The Quick and the Dead

...with Tom Conti and Kate Capshaw as settlers in post-Civil War Wyoming. They, along with their young son (Kenny Morrison), run into a band of outlaws and cutthroats led by the deceptively-avuncular Doc Shabbit (Matt Clark). The family seem doomed until the intervention of the mysterious Con Vallain (Sam Elliott), who escorts the family across hostile territory.

Director Robert Day tells the story competently and in a straightforward fashion, with no stylistic excess. Elliott is well-cast, as is Conti as the kindly war veteran suspicious of Elliott's motives, as well his attention toward his wife. Capshaw looks nice, but her performance is spotty. She seems to adopt a period-specific speech pattern in many scenes that is admirable in its intent, but questionable as the others in the cast don't attempt the same. Still, I enjoyed this minor film well enough, and would recommend it to western fans.

Thrilling Western in traditional style in which a mysterious stranger joins a colonist family arriving in the West . An attractive and agreeable Western with good performance by the protagonist trio : Sam Elliott , Kate Capshaw , Tom Conti . It deals with a good-natured marriage formed by Duncan McKaskel (Tom Conti) , an ex-Union soldier , and his wife , Susanna (Kate Capshaw ), they're a young married couple who, along with their child , Tom (Kenny Morrison), are travelling to the West hoping to begin a new life , arriving in a small village . They meet Doc Shabitt (Matt Clark) and ask for directions . Doc politely suggests a place for them to stay , but then the latter managing to snatch away two of their horses . Later on , the family meets a rare cowboy , Con Vallian (Sam Elliott) , who help them . Along the way , they manage to escape from the ruthless gang , while Vallian outriding and escorting them . As the outlaw band sets after them , as Doc leads his men in pursuit of a restless vendetta , while Vallian protects them from Shabitt's gang .

This fine Western contains thrills , romance , adequate action set-pieces, chases , go riding , and taking place impressive quick-draws . This special Western picture with breathtaking duels concerns a good family pits nasty bandits resulting in a deadly gun-battle and it turns out to be an enjoyable as well as hyperbolic homage to the traditional style Western. This ¨The Quick and the Dead¨ (1987) contains strong performances augmented by blazing guns , hobbled by an uneven writing . Nevertheless, it doesn't have much interest at times , neither intensity enough , though Sam Elliott captures his role pretty well as a stranger riding into a homesteading family's life when they are attacked by a violent band . Robert Day's slick direction , awesome interpretation and interesting story from Louis L'Amour's novel as well as James Lee Barrett's script enhance interest in this television Western . Standing out the great Sam Elliott as the merciless Mestizo who tries to help them by finding a new home , while he seeks justice and vengeance and along the way enjoying a little love relationship with Kate Capshaw - Spielberg's wife - who has never been so charming and glamorous . Star Sam Elliott is a detached figure in Western genre , being one of its main representatives , performing a lot of them in the Seventies , Eighties and Nineties , as cinema as TV , such as : ¨Cactus¨ , ¨Houston The Legend of Texas¨ , ¨Yellow Rose¨ , ¨The Quick and the Dead¨ , ¨Gettysburg¨ , ¨Hi-Lo County¨ , ¨You Know My Name¨ , ¨Buffalo Girls¨ , ¨Indians¨, ¨Wild Times¨ , ¨The Shadow Riders¨, ¨The Desperate Trail¨ and several others . While Tom Conti is cool as the brave husband , a war veteran , who decides to no longer take any humiliation or battery . Adding other notorious secondaries as Matt Clark and Patrick Kilpatrick.

There's a magnificently atmospheric cinematography , heightened by professional cameraman Dick Bush providing vivid photography from Flagstaff, Arizona, Happy Jack, Kibab National Forest , Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona,Strawberry , Pine, Arizona, Bell Rock, Sedona, Red Rock Crossing, Sedona, Courthouse Butte, Sedona, Schnebly Hill, Boynton Canyon, Sedona, Arizona, among others . Including an evocative and moving musical score by Steve Dorff . This literate Western was competently directed by Robert Day . This British director was a good artisan who made all kinds of genres as adventures , thriller , terror , such as : "The Big Game" , " Corridors of Blood" , " Click and the dead" , "Initiation of Sarah" , "Man with Bogart's Face" , " Grass is always Greener over the Septic Tank", "She" , "The Way Stretch" . Furthermore , he made a number of TV series episodes from Dallas , Disleyland , The Sixth Sense , Ghost story , Sam Cade , Matt Lincoln , The Bold ones , Ironside , FBI , The Invaders , The avengers , among others . Rating : 6.5/10 . Well worth watching . The flick will appeal to Sam Elliott fans .

In the year 1876, Duncan McKaskel, his wife Susanna, and their young son Tom leave Pennsylvania, embarking on a journey through Wyoming- a land ripe with promise and peril. As they traverse the rugged terrain, they encounter Doc Shabbitt and his felonious gang of ruffians, who shadow their every move. It's in this precarious moment that a mysterious stranger, Con Vallian, emerges from the wilderness. Vallian's decision to aid the McKaskels sets the stage for their survival, but at what cost? In a land where justice is often dispensed down the barrel of a gun, Vallian's skills become their lifeline.

A TV movie directed by Robert Day, and based on the novel of the same name by Louis L'Amour, 'The Quick and the Dead' is a predictable but entertaining western of the old style. Much like other L'Amour works, such as 'Hondo,' 'Connagher' and 'Crossfire Trail,' the narrative deals with disparate characters who are emblematic of the cultural divide between the American East and West; characters who must learn to work together if they are to survive.

Although enjoyable, screenwriter James Lee Barrett tends towards the cliched, especially with regard to characterisation. Vallian's stoicism, Susanna's defiance, Duncan's inner turmoil, Shabbitt's eloquent villainy, Tom's awakening- all echo familiar Western archetypes, adhering to traditional character tropes of the genre. Their linear journey provides few surprises and the sparse moments of action within lack excitement or tension. Moreover, when closely examined, some aspects of the plot lack credibility. Vallian's self-sacrifice for a family he barely knows seems contrived, as does the hackneyed, underwhelming ending.

Additionally, Dick Bush opts for a conventional cinematographical approach, meaning the visuals lack flair or originality. While he adeptly captures the stark beauty of the American West, when filming in exquisite locations like Coconino National Forest and Sedona, Arizona, it would be challenging not to showcase their splendour. Furthermore, while Bush's use of close-ups and wide shots adheres to traditional Western filmmaking, tension-building techniques- such as creative framing, dynamic camera movement, or unexpected angles- are somewhat absent.

Moreover, Steve Dorff's score is overblown to the point of parody. His melodies sound like someone trying to mimic, or mock, the sentimental ballads found in your average John Wayne film; a sweeping undercurrent rolling like amber waves of grain in the wind. Conversely, Barbara Weiss's costume design brings a most welcome authenticity to proceedings, while A. Rosalind Crew's minimalistic set decoration and Chester Kaczenski's production design further enhances this visual appeal.

Sam Elliott stars as Vallian, opposite Kate Capshaw as Susanna. Elliott is pitch-perfect as the stoic, rifle-toting stranger, utilising his world-weary charm to full effect. Capshaw does commendable work as Susanna, elevating what could have been a one-note character into a believable, multifaceted personality. Tom Conti subtly underplays it as Duncan, and is very effective in a role that seems somewhat out of his comfort zone. Additionally, Matt Clark- who has appeared in many of Hollywood's best westerns- makes for a fantastic villain as Shabbitt, unhinged yet calculated, and always entertaining.

Although cliched and predictable, Robert Day's 'The Quick and the Dead' still holds entertainment value, especially for fans of old-school westerns. Despite unremarkable cinematography and an overblown score, it's a compelling piece, thanks in large part to the efforts of the cast- especially Sam Elliott and Matt Clark. While this might not be the best Louis L'Amour adaptation, it still rollicks along, like a thoroughbred at full gallop, faltering here and there; but never knocking its rider from the saddle.

This is one terrific western film. Sam Elliott, who is marvelous as a "Shane-like" character, plays a drifter who follows a family of green homesteaders across the western plains and protects them from a savage pack of outlaws. The family, which includes Tom Conti and Kate Capshaw, also becomes more sufficient as the story progresses. It's a lean, well-directed film, with not a scene or character wasted. Not until Unforgiven did a western film arrives as superior as this HBO production. The story is based on an entertaining L. Lamour novel of the same name. The novel has a significant plot twist from the film, which I won't reveal here.

Beautiful scenery of Sedona and Flagstaff AZ, not Wyoming in 1876 as advertised. Good acting and quality filming. Casting was pretty good especially Sam Elliott and the bad guys but the half breed Indian looked like a runway model.

The Louis Lamour plot was, as usual for the genre, a little contrived as Sam Elliott's character lives a charmed life in the film. I recommend it if you are a sentimentalist and believe in honor, valor, unrequited love and taking on the bad guys.

I might mention that one item in the movie about Custer's last stand where one of the characters relatives was assumed to be killed could have had a more hopeful outcome as not all of the Seventh Regiment was killed at Little Bighorn since Custer split his command and several hundred survived.