June 4th, 2010 -- Written by Rodney
Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today, we review Tombstone
Genre: Western
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Staring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Dana Delany
Released: December 25, 1993
THE GENERAL IDEA
Former lawman Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and friend Doc Holliday settle in the town of Tombstone in order to lead a profitable and peaceful life but soon come into conflict with the Cowboys, a band of outlaws led by the Clanton brothers. This retelling of the Earp/Clanton feud also follows up the gunfight at the O.K. Corral with a look at the bloody consequences of the showdown.
THE GOOD
Taken right from the historical records of the story of Wyatt Earp and the Showdown at the OK Coral, this is a great Western tale. The strong bond of brotherhood is perfectly played out between Russell, Kilmer and Elliot. And Val Kilmer is as charming and socially seductive as the legendary Doc Holliday was told to be. Some of the most amusing parts of this movie are scenes with Kilmer in them.
The setting is gritty and realistic. The sweat is real. Everything about this makes you feel like you are in the wild west. No candy coating here. The director was quoted as saying the “mustaches and lightning were all real” and even had them wearing cotton clothes as was appropriate to the time. Dialogue quoted in newspapers of that time was even used. Even a decendant of the real Wyatt Earp was in the cast. Very authentic.
The story paces out well, and you feel their pain in this unwanted struggle. The action is great, and the passions are very real.
And then there is Dana Delany who is utterly beautiful and a clear distraction to Wyatt Earp as well as the viewers.
THE BAD
I can’t think of a part of this movie I don’t like. In my memory, Tim Curry was Curly - leader of the Cowboy gang but it was Powers Boothe who also played a cowboy in Deadwood.
OVERALL
A great and mostly historical adaptation with some other fun thrown in. A great story of a man who just wanted to settle down and conflict got in his way.
Love this movie.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
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This movie rocks. The 1000 yard stare of Kurt Russell is scary. Way better than Costners Wyatt Earp!
I’m your Huckelberry….
One of my favorite Val Kilmer performaces of all. I complain about my dad liking western movies so much but this is one of the few that even I will watch.
This is the best western in the past 30 years. Nothing compares.
Whoa no way! Have you seen the Proposition with Guy Pearce and Ray Winestone? Movie is fucking brilliant! Nick Cave scripted it too. The man has a way with words in songs and if you’re a fan, you can imagine in film narrative. He also gave John Hurt one of the best cameos in western history! Also Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man with Johnny Depp is an excellent western.
also don’t forget the remake of Yuma 3:10. THat was pretty damn good western movie too!
I’m with you on that too! 3:10 was excellent.
the remake of 3:10 to Yuma was crap compared to the original.
Rodney, have you ever thought about renaming this particular feature to something a little more accurate like flashback friday or something? I mean honestly, you rarely post a movie that is forgotten by most of the viewing public. And yes I did notice the bold “maybe not forgotten”, but still.
And I am to trust the judgement of someone who says the 3:10 to Yuma remake was crap?
compared to the original, yeah. If I had not seen the original, I would have really liked 3:10 to Yuma, but the way they changed the ending to be more feel good just got my goat.
Love the gunslinging scene in the bar. What a great movie.
“Directed by: George P. Cosmatos”
Since the director passed (in 2005) a lot of interesting things have come out the film, and as good as the film is, I was surprised to find out it had production problems and was close to having the plug pulled. Kevin Jarre, the film’s writer, was fired after a short time because his epic vision was too long and it wasn’t working. Another writer came in to trim the script, but not add to it.
Kurt Russell took over as director, with Cosmatos being a “ghost director” because Russell didn’t want credit.
This news simply added the mystique to the film.
Note: folks, I highly endorse the SE Vista series DVD of Tombstone, the two-discer with the map.
“say when” one of the best scenes in this movie, when Doc kills Ringo like nothing!..
Tombstone is quite possibly the most epic movie ever made.
im pretty sure tombstone wasn’t all that historically accurate… but still, a great film it is. val kilmer was incredible in this, how he dint win an oscar i dont know…
I am sure some stuff is elaborated, but it is historically accurate. Even people who study the history and lore of the western frontier hold this movie as a depiction as close as you are going to get.
this movie is so epic, so amazingly acted, very well written. it is easily one of the best westerns ever. sam elliot in this movie is so cool, he was fearless. the lines in this movie is of course, very quotable. my favorite is actually one that i use alot..” my hypocrisy only goes so far…” whenever it comes on tv, no matter at what point in the movie it is, no matter what im doing, i will stop and just watch it.
oh yeah, russell PIMP SLAPS billy bob thorton. just embarrasses him, it was fantastic. totally punked him out. EPIC!
Rodney, more westerns please!! I mentioned to a previous poster two westerns that are outstanding. Check out the Proposition and Dead Man.
Definitely one of the better westerns in the last 20 years or so and it’s probably my favourite performances from both Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell. Whether it’s 100% accurate or embellished, it’s pure entertainment which in my book is what matters.
My favorite part is when an unknow (and fat) Billy Bob Thornton gets punked TWICE…Once in the saloon/Faro game, and the second time in the middle of the street.
The first you can kind of see him thinking who the hell is this guy, who isn’t afraid…
And the second, ..and this is the best part…he recognizes Doc, and realizes who he got punked by…THEN…Wyatt makes him give him the shotgun…
Just classic…
What can you say about a movie that they got right? Love it!
An AWESOME movie, and very much worth a BUY rating (which is one I did) and highly recommend that people watch this movie.
I remember watching this movie 3 or 4 times in theater with my friends. Absolutely loved it. It was Val Kilmer’s best performance and Kurt Russell was played the best Wyatt Earp ever in my opinion. Even named my son Wyatt after this movie. I still love watching it after all these years even though I know every line before they say it.
It’s tough today to make a western as good as Tombstone. Val Kilmer’ Doc Holiday is perhaps the best performance of this character bar none. Th actual shoot out at the OK corral when Kilmer winks his opponent to react is classic western movie making that gives homage to those great moments by the likes of Leone and peckinpah. Thanks ever so much for the review
one of my favorite westerns of ALL TIME, and one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time. “im your huckleberry” say that to any fan of this movie and they’ll go “hell yeah!”