Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 21:24:45

"Not me, I'm in my prime"

Val Kilmers performance as Doc Holliday should have gave him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1993.It was clearly the best performance to date of his carreer.Hollywood just seems to ignore and dismiss this type of movie. Kilmer steals the show from Kurt Russell,as Wyatt Earp.The powerful cast includes Micheal Biehn as Johnny Ringo, Sam Elliott as Virgil Earp, Stephan Lang as Ike Clanton, as well as Powers Booth, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton,Michael Rooker, Billy Zane,Jason Priestley, and last but not least, Charlton Heston in a cameo appearance as rancher John Hooker.Again, Kilmer steals the show as Doc Holliday.His performance as a retired dentist that suffers from alcoholism and tuberculosis, is nothing less than masterful, first rate acting. Dennis Quaid played the same character in "Wyatt Earp" that came out about six months later, and this reviewer thinks his performance, while good, was not up to the same standard as Kilmer.There are many "one liners"that everone remembers and have become classic.A definite "must see" western that I would rate in the top five for all-time for this genre.

athenafromnewathens 2012-05-25 03:16:49

The Last Charge of Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) arrives in the town of Tombstone withbrothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). The brotherswant to start a new life with their wife's as a family. Wyatt broughtthem together in a new town that offers opportunity. This was theirchance to have a normal life.The heartless, no good for nothing cowboys had also settled in the townof Tombstone. They follow no laws and by no means are going to abide bythe laws of the town. The town's sheriff was murdered by one of thecowboys. This sets stage for the shoot out at the OK Corral. Wyattrefuses the original offer to be the law of the town but brothersVirgil and Morgan accept the offer. They cannot stand by and have thecowboys ruin the lives of the town people. This is where Virgil standshis ground and announces that no guns can be carried in town. Thecowboys refuse to follow the law and are confronted by the Earpbrothers and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer).Wyatt vows to the cowboys that they are finished. With spur marks leftacross his face Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang) was given the message todeliver "the law is coming and hell is coming with it." Wyatt and Docride country side killing those wearing red sashes that indicated theywere associated with the cowboys. It was a fight for justice that hadno reckoning.This has to be one of my favorite films. The performances by KurtRussell and Val Kilmer are excellent. The film was directed by GeorgeP.Cosmato. The movie provides plenty of action drama and is by far oneof the best westerns made. I loved the humorous remarks made by DocHolliday. "I'm your Huckleberry" meaning I'm the perfect man for thejob. Val Kilmer has proved with his performance as Doc Holliday that hetruly is the perfect man for the job.

2012-05-24 02:20:09

"Say When"

I am only just really a kid and all I have to say is that I love this movie!. Val Kilmer is now a major crush on my list an has proven to be one of the best unrated actors in the job. His acting as Doc should have won him a Oscar. i have never seen anyone take a character and make it their own. All the actors did a great job making their cahracters come alive. But out of all of them Val did the best. The story was very good and the director's cut is great, showing parts that should have been the first one. Over all one of the best Western movies ever made, even better than Dances with Wolves!

2012-05-23 19:27:12

Superb!

I'm not a fan of westerns at all, I've never liked them. However, "Tombstone" is one of my favorite movies. I can't even begin to comment on the excellent performance that Val Kilmer gives, it's almost too perfect. And even besides Kilmer, I've never seen Kurt Russell give a better performance; not to mention the vast array of other acting talent in this movie. This is an absolute must-see movie. It's excellent.

maddylangham 2012-05-23 09:17:49

I'm ya huckleberry......

Directed by George P.Cosmatos,this 1993 version of the battle at theO.K Corral is much more historically accurate than John Fords MyDarling Clementine.Gritty,thrilling and featuring a career bestperformance by Val Kilmer as consumptive gunman Doc Holliday.Tombstone features one of the best portrayals of the friendship betweenDoc and Wyatt Earp,Wyatt is the only true friend Doc has ever had andDoc can read him like a book and knows him better than he knowshimself.As well as lines that will make you howl with laughter(mostlycourtesy of Doc).America 1879,armed gangs wreak havoc across the country most notablythe "cowboys" and legendary lawman Wyatt Earp(Kurt Russell)hangs up hisgun and badge for good and moves out west to live a quiet and regularlife with his brothers.There's Virgil the eldest(Sam Elliott),Morgan(Bill Paxton)and theirwives Allie(Paula Malcomson),Louisa(Lisa Collins)and Wyatt's new brideMattie(Dana Wheeler-Nicholson).They move to the town ofTombstone,Arizona and buy some property.However it's not long beforethey discover the residents are terrorised by the "cowboys"and Wyattsoon finds himself putting on his Marshalls badge once again.Running into John "Doc" Holliday(Val Kilmer)who's come out west for hishealth(he suffers from TB),Wyatt takes on the gang at the O.K Corraland a legend is born.However the gunfight is only the beginning of thestory which descends deeper and deeper into violence.As for the villains great performances come in the form of PowersBoothe as Curly Bill Brocius,Stephen Lang as Ike Clanton and MichaelBiehn steals the show as devils spawn gunslinger Johnny Ringo who justcould be more than a match for Doc.There's a small appearance byCharlton Heston as rancher Henry Hooker who helps shelter the Earpswhen they run into trouble.If there's a weak spot it's the romance between Wyatt and actressJosephine Marcus(Dana Delany).It all seems a bit rushed and drags thefilm too much.That being said Dana does her best with an underdevelopedcharacter but it's the least convincing element of the film.I also feltthat the the actual O.K Corral battle was a bit of an anti climax butthe last half of the film more than makes up for it as do the leadperformances.Exciting,touching and thrilling Tombstone is a great adaptation of thestory of one of the greatest lawmen in history.

2012-05-22 22:13:58

Kilmer, Boothe, and Biehn

There are three reasons to own a copy of this movie, and two of them are portraits of souls entangled in lives dedicated to making the wrong choices. Doc Holliday's life isn't really the model of adjustment and happiness, either - but Mr Kilmer earns the right to be called "Mister" in this movie. He doesn't just portray The Man Gone Wrong - he takes a part that could have turned into a real floater and made it himself. Mr Kilmer IS John Holliday, odd Southern idiom and all. He is a profoundly sick man - in more ways than one - who shines in his devotion to the man who may just be his only friend in the world.

2012-05-21 17:38:00

"I have not yet begun to defile myself"..

And that title line is one of Val "Doc Holliday" Kilmer's signature quotes from this incredible 1993 film. a) If you buy "Tombstone" in any commercial form, buy the Vista Series DVD. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and the extras are absolutely worth it. b) If you've seen the film in its original cut many times, it's a real revelation to see the scenes that George Cosmatos filmed but which the studio forced him to cut, for time reasons. Movies over two hours long scare studios because theatre owners don't want them because they can't cram in as many showings per day, sell fewer tickets, and makea lot less money on popcorn, hot dogs and soda, so the Director's vision suffers because of it. Why and how did Doc Holliday leave Big Nose Kate? Who is that body dragged in front of Hooker's ranch before the climactic scenes.. these and many other questions are answered when you see the original cut of the film, and finally see the deleted scenes..The extras on the second DVD will show you how a truly authentic Western was put together.. the incredible amount of care and planning that went into the detail of set and costume design and decoration. Did you know that ALL the moustaches on the cast were real? Watch the film at least once with Cosmatos' running commentary and you'll learn a lot more about one of the best, most authentic Westerns ever made. The incredible ensamble cast works perfectly together. There's a reason for it. The film LOOKS real. There's a reason for it. The most unfortunate thing about "Tombstone" is that it was released within a couple months of Kevin Costner's much more heavily hyped, three hour epic "Wyatt Earp".. the two films have many similarities, although Costner's adds a full extra hour by covering Earp's life before he takes his family to Tombstone, Arizona, after retiring as a lawman..While I like Kostner's film too, "Tombstone" is the superior of the two.. Kurt Russell and especially Val Kilmer simply shine much brighter as Wyatt and Doc, than do Costner and Dennis Quaid in the same roles.. Westerns? I have a lot of favorites. #1 - Clint Eastwood's timeless "Unforgiven." #2 - "Tombstone." #3 - the epic Cinerama "How The West Was Won." And quite a few others including "The Treasure of The Sierra Madre." Unfortunately, while very few of them are made anymore, The American Western is a film genre with literally thousands of examples, a few dozen stellar standouts, but only a dozen or so true classics.. "Tombstone" is one of them.. And The Vista Series version is not a DVD you will be trading in any time soon. It's a keeper!!..

2012-05-21 05:44:29

Frontier justice

TOMBSTONE must rank as one of the best westerns in the post-Peckinpah/Leone era. This is due to many of the traditional elements that made the western genre a uniquely American genre, not to mention the disillusionment that the characters in Peckinpah's and Leone's films felt.This film focuses on legendary Kansas lawman Wyatt Earp who hopes to stick with retirement from law enforcement by journeying with his brothers (Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton) to the Arizona mining town of Tombstone, along with Wyatt's good friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). The trouble is, however, Tombstone is a practically lawless place. And when a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys begin to turn Tombstone's streets red with the blood of innocent people, the stage is set--not merely for the celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but the revenge that comes after Paxton is killed and Elliott wounded.Much has been made of Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday, and he certainly does a lot with the role. I myself think that the real star is the often underrated Russell, who looks virtually like a dead ringer for Wyatt Earp. So often, Russell's talents were underutilized by filmmakers. Here, he really shows his mettle as an actor. Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn, as the head honchos of the Cowboys, make for incredible heavies; and the legendary Charlton Heston has a cameo as well.Well directed by George Cosmatos (RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2), scored by Bruce Broughton, and excellently photographed by William Fraker (BULLITT) on Arizona locations, TOMBSTONE is a must-see western, proof that there is still life in this genre if only Hollywood would return to it more often.

Jim Wilkins 2012-05-20 19:42:29

Truly an outstanding, well made film!!

I used to love Western movies, but the genre had all but disappeared inthefew years leading up to "Unforgiven" and eventually to "Tombstone". Thisrendition of the OK corral legend, although not all that accurate from ahistorical perspective, was without a doubt the finest ever filmed. KevinCostner's "Wyatt Earp" was a slow moving, plodding disappointment comparedto this masterpiece. The dialog in "Tombstone" is simply amazing, some ofthe most memorable lines in American movie history. Val Kilmer came of ageas Doc Holliday in this movie, he should have won an Oscar for hisportrayal.If you like good movies with a great cast, run, do walk to your nearestvideo store and add "Tombstone" to your collection!!

RAY-130 2012-05-20 11:17:47

Wyatt Earp Vs Tombstone - An unfair comparison

I have just watched back to back these two movies and ranked both an 8.Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman Etal made me feel that theirmovie was closer to history and also brought pride in their perceivedhonor. The chronicle from childhood to the 20th Century felt complete.BUT Then came Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott and Powers Boothe(Deadwood 93) etal and left me entertained to the ninth degree. Thesheer pace of this one leaves you breathless. these movies should be seen back to back and not compared as they telltwo different stories occurring at the same time and place. Costner asWyatt was more believable But Russell's Earp was more fun. Quaid wasDoc Holiday but Kilmer had a holiday with the role. I will concede thatSam Elliott made Virgil his and nobody is going to take it away. Rentor buy both movies as it a worthwhile investment of your time.

HaleStrm 2012-05-19 21:52:28

Doc's Accent

I cannot deny that Val Kilmer gave an outstanding performance. You allseemto reach consensus on that.But am I the only one who couldn't figure out "Doc's" accent? I wasn'tsureif he was Southern or South African. I was really distracted by it in theearly scenes until my mind subconsciously adapted to it.

paul Myles 2012-05-19 12:03:45

Very underrated movie in my opinion

This is without doubt one of my favourite movies.-Great performance from Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell. it was a superbportrayal of probably the wild west's most dramatic events. - astirring western that encapsulates all the emotions of the good guy vthe bad guy.I have watched this film many times and never get tired ofwatching it. Val kilmer gives a masterful performance in imitating theirrepressible "doc" Holiday who seems to care not whether he lives ordies as long as he has a good time and looks out for his inner hero"wyatt Earp" doc has an almost hypocritical love for his only realfriend and in turn Wyatt equally hypocritical uses his friend's obviouslove of violence and cavalier attitude to life to drive home his ownrules of obedience.

2012-05-18 03:02:27

Kilmer Steals The Show, But A Fine Show It Is

A terrific Western- a thoughtful screenplay - uniformly fineperformances - Russell has never been better - quality widescreencinematography - and a knockout character performance by Val Kilmer asDoc Holliday that should have won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Thisis a winner all the way.Kilmer has only 31 scenes but manages to steal every one of them with asolid, beautifully thought and felt impersonation of a Southerngentleman, owing a bit to Tennessee Williams' famous drawl. Hisconstantly drunken state - "I have two guns, one for each of you." -andhis slow, sad death from tuberculosis - are masterworks of actingtechnique. Even if you don't like westerns, see it for his remarkableperformance.

2012-05-17 18:33:56

Beautiful, vibrant and too much fun

This is not a deep or involved film, but for what it is -- a purely entertaining, exciting, funny, quotable popcorn flick -- it's perfect. Despite that Kilmer is at his most physically repulsive (i'd never have thought i'd use the words "Kilmer" and "repulsive" in the same sentence,) he is so charismatic and brilliant as Doc Holliday it's impossible not to fall in love with him. Kurt Russell, though saddled with a couple of hokey lines, is perfectly fine. The art direction, costumes and set design are inspired. The supporting cast is ideal (although I'd have liked to see more of Kate, she was a pretty amazing person in her own right.) in my clique, "why Johnny, i apologize, i forgot you were there. You may go now" has become a mantra. This one certainly sticks with you. rent it NOW! it ain't Shakespeare, but it's a blast.

Rogue-32 2012-05-16 17:54:04

Ah'm yo' huckleberry

Short and sweet: What makes this film live and breathe as deeply as it doesis Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday. This is truly one of the best marriages of anactor to his lines that I've ever experienced in a motion picture.Everything else in the film is excellent too, of course, especially therelationship between Doc and Wyatt (a superb Kurt Russell), but in the endit's Kilmer's Doc that stands towering above the fray. A classiccharacterization that will define his career.

BigBirdtheBum 2012-05-16 06:45:31

Great performances and gunfights make "Tombstone" a western to enjoy

Great performances and gunfights make "Tombstone" a western to enjoy.Well at least for me anyway, personally I have never been a big fan ofwesterns. So I may be to harsh or too lenient in my review, as I amvastly unfamiliar with what makes or breaks a western. So I will try todo my best to address all aspects of the film. The film "Tombstone" concerns three brothers; Wyatt Earp (KurtRussell), Virgil Earp (Sam Elliot) and Morgan Earp (Bill Paxton)venturing to a town called Tombstone (a developing mining town) andsettling in. Here Wyatt meets a close friend Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer).Together they attempt to rake in the bucks gambling at a local saloon.Unfortunately several misfits and murders land them in trouble with thecowboys, a ruthless gang of maniacs, who appear to be in control of thetown more than the police, or the town Marshall. After a murder of thetown sheriff the trouble really begins. This trouble leads Wyatt andhis brothers fearing for there lives, and as a result they join thepolice force. Although Wyatt initially was reluctant (as he was once alaw man) he decides to help his brothers. Violence and mayhem persistsand a war breaks out between authorities and cowboys, with moral andphysical losses on both sides. Now what everyone man or women seems in my opinion to like aboutwesterns is three things; number one- cowboys, number two- shootoutsand number three the presence of the classic saloon. "Tombstone" dishesthis out in healthy doses. Some of the memorable shootouts include the;Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (a real shootout) among others. Now theseshootouts are quick paced and feature casualties on both sides, andinclude a great variation in weaponry used. This is mixed in withmoderate amounts of blood that don't move interest away from, neitherthe brilliant sets nor the costumes, but succeed in adding realism andoccasionally shock value. Now the sets and costumes are something toreally wonder over. The costumes appear authentic and the sets just asauthentic. The sets also have a distinct warn down feel; which assistsin placing viewers in a corrupt and dusty western environment. Now aside from feeling like a western movie, the acting and thedialogue is quite authentic and enables you to really soak up theatmosphere of the picture, without being distracted by poor dialogue orbad acting. Now the best acting is given by Kilmer, who portrays DocHoliday in such a way; you really will believe he existed. Kilmerdoesn't overact at all and portrays him as a calm, but an in controlman. Dialogue associated with good acting include; "All right,Clanton... you called down the thunder, well now you've got it! You seethat?" said by Wyatt and "The Cowboys are finished, you understand? Isee a red sash, I kill the man wearin' it!", also said by Wyatt. Nowwhat makes this dialogue authentic is it doesn't seem forced and seemsto be dialogue in which someone would come p with on the spot in anactual situation. What also mesmerised me about the film is the substantial characterdevelopment that occurs. At first Wyatt and his brothers are to varyingdegrees attempting to avoid fighting the cowboys, but after a whilethey literally launch a personal vendetta against them, whichhistorical became known as the "vendetta ride". Not only are changesand conflict intriguing to watch, it also makes successful drama whichmakes "Tombstone" seem very sophisticated. Now I didn't enjoyeverything about "Tombstone", one thing that really bugged me about thefilm, was the lack of time and detail spent on developing the cowboys.Now this effected my viewing of the film quite substantially. I beganto feel as if the movie lacked in presenting villains that hasemotions, had motives and had lives. They just seemed to pop up anddisappear. The only cowboy who is talked about in some detail is Ringo(Michael Biehn), the motive for his villainous actions are; he issimply a sick, sadistic man. Now this is probably one of the biggestflaws, and won't concern most viewers aside from the very picky viewers(like me). Summing up, "Tombstone" is an enjoyable western flick that presentsbelievable characters and sets, combined with compelling gunfights andrealism that sets it apart from other "action flicks". Overall I give"Tombstone" a well earned 7.3 out of 10. Not the best western I haveseen, but pretty damn good for a modern one. Now I mentioned the filmdoes have some blood in it. But the blood is rather quick and occursinfrequently throughout the film and is not very disturbing, so anyone11 and older should be all right watching this film. Although many ofthem may find it too slow moving.

2012-05-10 16:58:50

Tombstone

The best western I've ever seen. Val Kilmer's portral of Doc Holiday should have won an award for Best suporting actor hands down.

Movie Critic in the Shape of a Rodent 2012-05-10 01:55:42

One of the better existing western movies

Overall opinion:I didn't see this movie until about 5 years after it was released and afterhearing how great it was I finally saw it and couldn't agreemore.This was a truly well made western. It had the catchy lines, the famouscharacters and a decent balance of action and acting.Plus and Minus Material (What I liked, What I didn't):+Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday +Michael Behing as Johnny Ringo+Kurt Russel as Wyatt Earp+Well written (some of my most favorite lines in movies come out ofTombstone)+Powers Boothe makes a good bad guy-It's got the expected language in parts which in some scenes ruins thewestern feeling of it all+Fairly epic for a western-Kilmer should've won an Academy Award

matthew mcconnell 2012-05-09 09:28:15

one of my favorite movies

Val Kilmer makes this movie go!!! His Doc Holliday is one of my favorite characters in any movie. When he can make sayings like, 'I'm your huckleberry' & 'Isn't that a daisy' sound so cool, you know you've got a winner. Everyone else does their part in making this movie great. Kurt Russell makes a great Wyatt Earp and the rest of the cast is quite star studded for a relatively unnoticed picture. Check out Jason Priestley, Billy Zane, Billy Bob Thorton, Dana Delaney, Sam Elliot, & Bill Paxton all with minor or supporting roles making this a great, must-see Western.

2012-05-08 17:02:18

This is a Great movie.

I have seen this movie so many times, that I can't count anymore. This move Was Great, I could have been better. A few of the shortcuts, Like not having rain on all of the visible streets when Morgan dies. Or when Morgan's Blood dosen't wash off of Wyatt in the rain. But there are too many Great lines in this to even quote one. I would say it is a MUST SEE. But only about 20 or 30 times, I should say.Hey when is the wide screen version coming out?