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The Quick And The Dead
1994
Herod is the corrupt mayor of the Western town of Redemption. A haven for lawbreakers of every type. To enforce his position of absolute power he hosts a shootout contest every year with a cash prize for the winner. Herod always wins...until sexy Ellen rides into town with a six-gun on her shapely hip...and burning revenge in .. Read more
| Starring | Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Roberts Blossom |
|---|---|
| Director | Sam Raimi |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Evil Dead director Sam Raimi brings an overblown energy to every scene as Sharon Stone rides, Clint Eastwood-style, into a town called Redemption to take part in a gunfighting competition presided over by evil Gene Hackman. This homage to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone — a sort of Roman epic with six-guns replacing tridents — is as daft as they come, and the point is rammed home by the cameo casting of Woody Strode, who almost killed Spartacus in 1960. But today, the wacky proceedings will draw an entirely new audience thanks to the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio as the freshest-faced, prettiest gunslinger in town.
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The Western genre taken to a logical conclusion: as a succession of quick-draw contests; the influence here is Sergio Leone, to which the director adds his trademark convulsive camerawork.
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"...Raimi's tasy homage to spaghetti-Western maestro Sergio Leone -- spiced with Raimi's offbeat humor -- goes down pretty easily..."
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
TOP MOVIE !!!
Director Sam Raimi brings his trademark comic book-influenced visual panache to this post-modern Western. Sharon Stone stars as Ellen, a mysterious female gunslinger who arrives in the frontier hamlet of Redemption for a contest pitting quick-draw artists against each other. The event is the brainchild of Redemption's evil, corrupt mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), a criminal who has taken over the town and charges a 50% tax on local businesses. The pot for Herod's deadly game has swollen, attracting numerous colorful gunfighters from around the territory. As each battle thins the ranks of players, the pasts of several participants are revealed. Ellen is seeking revenge on Herod for a heinous past injustice. The fast-talking braggart known as 'The Kid' (Leonardo DiCaprio) may in fact be Herod's son. The pacifist Reverend Cort (Russell Crowe), who refuses to participate in the bloodshed, is the fastest draw in the West and a former colleague of Herod's. After several spectacular slayings, Ellen and Herod stage a final showdown, but not before he has made her an unexpected proposal. The Quick and the Dead (1995) is dedicated to veteran Western actor Woody Strode, who appears in a cameo as Redemption's coffin maker, his final performance.
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Wild west(ern) , highly recommended
I had forgotten just how good this film was until i watched it again recently.
It features Russell Crowe and Leonardo Di Caprio before their salaries (and egos) ballooned out of control. Sharon Stone leads this tale of revenge and is quite passable as a female gunslinger in the 1800s.
Overall, it's a western for people who dont like westerns, or even the idea of them. Throw away your misconceptions and enjoy... -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
The Quite Good, Bad and Ugly
Somehow it seems a little pointless making a Western now: Eastwood's Unforgiven pretty much seems the last word on the genre. Still, it seems some folks are determined to try, so here's Sam Raimi's attempts. So, if there's nothing new to say, if people have seen it all before, what's left to do? Well, you get all post-modern, clever, ironic and all that. Hence this, a 'homage' to Sergio Leone. The film teems over with references to the great Italian. The plot is lifted wholesale from Once Upon a Time in the West (except it's not as shocking). You have your classic EXTREME CLOSE-UPS of people facing off in a gunfight (except in Leone, people seem sweaty and smelly. Here, it's Leo Di Caprio in full hollywood make up.) You also get a Morricone-lite soundtrack, which keeps threatening to be good but never scales the heights of, say, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It's also really arch and knowing and it's got a terrible sex scene. (Hollywood sex scenes always seem more like people fighting than having sex.) But, on the othr hand, it is entertaining, has good actors, but not especially good acting. The normally wonderful Hackman kind of phones it in. But can you blame the actors? If you're going to be all insincere, can you really expect the actors to give their all?
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
The Quite Good, Bad and Ugly
Somehow it seems a little pointless making a Western now: Eastwood's Unforgiven pretty much seems the last word on the genre. Still, it seems some folks are determined to try, so here's Sam Raimi's attempts. So, if there's nothing new to say, if people have seen it all before, what's left to do? Well, you get all post-modern, clever, ironic and all that. Hence this, a 'homage' to Sergio Leone. The film teems over with references to the great Italian. The plot is lifted wholesale from Once Upon a Time in the West (except it's not as shocking). You have your classic EXTREME CLOSE-UPS of people facing off in a gunfight (except in Leone, people seem sweaty and smelly. Here, it's Leo Di Caprio in full hollywood make up.) You also get a Morricone-lite soundtrack, which keeps threatening to be good but never scales the heights of, say, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It's also really arch and knowing and it's got a terrible sex scene. (Hollywood sex scenes always seem more like people fighting than having sex.) But, on the othr hand, it is entertaining, has good actors, but not especially good acting. The normally wonderful Hackman kind of phones it in. But can you blame the actors? If you're going to be all insincere, can you really expect the actors to give their all?
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Wild west(ern) , highly recommended
I had forgotten just how good this film was until i watched it again recently.
It features Russell Crowe and Leonardo Di Caprio before their salaries (and egos) ballooned out of control. Sharon Stone leads this tale of revenge and is quite passable as a female gunslinger in the 1800s.
Overall, it's a western for people who dont like westerns, or even the idea of them. Throw away your misconceptions and enjoy...
-
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
TOP MOVIE !!!
Director Sam Raimi brings his trademark comic book-influenced visual panache to this post-modern Western. Sharon Stone stars as Ellen, a mysterious female gunslinger who arrives in the frontier hamlet of Redemption for a contest pitting quick-draw artists against each other. The event is the brainchild of Redemption's evil, corrupt mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), a criminal who has taken over the town and charges a 50% tax on local businesses. The pot for Herod's deadly game has swollen, attracting numerous colorful gunfighters from around the territory. As each battle thins the ranks of players, the pasts of several participants are revealed. Ellen is seeking revenge on Herod for a heinous past injustice. The fast-talking braggart known as 'The Kid' (Leonardo DiCaprio) may in fact be Herod's son. The pacifist Reverend Cort (Russell Crowe), who refuses to participate in the bloodshed, is the fastest draw in the West and a former colleague of Herod's. After several spectacular slayings, Ellen and Herod stage a final showdown, but not before he has made her an unexpected proposal. The Quick and the Dead (1995) is dedicated to veteran Western actor Woody Strode, who appears in a cameo as Redemption's coffin maker, his final performance.
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Wild west(ern) , highly recommended
I had forgotten just how good this film was until i watched it again recently.
It features Russell Crowe and Leonardo Di Caprio before their salaries (and egos) ballooned out of control. Sharon Stone leads this tale of revenge and is quite passable as a female gunslinger in the 1800s.
Overall, it's a western for people who dont like westerns, or even the idea of them. Throw away your misconceptions and enjoy... -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
The Quite Good, Bad and Ugly
Somehow it seems a little pointless making a Western now: Eastwood's Unforgiven pretty much seems the last word on the genre. Still, it seems some folks are determined to try, so here's Sam Raimi's attempts. So, if there's nothing new to say, if people have seen it all before, what's left to do? Well, you get all post-modern, clever, ironic and all that. Hence this, a 'homage' to Sergio Leone. The film teems over with references to the great Italian. The plot is lifted wholesale from Once Upon a Time in the West (except it's not as shocking). You have your classic EXTREME CLOSE-UPS of people facing off in a gunfight (except in Leone, people seem sweaty and smelly. Here, it's Leo Di Caprio in full hollywood make up.) You also get a Morricone-lite soundtrack, which keeps threatening to be good but never scales the heights of, say, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It's also really arch and knowing and it's got a terrible sex scene. (Hollywood sex scenes always seem more like people fighting than having sex.) But, on the othr hand, it is entertaining, has good actors, but not especially good acting. The normally wonderful Hackman kind of phones it in. But can you blame the actors? If you're going to be all insincere, can you really expect the actors to give their all?
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Not bad
This is a fairly straightforward revenge western, the only difference being that the gunslinger seeking vengeance is Sharon Stone. The object of her malice is Gene Hackman, who rules the town with an iron fist - not to mention his hired thugs. Of course, the climax is a showdown between the two. A couple of sub-plots add to the interest, but generally this is by the numbers. Enjoyable if you like that sort of thing.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Damn that was fast
An interesting ffilm and very typographical of a western with all the shoot ups and action that you could ask for, why not, this one is a graphically interesting film.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A Good Westen
This is a good film. A good storyline, great acting from all the cast. Am not a western fan but did enjoy this one. A good viewing.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
drivvle
What a great cast, but totally wasted on this made for TV look alike. The charactors looked like they had just picked up their costumes from the dry cleaners, rather than living in the Wild West.
Bring back Clint Eastwood, all is forgiven! ........or is that Unforgiven? -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Puerile
This had some good actors in it, but the plot was puerile and the pace slow. Definitely a B movie
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Don't know why, but I like it!!
Have seen this film a couple of times now, and I still enjoy it. I really don't quite know why. It's a pretty predictable western, done lot's of times - gunfighting, smelly locals, grudges and revenges for lawless behaviour etc. etc. Sharon Stone is overly snarly and her bootleg leathers look particularly painful and downright impractical. Gene Hackman for once doesn't quite nail the bad guy thing convincingly. And yet, it's kinda great. You want to be Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman get's your back up. Russel Crowe does swarthy as only he does best. Leonardo Di Caprio, who I don't usually like in films, is perfect for the part. There are some fantastic camera angles in this film, the view through the back of one guy's head is superb. So, if you're not too precious about interesting subplots and thought provoking dialogue and just enjoy a good old western with a few interesting/notable bits, then you won't go wroing with this film.
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Never mind the storyline, watch the acting
The acting in this highly improbable tale is the thing which saves the film. A female gunslinger as lovely as Ms Stone in the early 19th century wild west is just unbelievable, but she manages to hold the whole thing together with a passable impression of a feminine Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, even down to the smokes she lights up from time to time.
The rest of the cast did a good job, too, which made it an enjoyable and watchable film despite its crumby storyline and totally impossible shooting prowess of several of them.
Critics' reviews (6)
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Evil Dead director Sam Raimi brings an overblown energy to every scene as Sharon Stone rides, Clint Eastwood-style, into a town called Redemption to take part in a gunfighting competition presided over by evil Gene Hackman. This homage to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone — a sort of Roman epic with six-guns replacing tridents — is as daft as they come, and the point is rammed home by the cameo casting of Woody Strode, who almost killed Spartacus in 1960. But today, the wacky proceedings will draw an entirely new audience thanks to the presence of Leonardo DiCaprio as the freshest-faced, prettiest gunslinger in town.
-
The Western genre taken to a logical conclusion: as a succession of quick-draw contests; the influence here is Sergio Leone, to which the director adds his trademark convulsive camerawork.
-
"...Raimi's tasy homage to spaghetti-Western maestro Sergio Leone -- spiced with Raimi's offbeat humor -- goes down pretty easily..."
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This engagingly hyperbolic homage to the style and revenge fantasies of the spaghetti Western centres on a deadly... read more on Time Out
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"...Ms. Stone's presence nicely underscores the genre-bending tactics of Sam Raimi..."
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"...Notably bizarre effects and superb surround-stereo..."
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- Quick And The Dead, The - BLU-RAY Version
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A beautiful gunslinger with a cloudy past checks into the town of Redemption to join the annual quick-draw contest and get revenge on the man who ruined her life.... -
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The Quick And The Dead
Herod is the corrupt mayor of the Western town of Redemption. A haven for lawbreakers of every type. To enforce his position of absolute power he hosts a shootout contest every year with a cash prize for the winner. Herod always wins...until sexy Ellen rides into town with a six-gun on her shapely ...
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