoes the truth and films the legend
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot dead from behind in a Deadwood, South Dakota saloon holding what is now known as the "Deadman's Hand" of aces and eights. This 1995 film from director Walter Hill ("The Long Riders") is not so much about the infamous death or even the storied life of "Wild Bill" (Jeff Bridges) but more the man's death wish. The film is an exploration of the legend and not the recreation of history; Jack McCall (David Arquette, in a very controlled performance of his usual edgy little creep), the dirty low-down snake who plugged Wild Bill from behind, does so in this film version because the famous gun-fighter lawman broke the hat of Jack's mother (Diane Lane). In "fact" Jack told the miner's jury in Deadwood that found him not guilty that his brother had been gunned down by Hickok who had promised to shoot McCall if he saw him. It was only after McCall kept bragging about killing Hickok once too often that Federal lawmen arrested him; before he was hung McCall claimed he had been hired by others to do the deed.

The screenplay by Hill is based on the book "Deadwood" by Pete Dexter and the play "Fathers and Sons" by Thomas Babe. In the film's climax McCall and a gang of thugs have gotten the drop on Wild Bill. Inexplicably, the thugs wait for McCall to decide whether or not he has the guts to shot Hickock. At one point Wild Bill offers to shoot himself, just to stop the stupid arguments. Charlie Prince (John Hurt), Wild Bill's educated English friend (and the narrator of the film) says: "Let him do it. He's been trying to kill himself his entire life." This line sounds like it unlocks the entire meaning of the film, but that is only if you take it at face value. "Wild Bill" shows a man playing by the rules of the game, and if he is incapable of loving any woman beyond the moment he is with her, even Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), it is not like the West is the land of romance.

The collision of Hickok and McCall is the backbone of the film, which reduces the other events in Wild Bill's life to two sets of flashbacks. In color we get the gunfights on which the Hickok legend was born, such as shooting wheelchair bound Will Plummer (Bruce Dern) while tied to a saloon chair, as well as the failed attempt to perform on stage in New York City with Buffalo Bill Cody (Keith Carradine). But there are also high contrast black & white sequences that are supposed to indicate significant moments in his life of a spiritual or personal nature. These might make him aware of his mortality and his character flaws, but these do not translate into a death wish.

Wild Bill Hickok sat down in a chair with his back to the front door of the saloon because it was the only open spot in the poker game (the gambler in the seat he wanted refused to give it up). That ironic element in the most famous death in the history of the Old West is jettisoned in this film, replaced instead with the rather paradoxical idea that his downfall was due to an uncharacteristic act of sentimentality on his part. In the end, "Wild Bill" comes down to a series of dazzingly brutal gunfights through which Bridges snarls his way. These are scenes that emphasize the choreography of the violence for effect rather than spraying a lot of blood all over the place. In the end, all you have to do is count the number of bullets that come out of his six-shooters to remind yourself this film is Hollywood invention. The final irony is that "Wild Bill" is undone by the very death scene that made Hickok immortal.


Wild Bill (Widescreen Edition)
Released in VHS Tape by Mgm/Ua Studios (10 April, 2001)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, Keith Carradine, David Arquette, Christina Applegate, and Bruce Dern
Audiences overlooked this film, one of the better westerns in several years, featuring yet another terrific performance by Jeff Bridges, America's most underrated movie actor. As James Butler Hickock, he captures the sense of a man at the end of his career, one of the first media superstars who discovers that his legend is more burden than blessing. As he heads toward his final hand of poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, he flashes back to his younger days and the events that built his reputation, even as he copes with encroaching blindness caused by syphilis. Walter Hill blends action and elegy, utilizing a screenplay based both on Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood and on Thomas Babe's play Fathers and Sons. Wild Bill features strong supporting performances by John Hurt (as a Hickock sidekick) and Ellen Barkin (as the tough, lusty Calamity Jane)--but the centerpiece is the sad, manly performance by Bridges, who more than measures up to the part. --Marshall Fine
Average review score:

Great performance wasted
I bought this film hoping for a biography of Wild Bill Hickock. The first ten minutes, which presents a short series of vignettes of his experiences, plus a few flashbacks throughout the story, was as close as I came to my wish. This muddled piece of filmmaking supposedly focuses on the last few days of Hickock's life before his shooting by Jack McCall. The only reason I gave this movie two stars is the performance by Jeff Bridges, simply the best portrayal of Hickock to date, only to be wasted. Had they used Bridges to give a life story of the best shootist of the West, they could have patted themselves on the back for a great achievement in Westerns. If you like 'quirky' or 'camp' films, by all means this is for you. But for historical enlightenment--skip it. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is the portrayal of Calamity Jane as more of a soiled dove than a Doris Day. The real Jane was a 'camp follower' and sometimes hooker. My best recomendation--if you must see it, rent it for the sake of seeing Jeff Bridges in one of his better performances.

Accurate? Don't know, but Bridges is great.
Unlike the other reviewers, I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of this film. What I can say, however, is that I thoroughly enjoyed Bridges' portrayal of the rough and tumble Wild Bill. I lost the sense that I was watching an actor at work behind the moustache, twin pistols and gruff mannerisms that Bridges brings to the character. I found the central conflict of a very tough and manly man coming to terms with his own legacy poignant and interesting. I recommend giving it a look-see, and I plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD.

Once again, Hollywood forgoes the truth and films the legend
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot dead from behind in a Deadwood, South Dakota saloon holding what is now known as the "Deadman's Hand" of aces and eights. This 1995 film from director Walter Hill ("The Long Riders") is not so much about the infamous death or even the storied life of "Wild Bill" (Jeff Bridges) but more the man's death wish. The film is an exploration of the legend and not the recreation of history; Jack McCall (David Arquette, in a very controlled performance of his usual edgy little creep), the dirty low-down snake who plugged Wild Bill from behind, does so in this film version because the famous gun-fighter lawman broke the hat of Jack's mother (Diane Lane). In "fact" Jack told the miner's jury in Deadwood that found him not guilty that his brother had been gunned down by Hickok who had promised to shoot McCall if he saw him. It was only after McCall kept bragging about killing Hickok once too often that Federal lawmen arrested him; before he was hung McCall claimed he had been hired by others to do the deed.

The screenplay by Hill is based on the book "Deadwood" by Pete Dexter and the play "Fathers and Sons" by Thomas Babe. In the film's climax McCall and a gang of thugs have gotten the drop on Wild Bill. Inexplicably, the thugs wait for McCall to decide whether or not he has the guts to shot Hickock. At one point Wild Bill offers to shoot himself, just to stop the stupid arguments. Charlie Prince (John Hurt), Wild Bill's educated English friend (and the narrator of the film) says: "Let him do it. He's been trying to kill himself his entire life." This line sounds like it unlocks the entire meaning of the film, but that is only if you take it at face value. "Wild Bill" shows a man playing by the rules of the game, and if he is incapable of loving any woman beyond the moment he is with her, even Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), it is not like the West is the land of romance.

The collision of Hickok and McCall is the backbone of the film, which reduces the other events in Wild Bill's life to two sets of flashbacks. In color we get the gunfights on which the Hickok legend was born, such as shooting wheelchair bound Will Plummer (Bruce Dern) while tied to a saloon chair, as well as the failed attempt to perform on stage in New York City with Buffalo Bill Cody (Keith Carradine). But there are also high contrast black & white sequences that are supposed to indicate significant moments in his life of a spiritual or personal nature. These might make him aware of his mortality and his character flaws, but these do not translate into a death wish.

Wild Bill Hickok sat down in a chair with his back to the front door of the saloon because it was the only open spot in the poker game (the gambler in the seat he wanted refused to give it up). That ironic element in the most famous death in the history of the Old West is jettisoned in this film, replaced instead with the rather paradoxical idea that his downfall was due to an uncharacteristic act of sentimentality on his part. In the end, "Wild Bill" comes down to a series of dazzingly brutal gunfights through which Bridges snarls his way. These are scenes that emphasize the choreography of the violence for effect rather than spraying a lot of blood all over the place. In the end, all you have to do is count the number of bullets that come out of his six-shooters to remind yourself this film is Hollywood invention. The final irony is that "Wild Bill" is undone by the very death scene that made Hickok immortal.


Keeping the Promise
Released in VHS Tape by Questar Inc. (10 November, 1997)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Sheldon Larry
Keith Carradine and Annette O'Toole star in this historical family drama adapted from the Newbery Honor novel, The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. It's 1768, and a colonial family is seeking a new life in the wilderness of Maine. The father must reluctantly leave 13-year-old Matt alone in the wilderness to hold the land claim until he can return with the rest of the family. When the family is detained for months by a deadly epidemic, Matt's chances of survival become slimmer and slimmer. He is saved by the Penobscot Indians, who teach him survival skills and lessons of trust and friendship. An excellent cast, fine script, and gripping story make this an ideal film for the whole family. It can also spark discussions about the values of loyalty, life in colonial times, and the Indians' forced evacuation of their lands. Alternate video title: The Sign of the Beaver. --Elisabeth Keating
Average review score:

Failure to deliver product
You cashed my check 2 months ago and you still have not sent the video. What is your problem?

Probably the second best way to spend a rainy afternoon
I bought this by mistake, but instead of changing it for the correct title, i watched it and thoroghly enjoyed it.
A great family drama and despite no tipping the velvet scenes this is one i would recommended to everyone, despite a slightly misleading title.

Surviving In The Wilderness
This is a moving story, well produced and enhanced with DVD capabilities. "The DVD feedback option is wonderful for promoting discussion." "The ease of going from scene to scene was a great benefit." Good historical information and author's biography. The kids liked the adventure story. DVD features easy to operate for most. "I liked the way we could go back to different sections, like when they were shooting arrows." "It showed a lot about hunting and building a cabin." "Matt got along with the Indians." Best for ages 8 to 12.


Sign of the Beaver
Released in VHS Tape by Questar, Inc (23 July, 1997)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Sheldon Larry
Keith Carradine and Annette O'Toole star in this historical family drama adapted from the Newbery Honor novel, The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. It's 1768, and a colonial family is seeking a new life in the wilderness of Maine. The father must reluctantly leave 13-year-old Matt alone in the wilderness to hold the land claim until he can return with the rest of the family. When the family is detained for months by a deadly epidemic, Matt's chances of survival become slimmer and slimmer. He is saved by the Penobscot Indians, who teach him survival skills and lessons of trust and friendship. An excellent cast, fine script, and gripping story make this an ideal film for the whole family. It can also spark discussions about the values of loyalty, life in colonial times, and the Indians' forced evacuation of their lands. Alternate video title: The Sign of the Beaver. --Elisabeth Keating
Average review score:

Failure to deliver product
You cashed my check 2 months ago and you still have not sent the video. What is your problem?

Probably the second best way to spend a rainy afternoon
I bought this by mistake, but instead of changing it for the correct title, i watched it and thoroghly enjoyed it.
A great family drama and despite no tipping the velvet scenes this is one i would recommended to everyone, despite a slightly misleading title.

Surviving In The Wilderness
This is a moving story, well produced and enhanced with DVD capabilities. "The DVD feedback option is wonderful for promoting discussion." "The ease of going from scene to scene was a great benefit." Good historical information and author's biography. The kids liked the adventure story. DVD features easy to operate for most. "I liked the way we could go back to different sections, like when they were shooting arrows." "It showed a lot about hunting and building a cabin." "Matt got along with the Indians." Best for ages 8 to 12.


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