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Not many movies can take credit for bringing about the demise of a movie studio--but Michael Cimino's ego-driven, overblown Western is one of them. These days, its $40 million budget would barely cover the cost of an Adam Sandler film--but in 1981, it virtually put United Artists out of business. Cimino, fresh from an Oscar for The Deer Hunter, spent months assembling this ultimately gorgeous and confusing story of the Johnson County cattle wars of 1881, with a cast that included Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, and many more. Almost four hours in its original form, the film was cut to less than three for an abortive commercial release, then restored for video. Anyway you look at it, this is a mess better viewed as a curiosity than anything else. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (73)

Have you noticed that no one ever gives this film 3 stars...
It's always 1 or 5 (the occasional 2 or 4 are just cowards...). This is a film you either adore or detest. Those who adore it (moi, for instance, as the 5 star rating clearly indicates) are usually very patient movie watchers who like to watch a film unfold at its own pace. How many films can you name that are still going through exposition an hour and half into the film?

David Bern once said that movies are nothing but pictures and images; stories are just a trick to get you to watch them. You could turn off the sound and mix up the reels (some probably think that happened when they saw it in the theatre), and this would still be a feast for the eyes. Cimino's lush vision of Montana is overwhelming. It's like a stroll through a moving Bierstadt exhibition. It contains pieces that are almost perfect acts of filmmaking - such as the skating sequence, which could stand alone as a short (the 1 star folks just stopped reading, muttering the word "dilatant" under their collective breaths).

But despite its cinematic saturation, Heaven's Gate has a powerful, complex story. It's a story about class barbarism, and how the American Aristocracy of the last century committed mass murder in the West, with the help of the Government and the Military. It has a love story between two people who wouldn't have touched each other in the "civilized" East. It has intense performances by Isabella Hupert, Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston, et al.

Yes, this is clearly not a film for everyone - in fact, if it was made for anyone, it was for Michael Cimino - but it is a film that some of us are glad was made. If you like LONG, CHALLANGING films by self-indulgent artists, rent it - and if you love it, you'll have to buy it; and if you hate it, well, you probably wasted five bucks and couldn't even get to the second tape...

How the West was Won
Cimino may not have made a blockbuster, but he did make one of the best Westerns in cinematic history. Unfortunately, most people can't sit through a 4-hour movie. If you are one of those persons who can appreciate a complex narrative, delivered by a stunning cast, that tells a more candid tale of the West, then "Heaven's Gate" is a real treat.

Cimino has collected a set of compelling stories that swirl around the range wars of the Montana. He relates these stories through his protaganist, a federal marshall played by Kris Kristofferson. His thoughts drift back to Harvard Yard in the opening sequence, where he reveled in the commencement ceremonies with his old schoolmate, John Hurt. Much of this scene was chopped out in the theatrical release, undermining the content of the film. It is this Eastern view, which Cimino wants you to take note of. How one can meld into the West as Kristofferson does, and how one can become part and parcel of the cattle syndicate as Hurt did.

The stories mainly focus around the Eastern European immigrants who attempted to carve out a life in late 19th-century Montana. They came up against the great cattle syndicates, who owned much of the range, leaving little for the immigrants to settle on. Cimino gives you a very intimate view of the events. His camera angles take you right into the action. This is a very visceral movie.

Eventually these immigrants come up against the cattle barons, who had formed their own vigilante gangs in an attempt to combat the encroachment of the new settlers on their land. Kristofferson has grown close to the immigrants and eventually chooses to support their claims, leading to a final gut-wrenching confrontation, which includes his old schoolmate, John Hurt.

The cast is first rate. Walken, Bridges, Huppert, Watterston all give excellent performances. Cimino has inverted many of the myths that surround the Old West, and provided a living history. The film almost has the quality of a sepia tone, as he has muted his colors to give the sense of age. The [fourty]... million budget seems paltry by toda's standards, but at the time it was one of the most expensive films ever made. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for it.

Quite Possibly the Most Maligned Picture Ever Made
When self-appointed film experts talk about the worst movies of all time, Heaven's Gate invariably enters the conversation. Until the release of Ishtar, this depiction of the Johnson County War in the late 19th Century enjoyed the dubious distinction of being the biggest box office flop of all time. In my view, however, a box office flop doesn't necessarily denote a bad movie. A bad movie is one with low production values, bad effects, and/or muddled script, like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Manos: The Hands of Fate. Heaven's Gate, though it may have been a box office flop, is actually a very good movie that got it's undeserved reputation due to director Michael Cimino's obsession with perfection. This resulted in multiple takes of scenes that most directors could have shot in one or two. Ultimately, the picture cost three or four times its original budget to make. Negative pre-release publicity from a reporter who managed to get into the film as an extra after Cimino refused to grant him an interview, and the critical shellacking that it received from the critics when released, conspired with the well reported cost overruns to doom Heaven's Gate before it was even out of the starting gate.

Personally, I like this movie. And while I appreciate Cimino's insistence on period authenticity in such things as trains, costuming and sets but I have a problem reconciling it to a script that takes such artistic liberties with recorded history. The real Jim Averill was a cattle ruster who along with his wife was hanged. He was not the noble sheriff with an Ivy League background as portrayed in the film by Kris Kristofferson. Nevertheless, Heaven's Gate is a superb motion picture in many respects. The cinematography by Villnos Zsigmond is nothing short of magnificent, and the acting performances are all good, especially those of Kristofferson, John Hurt, and Christopher Walken. Although many previous reviewers have criticized the sound quality, I found nothing wrong with it. I also didn't find the plot all that hard to follow, as others claim. Perhaps they expected the movie to give them a clue without any sort of thinking on their own. Of all the complaints that have been levelled against Heaven's Gate, the only one I think that has any merit to it is that the pacing is painfully slow. That said, I don't believe it distracts significantly from the enjoyment of the movie. Incidentally, have I mentioned that David Mansfield's score (sadly, not in print) is beautiful?

Sure, Heaven's Gate is considered to be a flop. But I would suggest to anyone reading this review that you watch it for yourself and decide. It's really not as bad a movie as others have led you to believe it is.

Check it out for the camerawork; there's nothing else there
"Heaven's Gate" is one of the most beautifully photographed films ever made. Every frame seems almost antique, a dazzling combination of sunlit exteriors and naturally lit interiors with candles and oil lamps that give the film a burnish unlike any other.

And there's several brillantly directed sequences that are unlike anything in any other film. A hyper-active rollerskating dance that transforms into a waltz between the romantic leads. A massive graduation dance on the lawn of Harvard (actually shot at Oxford) that is breathtaking in its scope.

However, all this camerawork and virtuoso editing is wrapped around one of the dullest screenplays ever written. The story is so simple, it could have been covered in 90 minutes instead of 3 hours and 40 minutes, and most of the movie consists of long pensive silences between the actors that lack any kind of dramatic interest or narrative thrust. The movie meanders, wanders, stops dead in its tracks, only occasionally remembering to pick up the storyline and go somewhere with it.

Kristofferson is utterly passive and uninteresting.

The film spends its first half-hour setting up a friendship between Kristofferson and John Hurt that has no bearing or meaning to to the storyline.

The love triangle aspect is contrived and dull.

And the victimized immigrants in the film are so shrill, panicky, and annoying that you almost wish they'd get killed.

Pictorially, the film is a masterpiece. But as a narrative film, it utterly fails on every level.....never before has so much care gone into making a film with so little substance.

As you can tell, this is a very ambivelent review. I think "Heaven's Gate" is worth a viewing just for those lovely images and sequences.....pure eye candy. Just don't expect to be entertained past that level.

Cimino's Hellish Disaster
I was one of the people who went to see this movie when it first came out in New York City - if you blinked, you missed it because it was pulled after one week! That's an indication of how bad this movie really is.

While I was watching the movie, I started trying to read lips because the sound was just so horrendous, you could barely hear or understand what was being said - I'm not kidding. I could hear wagon wheels turn and horses trot better than I could the actor's voices. By the end of the movie my glutimus maximus was numb - along with the expressions on the audience's faces. You could hear a pin drop in the place - then the avalanche of boos and scathing reviews started pouring down. I've never experienced anything like it before or since.

The scenery and music is fantastic, everything else is truly horrendous. Cimino had over 200 hours of film which needed to be cut down to between 2 and 3 hours - it's impossible to make a cohesive, intelligent movie from such a huge amount of film - storylines get trimmed or cut completely leaving you to wonder what the heck is going on or why certain things seemed disjointed and/or untold.

You're left wondering how someone who created a spectacular movie like The Deer Hunter could have become so self-absorbed that he created a disaster of enormous proportions. $40 million might not seem like much nowawdays, but in 1980, it was a heckuva lot of money. (It's equivalent to $100,000,000 today!)

Such a shame that Cimino threw his career down the toilet with this movie. ... Read more

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Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, The Deer Hunter is simultaneously an audacious directorial conceit and one of the greatest films ever made about friendship and the personal impact of war. Like Apocalypse Now, it's hardly a conventional battle film--the soldier's experience was handled with greater authenticity in Platoon--but its depiction of war on an intimate scale packs a devastatingly dramatic punch. Director Michael Cimino may be manipulating our emotions with masterful skill, but he does it in a way that stirs the soul and pinches our collective nerves with graphic, high-intensity scenes of men under life-threatening duress.Although Russian-roulette gambling games were not a common occurrence during the Vietnam war, they're used here as a metaphor for the futility of the war itself. To the viewer, they become unforgettably intense rites of passage for the best friends--Pennsylvania steelworkers played by Robert De Niro, John Savage, and Oscar winner Christopher Walken--who may survive or perish during their tour through a tropical landscape of hell. Back home, their loved ones must cope with the war's domestic impact, and in doing so they allow The Deer Hunter to achieve a rare combination of epic storytelling and intimate, heart-rending drama. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (189)

Among the best
The Deer Hunter is definitely among the top three Vietnam films of all time, in my opinion... However, what makes all three great is that, in reality, none of them are about war...The Deer Hunter takes place mostly outside of Vietnam and doesn't dwell there for more than a third of the film. Rather, it is merely the focal point of the film. The movie is about friendship, courage, loyalty, and pathos. The movie features a wonderful ensemble of actors, including Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, Meryl Streep, and George Dzundza, just to name a few. The story is set in a small steel town in Pennsylvania, and De Niro and company are Russian-Americans and close friends. De Niro's character, Michael, is the leader. He is spontaneous and fun-loving, but also strict and methodical. When screw-up Stan (Cazale) forgets his boots, De Niro doesn't want to give him his extra pair. Walken portrays Nick as an intensely loyal friend, willing to risk death at Russian Roulette to escape on a plan conceived by Michael. Savage plays Steve, the married man who ends up losing his legs due to an injury in the war. The film investigates the lives of these three men, forever changed by Vietnam: one emotionally scarred, one physically scarred, one lost in a foreign land. I got choked up when Michael went to Vietnam to save Nick, but ends up playing one final game of Russian Roulette. That particular scene is the most affecting. See it and you'll understand.
In short, this film is a monumental examination of friendship, loyalty, and courage. It won the Best Picture Oscar in 1978, and will forever be a potent look at grief and sadness and joy and love. A must.

Good actors, but malicious presentation of the Vietnam War
This film is blatantly racist. The Vietnamese were portrayed as totally inhuman or, at best, disgustingly moronic. The scenes were not in Vietnam, the so-called Vietnamese did not look like Vietnamese, and they played the Russian roulette game which is completely alien to the Vietnamese. Worse still, they could not speak correctly some simple Vietnamese words! The film makers were completely ignorant of the fact that the North Vietnamese had won the war mainly because they knew how to win the heart of the rural people - they stayed among the people like fish in water to conduct a guerrilla warfare against the Americans and the South Vietnamese. Thus, how could they stand successfully against the superpower USA if they threw grenades at children and shot women without a cause? Don't tell me that this is a movie, not a documentary. A novelist or film director can ignore facts and deal only with imaginary things, on condition that his/her imagination is meaningful or, at least, entertaining. But no one has the right to be so malicious and truth-distorting. What would you think if there was an Oscar-laden movie presenting the G.I.s in Vietnam as utterly ruthless and moronic? Though there were indeed the My Lai massacre and other wanton killings of smaller scales performed by US soldiers during their search-and-destroy operations, it would be unfair if we ignored the good guys and focused only on the Lieutenant Calleys.

too slow
This movie is just too slow and makes you bored.Except of some scenes (in vietnam)i can`t find something to keep my interest.Classic but.......

Sometimes You Can Never Go Home
Director Michael Cimino made this masterpiece and it seems to have drained all his talent, as he followed it up with the legendary "Heaven's Gate". Put that aside, as this is a riveting and thorough examination of a group of small town Pennsylvania steel workers that go to Vietnam with varying end results. Michael (Robert DeNiro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) are the best of buddies that regularly go deer hunting and bar hopping. The first hour of the film dives deeply into the personal aspects of each characters personality and make-up, including a long wedding scene that is preciously real. Suddenly the film turns from American normalcy to the horrors of the war. All three men are prisoners of war in hellish conditions, forced to take part in a cruel and devastating game of Russian roulette with their captors. The scenes of war are brief but to the point. It is pure madness and although the men 'survive', they are in differing states of change. The final act shows Michael desperate to get Steven back into the real world, but his biggest challenge is to rescue Nick, who, severely disturbed by his ordeal, has stayed back in Vietnam. The last scene with DeNiro and Walken is nerve wracking and heart-breaking. The ending is unforgettable. This is the kind of film that rarely comes along - the kind of movie that makes you feel like you are there. Trivia: The Pennsylvania mountains scenes are beautifully filmed, but it's painfully obvious it's the Cascades of Washington.

russian roulette
this movie is about 4 buddies who get shipped to nam and really showcases the horrors of war.this is not for children.even big kids could get messed up with this one.the only people iknow who really like it are marines.in it,the captured are forced to play russian roulette while the gooks bet on the outcome.i think it is a very emotional movie and also very intense.there is a sequel called deer slayer but ive never sen it.the movie is very long.it is the 2nd best nam movie ever!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Politically Incorrect....But Engrossing
This story, of a gruff, dysfunctional, but brilliant detective out to bring down the Triads is a fast paced & very entertaining action film, meant to capitialize on the Chinatown shoot-outs at The Golden Dragon restaurants, that had captured the attention of the news media back in the late 1970's.

That said, the characters, especially Mickey Rourke's lead, are somewhat pedestrian & conventional. (Do ALL brilliant book & movie detectives have to have screwed up personal lives?!)

Besides that, I wondered about why a POLISH-American cop would be so personally obsessed about taking out the CHINESE mafia?

I'm NOT into political correctness. (Though I'm Chinese by descent, I wasn't so gung-ho about all of the protesting from the Asian activists about this movie back in the '80's. After all, there are more important things to worry about than an action flick!)

But I am into BELIEVABLE films. One reviewer who liked this movie said that director Cimino "kept it real." If it was "real", the lead (both in the book & in the movie) would have been someone with a very personal stake in bringing down the Triads. That would have justified his obsession AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. (It's one thing to have him see it as just a job at the beginning, then have him obsessed AFTER they attack his friends & family. But this guy is so gung-ho RIGHT AT THE START!)

Politically correct or not....he should have been a Chinese, and not a Polish cop. (That goes for the book, as well as the movie!)

That said, the leading lady, a Chinese-American reporter, is the opposite....she's just too politically correct (in her mouthings about rights & such, not in her depiction) to be believable. (She might be a good actress, but I found her character annoying. It wasn't her fault. I blame the writers!)

Worst of all was John Lone's character. He's also a good actor, but in the story, he's absolutely no match, mentally or (especially) physically for Rourke's character. A villain should be the equal of the hero, in order to create audience tension (even though you know the good guy is supposed to win in the end.) But Rourke just man-handles Lone in a bathroom with no trouble at all (at least, not until some girl bodyguards start shooting at Rourke.) I thought Triad leaders were supposed to be trained in martial-arts! (That's not a stereotype, that's really a part of their traditions & rituals.)

Of course, Rourke should win. (After all, he's the "hero".) But he shouldn't have had it SO EASY.

Rent it....but don't buy it!

A Great Film
This film got a bad reputation when left-leaning Chinese-American groups tried to brand it as racist, causing many film critics to play it safe and pan it rather than brave the ire of those groups. In truth, the only notable flaw in the film is the acting talents of Arianne; despite this, I found her tolerable as her interaction with Rourke was truly electric. As to the demagogues, I must say that they arrived a little late to the party: Cimino's Deer Hunter portrayed Asians in a much more demeaning light than anything here. Besides that, have any of those protesters seen the kinds of movies put out en masse from Hong Kong? They are much more glitzy violent than anything portrayed here (for example check out John Wu's "The Killer" or Hard-Boiled").

Mickey Rourke is awesome as usual, he defined cool in the 1980s just as Errol Flynn did for the 1930s. And just like Errol Flynn, he later descended into mediocrity, making poor personal decisions and then taking poor roles and minor roles which made a mockery of his previously fine work. But neither Flynn nor Rourke were as bad as OJ Simpson or Enron executives. You don't have to love what they became to enjoy what they previously achieved.

In many ways Cimino fulfilled a potential avenue which Roman Polanski never explored in his 1974 neo-noir masterpiece, Chinatown. That film spent all of one scene in its namesake locale. Year of the Dragon takes us right into the heart of New York City's Chinatown, for better and for worse. Its a fairly conventional narrative, but you can almost smell the pastries cooking and wet garbage seething on those Manhattan streets. One of my three favorite Rourke films, along with Angel Heart and Francesco.

Big loud movie that goes nowhere
Mickey Rourke is NYPD Detective Stanley White, an angry white cop and marine Vietnam vet whose life seems to revolve around making a nightmare of everybody else's. Sent to Chinatown with the idea to stay out of trouble, White immediately butts heads with community figures he's convinced run the local mob. Not just a strictly law-and-order, White is on a mission against the larger evil of organized crime. Convinced that local Chinese mobsters are just tentacles of larger criminal syndicates called Triads (White educates his superiors that it was the Chinese, not the Italians who conceived "organized crime"), White pursues respected members of the City's Chinese community. Unfortunately, the situation is larger than White realizes - as Joey Tai (John Lone), an up-and-coming figure among the community, prepares to wrest control of the Triads from its aging leaders. Poised to flood America with narcotics from the golden triangle of southeast Asia, Tai soon realizes that White is more than an annoyance, and must be eliminated. Meanwhile, White proves less able to crack the Triads than his own career - alienating superiors who are convinced that he's harassing Tai. As Tai and White fight a war that soon becomes personal, the Triad readies itself to enter a new age in organized crime.

This is yet the only Cimino flick I've ever seen, though it seems to confirm what I've heard about his inability to focus. You wander through the twisting alleys of the script and wonder just what it's all about. It's about drugs, and Chinese and white cops who prove willfully blind to the encroaching triads. But that doesn't begin to explain Stan White or his seemingly bottomless reservoir of piety. Why does he care so much? "How can anybody care too much?" he asks back. What does he really want? Arresting people for crimes isn't enough - he's out for the moral rot that bred the Triads, and sets out to war against Chinatown. We're supposed to assume that White's stint in the Marines has turned him into the perfect righteous cop, but that would make him a nightmare no matter where he was assigned (in his first few scenes he demonstrates his knowledge of the Triads suggesting a peculiar obsession for them). Equally unfortunate is that while "Dragon" has the makings of a character-driven flick, there are so few compelling characters populating it. A beautiful Chinese TV reporter w/whom White falls in love with, the aging leaders of the Triad, a young Chinese cop who sticks his neck out for White, Tai himself, White's lazy bosses, other cops - they're all one-note props next to Rourke's character. I vaguely recall this flick getting lambasted for its simplistic portrayal of Chinese Americans, but it's actually a simplistic portrayal of everything New York. John Lone again proves an actor of rare depth, but the script doesn't give him anything to fill it with. What's left is crass, angry and louder than Chinese New Year.

Should be called YEAR OF THE DODO
Oh no. A Mickey Rourke movie. Lock up your daughters and bar the windows, this isn't going to be pretty.
YEAR OF THE DRAGON is a major career stretch for the Mickster- this time around his character doesn't use "MF" to punctuate his sentences. In a highly original, high concept plot that would have done the late Don Simpson proud; Mickaroo plays Stanley White, an ex-Nam vet who is now a cop fighting corruption in Chinatown, and his task is to track down and arrest and/or wipe out street gangs, but he soon finds himself up against drug dealers, but that's no problem for Mick seeing as he is your everyday suburban Rambo. Rourke's attempts at intelligent social commentary are enough to drive any viewer to burn the VHS tape. YEAR OF THE DODO is directed by Michael "The Deer Hunter" Cimino who should have known better than to subject viewers to this "unpleasant movie." There's some gore, but mostly bore. And it's overlong to boot. Check out Ridley Scott's BLACK RAIN instead, it's not hugely memorable but its far better than this.

Great Movie! When will it come out on DVD?
This movie is the best cop show I have ever seen. Aside from its controversy and violence this show was well made. John Lone was at his best as always and Mickey Rourke was the same with attitude. I hope that the director would bring this great show out on DVD in stead of letting it collect dust!!! When it does come out buy it you won't be sorry!!! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Little Swagger with your Pasta
"Chimes, Charlie, chimes..." The Pope of Greenwich Village was one of the great films of 1984 and offers a visually and thematically telling portrait of two small-time hustlers in Little Italy. Charlie, portrayed brilliantly by Mickey Rourke in his finest performance, is wed, in a brotherly sense, to his second cousin, Paulie, played with equal bravado by Eric Roberts. It is an Italian/NYC version of Of Mice and Men and proves that blood is thicker than water, and even a little thicker than a nice hot cup of laced espresso. Pay particular attention to the wonderful work of Burt Young as Bedbug Eddy -- a local boss that causes Charile and Paulie (not to mention Paulie's "thummmmb") a great deal of grief. Certain lines by Eric Roberts are unforgettable, Rourke's swagger is unparalleled, and great tracks ranging from Frank Sinatra to Mink deVille offer the wonderful back drop of the Village and equal dose of acoustic power. It is a New York movie, it is an Italian-American morality tale -- it's tough and gritty and damn good. Leave the gun, take the canolis...and the movie. -- Mr. Zelig

So Cool
How cool was Mickey Roarke? Check this film out and see for yourself. I love this movie. Micky plays Charlie a small time hood tryin to go straight in New Yorks little Italy, No matter how hard he tries he just can't escape the neighborhood or his Lowlife cousin Paulie,wonderfully acted by Eric Roberts. Yes at one time he could act too (See Star 80). Rounding out the cast are Geraldine Paige, Daryl Hannah and Kenneth McMillon, But the movie belongs to Rourke it was a springboard to things that never were to be. To bad.

one of the best mob flicks
This movie is chock full of stars. The one who is amazing is Tony Musante, Paulie's uncle. Take a look at a 1967 flick called the incident and he will show you what method acting is all about. His character in that flick is better than any in "the POPE" not to put down "the POPE" of course. Too bad they gave him this small role, cauz he was the original bad boy. Anyway, the pope is awesome, Roberts and Rourke are incedible and the flick is a classic. DONT FORGET MUSANTE IN THE INCIDENT.

An overlooked gem
Released at a time when comedies were measured by the number of exposed women's breasts or the quality of vomiting scenes, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE was a refreshing movie that had actual character development and humor based on wit, not bodily functions. Paulie and Charlie (Rourke and Roberts) play two citizens of Little Italy that are on the criminal fringe, although they themselves are not criminals. But as they look around them, the criminals of the street are getting richer and the yuppies of the 80s even richer than that. When they are approached by Barney, a locksmith losing his sight (wonderfully portrayed by Kenneth McMillan) who has a plan for a quick score, the two fall in. Once they do, the pasta goes flying.

I won't go further into the plot. There are some great supporting performances here: Geraldine Page, Burt Young, Tony Musante, Phillip Bosco, and even Daryl Hannah. The direction is top notch. Check out this little period piece of a neighborhood that is rapidly disappearing.

Rourke's breakthrough performance!
"The Pope of Greenwich Village" could be considered Mickey Rourke's Swan Song. Rourke delivers a stellar performance laced with a brooding subtlety that prompts comparisons with Brando and McQueen. Eric Roberts, who is a seriously underrated talent of film, also offers an admirable performance. In contrast to Rourke, Roberts brings a comic element to the film. As a result, some scenes oscillate between compelling drama and off-beat comedy. There is an undeniable chemistry between these two actors and, hopefully, their work will be recognized in the future. Given their ostracism from the elitist enclaves of Hollywood, however, that does not seem likely. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Out of this world!
Why would a group of people believe that a comet would be hiding their UFO to take them to the stars? Find out in this movie explaining their spritual quest and how it turned into a "doomsday cult", Heaven's Gate.I remember when the story was all over the place here in California, and this tape adds more about it than was in the news.

video error
This video is not Heavens Gate and the stars you have listed is incorrect. I have previously emailed you about this and would like to see a correction made. Thank you.

The movie being talked about hear is not the same movie
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE MOVIE COVER SHOWN ABOVE, IT IS NOT HEAVEN'S GATE WITH KRIS KRISTOFFERSON. IT IS A MOVIE ABOUT A SUICIDE CULT IN CALIFORNIA. ... Read more

Description

A young L.A. Doctor who's going places. A bitter street kid going nowhere. They're worlds apart but their destinies collide in director Michael Cimino's compelling road odyssey Sunchaser. Woody Harrelson plays Michael Reynolds, a wealthy doctor. But Michael's fast-track life detours when a desperately ill patient (Jon Seda of Dear God and 12 Monkeys) kidnaps him at gunpoint. Across highways and backroads, kidnapper and hostage seek a legendary Navajo healing place while a manhunt closes in on them. Year: 1996 Director: Michael Cimino Starring:Woody Harrelson, Jon Seda, Anne Bancroft ... Read more

Reviews (6)

VERY TOUCHING ENDING... AMAZING PERFORMACES
After watching "Sunchaser", I realize that Woody Harrelson and Jon Seda are TWO VERY UNDER-RATED actors. Acting is, after all, about believability; pursuading the viewer that you are who you SAY you are. Within the first 15 minutes of this movie I believed every word out of these two actor's mouths. Jon Seda is FLAWLESS as a terminally ill, escaped convict, who kidnaps a doctor (Woody Harrelson) in order to make a great journey to a mystical healing lake. Makes for a pretty good flick. Watch it at least once, you'll probably like it.

wonderful movie
when this movie came up yesterday evening on tv i watched it mainly because it was in german, and i had to practice german. not that i really felt like watching it... but, contrary to my former expectationes, i loved it, from the very beginning until the very end. this is woody harrelson's best role EVER, he makes you get into the story and feel how he gradually changes... and jon seda is awesome, too. i recommend this fil to everybody who, like me, think there is still hope...

Heartfelt and touching
Woody Harrelson's best role in the first really good Michael Cimino film since "Heaven's Gate". The cinematography is awesome, but it probably could've been better if Cimino had the same carte blanche he did on his earlier movies ("Gate", and "The Deer Hunter"). I can't believe this didn't do more business in the theatres.

awesome!
this movie was great! This film was not only acted well, but directed well. A great must see movie...touching, but not mushy!

=)

two thumbs up!

THIS MOVIE SUCKS!!!
There is nothing good about this movie! This is one of the worst movies I saw in my life, take my advice don't buy this movie!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Jeff Bridges actually corralled an Oscar nomination for his spirited, oddball performance in this genre crime story, directed by first-timer Michael Cimino who (a short two films later) would bring down a studio with Heaven's Gate. Clint Eastwood plays a bank robber par excellence with a flair for explosives who is being hunted by his former partners, who think he has their loot from their last job. Bridges is his eager apprentice and sidekick, who helps him escape; when Eastwood finally makes peace with his hunters, Bridges convinces them to try a daring robbery--but things inevitably go awry. The relationship between Eastwood and Bridges is both funny and touching in this, one of Eastwood's better post-Dirty Harry efforts. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (17)

CLINT Does it Again!
Clint Eastwood portrays a robber ( John Thunderbolt Doherty ) who takes on a side-kick played by Jeff Bridges (Lightfoot ). There is money to be found in an old church. Trouble is, the church has been moved. Also: Geoffrey Lewis ( Goody ) and Gary Busey (Curly) and Catherine Bach (Melody). There is action in this film. But, I wouldn't consider it an action film. It is more of road chase with subtle dramatic elements. Great film. ***Note, we had no problems playing this DVD on our JVC DVD player.

Clint Eastwood And Jeff Bridges Make One Heck Of A Pair!
Released in 1974, "Thunderbolt And Lightfoot" starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and a host of other actors, is one of those movies that will have you glued to your seat (or couch) for the entire movie. Eastwood plays a bank robber named "Thunderbolt" and Bridges plays "Lightfoot" a young drifter. The beginning of the movie has Eastwood (who is giving a sermon in a small church) running from an old ex-con buddy and literally bumps into Lightfoot, driving a stolen white '73 Pontiac Trans-Am. The two of them are followed by yet another ex-con named Red Leary (played by George Kennedy) and his sidekick named Eddy Goody (played by Geoffery Lewis)who wants to get even with Thunderbolt for hiding some stolen cash from a heist that Leary and he had done years ago. Both Leary and Thunderbolt settle their differences and together the four end up planning on robbing the Montana Armory again the second time around. Who would ever suspect Leary And Thunderbolt? The movie is full of car chases and laughs (ex. Jeff Bridges is a riot dressed in drag in one scene) and the ending is quite a surprise. An all around excellent movie which has finally made it's way onto dvd. Recommended!

Eastwood's most underrated film!
In 1974, director Michael Cimino, who had helped write the script for MAGNUM FORCE, made his debut as director for THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT. The result is a surprised combination of action, suspense, and comedy. Clint Eastwood plays John Doherty, a bank robber who is hiding from other members of his gang who think he ran away with the loot,(it is actually hidden behind a blackboard in a schoolhouse). After nearly being gunned down in his own church, Doherty takes off across a wheatfield, and literally runs into drifter Jeff Bridges,(Lightfoot) , who has just stolen a Pontiac. After getting Doherty out of trouble, the two begin a friendship that involves hookers, stealing cars, and running from Doherty's enemies.

George Kennedy plays Red Leary, a member of Doherty's gang who eventually catches up with him. Geoffery Lewis plays Goody, Leary's sidekick. After cornering Doherty,(nicknamed Thunderbolt) and Lightfoot, Doherty convinces them that the money is gone, although he is unaware the schoolhouse had been moved. They all then decide to rub off the same bank because no one would suspect them of doing it again. The plans leading up to it are funny. I always liked the part where Kennedy tells off the snotty kid while they are planning their route in the ice cream truck. Bridges dresses in drag to fool the security guard. When the whole operation is done, the police still catch up with them, and all hell breaks loose.

Still, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot escape and find the money stashed behind the moved schoolhouse on the side of the road. They then buy an expensive convertible and light victory cigars. What happens next is very sad, although I won't give that away. The movie is highlighted by beautiful Montana scenery and long quiet periods with no music, creating a relaxing and peacful setting that will please any action buff. Cimino was obviously off to a good start, and he would win an Oscar for DEER HUNTER 4 years later. This is the most underrated movie of Eastwood's career, and it shows him on the other side of the law and doing a very good job of it.

A rousing action film that is also supremely funny
Before he destroyed his career with the excess of Heaven's Gate, Michael Cimino, the screenwriter of Eastwood's second Dirty Hary flick Magunum Force, created this wonderful caper flick, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, under the discipline of producer and star Clint Eastwood. The cast is excellent, with Jeff Bridges first rate in his Oscar nominated role as Lightfoot, and Oscar winner George Kennedy and Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis (father of Juliette) both very memorable as Red and Goody.

The scene of Red and Goodie in the ice cream cart confronted with an obnoxious lad is a classic in cinema.

The climax of this film is superb. A definite MUST SEE for all Eastwood fans!

Auspicious debut for Cimino...
Buddy films are always fun, and this is no different. The exotic American locales of Idaho are every bit as unique as the Bolivian settings in "Butch Cassidy". As in "Butch Cassidy", the script (by Cimino) is character-driven, and you'll find yourself cheering on the bad guys. Jeff Bridges Oscar nomination (Supporting) surprised a lot of people, but it was most deserved. His role was really equal to Eastwood as far as importance (and screen time). Eastwood was, well, Eastwood. That's not a bad thing. I always thought he was underrated. The DVD transfer is excellent, with a wide 2.35:1 letterbox that shows off some of our country's best scenery. There's action, humor and great chemistry between our buddy-heroes. George Kennedy is about as nasty as they come, though he somewhat copied his nasty performance in "Charade" (10 years earlier). The most interesting thing about this film is that it is the debut of "wunderkind" Cimino. The strength of his work on this film allowed him to create his masterpiece, "The Deer Hunter". No doubt the man has vision and talent. Too bad he over-indulged himself in the dismal "Heaven's Gate" and ruined a studio with his excesses. ("Heaven's Gate" really wasn't that bad, except for the first hour). I think of "Thunderbolt & Lightfoot" as an up-dated version of "Butch Cassidy". Though the music wasn't as frivolous and the script not as taut, there are definite comparisons. Not bad. Check it out. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Little Swagger with your Pasta
"Chimes, Charlie, chimes..." The Pope of Greenwich Village was one of the great films of 1984 and offers a visually and thematically telling portrait of two small-time hustlers in Little Italy. Charlie, portrayed brilliantly by Mickey Rourke in his finest performance, is wed, in a brotherly sense, to his second cousin, Paulie, played with equal bravado by Eric Roberts. It is an Italian/NYC version of Of Mice and Men and proves that blood is thicker than water, and even a little thicker than a nice hot cup of laced espresso. Pay particular attention to the wonderful work of Burt Young as Bedbug Eddy -- a local boss that causes Charile and Paulie (not to mention Paulie's "thummmmb") a great deal of grief. Certain lines by Eric Roberts are unforgettable, Rourke's swagger is unparalleled, and great tracks ranging from Frank Sinatra to Mink deVille offer the wonderful back drop of the Village and equal dose of acoustic power. It is a New York movie, it is an Italian-American morality tale -- it's tough and gritty and damn good. Leave the gun, take the canolis...and the movie. -- Mr. Zelig

So Cool
How cool was Mickey Roarke? Check this film out and see for yourself. I love this movie. Micky plays Charlie a small time hood tryin to go straight in New Yorks little Italy, No matter how hard he tries he just can't escape the neighborhood or his Lowlife cousin Paulie,wonderfully acted by Eric Roberts. Yes at one time he could act too (See Star 80). Rounding out the cast are Geraldine Paige, Daryl Hannah and Kenneth McMillon, But the movie belongs to Rourke it was a springboard to things that never were to be. To bad.

one of the best mob flicks
This movie is chock full of stars. The one who is amazing is Tony Musante, Paulie's uncle. Take a look at a 1967 flick called the incident and he will show you what method acting is all about. His character in that flick is better than any in "the POPE" not to put down "the POPE" of course. Too bad they gave him this small role, cauz he was the original bad boy. Anyway, the pope is awesome, Roberts and Rourke are incedible and the flick is a classic. DONT FORGET MUSANTE IN THE INCIDENT.

An overlooked gem
Released at a time when comedies were measured by the number of exposed women's breasts or the quality of vomiting scenes, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE was a refreshing movie that had actual character development and humor based on wit, not bodily functions. Paulie and Charlie (Rourke and Roberts) play two citizens of Little Italy that are on the criminal fringe, although they themselves are not criminals. But as they look around them, the criminals of the street are getting richer and the yuppies of the 80s even richer than that. When they are approached by Barney, a locksmith losing his sight (wonderfully portrayed by Kenneth McMillan) who has a plan for a quick score, the two fall in. Once they do, the pasta goes flying.

I won't go further into the plot. There are some great supporting performances here: Geraldine Page, Burt Young, Tony Musante, Phillip Bosco, and even Daryl Hannah. The direction is top notch. Check out this little period piece of a neighborhood that is rapidly disappearing.

Rourke's breakthrough performance!
"The Pope of Greenwich Village" could be considered Mickey Rourke's Swan Song. Rourke delivers a stellar performance laced with a brooding subtlety that prompts comparisons with Brando and McQueen. Eric Roberts, who is a seriously underrated talent of film, also offers an admirable performance. In contrast to Rourke, Roberts brings a comic element to the film. As a result, some scenes oscillate between compelling drama and off-beat comedy. There is an undeniable chemistry between these two actors and, hopefully, their work will be recognized in the future. Given their ostracism from the elitist enclaves of Hollywood, however, that does not seem likely. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of the great 1980s films, unseen until now.
I'm thrilled that the complete version of Michael Cimino's masterpiece is FINALLY going to be available in the United States! I caught this in Paris during its first week in October of 1987 and was floored by the movie. Brilliantly literate screenplay by the uncredited Gore Vidal, with Terrance Stamp as Vidal's stnad-in. Elegant mise-en-scene and a tight dramatic arc that I wouldn't have thought Cimino capable of. (I'm one of the minority that hated "The Deer Hunter" but thouht "Heaven's Gate" was brilliant.) When I got back to the United States I was shocked to find out "The Sicilian" had been released in a version cut by 25 minutes and was roundly trashed as incoherent. The rumor was also out that when Fox demanded that Cimino deliver a 120 minute version, he deliberately cut it to make no sense thinking that the studio would then have no choice but to release his complete film. But they released the deliberately sabotaged version instead. Anybody know the truth about this? Anyway, this is one of the great American-produced films of the 1980s -- if you love Scorsese and Visconti,and want something both passionate and cerebral, political and exciting, you must see this.

DVD lies about format size. WAS filmed in Widescreen
THIS REVIEW IS ON THE DVD, NOT ABOUT THE MOVIE ITSELF.The movie in my opinion was better than the critics gave it. I enjoyed it for a slow-paced mafia movie in the obscure Cimino style.THE DVD though, FOR THOSE WIDESCREEN LOVERS OUT THERE, STATES (on the back cover) that it "IS PRESENTED IN THE FORMAT IN WHICH THE FILM WAS SHOT OF 1:33:1. STANDARD "old fashion TV" FORMAT. I believe this is most deffintaly a lie.Why do I say this? Because, just a week ago it was on the High Definition Channel--INHD Channel, and they showed it in a TRUE ASPECT RATIO of WIDESCREEN 2:35:1, Cinnmascope. There is noway they could've shown the movie in that format if Ciminio had it filmed in standard format, AS STATED ON THE BACK COVER OF THE DVD.SO, THE DVD IS PRESENTED IN STANDARD FORMAT, while in reality IT WAS FILMED IN WIDESCREEN.SO, I give the DVD 2 stars just for decent picture quality & mediocre sound. The people who released this DVD version of the movie I believe lies when they state it was filmed in standard format when IT WAS FILMED IN WIDESCREEN.Maybe someday another company will release the orginal Widescreen version - THE WAY IT WAS SHOWN IN THEATRES.I was fortunate enough to tape it on the high def channel and get my copy of the movie in it's ORGINAL WIDESCREEN FORMAT.

Garbage, I wish there was zero Stars
Don't waste your money on this.It is not worth seeing. It is an insult to the movie going public.I threw mine into the Garbage

Just try to sit through this...
Absolutely some of the worst acting and story continuity I have ever seen. Christopher Lambert is not the only bad actor here - Joss Ackland as Don Masino and Barbara Sukowa as the Duchess are not much better. The dialogue can be so hard to follow, and the film jumps around so much, that towards the end of the movie you can barely (if at all) understand what's going on. Instead of spending more time on the "why" and "how" of Giuliano's campaign for Sicilian revolution, this film wastes time on smaller, less important scenes. One in particular, where Giuliano is robbing the Duchess of her jewels, and ends up frolicking in bed with her, is absolutely excruciating to watch - the acting and dialogue is that bad. Don't waste 2 1/2 hours of your life on this.

Sadly, no option for zero stars
What a terrible movie and a waste of talent. Trying to be another Godfather flick, but falling way short. There is some nice cinematography and a musical score that starts out promising but ends up being grating. The worst and most insurmountable problem is, naturally, Christopher Lambert. He can't act, doesn't look or sound Italian (let alone Sicilian) and is too old for the part (Guliano is supposed to be very young -- everyone comments on this -- and is compared to Alexander the Great, while Lambert is clearly in his mid-thirties). A OK enough actor for action films, he is way out of his depth here. Also, the always excellent John Turturro makes him look awful feeble. What power-that-be in the casting department decided on Lambert as the lead and NOT Turturro -- who looks and is of Italian ancestry? There is some kind of interesting story here about the modern history of Sicily after WWII, and the struggle between the church, government, rich landowners, poor peasants and communists...but darned if I could make out what it was. It was buried under a barrage of odd accents -- some American, some "fake" Italian, some generic "European" -- and dialogue that stinks. I hung on to the dogged end of this long (uncut version) flick, but I was wasting my time. It didn't improve or get any clearer. A movie to be avoided. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

This version is a very bad "remake" of a very good film
Greetings to one and all. Just wanted you to know that if you are looking for a pretty good film called "The Desperate Hours," this is NOT the one you want to watch. You want to watch the 1955 version with Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. This is the 1990 "remake" with Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins. The original is a taunt drama in which a man discovers that his home has been invaded and his family taken hostage by a trio of gangster escaped from prison and focuses on his desperate attempts to save their lives. This remake is exercise in terror in which the sadistic violence of the criminals becomes the driving force of the story and the goal is to see how far they will go before they are finally stopped. On paper you would have thought Anthony Hopkins could do a marvelous job in the role of the father, but the script pretty much makes that impossible. Turning the bad guy into a major league psychotic just destroys the psychological chess game that made the original so compelling. Rourke is simply the wrong choice for the role, always coming across as a sick punk rather than a criminal menace, but then few actors are going to be able to play against Hopkins, even when he is in low gear. I cannot believe anybody would watch this film twice; I only watched it because I was interested to see how they updated the original, the ending of which I just watched again on television. Of course the ending would be more violent, but it was the elegance of the ending of the original, as the hero saves his family with an unloaded gun, that made it stand out. This one is just a splatter flick dressed up a bit to fool you. Go check out the original because like Rourke's character, you do not want this in your house anywhere near your family.

Great Film, Superb Acting!
Going up against an original with the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March is daunting enough, but Cimino pulls it off in this riveting remake, eliciting outstanding performances from everyone involved (including Shawnee Smith and Danny Gerard as the terrorized children of Anthony Hopkins and Mimi Rodgers). I've never been a big fan of Lindsey Crouse, but even she is worth watching here (although her attempt at a Mormon Clarice Starling is a little grating).

Cimino's forte has always been action, and the film benefits greatly from the famous synergy between the director and Rourke (remember the great Year of The Dragon from the early 80's). There isn't a wasted frame in this picture, and Cimino puts just the right touches on this updated effort (Kelly Lynch as the steely blonde fembot attorney who collapses into jello in the face of Rourke's malignant criminality; Rodgers/Hopkins in typical 90's "marriage on the rocks"; Smith as the sullen teen who disses EVERYone in authority). David Morse and Elias Koteas tread a fine line in their performances as well, resisting the temptation to descend into Abbott-and-Costello farce as the two accomplices of borderline intellect.

Although Cimino has had his share of failed experiments (who can forget Heaven's Gate?), he more than delivers the goods in this film.

It's a GREAT film !
Despite some of the glib, cute, reviews here, the cast is strong, the story is strong, the direction is strong. For the money, it's a purchase you won't regret.

The whole point of the film, as any film, is to entertain. This effort delivers what it promises...a taut, tense drama, that entertains.

No one liked this film because Hollywood NEVER forgives Michael Cimino, and they successfully "buried" him with this film, and the public bought it, as these reviews here show.

It's our loss, but at least we have this DVD.

Don't know why so many don't like it?
I just finally watched this whole movie. I thought it was well done. I don't understand why so many bad reviews. I guess it is that I am not that critical of movies, and I don't over analyze things. I enjoyed Anthony Hopkins in this role. I thought Mickey Rouke was okay. I have never been a big fan though. I would recommend it. But, I do agree the FBI leader played by Lindsey Cruise was very annoying.

Public Service Warning: You are watching the wrong movie
Greetings, people. Just wanted you to know that if you are looking for a pretty good film called "The Desperate Hours," this is not the one you want to watch. You want to watch the 1955 version with Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. This is the 1990 "remake" with Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins. The original is a taunt drama in which a man discovers that his home has been invaded and his family taken hostage by a trio of gangster escaped from prison and focuses on his desperate attempts to save their lives. This remake is exercise in terror in which the sadistic violence of the criminals becomes the driving force of the story and the goal is to see how far they will go before they are finally stopped. On paper you would have thought Anthony Hopkins could do a marvelous job in the role of the father, but the script pretty much makes that impossible. Turning the bad guy into a major league psychotic just destroys the psychological chess game that made the original so compelling. Rourke is simply the wrong choice for the role, always coming across as a sick punk rather than a criminal menace, but then few actors are going to be able to play against Hopkins, even when he is in low gear. I cannot believe anybody would watch this film twice; I only watched it because I was interested to see how they updated the original, the ending of which I just watched again on television. Of course the ending would be more violent, but it was elegance of the ending of the original, as the hero saves his family with an unloaded gun, that made it stand out. This one is just a splatter flick dressed up a bit to fool you. Go check out the original because like Rourke's character, you do not want this in your house anywhere near your family. ... Read more

Reviews (189)

Among the best
The Deer Hunter is definitely among the top three Vietnam films of all time, in my opinion... However, what makes all three great is that, in reality, none of them are about war...The Deer Hunter takes place mostly outside of Vietnam and doesn't dwell there for more than a third of the film. Rather, it is merely the focal point of the film. The movie is about friendship, courage, loyalty, and pathos. The movie features a wonderful ensemble of actors, including Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, Meryl Streep, and George Dzundza, just to name a few. The story is set in a small steel town in Pennsylvania, and De Niro and company are Russian-Americans and close friends. De Niro's character, Michael, is the leader. He is spontaneous and fun-loving, but also strict and methodical. When screw-up Stan (Cazale) forgets his boots, De Niro doesn't want to give him his extra pair. Walken portrays Nick as an intensely loyal friend, willing to risk death at Russian Roulette to escape on a plan conceived by Michael. Savage plays Steve, the married man who ends up losing his legs due to an injury in the war. The film investigates the lives of these three men, forever changed by Vietnam: one emotionally scarred, one physically scarred, one lost in a foreign land. I got choked up when Michael went to Vietnam to save Nick, but ends up playing one final game of Russian Roulette. That particular scene is the most affecting. See it and you'll understand.
In short, this film is a monumental examination of friendship, loyalty, and courage. It won the Best Picture Oscar in 1978, and will forever be a potent look at grief and sadness and joy and love. A must.

Good actors, but malicious presentation of the Vietnam War
This film is blatantly racist. The Vietnamese were portrayed as totally inhuman or, at best, disgustingly moronic. The scenes were not in Vietnam, the so-called Vietnamese did not look like Vietnamese, and they played the Russian roulette game which is completely alien to the Vietnamese. Worse still, they could not speak correctly some simple Vietnamese words! The film makers were completely ignorant of the fact that the North Vietnamese had won the war mainly because they knew how to win the heart of the rural people - they stayed among the people like fish in water to conduct a guerrilla warfare against the Americans and the South Vietnamese. Thus, how could they stand successfully against the superpower USA if they threw grenades at children and shot women without a cause? Don't tell me that this is a movie, not a documentary. A novelist or film director can ignore facts and deal only with imaginary things, on condition that his/her imagination is meaningful or, at least, entertaining. But no one has the right to be so malicious and truth-distorting. What would you think if there was an Oscar-laden movie presenting the G.I.s in Vietnam as utterly ruthless and moronic? Though there were indeed the My Lai massacre and other wanton killings of smaller scales performed by US soldiers during their search-and-destroy operations, it would be unfair if we ignored the good guys and focused only on the Lieutenant Calleys.

too slow
This movie is just too slow and makes you bored.Except of some scenes (in vietnam)i can`t find something to keep my interest.Classic but.......

Sometimes You Can Never Go Home
Director Michael Cimino made this masterpiece and it seems to have drained all his talent, as he followed it up with the legendary "Heaven's Gate". Put that aside, as this is a riveting and thorough examination of a group of small town Pennsylvania steel workers that go to Vietnam with varying end results. Michael (Robert DeNiro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) are the best of buddies that regularly go deer hunting and bar hopping. The first hour of the film dives deeply into the personal aspects of each characters personality and make-up, including a long wedding scene that is preciously real. Suddenly the film turns from American normalcy to the horrors of the war. All three men are prisoners of war in hellish conditions, forced to take part in a cruel and devastating game of Russian roulette with their captors. The scenes of war are brief but to the point. It is pure madness and although the men 'survive', they are in differing states of change. The final act shows Michael desperate to get Steven back into the real world, but his biggest challenge is to rescue Nick, who, severely disturbed by his ordeal, has stayed back in Vietnam. The last scene with DeNiro and Walken is nerve wracking and heart-breaking. The ending is unforgettable. This is the kind of film that rarely comes along - the kind of movie that makes you feel like you are there. Trivia: The Pennsylvania mountains scenes are beautifully filmed, but it's painfully obvious it's the Cascades of Washington.

russian roulette
this movie is about 4 buddies who get shipped to nam and really showcases the horrors of war.this is not for children.even big kids could get messed up with this one.the only people iknow who really like it are marines.in it,the captured are forced to play russian roulette while the gooks bet on the outcome.i think it is a very emotional movie and also very intense.there is a sequel called deer slayer but ive never sen it.the movie is very long.it is the 2nd best nam movie ever!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

CLINT Does it Again!
Clint Eastwood portrays a robber ( John Thunderbolt Doherty ) who takes on a side-kick played by Jeff Bridges (Lightfoot ). There is money to be found in an old church. Trouble is, the church has been moved. Also: Geoffrey Lewis ( Goody ) and Gary Busey (Curly) and Catherine Bach (Melody). There is action in this film. But, I wouldn't consider it an action film. It is more of road chase with subtle dramatic elements. Great film. ***Note, we had no problems playing this DVD on our JVC DVD player.

Clint Eastwood And Jeff Bridges Make One Heck Of A Pair!
Released in 1974, "Thunderbolt And Lightfoot" starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and a host of other actors, is one of those movies that will have you glued to your seat (or couch) for the entire movie. Eastwood plays a bank robber named "Thunderbolt" and Bridges plays "Lightfoot" a young drifter. The beginning of the movie has Eastwood (who is giving a sermon in a small church) running from an old ex-con buddy and literally bumps into Lightfoot, driving a stolen white '73 Pontiac Trans-Am. The two of them are followed by yet another ex-con named Red Leary (played by George Kennedy) and his sidekick named Eddy Goody (played by Geoffery Lewis)who wants to get even with Thunderbolt for hiding some stolen cash from a heist that Leary and he had done years ago. Both Leary and Thunderbolt settle their differences and together the four end up planning on robbing the Montana Armory again the second time around. Who would ever suspect Leary And Thunderbolt? The movie is full of car chases and laughs (ex. Jeff Bridges is a riot dressed in drag in one scene) and the ending is quite a surprise. An all around excellent movie which has finally made it's way onto dvd. Recommended!

Eastwood's most underrated film!
In 1974, director Michael Cimino, who had helped write the script for MAGNUM FORCE, made his debut as director for THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT. The result is a surprised combination of action, suspense, and comedy. Clint Eastwood plays John Doherty, a bank robber who is hiding from other members of his gang who think he ran away with the loot,(it is actually hidden behind a blackboard in a schoolhouse). After nearly being gunned down in his own church, Doherty takes off across a wheatfield, and literally runs into drifter Jeff Bridges,(Lightfoot) , who has just stolen a Pontiac. After getting Doherty out of trouble, the two begin a friendship that involves hookers, stealing cars, and running from Doherty's enemies.

George Kennedy plays Red Leary, a member of Doherty's gang who eventually catches up with him. Geoffery Lewis plays Goody, Leary's sidekick. After cornering Doherty,(nicknamed Thunderbolt) and Lightfoot, Doherty convinces them that the money is gone, although he is unaware the schoolhouse had been moved. They all then decide to rub off the same bank because no one would suspect them of doing it again. The plans leading up to it are funny. I always liked the part where Kennedy tells off the snotty kid while they are planning their route in the ice cream truck. Bridges dresses in drag to fool the security guard. When the whole operation is done, the police still catch up with them, and all hell breaks loose.

Still, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot escape and find the money stashed behind the moved schoolhouse on the side of the road. They then buy an expensive convertible and light victory cigars. What happens next is very sad, although I won't give that away. The movie is highlighted by beautiful Montana scenery and long quiet periods with no music, creating a relaxing and peacful setting that will please any action buff. Cimino was obviously off to a good start, and he would win an Oscar for DEER HUNTER 4 years later. This is the most underrated movie of Eastwood's career, and it shows him on the other side of the law and doing a very good job of it.

A rousing action film that is also supremely funny
Before he destroyed his career with the excess of Heaven's Gate, Michael Cimino, the screenwriter of Eastwood's second Dirty Hary flick Magunum Force, created this wonderful caper flick, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, under the discipline of producer and star Clint Eastwood. The cast is excellent, with Jeff Bridges first rate in his Oscar nominated role as Lightfoot, and Oscar winner George Kennedy and Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis (father of Juliette) both very memorable as Red and Goody.

The scene of Red and Goodie in the ice cream cart confronted with an obnoxious lad is a classic in cinema.

The climax of this film is superb. A definite MUST SEE for all Eastwood fans!

Auspicious debut for Cimino...
Buddy films are always fun, and this is no different. The exotic American locales of Idaho are every bit as unique as the Bolivian settings in "Butch Cassidy". As in "Butch Cassidy", the script (by Cimino) is character-driven, and you'll find yourself cheering on the bad guys. Jeff Bridges Oscar nomination (Supporting) surprised a lot of people, but it was most deserved. His role was really equal to Eastwood as far as importance (and screen time). Eastwood was, well, Eastwood. That's not a bad thing. I always thought he was underrated. The DVD transfer is excellent, with a wide 2.35:1 letterbox that shows off some of our country's best scenery. There's action, humor and great chemistry between our buddy-heroes. George Kennedy is about as nasty as they come, though he somewhat copied his nasty performance in "Charade" (10 years earlier). The most interesting thing about this film is that it is the debut of "wunderkind" Cimino. The strength of his work on this film allowed him to create his masterpiece, "The Deer Hunter". No doubt the man has vision and talent. Too bad he over-indulged himself in the dismal "Heaven's Gate" and ruined a studio with his excesses. ("Heaven's Gate" really wasn't that bad, except for the first hour). I think of "Thunderbolt & Lightfoot" as an up-dated version of "Butch Cassidy". Though the music wasn't as frivolous and the script not as taut, there are definite comparisons. Not bad. Check it out. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

Have you noticed that no one ever gives this film 3 stars...
It's always 1 or 5 (the occasional 2 or 4 are just cowards...). This is a film you either adore or detest. Those who adore it (moi, for instance, as the 5 star rating clearly indicates) are usually very patient movie watchers who like to watch a film unfold at its own pace. How many films can you name that are still going through exposition an hour and half into the film?

David Bern once said that movies are nothing but pictures and images; stories are just a trick to get you to watch them. You could turn off the sound and mix up the reels (some probably think that happened when they saw it in the theatre), and this would still be a feast for the eyes. Cimino's lush vision of Montana is overwhelming. It's like a stroll through a moving Bierstadt exhibition. It contains pieces that are almost perfect acts of filmmaking - such as the skating sequence, which could stand alone as a short (the 1 star folks just stopped reading, muttering the word "dilatant" under their collective breaths).

But despite its cinematic saturation, Heaven's Gate has a powerful, complex story. It's a story about class barbarism, and how the American Aristocracy of the last century committed mass murder in the West, with the help of the Government and the Military. It has a love story between two people who wouldn't have touched each other in the "civilized" East. It has intense performances by Isabella Hupert, Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston, et al.

Yes, this is clearly not a film for everyone - in fact, if it was made for anyone, it was for Michael Cimino - but it is a film that some of us are glad was made. If you like LONG, CHALLANGING films by self-indulgent artists, rent it - and if you love it, you'll have to buy it; and if you hate it, well, you probably wasted five bucks and couldn't even get to the second tape...

How the West was Won
Cimino may not have made a blockbuster, but he did make one of the best Westerns in cinematic history. Unfortunately, most people can't sit through a 4-hour movie. If you are one of those persons who can appreciate a complex narrative, delivered by a stunning cast, that tells a more candid tale of the West, then "Heaven's Gate" is a real treat.

Cimino has collected a set of compelling stories that swirl around the range wars of the Montana. He relates these stories through his protaganist, a federal marshall played by Kris Kristofferson. His thoughts drift back to Harvard Yard in the opening sequence, where he reveled in the commencement ceremonies with his old schoolmate, John Hurt. Much of this scene was chopped out in the theatrical release, undermining the content of the film. It is this Eastern view, which Cimino wants you to take note of. How one can meld into the West as Kristofferson does, and how one can become part and parcel of the cattle syndicate as Hurt did.

The stories mainly focus around the Eastern European immigrants who attempted to carve out a life in late 19th-century Montana. They came up against the great cattle syndicates, who owned much of the range, leaving little for the immigrants to settle on. Cimino gives you a very intimate view of the events. His camera angles take you right into the action. This is a very visceral movie.

Eventually these immigrants come up against the cattle barons, who had formed their own vigilante gangs in an attempt to combat the encroachment of the new settlers on their land. Kristofferson has grown close to the immigrants and eventually chooses to support their claims, leading to a final gut-wrenching confrontation, which includes his old schoolmate, John Hurt.

The cast is first rate. Walken, Bridges, Huppert, Watterston all give excellent performances. Cimino has inverted many of the myths that surround the Old West, and provided a living history. The film almost has the quality of a sepia tone, as he has muted his colors to give the sense of age. The [fourty]... million budget seems paltry by toda's standards, but at the time it was one of the most expensive films ever made. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for it.

Quite Possibly the Most Maligned Picture Ever Made
When self-appointed film experts talk about the worst movies of all time, Heaven's Gate invariably enters the conversation. Until the release of Ishtar, this depiction of the Johnson County War in the late 19th Century enjoyed the dubious distinction of being the biggest box office flop of all time. In my view, however, a box office flop doesn't necessarily denote a bad movie. A bad movie is one with low production values, bad effects, and/or muddled script, like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Manos: The Hands of Fate. Heaven's Gate, though it may have been a box office flop, is actually a very good movie that got it's undeserved reputation due to director Michael Cimino's obsession with perfection. This resulted in multiple takes of scenes that most directors could have shot in one or two. Ultimately, the picture cost three or four times its original budget to make. Negative pre-release publicity from a reporter who managed to get into the film as an extra after Cimino refused to grant him an interview, and the critical shellacking that it received from the critics when released, conspired with the well reported cost overruns to doom Heaven's Gate before it was even out of the starting gate.

Personally, I like this movie. And while I appreciate Cimino's insistence on period authenticity in such things as trains, costuming and sets but I have a problem reconciling it to a script that takes such artistic liberties with recorded history. The real Jim Averill was a cattle ruster who along with his wife was hanged. He was not the noble sheriff with an Ivy League background as portrayed in the film by Kris Kristofferson. Nevertheless, Heaven's Gate is a superb motion picture in many respects. The cinematography by Villnos Zsigmond is nothing short of magnificent, and the acting performances are all good, especially those of Kristofferson, John Hurt, and Christopher Walken. Although many previous reviewers have criticized the sound quality, I found nothing wrong with it. I also didn't find the plot all that hard to follow, as others claim. Perhaps they expected the movie to give them a clue without any sort of thinking on their own. Of all the complaints that have been levelled against Heaven's Gate, the only one I think that has any merit to it is that the pacing is painfully slow. That said, I don't believe it distracts significantly from the enjoyment of the movie. Incidentally, have I mentioned that David Mansfield's score (sadly, not in print) is beautiful?

Sure, Heaven's Gate is considered to be a flop. But I would suggest to anyone reading this review that you watch it for yourself and decide. It's really not as bad a movie as others have led you to believe it is.

Check it out for the camerawork; there's nothing else there
"Heaven's Gate" is one of the most beautifully photographed films ever made. Every frame seems almost antique, a dazzling combination of sunlit exteriors and naturally lit interiors with candles and oil lamps that give the film a burnish unlike any other.

And there's several brillantly directed sequences that are unlike anything in any other film. A hyper-active rollerskating dance that transforms into a waltz between the romantic leads. A massive graduation dance on the lawn of Harvard (actually shot at Oxford) that is breathtaking in its scope.

However, all this camerawork and virtuoso editing is wrapped around one of the dullest screenplays ever written. The story is so simple, it could have been covered in 90 minutes instead of 3 hours and 40 minutes, and most of the movie consists of long pensive silences between the actors that lack any kind of dramatic interest or narrative thrust. The movie meanders, wanders, stops dead in its tracks, only occasionally remembering to pick up the storyline and go somewhere with it.

Kristofferson is utterly passive and uninteresting.

The film spends its first half-hour setting up a friendship between Kristofferson and John Hurt that has no bearing or meaning to to the storyline.

The love triangle aspect is contrived and dull.

And the victimized immigrants in the film are so shrill, panicky, and annoying that you almost wish they'd get killed.

Pictorially, the film is a masterpiece. But as a narrative film, it utterly fails on every level.....never before has so much care gone into making a film with so little substance.

As you can tell, this is a very ambivelent review. I think "Heaven's Gate" is worth a viewing just for those lovely images and sequences.....pure eye candy. Just don't expect to be entertained past that level.

Cimino's Hellish Disaster
I was one of the people who went to see this movie when it first came out in New York City - if you blinked, you missed it because it was pulled after one week! That's an indication of how bad this movie really is.

While I was watching the movie, I started trying to read lips because the sound was just so horrendous, you could barely hear or understand what was being said - I'm not kidding. I could hear wagon wheels turn and horses trot better than I could the actor's voices. By the end of the movie my glutimus maximus was numb - along with the expressions on the audien