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Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman(The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winningUnforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood'sDirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Most Accurate Depiction of the Civil War and the Old West
Hollywood couldn't make a movie like Josey Wales today. In an age of political correctness, sappy westerns, and revisionist history, I find this movie a refreshing break from modern "reality." It is a classic, and one of the few movies that I own and watch more than once.

The realistic representation, references to actual historical figures, interwoven irony, and tightly knit dialogue make this movie a pleasure even for those prone to analyzing small details.

I grew up in the South and still remember my grandparents describing life during the Civil War in much the same terms that Josey Wales experiences it. The vast majority of Southerners were dirt-poor farmers who had never even seen a plantation, much less owned slaves, and I can't help but regard The Outlaw Josey Wales as a cinematic vindication of the wrongs they suffered at the hands of looting and pillaging murderers like W.T. Sherman.

A couple of interesting side notes that will enrich your viewing of Josey Wales: Clint Eastwood's son in the movie is his son in real life; Lone Watie was a chief in real life; Sondra Lock went on to become Clint Eastwood's wife in real life.

Classic Eastwood, Classic Western, Classic Movie
In recent years, Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales" has been elevated to a higher plain than it occupied when released in summer 1976. Praised by a handful of critics, the film did well at the box-office but really acquired a following through no less than six highly rated airings on NBC, ABC, and CBS. Now it's often considered Eastwood's finest hour as director and star, even surpassing his Oscar winning "Unforgiven" in some eyes. Among its fans was the late Orson Welles who praised it as one of the finest Westerns ever made, and praised Eastwood as a director worthy of notice long before it was fashionable to do so. In 1996, Eastwood's fifth film as a director was even recognized by the Library of Congress when it was added to the National Film Registry, that collection of films deemed historically, artistically, and/or sociologically important and deserving of protection from tampering by anyone but the original director.

At first glance, I found it overlong and meandering, enlivened only occasionally by some trademark Eastwood gunplay. But if it's a little short on the action for which Eastwood made his name, repeated viewings make it clear that there is much more happening beneath the surface. The Outlaw Josey Wales is very much a film about community and trying to find a place in one. Josey Wales is an outlaw only because he avenged the death of his family at the hands of murderous Union soldiers. Now a hunted man, this peaceful farmer is an Angel of Death wandering the west in search of vengeance but also a place to call home. Its scope is much bigger than the revenge tale at its center, and the film represents an important step in Eastwood's maturation as a director.

Beautifully photographed, splendidly acted (especially by John Vernon), and capably directed, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of Eastwood's finest hours (although "Unforgiven" is superior in my book), and one of the finest hours for the western, as well.

"I RECKON SO."
LEAVE THE WINING 'UNFORGIVEN' ON THE SHELF AND BUY THIS ONE.
EASTWOOD HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE CAMERA.
WALES (EASTWOOD) IS A MISSOURI DIRT FARMER RAIDED BY RED LEGS UNION TROOPS AT THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR. AS A RESULT HE BURIES HIS WIFE AND CHILD AND SETS OUT WITH CONFEDERATE IRREGULARS TO "SET THINGS ARIGHT."
AND THAT HE DOES EARNING A REPUTATION AS A FEARED PISTOLERO IN THE PROCESS. ALONG THE WAY HE IS FORCED TO ACCEPT A RAG TAG FAMILY OF LONERS AND LOOSERS.
HE IS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AND SYSTEMATICLY BLASTS THE BAD GUYS
PUNCTUATING HIS KILLS WITH TOBACCO SPITTLE ON THE CORPSES FOREHEADS. WHEN A PARTNER REGRETS NOT BEING ABLE TO BURY THE BAD GUYS, JOSEY QUIPS IN TRUE LACONIC FASHION "BUZZARDS GOTTA EAT, SAME AS WORMS.'
THE DIALOGUE SELLS THIS SHOW. THE CHIEF VILLIAN YANKEE WHO IS CHARGED WITH TRAKING THE OUTLAW REMARKS TO HIS MEN (REFERRING TO WALES) "NOT A HARD MAN TO TRACK, LEAVES DEAD MEN WHERE EVER HE GOES." WALES CONCLUDES HIS EPIC MISSION BY FINALLY KILLING HIS ARCH RIVAL 'RED LEGS TERRELL' THEREBY AVENGING HIS LONG DEAD FAMILY.
THE FILM IS NOT WITHOUT HUMOR THANKS TO 'LONE WATIE' AN OUTCAST ELDERLY INDIAN WHO LIGHTENS THE DRAMATIC LOAD WITH TIDBITS OF WIT AND WISDOM. WHEN WALES ASKS WATIE IF HE HAS ANY THING TO EAT.
THE OLD WARRIOR REPLIES AS HE HOLDS UP A COLORFUL STONE "JUST THIS PIECE OF ROCK CANDY, BUT ITS NOT FOR EATIN....JUST FOR LOOKIN THROUGH."
WATIE ENCOURAGES WALES BY INSISTING THAT HE "ENDEAVOR TO PERSEVEARE."

WALES DOES SO AND SLOWLY REDISCOVERS HIS LOST EMOTIONS AND IN THE END WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE ALL WILL BE WELL.

GOOD WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT?

AS JOSEY WOULD SAY "I RECKON SO."

Simply the Best
This is the best Western of all time, bar none.

GREAT!
i love this movie i have seen lots of of clints movies (yes and some R ones but just 2) this is the best! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Natalie Wood Shines in 'From Here to Eternity'
I enjoyed this version more than the old 50's movie because the story in more in depth.....being 4 hours and 38 minutes long. ... there was a lot more time for character developement. Also it is a lot more sexual than the 50's movie. In this vertsion the prostitute, played by Kim Basinger, is a bit more slutty than Donna Reed's version.

It's also the only movie I've liked William Devane in. He and Natalie Wood really heat up the screen and do some fabulous work together. Natalie Wood is brilliant in this TV movie. She is always so vulnerable and fascinating to watch. She has some really great scenes and sometimes breaks your heart.

It's a wonderful tale of many lives converging on Hawaii that infamous day in December which kicked off the war for the USA.

From Here to Eternity -- BUT get LONG version!
There are TWO versions of this film on VHS. The short version -- and the 3 tape (278 min) version. GET the latter. I have both, and Natalie Wood's BRILLIANT performance is severely minimized in the short version, as it leaves out her most powerful scenes!!! Over all, its a well done film from the mini series genre of the late 70's early 80's. William Devane gives a strong performance along with the ever SEXY Natalie Wood (middle age didn't dim her light at all). Also includes a young Kim Bassinger. Nancy J/Ordinaryfool

5 stars for Natalie only!
Where is the rest of the mini series?! This VHS has been cut to shreds! Of course it has my darling Natalie Wood in the lead in her Golden Globe winning performance and as usual she is stunning in a role originated by Deborah Kerr...it's worth the viewing just to watch Miss Wood in a performance that simply drips with sensuality and longing!

HERE TO ETERNITY 1979
I was expecting the original length mini series,this version is chopped by more then half, a major disapointment and in my opinion misleading.

Condensed copy
The version I purchased was cut considerably. Originally a six hour mini-series, my version was condensed to 110 minutes. While enjoyable if you've read the novel by James Jones, there were several key scenes missing. The acting is very good, but the missing scenes make it difficult to recommend. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

very good family film
my husband and i both thought the movie to be very heart warming. it was an exceptional down to earth type real life portrayal of some of the way things were in that era. we do not feel it degraded the native americans in any way quite the opposite in our opinion.

Fish Hawk
As a Native American, I was very displeased with the sterotyped negative image presented by the character Fish Hawk. Once again, the portrayal of a Native American as "a drunken Indian" is set forth in the yet another film. The usual portrayal of Native Americans in film is that of being blood-thirsty, savage, or ignorant. Films also portray Native Americans as being noble savages, vanishing, or one-with-earth individuals. This film was no exception! Hawk Fish was raised by white people according to the narrative in the film yet at the film's end, he walks off into the setting sun fully dressed in his Indian regalia. The film was offensive. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

the best
this is by far the best move charles Bronson made. put this move on DVD so the move well last for ever.

The White Buffalo, strange western of Night and Snow
This movie is based on Richard Sale's book concerning two characters enroute to their mutual destiny, Crazy Horse and Wild Bill Hickock. They are both called to hunt the sacred White Buffalo for a different purpose. Crazy Horse, to re-claim the right to be called by his name and to wrap the hyde around his dead child so that she can enter paradise. While Hickock is drawn by a sixth sense toward his encounter through nightmarish dreams in the belief that the confrontation will solve the sickness that has been in his brain. The movie is so full of western slang that you almost need a glossary of terms like the nadsat language in "A Clockwork Orange", to know what is going on. It is either a great movie or just an average one according to how you feel about a western that is mysterious, deep, intensely dark, full of atmospheric snow laden mountains, a god-like Buffalo that cannot be stopped and a stand out performance by Clint Walker as a very bad adversary. Incredibly the moody but excellent adaptive music was never released on this film until 2002!...and then only on a limited run for film buffs (no pun intended)You can almost classify this as a Western Horror movie and it has an excellent supporting cast, including Kim Novack,Slim Pickens, John Carradine and others who fill the stock characters to perfection. The poster used to advertise this film is a real collector's item and it is a film that should be preserved in the future with a quality DVD transfer. I normally don't like Westerns but this caught my attention. Bronson was the big box-office draw at the time and this movie was a critical failure in 1977 but it still endures and captures the imagination today due to it's wierd subject matter. Probably ahead of its time!.

Wild Bill Bronson is the best Bronson
To begin with, my favorite films are westerns, so I look at the uniqueness of films to rate them. Bronson as Wild Bill Hickock was a stroke of genius, as the real Hickock had that simmering quality, the thought that he could explode at any minute, the same type Bronson portrays in so many other films. The plot of nightmares and hidden demons realized in a rogue white buffalo add enough of a dark quality to the script that I found to be the different edge to draw me in. Will Sampson as Crazy Horse gives the film that leap away from stereotypical Native Americans. No John Wayne type heroes here; the characters are not black and white but many shades of grey. For an added treat, watch this film on a double bill with Breakheart Pass.

A Quirky Masterpiece
Critics love to hate this movie, proclaiming the white buffalo laughable and the script's language stilted. "Moby Dick Does Montanna," one reviewer guffawed. Forget the critics. This is a terrific movie with a first-rate cast. Clint Walker ("Whistling Jack" Kileen) makes a glorious villain, especially in the barroom scene in which Walker attempts to "brace" Bronson (Wild Bill Hickock). The movie has a dark, brooding quality that underscores Hickock's nightmarish quest for the menacing White Buffalo. No one at the theatre where I saw the movie laughed when the bellowing buffalo crashed through the wall of ice. But then, I was the only person in the theatre at that marvelous matinee showing thirty years ago. I'm still not laughing. Only applauding.

One of my favorite Bronson movies
I have been searching all over the internet for a copy of this film, which I consider one of Charles Bronson's best. I much preferred him in movies like "The White Buffalo" and "Once Upon a Time in the West," as opposed to the "Death Wish" series. I find "The White Buffalo" to be one of those movies you don't forget. The climax scene where the buffalo crashes through a wall of snow and ice gave me nightmares when I first saw it! If you're a Charles Bronson/Old West genre fan, buy or rent this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Romancing the...Raiders of the...
FIREWALKER is not the most memorable action adventure film out there but succeeds by not taking itself too seriously. The chemistry between Chuck Norris, Lou Gossett Jr., and Melody Anderson keeps the film from sinking from its predictable plot, cheap sets, generic action sequences and cardboard baddies (i.e. Sonny Landham -PREDATOR, 48 HRS- as "El Coyote"). The trio are on a quest to find a lost Aztec City and its hidden stockpile of hidden gold. For inspirational purposes, actor John Rhys-Davies from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is in the cast in a small role. Chuck Norris in a rare light/comedic/action role is pretty good as Max Donigan, the ex-marine turned adventurist. Norris handles some of the comic banter off of his two co-stars with ease and good comic timing and his martial arts prowess is hardly used in the movie. Overall, a mindless yet entertaining and harmless action adventure film from the 80's. This was produced at a time when "Indiana Jones" type movies were beginning to lose steam. Norris and Gossett are engaging and the beautiful Melody Anderson lights up the screen,

Glad I own a copy
Yes, it is one of the goofiest pieces of, um, processed food that ever came out of Hollywood - but it's bad with such good humor! As though everyone said "You want me to do WHAT? Well, heck - why not?" One thing I'll insist upon - the relationships between Norris's character and Gossett's character is a dandy - and the one between Norris's character and Anderson's - Anderson's character is a Jim Peach. "FRUITCAKE?" shouts Anderson, after bursting into Norris's and Gossett's hotel room. "Are the walls that thin?" waffles Norris. "No, your mouth is that big!" comes her retort. And John Rhys-Davies as the adventurer who has taken over the Central-American rebel army - wonderfully crazed! Forget about the Academy, this is just plain fun.

So bad it's good.
Firewalker was meant to be a rollicking comedic adventure movie, but it is funny for all the wrong reasons. The film is filled with technical mistakes of all kinds, obviously director J. Lee Thompson knew he was working on turkey and did not even bother to pay attention to it and faded stars Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., and Melody Anderson have no real chemistry. Bad Movie fans will have a blast watching familiar character actors and former box office stars embarrass themselves for a paycheck.

Another flop from Golan-Globus.
Those execuative poroduces Golan-Globus gave us yet another flop. Firewalker has some funny moments but it is too hokey to be believable. The cave sets look really fake and laughable, not to mention the acting. Many Norris fans many disappointed with his stab at comedy, but I enjoyed it. First rent, then buy.

This movie's a lot of fun
From the realistic acting to the accurate look at the fortune hunting business(yeah, right), this movie is a real hoot. It's classic 80's to boot, and clearly one of the best films since Teen Wolf or Plan 9 From Outer Space. Wash it down with Romancing The Stone. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Natalie Wood Shines in 'From Here to Eternity'
Natalie Wood Shines in 'From Here to Eternity'..................

I enjoyed this version more than the old 50's movie because the story in more in depth.....being 4 hours and 38 minutes long. ... there was a lot more time for character developement. Also it is a lot more sexual than the 50's movie. In this vertsion the prostitute, played by Kim Basinger, is a bit more slutty than Donna Reed's version.

It's also the only movie I've liked William Devane in. He and Natalie Wood really heat up the screen and do some fabulous work together. Natalie Wood is brilliant in this TV movie. She is always so vulnerable and fascinating to watch. She has some really great scenes and sometimes breaks your heart.

It's a wonderful tale of many lives converging on Hawaii that infamous day in December which kicked off the war for the USA. ... Read more

Description

ORCA: THE KILLER WHALE stars Richard Harris and Bo Derek in her screen debut in an epic struggle between a strong and determined fisherman and an equally determined whale.When the whale's pregnant mate is killed, it goes on a rampage, seeking revenge on the man by smashing boats, collapsing buildings and causing extreme destruction by fire. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cinematography and Score Make this Movie Beautfiul
Much like Battlestar Galactica wouldn't have been made without Star Wars, Orca would not exist if it hadn't been for Jaws. But that really doesn't matter. The movie has its merits. It has a great cast: Richard Harris, Keenan Wynn, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Robert Carradine, Bo Derek (well, she looks good!). Most importantly, it has Gorgeous cinematography and Ennio Morricone's haunting score. What a great piece of music he created for this film. There are very few creatures as amazing as the killer whale. When you see them swimming and swooping magnificently about in the ocean to Morricone's music you will see what is so great about this movie. I've loved it since I was a child and I'm glad that it's breathtaking visuals and sound will be given DVD-quality presentation. It isn't the most original script to come along, but it's a beatiful film.

More scary than you think !
The angry mate of a slaughtered pregnant killer whale becomes so enraged, that he begins a reign of terror on a fishing village and their community. Even though this movie follows on the heels of Jaws, and while it's not golden filmmaking like the great white shark classic, it is better than you think and gives more creeps than you presumed. Also gives you a true impression that orca's are more intelligent than most whales or animals/mammals. Bo Derek, and Richard Harris give the film more than average acts, while poor Robert Carradine and others get whipped by the black sea wolf's tail or eaten by him. I vote Orca as a more dangerous and smarter animal than a killer shark-he's faster, smarter, and he's gota good reason to kill. The music, by Ennio Morricone is a little eerie and provokes your nerves that more terror is to come. So, although the film isn't a milestone, don't look at the poster of this movie and brush it off as a Jaws rip off. Better than it looks.

Where is the DVD???????
This is a fun movie about revenge. About a creature driven to kill by anger and hatred. After a sea captain kills a whales wife and unborn child its mate goes on a killing spree in hopes of murdering the man who killed did. It is a scary adventure and unlike jaws which uses a horrendisaly fake anamatronic Orca uses a real whale so it has great realism. Also unlike jaws which waits to the end to show the thing Orca shows it plenty early so you don't have to wait. Orca should come to DVD so people can own this classic.

Greatest movie of all time
Orca is the greatest movie of all time. I'm sure most people say that their favorite movie is the greatest of all time, but they are all wrong. Orca is the greatest movie of all time.

Orca brings together some of the finest actors. Richard Harris, who unfortunately will be remembered for some trivial movie about a boy wizard and a throwaway musical about King Arthur, does his finest work in Orca. His portrayal of Captain Nolan, an emotionally torn fisherman coming to terms with the fact that marine animals have feelings, deserved the Oscar. Did he win? No, but that is not a strike against this fine film. Charlotte Rampling, who I'm sure is in other movies besides this one, brings texture to the marine biologist in love with a whale baby killer. The romance between the two is subtle. While most modern Hollywood movies would just throw in a gratuitous sex scene, Rampling accomplishes just as much with confused looks and having her shirt zipped down in one scene. Will Sampson, who is sadly better known for some movie about flying over a cuckoo's nest, also does a fantastic job of playing the Native American guy who says cryptic things and has ice fall on him. Robert Carradine, famous for Revenge of the Nerds, shows great range in not being around much and then being eaten by the whale. Bo Derek never equaled her success in this film elsewhere. I really believed her leg was bit off. She sold me.

The effects were great for the time. Many forget what special effects were like in those days, myself included because I was not born yet, but the point remains. The strange fisheye lens used to represent the whales point of view was genius. And I challenge everyone to find a more realistic looking whale fetus in a movie. You can't, you just can't. The dramatic fight between Captain Nolan and the whale could have easily become silly, but it doesn't. The Arctic Circle is accurately represented as a cold place with many icebergs, some of which whales can thwack themselves upon catapulting middle-aged Irishmen forty feet in the air. Keep in mind, also, this was done without the use of computer graphics. Steven Spielberg did not even put the shark in Jaws until over halfway through the film. Why? To hide a machine so fake I can only assume one of his children made it at camp. The mechanical killer whale in Orca is almost indistinguishable from the stock footage of killer whales continually played throughout the movie.

In 1977, how many directors were brave enough to shoot a killer whale jumping from one side of the boat, eating actor Robert Carradine, and landing on the other side? Just one, Michael Anderson. His bold choices along with screenwriters Luciano Vincenzoni and Sergio Donati (who both show an above average command of the English languages for native-born Italian speakers) make the film a statement not only about whale hunting and whale forgiveness seeking, but also about humanity. Charlotte Rampling's appeal to Nolan not to go fight the whale just because the whale wants revenge is not just about social protocols of how to make it up to the father of a whale baby you accidentally killed, but also an argument against the death penalty. Will Sampson's pointless death is an indictment of the senseless slaughter of tens of millions of Native Americans. Robert Carradine's tragic death in the film is social commentary on the probability of being eaten if you stand around on a boat being followed by a crazed killer whale. And probably also something about Vietnam, I assume.

Anderson even uses the orca itself to show complex emotions we normally associate with humans and not with unexplainably intelligent marine mammals out to kill fisherman. After destroying Nolan's house (presumably having used the phone book to find it and reading up on architecture and structural supports) and biting off Bo Derek's leg, the whale jumps for joy in the harbor as fires rage in the background. There is, however, a sadness, to the whale. It's as if he knows he can never have his family back no matter how hard he fights the forces that took them from him. Like Batman. Huh?

And while most in Hollywood choose not to admit it, many have ripped off Orca. The dead baby scene in Trainspotting is suspiciously reminiscent of the dead whale fetus scene in Orca. The creepy quasi-romance between an intelligent female and a somewhat crazy violent child murderer is directly stolen by George Lucas for Star Wars: Episode II. The use of icebergs is blatantly stolen by Titanic, and I have never heard James Cameron so much as thank Michael Anderson. And don't even get me started on Free Willy.

While Orca does not now get the respect it deserves, in time people will realize its genius. Just as people did not understand gravity or continental drift, in time they will come to recognize Orca as the greatest cinematic achievement of all time.

Orca, a mad aquatic mammal on a vengeful killing spree or...
...a misunderstood genius driven by the love in his gigantic whale heart? I am sure this film was produced and filmed in response to the success of Jaws in 1975, but don't let that stop you from viewing this truly great piece of cult cinema. Outstanding cinematography and wonderful performances, this isn't just some mindless under-sea thriller. Charlotte Rampling is so engaging and sexy as the scholarly voice of reason, and Richard Harris in particular shines in his role as the salty whale hunter who gradually finds empathy for Orca and mourns the day that he harpooned the killer whale's pregnant female mate. Also, look forward to some brief but important roles by the beautiful Bo Derek, Will Sampson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Poltergeist 2) and let's not forget the whales themselves! However, the greatest performance of all comes from the stirring, evocative music of Ennio Morricone. This is some of his finest work and it is my opinion that this film would be completely forgotten without it. Orca has a vendetta and he won't stop until lives are lost and an entire fishing village is destroyed! The chilling ending (no pun intended) probably won't surprise the viewer, but I doubt there will be a dry eye in the house. This film should be on DVD! A must for any fan of forgotten cinema. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

They're Baaaack....
Poltergeist 2 is of course the sequel to 1982's Poltergeist written by Steven Spielbeg and directed by Tobe McGuire. Although not as chilling it's worth a glance.
After the horrible events of the first film, the Freelings have moved from Cuesta Verde to Florida to live with Diane Freeeling's (Jobeth WIlliams) mother (late Geraldine Fitzgerald). Everything seems to go well until the grandmother, who is a clairevoyant as well as Diane and grand-daughtr Carol Anne, dies. Then the spirits start to have fun.
Communicating with Carol Anne( late Heather O'Rourke) through a toy phone, a demon from "the other side" known as Kane (late Julian Kane) tries to lure her over to the other dimension. Now its up to the Freelings, hilarious Tangina Barrons(Zelda Rubenstien), and Indian spirit guide Taylor( late Will Sampson) to keep Carol Anne away from the tortures spirits.
Much of this film's problems is a drawn out script and fewer scares than the first one claimed. A big problem is that JoBeth Williams, who was by far the best perfofmer in the original, is not in this movie a lot and Craig T. Nelson, who is actually funny, repalces her in many scenes and seems to be trying too hard to make the audience laugh. In the scenes JoBeth Williams actually appears in, she's under-used. Also ghost phsychitrist Beatrice Straight is missing which meeses the whole movie up for me. Also the late Dominique Dunne's dissapearanc is not explained.
After all of this the film is completely saved by Julian Kane whose stirring performance will scare anybody.
Although Poltergeist 2 seems more like an epilogue than a sequel, it is worth watching.Not as good as the original, but it holds it's own. And a word to the wise : DON'T WATCH THE THIRD POLTERGEIST FILM!

Scarrier than the first one but disappointing !
I will say that compared to the first Poltergeist, that this second volume could have been more interesting.Sequels are still a problem and rarely, they finally look better than the original.The story of Poltergeist 2 is not very believable indeed. It talks about a preacher and a cavern...(I won't tell the story) while the first episode was about a removed cemetery... They can't just create a new story without relation with the original one, but they do !!Anyway, I personally like the nasty old guy and the plot is in my opinion scarrier than the first film if the direction and the script had been better. Unfortunately, it's not the case.The FX (at the end especially) are quite disappointing.I will add that it is a boring movie ! A pity, some ideas were good !

Not as Good as Poltergeist!
Poltergeist was an amazing movie, Very good and very spooky and though this sequel had it's moments including the good acting by the late Julian Beck who gave a very scary performance as the evil preacher Kane but as a movie it wasn't anywhere near as good as the excellent Poltergeist and this movie had some scenes that were really bad, especially the scene with Craig T. Nelson's character and the barf creature. BTW: That's what what Craig T. Nelson called the creature in a doccumentary on E about the Poltergeist movies

Incredibly disappointing!
Let me start by saying that the original Poltergeist is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. It's certainly the best ghost flick ever made ( with fred astaire's ghost story coming in a strong second ). I didn't get around to seeing this sequel until my teenage years in the late 1980's, when it popped out on video. I never made it through the entire film, as it lost my interest roughly halfway through. Fast forward to October 2003 - I'm a little older now and have found that my tastes have changed somewhat... so I decided to give this one another shot. It's just as miserable now upon the second viewing as it was back when I was sixteen. Spielberg is sorely missed, with his intensity, creativity and story-telling abilities. I'm completely dumbfounded how anyone could find this shoddy excuse for a sequel even remotely spooky. Everything about Poltergeist 2 is cheesy.. and that's disappointing, because I really wanted to enjoy this one as much as it's predecessor. Almost everyone from the original cast returns, yet they all seemed to experience amnesia and completely forgot that they had the ability to act. The special fx were kooky and completely overdone. The scene with the father becoming possessed ( one of the very few that had promise ) was absolutely ruined, due to the director's need to hammer home the point by bringing ridiculous looking ghosts up from the front lawn, all moaning and grumbling. In short, the entire production reminded me of one of those overpriced haunted houses at the mall, where a bunch of overweight, middle aged men dress up in cheap monster costumes and jump out and shout "BOO!" as you walk by. In a word.. yawn.

If there was one redeeming quality about this movie, it would have to be Kane, the old preacher. As amazing as it may sound, he almost single-handedly made this piece of garbage worth watching.. at least, during the short time that he was on the screen. Unfortunately, his admirable performance wasn't nearly enough to save this disaster. Bottom line.. save your hard earned cash and purchase the original... this one simply isn't worth your time.

best poltergeist movie
this movie is the best of the poltergeist trilogy. i know a lot of people hate it, but it's very the best. first of all, heather o'rourke is my hero. i like poltergeist 1 and 3, but in the 2, we saw heather in the entire movie. the special effect is amazing. it's a must for every single horror movie film. the best sequel ever. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

tries hard
Old Chuck tries hard in both Firewalker and Hero & The Terror to present a new, softer image. Were it not for the fact that Chuck appears to radiate such charisma this character change would fail completely.

Both these titles are essential for Chuck fans but to anyone else: Fiewalker is just plain ropey and Hero & The Terror slightly boring.

ONE OF HIS BEST MOVIES YET !!!!
I think this is a change for Chuck. We think it was one of his BEST MOVIES EVER !! IT WAS GREAT !!!!! we love you Chuck.....

FROM SHIRLEY HEAD OF HIS FAN CLUB HERE IN CANADA ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Misunderstood
Robert Altman's "Buffalo Bill and the Indians (or Sitting Bull's History Lession)" has largely been forgotten while his other films from this period have been rediscovered as classics. While maybe its time for this one too.

The "Why" of why this film such a critical bomb is not hard to decipher, Altman is continuing his critique of the West that started with "McCabe and Mrs. Miller". Yet this film is even more scathing. Bufflo Bill is an illiterate buffoon and President Cleveland works as a reminder that there were politicians back then. What I think really worked against Altman here, wasn't his treatment of this historical period but the changing of his own. In 1976, audiences were getting tired of these self-conscious films that were popular just five years eariler. "Buffalo Bill" stuck between "Jaws" (in '75) and then "Star Wars" (in '77) was a hard sell as the country was getting more conservative.

Beside this, "Buffalo Bill" like a lot Altman films is a great film. He continues his pioneering use of overlapping dialogue and widescreen cinematography. And oh, did I mention it was funny, a second viewing really helps catch all of Altman's wry wit. Newman fooling around with ballet dancers is hilarious. And you can't tell me that the extra "Or Sitting Bull's History Lession" isn't a homage to Kubrick.

Be Careful What You Believe
"Buffalo Bill and the Indians" was a riveting movie. Bored? Hardly. Joel Gray came close to stealing this picture, as he has many times, as Bill's business partner. While the historical Cody wasn't anywhere near the charlatan Paul Newman and Altman have made him, his portrayal reminds us all not to believe our own press.

Cody and many of the other men of that era -- James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok springs to mind -- had lived eventful lives, lives that fascinated Easterners, reading the Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls or seeing one of the Wild West Shows or plays about the west. Cody and Hickok were prone to give the people what they wanted, playing their characters pretty near to the hilt. They had a sense that their time was passing and the things which had made them famous, the exploits that had made their lives seem adventutous, were coming to an end. You get this sense of approaching, inevitable obsolescence in Newman's portrayal, especially as the film nears it's end.

I have waited for this film to be available in a decent version and I wasn't dsiappointed.

See the film. Make your own decisions. There are several fine performances and Newman and Altman don't quite let Joel Gray steal the picture. They allow fine performances from many actors, especially Geraldine Chaplin as Annie Oakley, to shine through.

Jamie Fraser-Paige

Robert Altman Rides AGain
This is a quirky take on white/native relations in the late 19th/early 20th century, a mad mix of historical fact and whimsical fiction. Newman is masterful as the addled demagogue into which Buffalo Bill has morphed. I recommend this film for students enrolled in our college's AMERICAN WEST class; it is provocative fodder for good discussion, good writing on alternative views of history.

Robert Altman fans will recognize stock characters from his other films, but will be entertained (perhaps delighted) throughout.

what an awful transfer
First of all, this is a very ugly disc. So ugly that you have to watch it on an older tube TV. There are awful distortions during big movements and some scenes look very low rez. It's not the quality of the source print that I'm talking about (which is okay), it's a really bad transfer to DVD. It's not anamorphic widescreen at all, it's letterbox. It says anamorphic here in the Amazon descriptions, but I don't think it makes this claim on the box. The too-short documentary about the making of Buffalo Bill actually looks FAR BETTER than the movie itself as far as crisp detail and the absence of compression artifacts.

Spoilers follow - Buffalo Bill has a great first half-hour and then wobbles all over the place. The movie looks like it's going to be a typical Altman Audio/Visual stew of show business, fire arms, and history. The Wild Bill show looks wonderful, the cinematography is great, the dialogue seems pretty good and the casting inspires some optimism. Then the Indians show up. Sitting Bull and William Halsey are portrayed as noble, mysterious and aloof. The movie spirals into a series of events where they confound the smarmy Bill Cody over and over. The last hour of the movie requires Newman to act more and more flustered by Sitting Bull until he has a really cringeworthy breakdown in front of the ghostly Chief.

Anyway, there's stuff for hardcore Altman fans (I'm one) to watch for. Newman is initially impressive in his role and then sputters. The pageants and attention to details that Altman excels at are well done. Ultimately the themes of showbiz and history wilt before the rambling blah of the noble savage.

One of Altman's most entertaining films!
I loved this movie! But I wasn't surprised. Only Altman could bring so much humor, so much introspection and so much humanity to the western genre. Feauturing all-around brilliant performances by Newman, Lancaster, Sampson, Chaplin, Grey and of course Frank Kaquitts as Sitting Bull! Technically, the film excells, especially Paul Lohmann's wonderful cinematography. If you are a fan of Altman's or if your looking for something a little smarter than your run-of-the mill western drama, Buffalo Bill And The Indians Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a must!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winning Unforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood's Dirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

MARILYN MONROE explains "E=Mc2" to Albert Einstein!
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The film opens with an establishing shot of the "movie star" (Marilyn Monroe) shooting the most iconic scene of her career: standing over a New York subway grate while waiting for the wind of a passing train to whoosh her skirt up around her ears.

We then follow the "movie star" as she goes shopping while enroute to a clandestine nocturnal visit to "the scientist" (Albert Einstein) to teach him a lesson in relativity.

The best part of this rather bizarre film is the lengthy scene in which Marilyn Monroe (played quite convincingly by Theresa Russell) explains the theory of relativity to Albert Einstein.

Of course the denouement is when we realize that Marilyn doesn't even really understand the complex theory she has so perfectly demonstrated (with toy cars, trains, and flashlights), but that she has only *memorized* her explanation of the theory, as the actress herself would memorize her lines for a film role.

The other characters in the plot are "the senator" (Joe McCarthy of the infamous "McCarthy-era" witch-hunt of the 1950's) and "the ballplayer" (Joe DiMaggio, the "movie star's" husband (NOT Babe Ruth, as described by some idiot in another Amazon review posted here!). These characters serve purpose to bring a dark sub-plot or two to an otherwise unusually entertaining storyline.

Unfortunately, it all turns tragic, and ends mysteriously.

I know nothing about this director's other film work, but this film stands alone as a classic of the bizarre. I have enjoyed it through repeated viewings throughout the years.

Worth watching at least once
What if Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth and Senator McCarthy were all in the same hotel during the same night, and their lives crossed ? You have to admit you can't go wrong with a premise like that. Unfortunately as much against science as it for science, and a rather anti-progressist ending. It's too bad, because it's a lot of fun.

Worth watching once if only for scenes like Marilyn Monroe demonstrating relativity to Einstein with miniature trains and flashlights, Babe Ruth telling Einstein how many packs of gum he's been featured on, and Monroe dancing with her skirt on fire in the middle of a nuclear explosion (don't ask).

Roeg begins to stumble
"Insignificance" is a wonderful film. It has strong visual flair and Theresa Russell(the actress) and Michel Emil(the professor) are very good.....HOWEVER....
This is NOT the best film Nicolas Roeg has done. In fact I have to say that when compared to his earlier work, it's very weak. Roeg can be a very demanding director and anyone watching his films must be prepared to participate and not expect to be spoonfed everything you need to know about what you are seeing. This is what I love about his films but "Insignificance" seems confusing just for the sake of it. To me this film represents what has gone wrong with Roegs later work. The material just doesn't fit well with his idiosyncratic style. There isn't really any need for this film to be so strange. I sometimes think that Roegs' ultimate artistic drop came with his working so much with his wife Theresa Russell. They met while Roeg was filming "Bad Timing"(Roegs most brutal and accomplished film..DVD please!!) and since then Roegs films gradually declined in quality. A shame really because at one time Roeg was one of the strongest directors in the 70's. If you want to see this true artist at his best then see "Performance", "Walkabout", "Don't Look Now", "The Man Who Fell To Earth", "Bad Timing" and "Eureka". From "Insignificance" and onward Nicolas Roeg has found promblems with his choice of material to film.

A Feast for the Mind and Eyes
Those who say that "Eureka"(1981) was Nicolas Roeg's last great movie either have not seen "Insignificance"(1985) or have vastly underestimated it.All the trademarks of a Roeg film are here; surrealism, spectacular visuals and a uniquely intelligent story.The idea that Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstien had an intimate relationship is explored here with great gusto. Misconceptions about Monroe's intelligence and Einstien's intellectual elitism are shattered here although her baseball player husband(DiMaggio)is what the viewer would expect.The climax is both unpredictable and mind blowing. All in all, Russell and veteran cast are great and Roeg's craftsmanship is uniformly excellent.

Significant
One of my all time favorite films. Thought provoking. Insignificance reminds us that we are part of a much larger picture. How something that may seem like a minor incident to one person is a major occurrence to another. Guess it goes back to that Native American saying about not judging (or assuming about) another person until you walk a mile in there moccassins. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winning Unforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood's Dirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Most Accurate Depiction of the Civil War and the Old West
Hollywood couldn't make a movie like Josey Wales today. In an age of political correctness, sappy westerns, and revisionist history, I find this movie a refreshing break from modern "reality." It is a classic, and one of the few movies that I own and watch more than once.

The realistic representation, references to actual historical figures, interwoven irony, and tightly knit dialogue make this movie a pleasure even for those prone to analyzing small details.

I grew up in the South and still remember my grandparents describing life during the Civil War in much the same terms that Josey Wales experiences it. The vast majority of Southerners were dirt-poor farmers who had never even seen a plantation, much less owned slaves, and I can't help but regard The Outlaw Josey Wales as a cinematic vindication of the wrongs they suffered at the hands of looting and pillaging murderers like W.T. Sherman.

A couple of interesting side notes that will enrich your viewing of Josey Wales: Clint Eastwood's son in the movie is his son in real life; Lone Watie was a chief in real life; Sondra Lock went on to become Clint Eastwood's wife in real life.

Classic Eastwood, Classic Western, Classic Movie
In recent years, Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales" has been elevated to a higher plain than it occupied when released in summer 1976. Praised by a handful of critics, the film did well at the box-office but really acquired a following through no less than six highly rated airings on NBC, ABC, and CBS. Now it's often considered Eastwood's finest hour as director and star, even surpassing his Oscar winning "Unforgiven" in some eyes. Among its fans was the late Orson Welles who praised it as one of the finest Westerns ever made, and praised Eastwood as a director worthy of notice long before it was fashionable to do so. In 1996, Eastwood's fifth film as a director was even recognized by the Library of Congress when it was added to the National Film Registry, that collection of films deemed historically, artistically, and/or sociologically important and deserving of protection from tampering by anyone but the original director.

At first glance, I found it overlong and meandering, enlivened only occasionally by some trademark Eastwood gunplay. But if it's a little short on the action for which Eastwood made his name, repeated viewings make it clear that there is much more happening beneath the surface. The Outlaw Josey Wales is very much a film about community and trying to find a place in one. Josey Wales is an outlaw only because he avenged the death of his family at the hands of murderous Union soldiers. Now a hunted man, this peaceful farmer is an Angel of Death wandering the west in search of vengeance but also a place to call home. Its scope is much bigger than the revenge tale at its center, and the film represents an important step in Eastwood's maturation as a director.

Beautifully photographed, splendidly acted (especially by John Vernon), and capably directed, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of Eastwood's finest hours (although "Unforgiven" is superior in my book), and one of the finest hours for the western, as well.

"I RECKON SO."
LEAVE THE WINING 'UNFORGIVEN' ON THE SHELF AND BUY THIS ONE.
EASTWOOD HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE CAMERA.
WALES (EASTWOOD) IS A MISSOURI DIRT FARMER RAIDED BY RED LEGS UNION TROOPS AT THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR. AS A RESULT HE BURIES HIS WIFE AND CHILD AND SETS OUT WITH CONFEDERATE IRREGULARS TO "SET THINGS ARIGHT."
AND THAT HE DOES EARNING A REPUTATION AS A FEARED PISTOLERO IN THE PROCESS. ALONG THE WAY HE IS FORCED TO ACCEPT A RAG TAG FAMILY OF LONERS AND LOOSERS.
HE IS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AND SYSTEMATICLY BLASTS THE BAD GUYS
PUNCTUATING HIS KILLS WITH TOBACCO SPITTLE ON THE CORPSES FOREHEADS. WHEN A PARTNER REGRETS NOT BEING ABLE TO BURY THE BAD GUYS, JOSEY QUIPS IN TRUE LACONIC FASHION "BUZZARDS GOTTA EAT, SAME AS WORMS.'
THE DIALOGUE SELLS THIS SHOW. THE CHIEF VILLIAN YANKEE WHO IS CHARGED WITH TRAKING THE OUTLAW REMARKS TO HIS MEN (REFERRING TO WALES) "NOT A HARD MAN TO TRACK, LEAVES DEAD MEN WHERE EVER HE GOES." WALES CONCLUDES HIS EPIC MISSION BY FINALLY KILLING HIS ARCH RIVAL 'RED LEGS TERRELL' THEREBY AVENGING HIS LONG DEAD FAMILY.
THE FILM IS NOT WITHOUT HUMOR THANKS TO 'LONE WATIE' AN OUTCAST ELDERLY INDIAN WHO LIGHTENS THE DRAMATIC LOAD WITH TIDBITS OF WIT AND WISDOM. WHEN WALES ASKS WATIE IF HE HAS ANY THING TO EAT.
THE OLD WARRIOR REPLIES AS HE HOLDS UP A COLORFUL STONE "JUST THIS PIECE OF ROCK CANDY, BUT ITS NOT FOR EATIN....JUST FOR LOOKIN THROUGH."
WATIE ENCOURAGES WALES BY INSISTING THAT HE "ENDEAVOR TO PERSEVEARE."

WALES DOES SO AND SLOWLY REDISCOVERS HIS LOST EMOTIONS AND IN THE END WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE ALL WILL BE WELL.

GOOD WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT?

AS JOSEY WOULD SAY "I RECKON SO."

Simply the Best
This is the best Western of all time, bar none.

GREAT!
i love this movie i have seen lots of of clints movies (yes and some R ones but just 2) this is the best! ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the stor