Amazon.com

John Wayne and Kirk Douglas make a delightful duo in this comedic Western in which Wayne seeks revenge on a ruthless mine owner (Bruce Cabot) who had him framed and sent to prison. Upon his release, Wayne recruits Douglas in a scheme to raid and rob one of Cabot's gold-laden wagons, despite the fact that Douglas had been offered good money to kill Wayne. He joins Wayne instead (the potential profits being much greater), and they set out to ambush the War Wagon, so named because it's heavily armored, mounted with a Gatling gun, and guarded by a dozen gunmen on horses. Costarring Keenan Wynn and Howard Keel as a wise-cracking Indian, The War Wagon was a Western precursor to the action buddy films of the 1980s and '90s, serving up plenty of exciting action and constant comic relief. The interplay between Wayne and Douglas is sharp and sarcastic, and their motley crew of accomplices provides yet another source of character-driven humor. Not one of the greatest Westerns ever made, but certainly one of the most lightly entertaining. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Mission Impossible in the Old West.
Gunfighter Taw Jackson (John Wayne) recruits a motley crew of sidekicks to rob ruthless mine owner, Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot). Pierce routinely transports a fortune in gold dust in an armored stagecoach called "The War Wagon." Complete with a small army of guards and a Gatling gun, The War Wagon is formidable. Taw figures to settle old scores by devising a complex plan to steal the gold. John Wayne was good at big budget B pictures. This flick is very different from a John Ford masterpiece, but so what? This movie is a typical Batjac action-adventure flick with comic overtones. Wayne trades verbal barbs with Lomax (Kirk Douglas), a too-cool hired gun. Howard Keel is Levi Walking Bear, a comic and politically incorrect Indian. Robert Walker is a drunken explosives expert. Keenan Wynn is a sadistic teamster. They each play a role in the carefully timed execution of the robbery. Unaware of their thieving alliance, Pierce hires Lomax to kill Taw, setting up several tense situations. The supporting cast includes members of Wayne's Batjac production company family. Look for Bruce Dern, Gene Evans, and Sheb Wooley in small roles. Throw in colorful outdoor locations, a saloon brawl, lots of hard-riding action, and it's great fun for Western movie fans. It's well worth the price. ;-)

A Good Shoot'em Up Western
Taw Jackson, played by John Wayne, is out on parole and building a team to heist a shipment of Gold dust. The problem is, the town where he's planning his heist is filled with his worst enemies. Kirk Douglas as Lomax, is one of Taw's partners. Together they study to work out every detail to commit their crime. All they got to do now is do the deed. Will they make it? Lots of fancy gun slinging, fighting, and a really neat Saloon fight add to the flavor of this movie. Oh, and you gotta see the way Kirk Douglas mounts his horse, it's Peachy! One of the most suspenseful scenes is where Taw and another of his cohort's line a bridge they plan to blow up with nitroglycerin. Also, look for a very short role by Bruce Dern . He, as he has in most films, plays a bad guy, and when he's confronted by Taw Jackson he quickly learns what "BAD" really is.

It's like "Oceans Eleven" in the West
This is a movie about revenge. It's about the quest of one man, Taw Jackson (Wayne), to get even with the man who set him up and stole his ranch. To get his vengeance, Taw puts together a small group of men, including a gunfighter who's been hired to kill him (Douglas), to help him rob the "War Wagon," so named because it is an iron stagecoach complete with a gattling gun and a large complement of mounted guards. The five men scheme, plan, and concoct a plan to steal the wagon, and Taw and Lomax (Douglas) try to refrain from killing each other in the process.

This is not meant to be a completely serious Western, and in fact it is quite lighthearted. It is also funny, with just enough comic relief to keep things lively. Douglas and Wayne are absolutely fabulous together, and the rest of the cast works well too. This is a great all-around Western.

Entertaining comedy western
The War Wagon is a good comedy western starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglass as two men attempting to steal a shipment of gold. Wayne stars as Taw Jackson, a man recently released from prison after being framed, who wants to get revenge on the man who put him in jail(Bruce Cabot). Kirk Douglass is Lomax, Wayne's greedy, cocky partner. These two are perfect together as they try and figure out how to rob the "war wagon." Their dialogue is sharp and cutting with insults being handed back and forth.

The movie is very entertaining to watch. Excellent cast backing up Wayne and Douglass including Howard Keel as Levi Walking Bear. There is enough action and humor for everybody in this western. DVD presentation is good in widescreen with a trailer included even though it is a little pricey. Well worth it for Duke fans!

A get even movie
well it's a good movie some light humor a get even type movie.Enjoyable intertianing but you've to know one thing I
am a big JOHN WAYNE FAN. ... Read more

Description

Three cowpokes band together with a feisty widow to recover = a cache of stolen gold. John Wayne meets Ann Margret and you'll keep = guessing who meets whose match! Year: 1973 Director: Burt Kennedy = Starring: John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Gold, Graves, & Gold Hunt Fever

I saw this John Wayne movie for the first time sometime around 1983.From several reviews posted here one can say it has received mixed reviews. All I know is that I enjoy the movie whenever I see it, and the movie seems to be one of his westerns that is seldom shown on TV.

His role here is not too dissimilar to many of his others, and his 'usual suspects and friends' bolster the starring list. But it is somewhat unusual that Ann Margaret Olsen appears in a western, and while I have always been counted among her fans, I don't find anything too exceptional in the role she fills. But the 'twist' in the ending involving her role is a dandy.

Among several items in this movie I like is the appearance of Rod Taylor, a sometimes underrated and overlooked actor. And I still have good memories of CHUKA, a western he made a long time back that is very good.

I like this western and will rewatch it, and have no problem recommending it to anyone who likes JW movies.

One of the worst of Wayne's
Although it is great to see Wayne seeing him is about the best in this film. I did not really care about these people riding left and right. It has to be something about the story, because the actors are a great bunch of people. I expect Wayne always to be real hero, but here it is not so. Take any other Wayne, even those of the 30's rather than this one.

Underrated western
I would considered Train Robbers to be one of John Wayne's underrated western movies he have made during his post True Grit era. While its not as good as some of his earlier ones, it probably the best one he made between True Grit and the Shootist (next to Rio Lobo). The Train Robbers seem to be a throw back to John Wayne's older westerns. The story developed slowly but with a purpose as the characters get ironed out. Ann-Margaret plays widow trying to restored family honor by getting the half million dollars worth of gold back to the train company from which her husband stole it from. John Wayne and his gang tries to helped but the usual bad guys, the late husband's gang gets into the way. Its an adventure all the way.

John Wayne does his usual entertaining self but he is superbly supported by Rod Taylor and especially Ben Johnson. It was also a pleasure to watch Christopher George as well before his illness took his life prematurely. Key element of any John Wayne movie was his interactions with his co-stars and they all blended in perfectly. The humor was good and some of the one liners proves to be classic. Ann-Margaret does quite well but she sounds little phoney from the beginning and that was bit of a give away as we reached to the end of the movie. At least for me, the ending didn't surprised me as much as it did for some people.

The movie weaknesses lies in the fact that John Wayne and his gang seem to be just too goody two shoes to be true. The bad guys were just props in the movie and their job was to get shot. They don't seem to be very smart bad guys either. Making banzai charges seem to be a trademark tactics to make the good guys victorious. Bobby Vinton and Jerry Gatlin were virtually wasted in their roles. In some ways, they seem to be no more then the bad guys although they don't get shot!

The DVD version of Train Robbers seem to be well presented. I owned a regular TV so I would say from that point that the picture is clear and the sound proves to be crisp on my Dolby system. The DVD movie come in its widescreen format. I have to admit that this was the first time I saw this movie in widescreen since 1973 when it first came out. There isn't much of a special features. One feature got several former stuntmen who worked with Wayne, singing their praises of him. Second feature is a promotional job for the movie. Then you got your trailers feature. That is just about it. Pretty slim pickings if you asked me.

Overall, a pretty entertaining and enjoyable film despite of its inherited flaws. I would give it a 3.5 stars if I had a choice. John Wayne fans should be highly please with this movie. It should please most western fans and might be mildly entertaining for causal viewers.

ANN MARGARET IS REALLY THE STAR OF THE FILM
Even though the Duke gets top billing and more screen time Annie's the real star of the film. Make no mistake. I admit she is incredibly sensual and interesting dressed mostly as a cowboy throughout the film. I am crazy about her. I also loved the performance of Rod Taylor in this film as the talkative, slightly buffoonish gang member. Ben Johnson is fine as the slower talking philosophical cowboy, good contrast to Rod. The Duke is meant here to be the link between these characters. Wayne is doing here what Clint Eastwood did in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, purposely being the somewhat uninteresting central character and letting the supporting characters shine (though when it came to Ann Margaret that was inevitable). The plot is wonderfully complex, reminiscient of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid in many ways (little seen pursuers and all). Hard to be exactly sure who the bad guys are and who the law is. To the poster who said that the supporting characters's past stories sound more interesting than the actual events well ok to you they do.

THIS LADY TAKES THE CAKE
I must say that I am taken aback by the many negative comments thrown at this film.What many reviewers miss is the fact that, aside from being a Western, this is also a story in which the Duke plays opposite a strong woman.There is the constant trading off between the two as to who has the upper hand--with the Duke not realizing that just when he thinks he has put Ann-Margaret in her place she has been deceiving him toward her own purposes all along.Compared to the QUIET AMERICAN, MCLINTOCK, DONOVAN'S REEF, HATARI AND TRUE GRIT, this is one film where the Duke doesn't exactly carry the day over his female interest.Therefore, it is quite refreshing in its own way.

Unlike other reviewers, I remember this film more fondly that I do others from the 1970's--including THE SHOOTEST.In terms of a movie about cowboys for whom the times are passing by (and in Duke's terms in which Hollywood is leaving him behind), I prefer to remember the aging John Wayne this way.Even outwitted by one hell of a woman, John Wayne had more dignity about himself than the pretenders who followed.(Yes, I mean you, Kevin Costner.)

... Read more

Amazon.com

While hardly the first Western spoof to ride out of Hollywood, Support Your Local Sheriff is easily one of the best. James Garner plays the confident, cool-headed cowboy who strolls into a wild gold rush town on the way to Australia and takes the job as sheriff. Like a parody of My Darling Clementine by way of Rio Bravo, he arrests the hotheaded but hopelessly confused son (Bruce Dern) of a ruthless ranching magnate (Walter Brennan). Stuck with a half-built jail (where he keeps his prisoner penned up with pure psychology and a few spatters of red paint), a rummy sidekick (google-eyed Jack Elam in one of his first comic turns), and a disaster-prone tomboy (Joan Hackett), he takes on a succession of gunfighters with increasing exasperation. "Sure is a childish way for a grown man to make a living," he laments before chasing one gunman out of Dodge by pelting him with rocks. Directed with laconic ease by veteran Western director Burt Kennedy, it's a clever spoof of familiar conventions in a lighthearted vein, more understated and affectionate than Mel Brooks's outrageous farce Blazing Saddles. It inspired a slew of imitators, including a decade of silly Disney Westerns that sank the genre in slapstick shenanigans, and was followed in 1971 by Kennedy's pseudosequel Support Your Local Gunfighter, which reteamed Garner and Elam in a more mercenary story of con artists and gunslingers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Taming the Wild West
James Garner stars as Jason McCullough in this hilarious Western spoof. This was the era of John Wayne westerns, and this movie came about at just about the right time to make fun of the western and what it had become, often scarcely more than a cookie-cutter production with a predictable plot, scowling gunfighters, and the same basic storyline. McCullough is a wandering frontiersman on his way to Australia, and happens upon a small mining town which has sprung up overnight and become too big for its laws. He decides to earn a little extra money before moving on, and takes a job as the sheriff of the town. Consequently he's forced to deal with the Danby bunch, a rancher family who's swindling and intimidating the mine owners. Between dealing with the Danbys (headed by the very funny Walter Brennan), trying to keep his prisoners in a jail with no bars, and fighting off the advances of the hapless mayor's daughter, McCullough has his hands full.

Garner is great in his role as the opportunistic, but effective, sheriff. Jack Elam co-stars as his deputy, and the antics of this pair are enough to keep anyone entertained throughout the movie. Anyone familiar with Westerns from this era will appreciate the humor of this parody on Hollywood's Wild West.

Support Your Local Sherrif
This is one of those old comedies that you can watch over and over again. My family has worn out a VHS copy, so I'm happy that a DVD release is coming up. This movie not only stars James Garner, but several other popular actors from the 60's & 70's. Walter Brennan, Harry Morgan, and Jack Elam to name a few. When Jason McColough, played by Garner, rides into town, he finds it right smack in the middle of a gold rush- and right smack in the middle of the problems that too much too soon can bring. There is fighting in the streets, gunmen shooting up the town, not to mention the revelry going on at Madam Orr's place. Needing work to finiance his gold prospecting Garner accepts the job of sherrif. The Mayor (Morgan) happens to have a pretty but accident prone daughter. Her misadventures while trying to attract the new sherrif's attention add great comedy to the plot. The sherrif's work is cut out for him when the Danby's led by pa Danby (Brennan) try to spring the youngest Danby from jail. He makes the town drunk (Played by Elam) his deputy and from there things just get funnier. When the dust settles everyone is alive and happy. Not the most complicated plot ever written, but light comedy is not supposed to be. Easy and fun to watch.

"JUST ON MY WAY TO AUSTRALIA"
IS THERE ANY THING FUNNIER THAN A STRAIGHT FACED MAN SPEWING OUT HUMOR? AND JAMES GARNER HAS A TREMENDOUS GIFT FOR BEING HILARIOUS
AND YET DOING IT IN A SEEMINGLY EFFORTLESS WAY.
BEFORE 'RAISING ARIZONA' OR 'OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?' THIS LITTLE PICTURE BROKE GROUND WITH DRY, OFF BEAT AND SOMETIMES CYNICAL COMEDY.

GARNER PLAYS THE ANTI HERO TO THE HILT. HE IS A SIMPLE MAN WHO IS BASICLY "JUST ON HIS WAY TO AUSTRALIA." HE FINDS HIMSELF IN A QUIRKY 'GOLD STRIKE' TOWN THAT IS DESPERATELY IN NEED OF A SHERIFF.
HIS QUALIFICATIONS "FIT THE JOB PERFECTLY" AND THE BASIC PLOT IS SET.
GARNER IS SUPERBLY SUPPORTED BY VETERAN CHARACTER ACTORS LIKE JACK ELAM, BRUCE DERN AND A HOST OF WELL KNOWN OTHERS.

THE WONDERFULLY WRITTEN DIALOGUE IS THE ABSOLUTE STAR OF THE SHOW WITH NUMEROUS MEMORABLE LINES THROUGHOUT THE PICTURE.
WHEN THE SPINELESS MAYOR SHOWS GARNER HIS HOME HE MENTIONS HIS 'DEAR DEPARTED WIFE' TO WHICH GARNER SAYS "YOUR WIFE DIED HUH?" AND THE MAYOR RESPONDS "NO....JUST DEPARTED."

THE SIDESPLITTING SCENES ARE REALLY TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION AS THERE ARE SO MANY STAND OUTS.

THIS MAY WELL BE THE BEST FAMILY COMEDIC WESTERN PIECE DONE TO DATE. RIVAL FILMS LIKE 'BLAZING SADDLES' WITH THEIR PROFANE ENUENDOS
PALE TERRIBLY IN COMPARISON TO THIS EFFORT.

THIS IS ONE YOU CAN WATCH REPEATEDLY AND LAUGH JUST AS LOUD EACH TIME.

My 2nd favorite Garner movie of all time
Boy this was hard, ranking my Favorite James Garner movies. It came down to the two Support your... movies. I had to go with the one that had the sidewinder, Susan Plesette and the X-Rifleman and Cub second baseman Swifty Morgan.

SYLSheriff came in second because he was just passin thru on his way to australia anyway.

The top of the genre
Still boyish at 41, Garner here brings a variation of his Bret Maverick character (then almost a decade in rerun-land) to the big screen and in the process spoofs almost every convention of the serious Western. As the unassuming, pragmatic, and mildly larcenous Jason McCullough, who's "basically...on my way to Australia" when he decides to pick up a little travelling money by taking on the job of taming the mining town of Calender, he proves to be rather more than he seems--and, in the process, shows once again why he was cast in so many comedies during his long career. Playing his part almost dead straight and supported by an excellent cast, he makes Jason seem like a hero even though that's the last thing Jason wants to be. In the process everyone sends up everything from "High Noon" to "Rio Bravo" and makes it all seem effortless and plausible. A movie that defines "comedy-Western" and one all audiences should enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

You can not watch just one
*** Support Your local Sheriff ***

60 for who and 40 for who?

Down through time it is easy to get the "support your local" films mixed up. This is the first. This is an educational film teaching you everything from sharing to proper gun pointing etiquette. Everyone has his or her favorite part in this movie. It contains sight gages and puns and jokes (some take time to think about.)

I will not go into detail incase you have not seen this as it is fun to watch the story unfold. However it is several overlapping stories tied together by Jason McCullough (James Garner) who has spent four years on his way to Australia and stops for a little gold prospecting. He needs a job to buy food while prospecting, as the position of sheriff is available.

O.K. I can not help it. He is handed the badge with a dent from a bullet in it.

James Garner: This must have saved his life.

Harry Morgan: It would have, if it weren't for all those other bullets.

This movie may not have all the DVD goodies you look for but it is DVD so it will last as long as the technology.

*** Support Your Local Gunfighter ***

"Have you seen Elmer?"

Latigo Smith (James Garner) barely escapes marital bliss with Goldie, to find himself in a situation with out money but a golden opportunity. The town he as escaped to (Purgatory) has rival mining companies digging for the motherload. Latigo teams up with Jug May (Jack Elam) who poses as Swifty Morgan, hired gun. Latigo is his agent and handles all the money.

The fun in this movie is the interaction of the characters much more than the story. One thing that struck me as funny is the scene where Col. Ames is stretching over in his stiff boots to see if Taylor Barton (Harry Morgan) is hiding under his sister's bead. Another is when Jug sees Latigo asking a woman for money, he says that he was brought up not to ask women for money. Latigo suggest that is because a woman raised him.

Who will get the load and who will get the shaft? Will the real Swifty show up? What about Goldie?

Support Your Local James Garner Fan!!!!
James Garner turns in a great performance in this pair of western spoofs, although not related to his popular Maverick role both films are similar in their comic style and Garner is just as crafty as his Bret Maverick character. In Support Your Local Sheriff, Garner is a slick drifter who accepts the job of sheriff in a small Colorado town and uses his wits and quick draw to clean up the town and win the heart of a beautiful yet clumsy lady. In Support Your Local Gunfighter, Garner is a kept man with a bad habit of losing money to the roulette wheel. He then uses another drifter to pretend to be a famous gunfighter in a scheme to make some quick money. Yet when the real gunfighter shows up it is up to Garner to save the day. The two films are quite similar and are companion films with many of the same actors and a similar plot involving a sly stranger who is able to win over the town and a lovely lady with his charm and ability to out think his opponent. I bought this combo pack for a great price; both films are very funny and are classic western spoofs along the lines of Blazing Saddles only G Rated. A great buy for any fan of James Garner or Westerns in general. Just make sure you get both films in this neat combo and save a few bucks while your at it.

Two great films. But.
These two films are as good as it gets when it comes to comedy westerns. The only problem is the colors on Support Your Local Sheriff are somewhat faded and too red. The print is clear without any scratches or other defects. It's just that the colors haven't aged well. I watched it on several sources so it isn't just the color being off on a particular TV. I still found it quite watchable. It was at most a minor annoyance.

Funny and non-violent Western
James Garner, with his dry and well timed humor, and inventive ways of outsmarting the bad guys turns a gun-toting Western into a fun filled frolic, suitable for family viewing. A don't miss! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Yul Brynner returns to lead a new band of gunfighters in this sequel to the classic Magnificent Seven, which delivers enough Western action to please genre fans. Return has Brynner's Chris recruiting a new Seven to rescue original member Chico (Julian Mateos, replacing Horst Buchholz), who has been kidnapped by a bandit (Emilio Fernandez). The Magnificent Seven is such an established critical and fan favorite that comparisons between it and Return will inevitably yield negative reactions, and while some aspects of the second film are inferior (in particular, a colorless new Seven, save for veteran scene-stealers Claude Akins and Warren Oates), it's capably directed by Western specialist Burt Kennedy, who is aided in no small part by returning composer Elmer Bernstein's rousing score. Two sequels followed--Guns of the Magnificent Seven and The Magnificent Seven Ride!--with George Kennedy and Lee Van Cleef, respectively, in the Brynner role. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Good but not great sequel
Return of the Magnificent Seven is a good sequel that picks up ten years after the first one ended. The story follows Chris, the gunman in black, who is trying to free Chico, from the original seven, from a bandit who has kidnapped the men from several small villages. Joining Chris is another group that he puts together to help him free his old friend, Chico. This is an exciting movie that examines several questions about the Old West. What if ten years after it happened these men are beginning to think if they have accomplished anything or what is their value? The movie poses this question as the seven ride to Chico's rescue.

The only returning star from the original is Yul Brynner who takes the role of Chris again and plays it to perfection. Robert Fuller takes the role of Vin, previously played by Steve McQueen. This movie could have been much better with McQueen in the role. Other members of the Seven include Warren Oates, Claude Akins, Julian Mateos, Virgilio Texiera, and Jordan Christopher. Also starring are Emilio Fernandez, Elisa Montes, and Fernando Rey. Part of the problem with this sequel is that the characters are not as likable as those in the original. The film is still very good, but just doesn't reach the same level of the first one. Elmer Bernstein's music is still one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all-time. The DVD is pretty good with a widescreen presentation and theatrical trailer included. Different tone than the original Magnificent Seven(still a classic) but a good movie nonetheless. Check it out!

MISUNDERSTOOD SEQUEL THAT ENTERTAINS
Yes this one is darker than the first, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's a very good film if accepted for it's what it is: a great Western. I'm glad they didn't just copy the first but came up with a different and darker approach that really drew me in. I know that the party line has been to dislike this sequel, but man is it great! Some have said on here that there's no character development. Not true! There's plenty of depth here. Not as much humor as the first perhaps, but it's gritty and really entertained this Western fan. Great cast. Great action. Plenty of absorbing character elements that drew me in. Much better than some say it is. I loved every second of this movie.

Brooding and Absorbing Sequel
Scratching deeper beyond the surface one can find RETURN OF THE SEVEN to be significantly different from its predecessor, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. It is much more than a thematically framed sequel which it can easily be mistaken for. RETURN OF THE SEVEN is a dark film and it does not offer the hope of a truly optimistic future for any of its characters. In this respect it is a complete inversion of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Through their catharsis in the original we saw an attempt at redemption through an act of nobility on the part of the seven. They truly were noble and I believe were redeemed for their transgressions as gunmen. Some thought they could start their lives over again but inevitably they could not. That film had to end as it did with the seven ultimately all committed to their singular code of ethics and morality in an emotionally charged finale. In this film there is very little emotion on the surface. Instead director Burt Kennedy gives us a thought provoking study into the human psyche and the very nature of defeatism of the human spirit. In this film there are no pretensions on the part of the seven. For most of them this is just another gun job. There are no higher aspirations that they are cognizant of. If it were not this job, it would be the next. To tell his story Burt Kennedy focuses almost entirely on the character of Chris the leader, perfectly portrayed again by Yul Brynner. This is not really a tale of the seven. Instead Kennedy uses Brynner with all his aplomb and apparent stoicism to curiously examine and probe the motivations of the other six, Lorca the villain (pompously played by Mexican director Emilio Fernandez) and several other key characters. In effect Kennedy takes what was apparently a happy or satisfactory ending from THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and asks what if. What if 10 years later the remaining characters are not so contented as prior events led us to believe they would be? Would friends be willing go up against innumerable odds? Would strangers once again sign on to go up against those same innumerable odds? Do the strong still have to help the weak? And who really are the strong and the weak? When 50 or more marauding vaqueros whisk away Chico (Julian Mateos) and other Mexican farmers from surrounding villages Chris and Vin (Robert Fuller) agree to come to his aid. However it is Chris alone that recruits the members of the "seven" this time out. Kennedy singularly endows Chris a sense of morality and level headedness in this film that comes from his wisdom and manner of nobility. In effect this is Brynner's film all the way. Just as John Sturges' directorial style was so smooth that his own storytelling glossed right over the depth and complexity of his own work so is Burt Kennedy's. However, Kennedy is challenged with a very dark and brooding tale to tell. Where Sturges' THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN could easily have been taken on a purely action film level and still been successful, Kennedy does not have that luxury. Kennedy has to deliver an action film built on previous events and he also has to approach the story from a different perspective to remain fresh yet keep it thematically to the concept of the original "Seven." Not an easy task! If the viewer does not look deeply into this film it may just appear as a well produced 'dud.' However, I believe Kennedy succeeds far beyond expectations the more times I view this film. Again it comes back to Brynner. He makes members of the seven (Vin, Chico and Colbee) all come to realizations about themselves with his subtle yet profound dialogue. He gives Riker and Luis a chance at redemption even though both men come from total opposites of the spectrum. He helps the failed priest rise from his failures "at least as far as his knees." Chris even gives Lorca, the villain a chance to ride out because when Chris was younger he gave him the same chance. However, Chris refuses to let Lorca now bathe his personal grief as an ineffectual father "in other men's blood." Yet even Lorca is literally redeemed by the end of the film. When Petra tells Chris that the farmers will never forget them he simply replies, "That's all a man can ask." That is the mystique and legacy of the "seven." Even the character of Chris is endowed with human flaws. He recklessly took on the young Manuel rounding out the seven "for luck" with tragic results and we see Brynner deeply grieved on the screen. This is a film of hard lessons learned. Technically this is a well-made film. The cinematography is full of crane, dolly and tracking shots, which gives it both perspective and movement. Bernstein's score is full and lush and this is the single cohesive element that keeps the seven together. The set designs are dark, grim and rustic giving the film a pensive psychological depth. The payoff for Brynner and the viewer comes in the final shot. Looking at the farmers rebuilding the village he comments, "I'll be damned." Vin looks at him and responds, "I doubt that. I doubt that very much." They both ride off. They just don't make heroes like that any more.

Great movie!!
This is a favorite along with the first, "The Magnificent Seven". There is a good plot and plenty of action. Both this movie as well as the first one have moral messages. Also both movies are really about the Vietnam War. The Magnificent Seven relaesed in I believe 1960 when our military advisors were in Vietnam. Remember the villagers asked for help from the Americans? The seven trained the villagers just like our forces in Vietnam did. Also the second movie released in 1966, just two years after official combat in Vietnam for our troops. Again strong parallels with the seven against the tyrant bully (North Vietnamese communism) and the seven (America). Who said Hollywood can't disguise a movie and subliminally give a message by the government to help influence us. Again the movie is great and with great performances by Yul Brynner, Robert Fuller Warren Oates, and Claude Akins. Good performnce by Emilio Fernandez as Lorca and Fernando Reyes as the priest, others also. I enjoyed this one better than the first one.

Underated, action crammed sequel!
This film (for almost no reason) was called drab and boring. It is neither. Explosive, exciting action scenes (the last one where they fend off hunreds of outlaws), great backrounds, and a good story is not what I call drab and dull. I don't care if Steve McQueen was absent, in fact I was relieved. He gave a boring, wooden indian performance in the first film (not to mention boring diologe. I did miss Charles Bronsan (who was killed in the first one).

There's almost no dull moments, so go rent it or buy it. It's a good pick for action or western fans. Peace out! ... Read more

Description

An intergalactic warrior, stranded on Earth, spends his downtime with a mild-mannered architect and his family. Starring Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd. Year: 1992 Director: Burt Kennedy Starring: Hulk Hogan, Christopher LLoyd, Shelley Duvall ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Must See For Wrestling Fans
Not only does this movie feature Hulk Hogan, but it also features Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) as Hutch, one of the bounty hunters. The plot is terrrible, the characters are a bit dull, but you'll find the movie itself is absolutely hilarious. I never thought I'd see the Undertaker in a movie as goofy as this one!

Hulk Hogan is a comic genius!!
Hulk Hogan will leave you in stitches as you watch Suburban Commando.

The Hulkster plays Shep Ramsey, an interstellar hero, who fights space villians. His ship is damaged after a fight with an interstellar nasty and he must hide out on Earth until it can recharge. So he moves in with Christopher Lloyd's suburban family.

Christopher Lloyd plays a timid little man who is pushed around by everyone. The Hulkster teaches his to pray, eat his vitamins, and stand up for himself.

The jokes in this flick are so funny! I was laughing so hard that I passed out. The scene where the car alarm is afraid of Hulk Hogan is outrageously funny. That scene works on so many levels! You'll lose control when you see it. Also, the scene with the mime is uproarious!

In short, this is another Hulk Hogan masterpiece. You have to watch it.

The Incredible Hulkster
Any body who does not Hogan or wrestling, then they dissmiss this movie, and anything any other wrestler has ever made.... or they dont like the fact that this is a fammilly action/comedy movie, and not a kick ass ,bad boy ,blow up the bad guy and be a man kind of thing?!

This is my fav movie that Hogan has made. It kind of spoofs Star Wars in a way in the begining. I kind of describe the movie as "what if someone from Star Wars came to Earth for a vacation?"

Hogan plays a space warrior who is informed to take a vacation after a battle. He comes to Earth to recharge his ship and blend in for a little while, he gets to know the locals, and becomes almost part of Charlie Wilcocks family (Christopher Lyodd) while beeing persued by a couple of intergalctic bounty hunters. One of which is Mark Calaway , a wrestler known as The Undertaker. Also starring Shelly Deval, and the funny Larry Miller. This is a fammily action/comedy movie. So if your into a pure action movie, give this one a skip. But if you want a movie of this calibur, then check it out, its a great price for such a DVD.... tho im disapointed that it dosent come with any Deleted Scenes, or any bonus features apart from a trailer and a game where you see a picture and then guess which movie it is from, and try to get 10 out of 10.... its a great deal on a pretty good movie! Only Hogan haters, or people expecting it to be more adult will say bad things about it i think? It has some great laughs for a fammily night in.

Brilliant social commentary on the price of suburban ennui
Strasbourg-trained method actor Hulk Hogan shines in this brutally honest adaptation of David Mamet's play "Suburban Commando." More allegory than call to arms, this film explores the dangerous price of middle-class banality in much the same way as "Falling Down."

Charlie Wilcox (Christopher Lloyd) is a middle-aged mortgage broker who is truly stuck in a life void of living. His marriage to wife Jenny (Shelly Duvall looking creepier than ever) lovelessly goes through the motions. Family life for Charlie isn't much better as his dropout son sells MDMA out of his Camaro, and his daughter drunkenly sleeps with everyone at her high school. Charlie's neighbors have killed the Wilcox family dog as vengeance for waking them up with the lawnmower too early one Saturday morning. Charlie has wild dreams of his lone male encounter in college. Life is a wreck of night sweats, confusion, regret, hatred, pills, and alcohol.

Perusing the "Men Seeking Men" section of the local weekly for the first time one afternoon, Charlie's fortune takes a sudden turn. He works up the nerve to call an ad promising "one cocky muscle boy and elderly gimp" who will deliver "better than any maleman." Charlie meets Shep Ramsey (Hogan) and Colonel Dusty (Jack Elam in the role that defines his career) at a local tavern and baits his new pals on his plan of suburban destruction with ecstacy stolen from his son. The hit list first comes to Charlie and crew as his Glock-packing son tracks down his stolen goods only to meet his doom from Shep's wet-hot rippling muscles. Soon everyone in Charlie's life is at risk, even Charlie himself. The action pumps up furiously to an explosive climax that you'll want to watch again and again.

Hogan went on to do some amazing work in "Mr. Nanny" (which garnered an Oscar nomination) and "Santa With Muscles," but it was "Suburban Commando" that really earned his star on the Hollywood Walk. His performance here drips with the kind of homoerotic sizzle that has defined his career in the ring as well as on stage and film. Highly recommended.

Five stars.

Good ol' Hulk
Another Hulk Hogan movie not worth seeing... do'nt waste y our time watching another crappy wrestler acting. Good ol' Hulk Hogan is dressing like He-Man and does legdrops on little kids. Hell, Goldberg wasn't this bad in Universal Soldier 2.

If you wanna watch a good movie, hceck out Sting's Shudder Speed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

James Garner returns for this pseudosequel to Support Your Local Sheriff, this time as a gigolo con man mistaken for a legendary killer. Escaping matrimonial entanglements, he lands in the town of Purgatory in the midst of a raging war between gold miners racing for the mother lode. In a play right out of Maverick, he quickly casts drifter Jack Elam into the gunfighter role and names himself the man's agent, selling his services to the highest bidder and pocketing a sizable commission. Garner double-talks his way through one deal after another with a wink and a smile while Elam growls and swaggers and rolls his eyes, playacting the role of the cold-blooded gunslinger like a wild-eyed clown. Suzanne Pleshette shoots up the town as Garner's romantic interest, a tomboy in buckskin with an itchy trigger finger and lousy aim, and Chuck Conners walks tall as the real bald-as-a-billiard-ball killer. Apart from the tongue-in-cheek tone and returning cast members (Elam, Harry Morgan, Henry Jones, and Gene Evans are among the familiar faces joining Garner), the film has little in common with Sheriff and never quite recaptures the clever twists and low-key hilarity, but this is a cast who knows how to deliver a gag, and Kennedy's laid-back direction keeps an even, affectionately spoofing tone throughout. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A classic Western spoof
This is the sequel to the outrageously funny Support Your Local Sheriff. In this film, James Garner plays the con-man Latigo Smith, a man with a passion for foolish bets at the Roulette table and who has just ditched his boisterous fiancee. As far as Smith knows, his biggest problem is getting the tattoo of her name off his chest, but things quickly become more complicated for him when he loses all his money and decides to help a local cowhand (Jack Elam) impersonate a famous gunfighter. Hilarity ensues as the scheme is found out and Smith has to concoct plan after plan to cover himself.

Many members of the comedy troupe from Support Your Local Sheriff are in this movie. Besides Garner and Elam, the very funny Harry Morgan stars, again, as a mining tycoon. Suzanne Pleshette is the love interest this time, and stars as Patience, a half-crazy tomboy whose name is ill-deserved and who is a lousy aim with a gun (fortunately for Smith). This movie never quite reaches the comic peak of the prequel, mostly because the former movie touched on so many of the contemporary Hollywood cliches and seemed a fitting parody of the sheriff common in most of those films. Still, this is a funny movie, a fitting sequel. Watch them both--you won't be disappointed.

Not quite as good as "Support your local sheriff"
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER is a fun romp through the old west, well, sort of (the old west was probably never really like it's prortayed in the movies). Anyway, James Garner is the main attraction in this show, pulling on audience appeal developed in the movie SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF (which is definitely a 5-star show).

The reason that I awarded "Gunfighter" only 4 stars is that as a sort of a sequel to "Sheriff," "Gunfighter's" story line is not as crisp, not as well developed...it's as if most of the best ideas were used up during the writing and filming of "Sheriff." "Gunfighter" still has a good dose of humor, and all the melodramatic elements of "Sheriff": a good guy (Garner), some bad guys to help make Garner's character look good, a beautiful lady in distress, and lots of bystanders who provide character and body to the film. Garner does not, however, come across as being as clever or as likeable as he did in "Sheriff."

This movie, while definitely worth a look, is not, in my opinion, on par with "Support Your Local Gunfighter."

A good show, definitely 4 or 4.5 stars, but not a 5 star option.

If you like western comedies you will enjoy this show!

Alan Holyoak

Low-grade western farce
This is a farce made as a followup to a fantastic western farce, Support Your Local Sheriff. The plot in this film is weak and gets its laughs from a few lame gags. Harry Morgan is not up to form in this film. The whole film seems poorly written and made in slipshod fashion.

My Favorite Garner movie of all time
For a fun, family friendly movie, that you'll want to bring on a trip in your motor home this is one of them. Ranking my Favorite James Garner movies came down to the two Support your... movies for number 1 and 2. I had to good with the one that had the sidewinder, Susan Plesette and the X-Rifleman and Cub second baseman Swifty Morgan.

SYLSheriff came in second because he was just passin thru on his way to australia anyway.

A classic comedy
This film is better then "Support your Local Sheriff". The comedy is better and snappier, and the plot is far better. The other film is so full of cliches, it loses it's luster pretty quick. If you enjoy classic films, or comedy, you will love this film. IMO, you can live without "Support your Local Sheriff". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A movie for even non-western fans!
I'm not a western fan, but I enjoyed this movie! Country & western singer Willie Nelson does a great job portraying his villainy character, John Henry Lee, a person that tries to blow up a railroad. Former 70's teen rock idol Shaun Cassidy's acting has improved since his work as Joe Hardy on T.V.'s "Hardy Boys Mysteries", even though he still pursued his acting career after the show ended in T.V. and national theatre, and is now a T.V. producer and writer. He does fairly well playing a young gang leader named Cotton. For a T.V. movie, this is made on a good budget and still gets played on T.V. stations. Check it out if you see it advertise on your local T.V. listings! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

1970's Nasville Murder Mystery with Tom Selleck
CONCRETE COWBOYS is a very funny movie set in 1970's Nashville starring Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed(Country Music Artist and Co-star of Smokey and the Bandit Movies). Selleck and Reed are a couple of con-artist cowboys from Montana who end up in Nashville in the adventure of their lives.

The movie starts with Selleck and Reed playing a game of poker at a truck stop, where Reed gets them beat up and chased out of town. They hop a freight-train where they wind up in Nashville, Tennessee. Coincidentally, Reed has a friend that lives in Nashville that he calls to find a place to stay. The guy that Reed calls happens to be going out of town and lets them stay at his apartment and drive his corvette, which is very convenient for these two traveling hobos. Selleck and Reed come to find out that this guy is a private detective and they take a case to find a missing girl. Along the way they meet several country music stars such as Roy Acuff and Ray Stevens. I won't give away the suprise ending or any of the twists that befall these two lovable losers, but you won't be dissapointed.

Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed are great as cowboy buddies taking a murder case while posing as private detectives. Jerry Reed is the conniving slick one of the pair while Tom Selleck is the somewhat dumb one, but he does carry a set of encyclopedias with him throughout the entire movie so he can "get himself some learnin".

This is a great movie for anyone that likes country music, since it is full of songs by Jerry Reed, live performances by Ray Stevens, and other country songs of the late 70's. Also, this movie is a great look at all the Nashville landmarks like the Opryland Hotel, Parthenon, and Country Music Hall of Fame. I first saw this movie at about 1:00 in the morning on TBS a few years ago, and having lived in the Nashville area all my life it was funny to see the city 25 years ago. Plus it is only $5.00 so what's really stopping you from buying it...trust me you'll like it even if its just for the cheesiness.

disappointed
We do not think this video is worth purchasing. After receiving it and viewing it we were disappointed in its storyline and also the quality of the tape itself. I didn't think I would find a Tom Selleck movie I wouldn't want to watch but this is the one.

Pretty good movie
This was a pretty good comedy/action movie. Tom Selleck is a great actor overall. Its a "older movie", but was still entertaning. Well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

not good
i bought this dvd and i regret it completely... it sounds really bad for what i had expected

Great book, bad movie
I was excited about seeing this movie because I am a huge Jim Thompson fan. Unfortunately, the people involved in producing this movie were unable to replicate the feel of the novel.

Solid performance by Keach, but read the book first.
Keach plays a deputy sheriff in a small town who's everyone's buddy. He's the kind of guy who settles barfights and counsels couples and gets kids cats down out of trees. Thing is, he's also a psychopathic killer who's quickly losing his grip on reality, and his ability to fool the people around him. KILLER INSIDE ME follows him through his rapid decline and ultimate doom. I looked for YEARS to find this movie, because I'm a HUGE fan of the book of the same name by Jim Thompson (who also wrote THE GETAWAY, THE GRIFTERS, and a number of other gritty, suspenseful books that became solid films). Ultimately, I was a little disappointed with this movie. In the book, the main character (it's told in first person from his perspective) is pure evil personified. He knows what he's doing is wrong and doesn't care a bit. In fact, he gets off on it! Hollywood had to make Keach a "poor victim" by pitching him as a nice guy whose terrible childhood catches up with him, and that kind of blew is for me. I mean, we're supposed to be rooting AGAINST this guy! That's the whole irony of the book! That said, Keach's performance is great (the way his eyes glaze over when his evil side comes out is just perfect), as is Susan Tyrell's performance as a scheming hooker. (Tyrell also co-starred with Keach in John Huston's wonderful FAT CITY, a film I HIGHLY recommend.) There aren't ANY extra features on this DVD (no production notes, commentaries, etc), and it's in full-screen, but you can't beat the price! In short, I'd recommend this movie if you're a Keach/Jim Thompson fan, but you should read the book (which I'd just bet you could find right here on this site) first. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

1970's Nasville Murder Mystery with Tom Selleck
CONCRETE COWBOYS is a very funny movie set in 1970's Nashville starring Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed(Country Music Artist and Co-star of Smokey and the Bandit Movies). Selleck and Reed are a couple of con-artist cowboys from Montana who end up in Nashville in the adventure of their lives.

The movie starts with Selleck and Reed playing a game of poker at a truck stop, where Reed gets them beat up and chased out of town. They hop a freight-train where they wind up in Nashville, Tennessee. Coincidentally, Reed has a friend that lives in Nashville that he calls to find a place to stay. The guy that Reed calls happens to be going out of town and lets them stay at his apartment and drive his corvette, which is very convenient for these two traveling hobos. Selleck and Reed come to find out that this guy is a private detective and they take a case to find a missing girl. Along the way they meet several country music stars such as Roy Acuff and Ray Stevens. I won't give away the suprise ending or any of the twists that befall these two lovable losers, but you won't be dissapointed.

Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed are great as cowboy buddies taking a murder case while posing as private detectives. Jerry Reed is the conniving slick one of the pair while Tom Selleck is the somewhat dumb one, but he does carry a set of encyclopedias with him throughout the entire movie so he can "get himself some learnin".

This is a great movie for anyone that likes country music, since it is full of songs by Jerry Reed, live performances by Ray Stevens, and other country songs of the late 70's. Also, this movie is a great look at all the Nashville landmarks like the Opryland Hotel, Parthenon, and Country Music Hall of Fame. I first saw this movie at about 1:00 in the morning on TBS a few years ago, and having lived in the Nashville area all my life it was funny to see the city 25 years ago. Plus it is only $5.00 so what's really stopping you from buying it...trust me you'll like it even if its just for the cheesiness.

disappointed
We do not think this video is worth purchasing. After receiving it and viewing it we were disappointed in its storyline and also the quality of the tape itself. I didn't think I would find a Tom Selleck movie I wouldn't want to watch but this is the one.

Pretty good movie
This was a pretty good comedy/action movie. Tom Selleck is a great actor overall. Its a "older movie", but was still entertaning. Well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Horror Express
This film is about an alien killing passengers aboard a train from Peking to Moscow. The main actors are Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing who play British scientists. Lee brings a fossilised apeman aboard the train, unaware that an alien lies dormant within it. It is let loose and kills people, including the train baggage man, a Russian soldier, a woman spy, two scientists (one of whom happened to be Cushing's assistant), a Russian count, and a Russian army patrol, including its leader, played by Telly Savalas. The alien posseses a police inspector and priest to kill. The film ends with the alien (as the priest) dying whilst trying to stop the train from falling over a cliff. The plot is good, showing how the alien absorbing its victim's memories through their eyes (resulting in the victims having white eyes and empty brains) so that it can find a way to go back to its home world in outer space. The film has a haunting whilstling tune.

All Aboard!!
HORROR EXPRESS is a wild movie! Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing play rival scientists (Saxon and Wells) who must band together to battle the force that is loose on the trans-siberian express. People are being killed by having their brains emptied of all memories, their eyes turning white. Has the "fossil" that Saxon has brought aboard sprung to life? Can it be stopped before killing everyone? This is no ordinary hunk of cheese! Lee and Cushing are great together (as usual). Telly Savalas is over-the-top but quite enjoyable as the head cossak. Check out the crazy monk who decides to give up on God and serve "satan" (the creature) instead! Talk about a fast switch of sides! This movie is engaging and fun to watch. Sort of a cross between MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, THE CRATE (found on CREEPSHOW by Stephen King), and a really good X-FILES episode. Hop on the train and enjoy...

Decent Horror Movie but watch out for the versions
I bought this movie after seeing it on TV. It is a decent little horror flick, BUT the copy I got (cover "Different from the one shown", quoted from the remarks by the seller, for used/new marketplace copies) is from Diamond Entertainment. Packaged attractively, professionally, and with some (useless)special features -- don't be fooled, this is a BAD transfer to DVD. Some scenes inexplicably shimmer, as if you were looking at some gently sloooooshing water. Overall, the image quality is BAD, like it was filmed from a film screen rather than a direct transfer from an original source. Watch out. Don't waste hard earned money on bad copies, unless you are desparate.

Early Tribute To Lovecraft!!!
Ok, first off Christopher Lee (crappy Starwars) and Peter Cushing (kool Starwars) known for decades of horror fame, are both in this awsome film, and Diamond Entertainment has recently released it on DVD for only $5.00, so...
...like buy it already.

As for the movie itself, yes it does have two horror icons in possibly there best movie ever, but it also serves as a very kool tribute of sorts to H.P. Lovecraft, the plot is great, I had no problems with the acting, the white eyes were great, and it kept me interested all the way, though be warned action fans, there is no action here, just an evolving tale with character developement, better stick with your Independance Day crap if that ain't your thing, it has aliens and product placement, not to mention a cheesey corprate sound track all of which is void from this awsome movie! :)

WARNING, PLOT LEAK AHEAD!!!!

Ok, so Lee finds this frozen monster which he thinks will explain a vital part of man's past. He loads it up on a train, and the monster escapes, and begins to kill, they kill the monster, ect ect. But...

...the murders continue, and every victum is found with his eyes completely white, and his brain void of any wrinkles or memories. Along the way they discover that the monster was an alien older than mankind itself, and is capable of transfering itself into other living beings. On top of that, it can also absorb all the information out of a human's brain, and know what they know, giving it an upper hand in survival and blending in with everyone on the train.
The aspect I really enjoyed about this is the Kristian Fanatic! The guy strongly resembles the street person who claims the cube at the end of the 1st (and only true) Hell Raiser film. On top of this Lee and Cushing are persistant to prove to him that his beliefs are all a bunch of idiotic superstition.
When they discover that the alien's cut out eye, contains image imprints of the various things it has seen, and that one of them is a view of the planet Earth from space, they instantly call for the Fanatic to have a look in the micro-scope, and as anyone with blind faith would do, he instantly starts rambling about how it is the eye of Satan, and is a vision of him being cast out from Heaven. What makes this even more awsome and darker is the fact that he steals the eye, and is later corned in the same room with the alien, where he watches it kill a lady, then comes out from hiding, and throws himself before it, asking if it were going to kill him too, at which it replys that there is nothing in his head that he would find useful! And just to step it up a tad bit more, the fanatic gives the eye to the alien so no one else will see it, then goes are far to begin worshipping the alien and becomes its servent, and eventually the "temple for its soul"!
Can't beat that for $5.00.

A defininate must for any reader of Lovecraft or Clive Barker!

THE ICEMAN COMETH WITH HORROR
A frozen neanderthal man comes alive on a train in Russia in the early 1900s and terrorizes crew and passengers for the durarion of the film. Exceptional cast including Christopher Lee as a pioneering scientist and Telly Savalas in a bizarre role as a westerner turned Russian super-trooper. A rather ingenius wild science plotline with regards to '70s infatuation with alien theories about the origin of Earth, as suggested in such '60s-'70s pulp non-fiction like "Chariots of the Gods". Seems a bit inspired by the 1951 ckassic sci-fi, "The Thing From Another World". ... Read more