Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-22 14:04:20

Much Better Than I Thought It Would Be.

My former boss James told me this was a good movie, so I decided to rent it. As someone who likes Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Dickens, I was not really expecting a great movie. Boy was I wrong! The movie is NEVER boring. The images are well done, and the characters are quite captivating. The Earps build suspense well when they do not want to get involved in what's going on, but gradually find out they have no choice. Wyatt is convincing when a death in the family kills his spirit for a moment, but soon afterwards it unleashes his full fury. It is interesting how he compares himself to the 4 horsemen in Revelation. I also found it striking that some of the cowboys (the bad guys) eventually got so tired of how far their colleagues were going, that they switched right over to Wyatt's side. Kilmer and Elliot are over the top as Virgil and Doc Holiday. (Who would have thought that these actors would combine so well? Well they did!) I will conclude by saying that the movie is NOT just action. The story is well constructed and convincing. Would you believe there is even a brief scene of Marlowe's "Faustus" and Shakespeare's "Henry V?" Even if you don't really like westerns, you will probably like this one.

cutiepie31574 2013-05-22 06:41:22

Tombstone(1993) vrs Wyatt Erap(1994)

OK if you have seen Tombstone and have half a brain you wonder why theheck this movie didn't get more attention in it's time.Then, alongcomes Wyatt Erap and they promote the hell out of it and it sucked.Natuarlly being fans of Tombstone we had to check it out.I was notexpecting much from Kevin Costner you seen one of his movies you seenthem all.It was crap and it didn't compare in the least to Tombstone.Tombstone was awesome I am a big fan of Western movies.Val did a greatjob portraying Doc Holiday he's always been a virtual acting chameleon.Favorite scene besides all Doc's banter is in the first 5 minutes whenhe clears out The Oriental and bitch slaps Billy Bob Thornton and saysfav quote "you gonna do something or are you just gonna stand their andbleed".You gotta watch this movie if you like westerns or action moviesit's sorta of a guy movie but it's one of my all time favorites and I'ma chic in case you hadn't guessed. I heart Kurt Russell and Val "sexy"Killmer.

Doug Alderman 2013-05-20 00:34:24

No more comparisons

I've read every comment on the Web about this film, and a disturbingmajority of them compare it to "Wyatt Earp" starring Kevin Costner. Let'sget past the comparison.Tombstone, although released in approximately the same time frame as theother, was not intended to compete. The acting by such mega-stars as ValKilmer, Kurt Russell, Dana Delaney, in addition to a brilliant display ofdirection and production led this movie to the fame it deserves andcontinues to receive.This movie would get the Doug Alderman "10" rating without thefollowing:-romance between Wyatt and Josephine could've been better-Closed-captioning on the video uses the word "nerv-i-ous-" when itactuallydoes not appear in the script.-The three-shot shotgun messed me up in the OK Corral scene.Other than that? No problems. The directing during the horse battlescenenear the end was UNMATCHED. What I don't know is whether or notproductiondirectors were changed at this point, but I suspect theywere.My vote: 9.98

2013-05-19 19:28:20

My Favorite Western

There are so many great things about this movie. It may not be the most historically accurate, but it never strays from being ridiculous, and it always keeps its sharp wit and great action.Along with "Reservoir Dogs," "Tombstone" is a film with some of the greatest lines I've ever heard. Here's a sample:"I'm you're Huckleberry.""Drunk piano player...you can't hit nothing. In fact...you're probably seeing double." / "I have two guns, one for each of you!""I don't have the words." / "I know.""Maybe poker just isn't you game...I know! Lets have a spelling contest!"Don't be surprised if you find yourself using these lines in casual conversation (my friends and I often use the Huckleberry line ourselves).But the character, the flow of the story, and the pure charisma of the characters is all there. Every one turns in a good performance, and the good script only enhances that. I could go on about how many great feelings I have for this movie, but I'll prevent myself. This is truly a modern day classic, western or otherwise.

panamint 2013-05-19 18:19:53

What a ride......

A very good movie, well made action and with fine adult psychologicalaspects.The law was what you made it. Hard to believe, but this was westernAmerica in the 1880's. Equally unbelievable to us nowadays is the factthat Earp's ride of vengeance really happened, but it did.Outstanding performance by Russell. He nails Earp accurately, and isthe only actor to portray a sense of the personal charisma that Earpapparently had in real life. Kilmer is also excellent. He delivers avery watchable, outlandish and complex portrait of Doc Holliday that,like Russell, portrays a sense of who his character probably reallywas. Kilmer's and Russell's acting styles are so different that theyinterestingly show what a true odd couple these two historicalcharacters were.Powers Boothe portrays crazy, wild badness as the insane Curly Bill. Agreat performance that accurately provides a glimpse at one of thetypes of unrestrained humanity that were roaring across the westernlandscape in the 19th century. The other supporting actors also do afine job as they portray the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects ofhuman nature.The director and actors have obviously been to the real Tombstone,Arizona and have meticulously researched the subject matter. This isthe best of the Tombstone/Earp era movies. It is the onlyTombstone/Earp movie you will ever need to see, but anyone who is not awestern buff will also be entertained by these remarkable performances.

2013-05-18 22:28:52

Hail is coming with me!!!

Hail to the actors and producers of this motion picture!!My wife and I recently visited Tombstone, AZ. and toured the shootout site at The OK Corral which occurred on October 26, 1881. ... . Based on what I read and saw, the movie is generally accurate and based on true facts. The performance of Val Kilmer as the role of Doc Holiday should have been awarded with the best supporting actor in a major role. The Academy either ignored it, or had made a prior commitment to give it to a less deserving actor.The dvd has added feutures such as DTS and 5.1 digital channels. The quality of the picture is pure, crisp and as digital as it comes. In my honest opinion, this is the greatest western movie ever produced. A must in your library. Big thumbs up!!!

rainpeace87 2013-05-17 08:46:26

Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer at their Best

Tombstone really surprised me. I am not usually a Kurt Russell fan atall but as Wyatt Earp he was quite good in this movie. This is probablyhis best performance. I was not expecting much so I walked awaypleasantly surprised. The plot is nothing especially unique, tensionbetween good and bad leading to a showdown, but it does have somespecial qualities. The characters are well-rounded; the humor is dryand wonderful.Val Kilmer's character, Doc Holliday, is especially witty. Aside frombeing comic his character seems to have much more depth to it. He keepsup this persona of careless living even as he is slowly dying fromtuberculosis. Maybe the fact that death was imminent encouraged theidea that he had nothing to lose. Underneath the drunken exterior Docshows himself to be a true friend to Wyatt. Even though he is veryoutgoing he does not have many, if any, other true friends and thatmeans a lot to him. I especially like the scene where Wyatt is supposedto meet Johnny Ringo for a shoot-out. He knows Ringo is faster than himand that there's no way he can beat him but he goes anyways because hefeels that he must in order to get things settled once and for all.Before he can get there, however, Doc (who has a very quick hand) showsup and takes his place. Even though he was so ill at that point that hewas incredibly weak he still did that for his friend because he didn'twant Wyatt to die. He probably figured that since he was going to dieanyways he might as well take a crack at Ringo. If he could beat himthen Wyatt wouldn't have to risk his life. If not, well, at least hetried.Dana Delany is also quite good as Josephine Marcus. She is not youraverage woman who was ruled by men and whose only purpose was to getmarried and look pretty. She does not want to settle down in one place.Rather, she wants to travel around the world and see everything and, asshe put it, "live off of room service." If she happened to meet someone(which of course she did) who could meld with her idea of life thenwonderful but she wasn't going to settle for any less than she believedshe deserved.This movie is definitely worth seeing. It has it all; action, romance,justice, wit and most importantly well rounded characters that you canempathize with.

2013-05-16 19:17:58

I'll be your huckleberry

Sorry Kurt but Val stole the show!I watched this movie so many times my wife says I'm addicted to it.Kurt does play a decent Wyatt Earp but Val Kilmer is the man in this movie as Doc Holiday.The only thing I don't like about it is the 2.35:1 screen ratio.I don't like this on any of my movies in my collection.when i bought a 32" TV,that's what i expect to see!These "half screen's" are the worst thing to happen to TV in my opinion.

Robert J. Maxwell 2013-05-14 01:32:59

A Confederacy of Mustaches

Sometimes I wish Sergio Leone had never made any of those much-imitatedWesterns. We'd be spared all those close up of faces of the sort wereget here. Sometimes, instead of a choker, we find some kind ofmacrolens that gives us ever fleck in the subjects irises and everypore on his nose. Sometimes if a character should smile, there is aGreat Wall as the screen is filled with giant Chiclets.There's that aplenty in this movie. And lots of gunplay too. SometimesI was confused about who, exactly, was shooting whom, and why. Why, forinstance, does the gang led by Michael Rooker, genuine bad guys so far,revolt against Powers Booth? Okay. Booth has been responsible for acouple of shotgun blasts thrown womensward. That's enough to turn offanyone who reeks of sensibilities the way these boys do. But why doesRooker and his gang then throw in with the Earp faction? Motivation isthrown to the winds, along with the red scarves the reformed bad guyshave been wearing.I suppose the story of the Earps, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons isfamiliar in rough outline to everyone, so there's no need to recountit. The historical inaccuracies aren't particularly bothersome. Themovie doesn't pretend to be a documentary and it's not trying to makesome sociopolitical point that needs propping up by evidence.But, maybe because I missed a few minutes here and there, the moviestruck me as a kind of sloppy lash-up. Were the cutters drinking aninfusion of mushrooms or what? The story is all over the place. Okay --Wyatt Earp is married to a hop head. What happens to their marriage? Itjust sort of fades away and Wyatt runs off with the red-headed singer.Speaking of red-haired singers, I really like Dana Delaney, but she'smiscast here as a free spirit, a saloon girl, squired around by theCounty Sheriff. No. She's beautiful, but not in the properly sluttishway. She has great big dark soulful eyes and a tiny dimpled smile, inwhich her lower lip covers much of her upper lip. This woman is not aniconoclast. She is reassuringly feminine stability. And she's the onlywoman we get to know much about. Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) has a girltoo, the exotically gorgeous Joanna Pacula, but she fades away too. TheEarp's wives were almost indistinguishable to me.There are two interesting figures. One is Curly Bill, played by PowersBooth. He's neat in his red shirt. He laughs with genuine pleasure ashe rips things apart and shoots out lights and he has never regrettedanything in his life, a regular Edith Piaf in drag. He's the kind ofguy who, after having accidentally shot a harmless well-intentioned oldsheriff through the heart, doesn't seem remorseful, just puzzled. "Aww,come on White," he says drunkenly, as if Sheriff White were playing agame that had gone too far. I hated to see Booth go.The other interesting figure is the tragic Doc Holliday, all pale andsweaty and coughing blood from consumption. I understand he was a kindof rotten guy in real life, a racist and all that, but he's a winningcharacter here. He talks like a college graduate. "Frederic f***ingChopin." And he will not use a short word where a long one will fit in.But we are thankfully spared any display of his medical skills. Thescript doesn't even get into his background enough to establish him asa dentists -- let alone a surgeon.Holliday was a surgeon in "My Darling Clementine," come to think of it,which had far more in the way of historical inaccuracies. But you knowwhat? It's a far far better movie than "Tombstone." There's nothinghere that even remotely resembles Wyatt Earp escorting Clementine tothe church service.This is okay if you're interested in lots of gunplay and not much inthe way of character or humor. The photography is quite good. An itemin "trivia" says the lightning was real lightning, and it looks it, butcuriously the thunder sounds electronic, less real than the thunder ofhalf a century ago. Nice silhouettes of funeral processions under adarkening sky. But the cinematography doesn't really save the moviefrom mediocrity.What led to all that violence in the Southwest was honor. Honor was avital part of the regional Southern culture and the Western culturethat sprang from it. Honor is like water. We need it, just as we need adrink once in a while. But there can be too much of it and what youwind up with is a flood that destroys communities even as it preservesdignity. Robert E. Lee had to be careful about posting his officers inthe Civil War. There were so many outstanding challenges to duels thathe had to be sure to keep those offended far apart.

PeachHamBeach 2013-05-13 07:41:49

Fun Fun Fun From Beginning To End!!!

WARNING...MIGHT BE SOME SPOILERS!!!This is the best "new" Western movie I've ever seen and it's still one thatI can watch and it's never stale or loses its power. It's got a terrificall star cast (without the really big tiresome annoying names)and it's justpure entertainment, action, comedy, drama. I just love Kurt Russell, he's perfect as the most famous of the three Earp brothers, Wyatt, aformer U.S. Marshall who migrates from Kansas to the silver-rush boomtown ofTombstone, Arizona, hoping to strike it rich and live a more peaceful lifeas a civilian. He meets up with his brothers Virgil (another perfectlycowboy-ish actor, Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). There are a coupleof snags in the way of happiness for Wyatt though. His wife is addicted tolaudenaum (an old time version of morphine) and there is a gang of viciouscriminals who frighten even the sheriff and mayor of the little boomtown.Lead by Ringo (the always magnificent Michael Biehn) and Curly Bill (PowersBoothe) these Cowboys wear red sashes and wreak havok on the streets,shooting innocent people, terrorizing the local businesses and generallymaking life miserable for everyone in town. Eventually, Virgil and Morg getfed up with the Cowboy Gang and decide to get involved with a campaign toget rid of them, much to Wyatt's chagrin...all he wants is to live life inpeace, without guns and violence. But he soon finds out that there willnever be any peace until someone shows the Cowboys that their violence andmayhem won't be tolerated. With the help of their loyal friend DocHolliday, (Val Kilmer's finest moments!!!) who is suffering with"consumption", The Earp Brothers wage an all out war that includes thefamous "Gunfight At the O.K. Corral". There are some sad, wrenching momentsof violence and death and blood, some heartfelt romance and Doc Holliday'ssmart aleck one liners make for some great comedy relief!!! I give it****!!!

2013-05-13 06:34:37

Superb

An excellent movie to entertain... excellent acting and decent portrayals of the real people the movie is based off of... DVD version looks most excellent :)

copperccso 2013-05-12 09:52:50

One of the best cop movies of all time

As a law enforcement officer, I am a big fan of police movies andtelevisionshows. I am a strict judge of the acting in these movies and shows, to seeif the acting is realistic. Without question, Kurt Russell plays one ofthegreatest police characters in movie history. Sam Eliott and Bill Paxtonplay cops just as well. The acting of all three was superb, and I was ableto identify myself with all three characters on a professional level. Iespecially liked the arguments between Eliot and Russell before thegunfight. It was a clash of differing views on law enforcement, a clashthat is widespread among police. Even better acting was provided by ValKilmer, who played Doc Holliday. His portrayal of the arrogant, suaveSoutherner was, for some reason, overlooked by the Academy Awards thatyear.Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn, who played the villains, probably rank astwo of the most ruthless villains ever in movies. This is a great withaction, adventure, drama, romance, and some comedy. It is an all-timeclassic, and a good insight into understanding cops.

2013-05-11 02:40:35

I got two guns..........

While there is speculation on the historical accuracy of this movie, it is safe to say that Cosmatos' "Tombstone" is one of the best westerns of all time. Two of the top actors in hollywood in this movie, Russell and Kilmer, display incredible chemistry for their respected parts, so much to sat I believe the movie was perfectly casted. This movie not only shows a serious view of Earp's stay in the legendary Tombstone, but gives a laugh here and there, care of Holliday. Two thumbs up here.

2013-05-10 06:33:02

Stoned Immaculate

Tombstone is one of the most entertaining pieces of cinema to hit the silver screen in the past 15 years. Kurt Russell does a fantastic job portraying former Sheriff Wyatt Earp. Russell's Earp is at a crossroads in his life and sure, really, of only two things: he wants to make a lot of money and he wants to live near his two brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). Needless to say when the Earp three move into the ragtag town of Tombstone business picks up a bit. The Earp's go into the saloon/casino business and start to clean up which begins to rub a few of the local cowboys the wrong way. All the ensuing altercations lead to the historic shootout at the OK Corral which is one of the films many highlights. Wyatt's sidekick is perhaps the best thing about Tombstone. Val Kilmer turns in an unforgettable performance as Doc Holiday. Holiday is by far the most intriguing character in the film and endears himself to the viewer almost instantly. Kilmer simply steals every scene he is in, which makes for one of the most memorable (and lovable) movie characters of all-time. Although Doc's hedonistic lifestyle eventually catches up with him in the end, it sure is great to watch this "fabulous disaster." The film is long but it doesn't feel it. The pacing is fantastic and almost all of the movie is action packed. Overall, Tombstone is easily in my top five favorite films of all-time...and on some days it's number 1. Highest Recommendation.

Eric 2013-05-10 16:47:27

Perhaps the last, greatly-overrated American western

After finally viewing this movie in its entirety, I am completelymystified by the adoration it has received by critics and online usersalike. Is it the worst Western ever? No, I wouldn't say that. But "thelast great American Western", a phrase I saw applied to it more thanonce? Not even close.A movie that tries to tell a story like this needs believablecharacters that speak believable dialogue, and the dialogue in thisfilm is among the most hackneyed and clichéd that I've ever seen. Themovie can be measured in groaners per minute; as in, how many times isan actor or actress forced by the script to say something that no humanbeing would say in real life? There's so many instances of this thatit's distracting. Cheesy lines come at you in waves; predictable,unoriginal, and often. If bad dialogue doesn't bother you, then how about bad gunfights? FewWesterns can show you gunfighting that's completely unbelievable whiledesperately trying to make you take the action seriously. It's okay ifthere's a comic edge to such gunfighting, such as in Silverado, but inTombstone the very staged and very stiff choreography of the earlygunplay is just another reason to leave this movie off the list of goodWesterns. The final showdown somewhat redeems the director on thisscore, but by then, I was so disinterested in the movie that it wasbeyond saving.Other than those flaws, I can say the visuals are stunning - themovie's well shot and the settings all look great. The acting ispassable, especially considering what the actors were given to workwith. However, if you're looking for the last great American Western,do yourself a favor - go rent Unforgiven instead.3 out of 10

ladydog4 2013-05-10 02:18:43

Tombstone the place and movie

I am 13 therefore I naturally hated westerns like many other people myage. Though I hated westerns , when I saw "Tombstone" I fell in lovewith the movie. I'd say I seen Tombstone 2 years ago. Soon afterwatching it tons of times I nagged on my daddy to take to Tombstone onour motorcycles. In the summer of 2007 we rode motorcycles to TombstoneArizona. It only took 3 days to get there from Virginia. I was acompletely different person. While we were in Tombstone we talked tothe historian about Tombstone. I was so happy it was like I was inheaven. There's no place better than Tombstone.Also about the movie. I'd say Doc( Val) had the biggest effect on me .Really, think about it. How many friends do you have that will go fightan extremely deadly fight for you. Would you do that for your friends?I would do that for him. I always seem to leave the room when the scenegets to Glenwood Springs Sanitorium. I really didn't want my hero todie.

2013-05-09 04:42:26

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.

2013-05-08 10:55:29

You look like somebody just walked over your grave...

AMAZING!... The most quotable film on this around ("Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave.") The characters are totally believable. The casting is flawless. Romance AND action (so it is perfect for HIM or HER). Plus Robert Mitchum narrates. A Modern classic.

jtboyd 2013-05-07 15:38:45

They dont make em' like this anymore.........

Easily the best western in the last 30 years. OK, so Kurt Russellisa little short for our vision of Wyatt Earp, but he pulls it offinconvincing style. I never tire of watching him slap Billy BobThorntonaround before stealing his game of Pharoah (whatever that is?)Greatensemble cast, powerful story, and fantastic action. Val Kilmerdeservedrecognition for his portrayal of Doc Holliday...the humor isbiting.The story only suffers from occasional intrusions by wives, Shakespeareanactors, and Wyatt's love interest. Otherwise, an awesome ride.9/10

ClarisseBarton 2013-05-07 13:05:50

This Is A Good'un

Oh, yeah. Really hard not to really like this film. Brotherhood,courage, duty, loyalty, love, and humor. What's amazing is that withall the hefty boy girl and brother stuff going on, the deepest, mostmoving part of the film is the love between Wyatt and Doc. As a matterof fact, even Wyatt's seeking the love of his life seems just to be thelegitimate expression of his love for Doc. Val Kilmer's Doc is BobDylan finally showing up in the Old West -- ironic, laconic, fragile,and lovable...and just too cool for words. What satisfies in this filmis that everyone in this film is over the top macho, in the mostpositive sense of the word. The cowboys are macho-ly bad guys, thebrothers are macho-ly brothers, the wives are macho-ly wives, theactress is macho-ly woman, the coward is macho-ly cowardly, and thesuggested gay actor is macho-ly suggestedly gay. Yes, and Doc ismacho-ly a scholarly, poetic, out-of place and time, sensitive artistof a killer. The film is just too entertaining to care about what itactually means, or where it all ends up.