- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,396
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Being aware of at the least the basics that went on during the production of Tombstone, I've always considered George Cosmatos' "name above he title" credit with a bit of an English "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" perspective. If one considered his other works, it seemed implausible at best that this was totally his work.
Once more information came to light, and with Mr. Cosmatos' passing, the film along with numerous details, begin to make sense. I've always been a fan of the film, but was never able to place it in a "great" category. The story has been told many times -- the most immediate comparison being to Wyatt Earp, which arrived shortly after Tombstone, and is a very different film which is also worth viewing.
Rather than go into detail, one need only visit Bill Hunt's Digital Bits, here, under the 4/15 graphs:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents
You'll also find a link to Kevin Jarre's original screenplay at the Bits, and this should be required reading.
With all of this as preface, and after having screened Disney's new Blu-ray of Kurt Russell's Tombstone, I'm thrilled by the final result. Cinematographer William Fraker's cinematography is beautifully represented. Audio is in DTS-HD Master format.
The version released is the theatrical cut, some four minutes shorter than the previous "Director's Cut" DVD, but I wouldn't allow that to prevent a purchase. One of the interesting things that I noticed while viewing, was the apparent cleanliness of the old west in this film. This in comparison to possibly newer and more accurate takes on the subject such as in Deadwood, where clean clothes are hard to find, and many of the characters can almost be perceptively smelled as they enter screen.
There is one performance in the film that shines above all others, and that would be Val Kilmer's "Doc" Holliday. His work here is a great treat to experience.
If one is new to westerns and the gunfighter ethic, there is no better film to spend a very quick 85 minutes with, than Henry King's 1950 The Gunfighter, in which Gregory Peck plays Jimmy Ringo. This also makes an interesting comparison with Ringo as seen in Tombstone. It appears that we know little about the reality of Ring's demise. While we have various incarnations of reel, there seem to be major questions about real. Go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Ringo
A final thought. Mr. Russell has been in the industry for 53 years. He knows what he's doing. I'd love to see his take on this film with his own cut should he be able to find the time.
Recommended...
especially once the viewer is up on the back story.
RAH
Once more information came to light, and with Mr. Cosmatos' passing, the film along with numerous details, begin to make sense. I've always been a fan of the film, but was never able to place it in a "great" category. The story has been told many times -- the most immediate comparison being to Wyatt Earp, which arrived shortly after Tombstone, and is a very different film which is also worth viewing.
Rather than go into detail, one need only visit Bill Hunt's Digital Bits, here, under the 4/15 graphs:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents
You'll also find a link to Kevin Jarre's original screenplay at the Bits, and this should be required reading.
With all of this as preface, and after having screened Disney's new Blu-ray of Kurt Russell's Tombstone, I'm thrilled by the final result. Cinematographer William Fraker's cinematography is beautifully represented. Audio is in DTS-HD Master format.
The version released is the theatrical cut, some four minutes shorter than the previous "Director's Cut" DVD, but I wouldn't allow that to prevent a purchase. One of the interesting things that I noticed while viewing, was the apparent cleanliness of the old west in this film. This in comparison to possibly newer and more accurate takes on the subject such as in Deadwood, where clean clothes are hard to find, and many of the characters can almost be perceptively smelled as they enter screen.
There is one performance in the film that shines above all others, and that would be Val Kilmer's "Doc" Holliday. His work here is a great treat to experience.
If one is new to westerns and the gunfighter ethic, there is no better film to spend a very quick 85 minutes with, than Henry King's 1950 The Gunfighter, in which Gregory Peck plays Jimmy Ringo. This also makes an interesting comparison with Ringo as seen in Tombstone. It appears that we know little about the reality of Ring's demise. While we have various incarnations of reel, there seem to be major questions about real. Go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Ringo
A final thought. Mr. Russell has been in the industry for 53 years. He knows what he's doing. I'd love to see his take on this film with his own cut should he be able to find the time.
Recommended...
especially once the viewer is up on the back story.
RAH
