Reviews (111)

Island Of Sodor
For as long as anyone can remember, the island of Sodor, land of talking trains, has been a realm of magic and innocence. But now Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends on the magic railroad are being threatened by diesel engines like the surly Diesel 10 and his sidekicks Splotch and Splatter. Even the magical Mr. Conductor (Alec Baldwin), who has always traveled between the train world and the human world of Shining Time Station, is losing his powers and sparkle. In the middle of this crisis, Lily (Mara Wilson), a resourceful 12-year-old, meets up with Mr. Conductor on the way to visit her lonely grandfather Burnett Stone (Peter Fonda). With a host of whimsical, witty and wise characters, they embark on an adventure in the Island of Sodor with Thomas the Tank Engine to preserve that wonderful world that exists just beyond the limits of the imagination. Brave Thomas reminds them all that "even little engines can do big things."

Not as bad as I thought
When this movie came to the theaters I heard horrible things about it, mostly that it was too scary for children. I decided to purchase it anyway because my 2 year old LOVES Thomas and we watched it together. I was pleased that it wasn't scary for my son to watch but I was disappointed with the story line. I felt as if the script for this movie was written as they filmed this movie. However, I think only adults will notice all the things that don't make sense and the acting is pretty bad, except for Alec Baldwin and the voices for the trains. Little kids will love the Island of Sodor scenes with the trains. I was also disappointed with the message this movie gives. Yes, it is important to be really useful and helpful, but how about Peter Fonda being a little more worried that his Granddaughter has disappeared and then Alec Baldwin suggesting that maybe her Grandfather could guess where she was??? This gives a disappointing message. Overall, this movie is entertaining and not a total waste, I just hope if they make another movie they think about the plot and message a little more.

my two year old watched three times.
We all know that two year olds are not the most attentive, but mine sat through this up beat adventure three times in a theatre. I was shocked! The movies is a little hard to follow, with several things happening at once, but the kids seem to love seeing their favorite character in a longer story. All of the well loved character from the television show are present in this feature film. very young Children love it, but adult and older children may have a hard tiem sitting thrrough what feel like an adventure that never ends.

Great Movie
I love this movie. I've seen it six times. I think it is really cute and fun for the younger ones (I put it on when I babysit). Even though my 5-yr.-old brother liked it, I even liked it and I'm a teen. They have a great cast, Alec Baldwin (Mr. Conductor) was funny, and Michael E. Rodgers (Junior) was great playing the adorable carefree cousin. Mara Wilson (Lily) was OK, but I thought they could have gotten someone else to play her part. The "Gold Dust" was never in the Thomas the Tank Engine Series, but I'm glad they added that to the story line to make it magical. Buy it and see it because it is a good family movie.

- Ms_Conductor@yahoo.com

Wonderful Movie
I went to take my kids to see this at the theater for the very first time at the theater ever. At the time my kids were 2 1/2 and 15 months they sat through the entire movie which is really unusual for them at home. It was so exciting for them to see. Its a great movie to watch with your kids. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Delightful romantic adventure/comedy!
I initially was interested in seeing this movie because I'd read the book ("Bullets over Boise") by Kristin Gabriel, who is one of my favorite romance writers. The plot of the movie strayed in more than a few places from the book, but the barebones plot was about the same, and the sense of humor and likeability of the characters was the same.

The two main leads (Kim Huffman and Alex Carter) were very appropriate for this film. I was not disappointed that they were chosen for these rolls! Huffman plays a pretty (but somewhat zany) caterer who has a "wholesome girl next door" way about her. She's very likeable and natural and not at all self-conscious. (I dislike actresses that seem so *aware* of how beautiful they are. She doesn't do that.) I really liked her.

I've seen Alex Carter in other shows, and he usually plays a rather unlikeable fellow -- either a villian, or at least someone who is humorless and a little unpleasant. You can see why he'd be good in such parts -- he has this penetrating look and sharp (but handsome) features. But in this role he's very different. At first you think he's going to be the grim and brooding cop, but then he starts to show a sense of humor and an absolutely dazzling smile. Carter should play roles such as this one more often. He's great and is a wonderful compliment to Huffman.

The plot is flimsy and implausable in some ways, but I didn't care. It's cute. It's funny. It isn't one of those tedious "chick flick" type movies where the women are all tragic victims, or where nothing happens and we're bored to death. Stuff *happens*. There is adventure, drama, humor, and mystery! It's a lot of fun! It had more than a few wickedly funny lines that made me laugh out loud.

Even though it is a Harlequin Romance movie, it's quite different (in a good way) from the other ones I've seen. I'm sure it didn't win any awards, but it holds up just fine and is quite entertaining. I'll definitely consider it to be a great addition to my DVD collection! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tom Selleck is at his iconic best in this made-for-cable remake of Monte Walsh, a poignant Western about the passing of an American age and the people attached to it. Selleck plays the title character, a career cowboy whose rhythms are aligned with the seasons and the annual herding of cattle from Wyoming to Texas. Faithful to his ways, loyal to his best friend (Keith Carradine), and satisfied with his part-time romance with an ailing, aging saloon girl (Isabella Rosselini), Walsh is happy until his 1890s world rapidly unravels. Eastern corporations are buying up land and shutting down ranches; trains are shuttling livestock faster than an army of cowhands. Walsh can't accommodate the future, and those closest to him are moving on. Director Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove) masterfully balances the epic and elegaic, Selleck is perfect as a fading footnote to history, and Monte Walsh becomes a universal tale of loss and integrity. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Remake is good but fell short of original, especially music
This remake of the all time great "future shock" western is very good but the original with Lee Marvin and Jack Palance was better. The original movie had Momma Cass Eliot on the soundtrack with the haunting melody "The good times are coming" which played well in the story line. Why doesn't someone put the original out on DVD remastered for quality? Still, especially if you haven't seen the original, Selleck plays the lead role well albeit the ending, which deviates radically from the original, is a bit corny.

Monte faces a new world.
Monte Walsh is a dramatic western released in 2003 starring Tom Selleck. Along with Selleck is a star cast, with Isabella Rossellini, James Gammon, Marshall Teague, William Devane, and Keith Carradine giving fine performances. The director, Simon Wincer, is also known for making westerns such as Shane and Lonesome Dove. Monte Walsh features a recurrent theme of man vs. technology, but it can be very forceful in presentation.

Monte Walsh is introduced in Antelope Junction, Wyoming territory in 1892. It is a comfortable, familiar surrounding, which suits Monte well, with no hint of modernization. Monte is leaving to winter on the range and while he is gone, an eastern corporation, Consolidated Cattle, is changing the cowboy lifestyle in the Wyoming territory. Consolidated has been buying all the land surrounding Antelope Junction, and fencing it in. This is unknown in the territory, putting a stop to free-ranging cattle. Consolidated has also allowed a railroad to build on the land with a railhead to help load horses, which the cowboys are not happy with. It is a new replacement that stops the cowboys from doing the job they love, moving stock from one place to another. Monte and his best friend Chet get a job with Consolidated, who now is the only employer of cowboys in the area.

The theme continues as Monte and his fellow cowboys battle a train, the dreaded new development in their environment, whose engineers have done them wrong. The cowboys win the battle, but everyone fears they have lost the war against impending technology. Meanwhile Monte has fallen in love with Martine, the whore with a heart of gold, but cannot force himself to leave his life as a cowboy to enter a world that he does not know as a family man. Chet decides to do just that and marries a widow who owns a hardware store. He begins to run the store and becomes involved with town life, leaving his old ways behind.

After having the theme of the movie forced upon the viewer, the style changes and symbolism is used to represent the battle against the new way of life. Consolidated is used as a symbol of impending technology, as they lay off cowboys to help increase the corporation's return on their investment. One cowboy turns to crime since he did not know how else to make a living in the new world. The rogue cowboy kills Chet in a holdup and Monte hunts him down to avenge Chet's death, symbolizing how the past must take care of what technology has caused. Monte is wounded by the outlaw, but continues on to kill the cowboy gone wrong. The wounding symbolizes what has been done to Monte and the other cowboys by the changing times, but the cowboy way continues on to fix what has gone wrong.

Monte does not return to Antelope Junction for seven years. He has decided to ride to Canada, down to Texas and back, living the cowboy life as the world leaves him behind. He arrives to find a horseless carriage driven by the former accountant and new ranch manager of Consolidated. The old meets the new as they both meet in the road and neither refuse to yield their ground. Finally Monte moves aside for the new invention to go through. After discovering that while he was gone, things have changed in Antelope Junction, he decides to leave again. It is not shown what he plans to do, or where he plans to go, but it is hopeful he finds a new place where the old cowboy lifestyle has not diminished, but appreciated.

I would give this movie three stars out of five. The theme can sometimes be overbearing, sometimes with the subtleties of a sledgehammer. However, the viewer can feel sympathy for Monte and make parallels into modern times. It serves as a documentary about those who embrace new technology and those who choose to stay behind.

George Eads is a hottie
This was worth watching for George Eads alone!!! I'm not usually into westerns, but he is so yum, I was actually glad in the end I saw it. Not too bad. Probably very underated.

The story of a great generation, when men were men

Director: Simon Wincer
Format: Color
Studio: Warner Home Video
Video Release Date: February 3, 2004

Cast:

Tom Selleck .... Monte Walsh
Isabella Rossellini .... Martine
Keith Carradine .... Chester 'Chet' Rollins
George Eads .... Frank 'Shorty' Austin
Robert Carradine .... Sunfish Perkins
Barry Corbin .... Storekeeper
James Gammon .... Fighting Joe Hooker/Albert Miller
Rex Linn .... Hat Henderson
John Michael Higgins .... Robert Slocum
William Sanderson .... Skimpy Eagens
Wallace Shawn .... Colonel Wilson
Marshall R. Teague .... Wallace 'Dally' Johnson
Rick Ravanello .... Henry Louis 'Sugar' Wyman
Joanna Miles .... Sairy Brennan
Lori Hallier .... Mrs. Mary Wilder
Matt Cooke .... Rufus Brady
Ken Pogue .... Old Doctor
Zack Ward .... Powder Kent
William Devane .... Cal Brennan
Shane Pollitt .... Jumpin' Joe Joslin (as Shane Pollit)
Tom Edwards .... Plump Lawyer
Tom Glass .... Marshal
Tim Koetting .... Henry, Stocky Barman
Bruce McFee .... Burly Man
Marty Antonini .... Farmer
Eric Keenleyside .... Engineer
Terry King .... Trainman
Peter Skagen .... Fireman
Michael Tod .... Boy
Gillian Carfra .... Young Woman

This is the story of Monte Walsh, last of the cowboys. "If I was starvin' I wouldn't rustle," says Monte. But, "This is the twentieth century" it was explained to him, and cowboyin' for a livin' is on its way out. Monte is in love with a little French girl, a "Lady of the Evening" who has tuberculosis, often fatal in those days. Offered a job in a Wild West Show, under a pseudonym, he refuses. "I ain't spittin' on my whole life," says Monte.

This is a wonderful movie, with a deep sense of realism. It's about the age-old story of men outliving their vocation, which happens just about every generation to some group.

One of the best films I've ever seen.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

1970 VERSUS 2003 (YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE)
Three of my five favorite Westerns concern the extinction of Western Ideals and self-reliant principles in the face of "progress." I commend TOM SELLECK for his desire to explore this theme, unfortunately, however, this story had already been committed to film and more successfully. True, this version illustrates a larger slice of the book upon which it was based, but that does not necessarily translate to better cinema, and it may be responsible for the slightly forced pacing of this newer rendition. -------- MONTE WALSH (2003) does contain inspired photography and an adequately bracing (although derivative) Western score, and Fightin' Joe Hooker's demise is much better handled this time around. Otherwise, 2003 is clearly overmatched by its 1970 predecessor. -------- A major drawback lies in the fact that SELLECK and KEITH CARRADINE lack the likeability that LEE MARVIN and JACK PALANCE brought to the principal roles. The sense of camaraderie between these two old saddle pals just does not come across. The dialogue misses the nuance and leisurely pace of the original. Where have all the "pregnant pauses" gone? Placed beside the earlier version, this one seems almost like a high school production where inexperienced actors rush through their lines, failing to experience the moment. Even all of the minor players of the 1970 MONTE bested the 2003 actors when it came to endowing their characterizations with distinct personality and unique qualities. Only the little dog here managed to go toe to toe to toe to toe with his 1970 counterpart. -------- But the biggest problem of all can be found in the love story subtext. ISABELLA ROSSELLINI who played Monte's "Countess" this time around is no JEANNE MOREAU in the acting department. She was fine, but the 1970 MONTE WALSH gave us one of the silver screen's most beautifully rendered, understated, and underrated movie romances ever! It was filled with subtle grace and magic. The easy-going rapport and playful attraction expressed in the original, by comparison, nearly reduces to an almost cold sniping the scenes between SELLECK and ROSSELLINI. It came as no surprise when JEANNE MOREAU revealed in an interview many years after the fact that she felt LEE MARVIN was "the most masculine" actor she had ever worked with. Her scenes with him in which they showed us a tender, wistful, and doomed love affair made for absolutely dynamite viewing. Trust me, BOGART and BERGMAN had nothing on MARVIN and MOREAU! -------- My lesser complaints have to do with being bludgeoned by the Cowboy Code. Don't tell it; show it! The Code came across loud and clear in 1970 without words. Less was indeed more. The bronc-busting scene was a mere child's ride on King Arthur's Carrousel compared with the 1970 wild "E Ticket" equine roller-coaster! And finally, although it's such a minor issue: I just couldn't accept Shorty Austin as a Hollywood Hunk with a Colgate Smile. Cowboys spent time in saloons; not salons. Cowboys spent time at the faro table; not the dentist's office. -------- Yes, the 1970 MONTE WALSH remains a relatively unknown Western masterpiece. But, don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that the 2003 MONTE WALSH was bad; just perfectly superfluous. And not necessary either. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Won't you be mine?
Even in the annals of slasherdom, this movie just isn't very good. Not that I expect slashers to be masterpieces, but there is much lacking here. One of the primary omissions is gore--the film was literally butchered by the MPAA. Not only does this disappoint fans of the genre, but in all honesty, it really fudges the continuity of the film and even manages to mar the ending.

The acting here is strictly amateur hour. The direction is standard, by the numbers slasher fare. The script includes some great unintentional howlers, including the classic line, "We were having a party...and Harry Warden started killing everyone". The town mayor supplies some funny moments as he and the bumbling sheriff try and figure out who is sending bloody valentines (human hearts actually, with [bad] "Roses are red" poems attached).

You'll probably guess the killer pretty early on but keep watching for the murders. Well, most of the cast gets offed as if you couldn't guess. There's also the required old guy who tries to warn the townspeople not to throw another Valentine's Day party. His death is actually pretty funny as he tries to rig an elaborate practical joke and gets axed.

Most of the murders are cut pretty badly so that there is a real absence of blood. There is a beheading toward the end that doesn't look like a beheading because most of the scene was cut--I had to read about it to figure out what the heck happened. Not only that, but the ending is edited so that we can't even see what actually happens to the killer very well. Again, had to read about it.

What we do get is a pretty cool getup for a slasher killer: a miner outfit complete with pickaxe and lighted helmet. There is one very good stalking sequence featuring coal miner suits dropping out of their rigs in the ceiling and scaring a young woman nearly to death before her (heavily edited) death, which is never really clear.

The plot is weak, the characters pretty dumb and the gore compromised by picky censors wanting to tone down horror films at the time in the wake of John Lennon's death and Reagan's near-assasination. Oh well.

I would be seriously surprised if any company actually bothered to put out an uncut deluxe DVD of this film since, quite honestly, it just isn't very good....

Still, for fans of the genre, you might tack on an extra star just because this is a 1981 slasher and you just have to see it because.

A bloody good time
After a Valentine's Day mine explosion caused by negligent supervisors eager to leave early for the town dance, sole survivor Harry Warden returned the following year for vengeance and left a bloody warning that the town of Valentine Bluffs better not hold a Valentine's day dance ever again...or else. Twenty years later, a new generation of locals (working class twentysomethings who all work in the mine) decide to have a dance on Valentine's Day, and guess who comes out of the woodwork? After the mayor gets a warning with Harry's M.O., he and the police chief order the fun-loving bunch to cancel the dance. They have a secret party at the mine instead, and with the warning unheeded, Valentine's Day suddenly becomes very unromantic.

This is my personal favorite of all the holiday-themed slasher films that trailed "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th". A few redundent characters, like the old man whose warnings fall on deaf ears, or the annoying prankster. There's some good acting and we actually have a love triangle; these movies usually don't bother with subplots or much character development. Having several terrified people trapped in a coal mine with a psychotic heavy-breathing miner is a novel touch. Too bad this didn't do much at the box office, an intended sequel was canceled. In 2001, director George Mihalka approached Paramount about doing a "20 years later" sequel, as well as an uncut DVD release, but they didn't give him the time of day.

My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine is an interesting film.It's a horror flick and some of the acting is actually good.The characters aren't too memorable.The dialogue is fairly nice.There isn't much gore though for an 80's movie.The plot is well calculated and thought out.Paul Kelman and Lori Hallier do a great job in My Bloody Valentine.The movie has horror, comedy, and some romance if you look close enough.This is definetly a ok horror movie for being different nevertheless.The ending is also a big suprise.Twenty years ago, a tragic accident in a mine on St. Valentines day took the lives of five miner's. The disaster occurred while supervisors left their posts to attend the town's annual Valentine's Day danceThe only survivor,Harry Warden, was confined to a mental institution after the ordeal. On the disaster's first anniversary, he returned to the town for bloody revenge. That was nineteen years ago, and memories have dimmed. Young lovers T.J. and Sarah and friend Axel are among the townspeople attending another Valentine's party.Then, a box of Valentine candy arrives, containing an ominous message and a blood- soaked heart.Before the night is over, terror will strike again and again and again....

Halloween and Friday the 13th spin off...
These horrific events began 20 years ago in the small mining town, Valentine's Bluff, when some miners got trapped in the mines and their rescue got delayed due to a Valentine's day party. The only survivor sought his revenge a year later by killing everyone who was celebrating Valentine's day. Now the curse is about to be brought back as the people of Valentine's Bluff are preparing for their first Valentine's day party in 20 years. My Bloody Valentine is a poor slasher film that seems to be a spin off from Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980), which offers an awkward cinematic experience.

Bloody Good Fun
Paramount pictures had been enjoying success with Friday The 13th, so why not strike while the iron is hot? My Bloody Valentine came out at the perfect time(though not to much financial success) in the slasher heyday. I saw it when I was 5, and thought it was very scary. Now I think it's just silly, but fun! Basically there's nothing new here if you've seen any slasher flicks before. It's just fun to see variations on the subject. This time it's a guy in a miner's outfit, which is actually one of the cooler looking psycho slasher getups. As far as plot goes-Horrible mining accident years back on Valentine's Day. Flash forward to 81 and the killer warns the town not to throw a Valentine bash or there will be hell to pay(even though he starts killing before Valentine's Day). The kids don't heed the warning, tra-la, tra-la. The killer hacks away at our partying kids, gets mixed up in industrial espionage and battles a team of bloodthirsty mutant whales. There's also a subplot of two guys fighting for the affections of our leading lady. Not scary, but fun in that slasher way. I watched this suffering a bad gas attack from a BBQ chicken pizza I had ate earlier for dinner, so it all had kind of a 3-D effect with the dark, stanky, damp mine scenes. As you'll read, the MPAA took a special interest in this film and cut down the gore. I have no idea why coz you wouldn't let your kid watch this anyway. But it's still enough to satisfy. It's no less gory than the later Friday the 13th films. Watch with someone you love. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Harmless, cliche filled Canadian western
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse release of this film.

"The Gunfighters" is a passable western set in Wyoming, but Alberta, Canada fills in quite nicely for the scenery. A Canadian film, which ends making the viewer believe it was a pilot for a series that never materialized. It's fine for the family with mild violence and no profanities.

George Kennedy plays the heavy in this story of three brothers who battle land baron Kennedy. The brothers have enough of waiting for the law (who is under Kennedy's control) to help them and take matters into their own hands. Filled with typical clichés, I'm sure you'll figure out the ending before the movie gets you there; still it's a pleasant diversion especially for the low price.

As with many of Brentwood Home Videos, this one has a cartoon (from Max Fleischer) and there are 8 chapter stops for easy selection. The transfer is excellent (for a budget release), looking like it almost came from a master source - almost. This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

OK Oater from Canada
With the exception of George Kennedy and Art Hindle, you probably won't recognize too many faces in this 1987 telefilm unless you live in Canada, where this Western was produced (the word "out" is pronounced "oat" north of the border). There's nothing new here . . . the evil land baron (Kennedy), the good guys who are forced to turn bad, etc., etc., but the production values are reasonably good and some of the Canadian locales in Alberta are spectacular (the setting is supposed to be mainly in Kansas). Unfortunately, the acting is wildly uneven, though Hindle is easily the best in the cast as the older of the two Everett brothers. The 95 minute film looks like it was a series pilot. I don't remember seeing this, so perhaps it was produced exclusively for Canadian television.

There are two interesting people associated with the production. One of the Executive Producers was Sonny Grosso who was one of the real cops portrayed in "The French Connection" (the Roy Scheider character). The other is Domenic Troiano who composed the music. Troiano replaced Joe Walsh on guitar, when Walsh left "The James Gang" for a solo career in the 70s.

Despite the fact that the film was produced in the late 80s, this DVD looks very "soft" reflecting its status as a budget release. At times, it's hard to tell whether it's the photography or the lack of remastering that's the culprit (or both). Nevertheless, Brentwood Communications does give you the usual extras of a cartoon, a dictionary of DVD terms, an interactive movie trivia game and 8 chapter stops for this release. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A good movie about animal treatment.
Besides the dashingly handsome Gregory Harrison's great acting, the story moves quite well in this film. The cinematography is beautiful with scenes of the African desert and animals.

Much action, some romance and lots of thrills in this film. Check it out!

A very dull movie.
Gregory Harrison is Matt Robinson, a retired major and widower trying to bond with his kids so he takes them to Africa where poachers are killing elephants. His 14 year old daughter Angela acts like a snob and her little brother Nicky is just an average annoying little brother. Matt meets Rachel (lori Hallier) who works at the orphanage for animals and he takes a liking to her whilst Angela gets saved by an Englishman named Walton and she gets a crush on him God knows why. Then they find a wounded baby elephant and Angela bonds with it naming it Dandy, but there are still poachers around hunting for elephants. I only got this movie because I am a fan of Greg, but I must admit the kids casting was terrible except from Munyaradzi Kanaventi who plays Isaac the son of the ranger who works with Matt. Okay so it wasn't a love story, but if it was it would've have been worth watching. It's just a bunch of people walking around in Africa or flying in a helicopter. There are 2-3 action scenes, the last one was okay, but the others lasted a few seconds. You never get to understand the story of Matt and Rachel, all he gets at the end is little peck on the lips and that's it. So are they supposed to be in love or something? Recommended only if you're a BIG fan of one of the actors in this movie.

A GREAT MOVIE!
It is a wonderful movie for the whole family. Brooke Nevin who plays Angela was wonderful. It was sweet, yet it was action packed. I recomend this movie to everyone. There is not a person who won't like it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Harmless, cliche filled Canadian western
The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse release of this film.

"The Gunfighters" is a passable western set in Wyoming, but Alberta, Canada fills in quite nicely for the scenery. A Canadian film, which ends making the viewer believe it was a pilot for a series that never materialized. It's fine for the family with mild violence and no profanities.

George Kennedy plays the heavy in this story of three brothers who battle land baron Kennedy. The brothers have enough of waiting for the law (who is under Kennedy's control) to help them and take matters into their own hands. Filled with typical clichés, I'm sure you'll figure out the ending before the movie gets you there; still it's a pleasant diversion especially for the low price.

As with many of Brentwood Home Videos, this one has a cartoon (from Max Fleischer) and there are 8 chapter stops for easy selection. The transfer is excellent (for a budget release), looking like it almost came from a master source - almost. This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

OK Oater from Canada
With the exception of George Kennedy and Art Hindle, you probably won't recognize too many faces in this 1987 telefilm unless you live in Canada, where this Western was produced (the word "out" is pronounced "oat" north of the border). There's nothing new here . . . the evil land baron (Kennedy), the good guys who are forced to turn bad, etc., etc., but the production values are reasonably good and some of the Canadian locales in Alberta are spectacular (the setting is supposed to be mainly in Kansas). Unfortunately, the acting is wildly uneven, though Hindle is easily the best in the cast as the older of the two Everett brothers. The 95 minute film looks like it was a series pilot. I don't remember seeing this, so perhaps it was produced exclusively for Canadian television.

There are two interesting people associated with the production. One of the Executive Producers was Sonny Grosso who was one of the real cops portrayed in "The French Connection" (the Roy Scheider character). The other is Domenic Troiano who composed the music. Troiano replaced Joe Walsh on guitar, when Walsh left "The James Gang" for a solo career in the 70s.

Despite the fact that the film was produced in the late 80s, this DVD looks very "soft" reflecting its status as a budget release. At times, it's hard to tell whether it's the photography or the lack of remastering that's the culprit (or both). Nevertheless, Brentwood Communications does give you the usual extras of a cartoon, a dictionary of DVD terms, an interactive movie trivia game and 8 chapter stops for this release. ... Read more