Tombstone

Tombstone (1993)

Runtime: 130 minutes

Directed by: George P. Cosmatos

Starring: An incredible cast; it includes Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, and Dana Delaney

From: Hollywood Pictures

Of course this is yet another deal for me where I look back at a movie I had seen before but the last viewing was many years ago. I had it in my head for awhile to watch this again, and that is what I finally did last night. I was happy to see this again. I talk about it in my Letterboxd review below: 

For me, sometimes the hardest struggle of the day is deciding among the wide selection of choices I have just which particular motion picture I want to watch. Sometimes I just decide on a whim to pick something out of nowhere. This is what happened here; at times I thought of revisiting this as the last viewing was way too long ago, but they were fleeting thoughts. Finally, it came to mind last night at the right time so I was hoping I made the right choice and my memories of youth weren't in error; thankfully those memories were correct.

The plot is straightforward: legendary lawman Wyatt Earp and his brothers arrive in Tombstone, Arizona. He says that he is retired but a dastardly bunch of bandits known as The Cowboys-who always wear red sashes-raise hell so the siblings have to mount up and protect the town. Things escalate (even after the famed Gunfight at the O.K. Corral) and you see much in the way of gun battles and male posturing.

I don't know all the details but I know that there were various production issues and drama on set; considering all that it is quite fortunate that we were able to get a memorable picture that acquired many passionate fans at the time and even now there are plenty that love it. I've heard plenty of praise over the years. Looking at its cast, what an incredible lineup of people, from Kurt Russell (no relation, sadly) and Val Kilmer (what an amazing performance as Doc Holliday) to Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Sam Elliott, Dana Delaney-who definitely had the biggest female role and even Charlton Heston. Then, there's the faces that became more famous later, such as Stephen Lang, Thomas Haden Church and Billy Bob Thornton.

I understand some of the complaints that have been made about this; it is true that most of the female roles are little more than window dressing, and it's a he-man macho film with some over the top melodrama and a few silly situations. Even with all that said, this is still a thrilling movie to watch, as there are badasses all over the place (both with the good guys and the bad guys) who chew up the scenery and do awesome and/or over the top things. It was simply a good time and it reminds me that I need to see more films in the Western genre in general.