Eminence Hill

I have a soft spot for Western movies - the genre itself is something I grew up with. Well that and Eastern Martial Arts movies. On the other hand I have been accused of being too nice when rating and reviewing movies. Which I think is mostly correct - with a few exceptions of course. But even if I don't like a movie, I try to see broader view and how it may be perceived.

Having said all that, this movie right here has some really nice production values (considering the budget it probably was made with). Add to that a script that does challenge its actors to perform. And while I understand that some may feel differently and there are moments that might make you cringe, overall that works too.

While it has a lot of dialog (too much I reckon for some), it also goes all the way when it comes to violence (blood) and nudity too. Something to consider one way or the other.

Do you like westerns? I do and this one I enjoyed. It's starts with a gang of misfits who kill an innocent family and abduct their daughter. This seems like a simple set up for the movie but it goes it's own way. It blurred the lines between good and evil and although the story itself isnt without flaws it delivers this message. We see a couple familiar face among the acteurs and they're at home in this movie. Overall the acting is pretty decent and the sets look great. The costumes are ok but feel a little to clean at the beginning. Nevertheless the western feel is real enough. But this movie isn't without hiccups. I can understand why some people hate it and it feels cheap at some parts through the movie. The editing feels rushed and even early in the movie the cuts become repetitive. It feels unprofessional and combined with the special effects the movie feels like a B movie. The camera work isn't the best as some might notice and it looks like it's been shot on a lower-end camera. I think a big chunk of the money went into the cast and set and they had to cut cost in post. If the budget didn't allow it I think they made the good choice to focus on the story. If you can live with the somewhat sloppy camera and like westerns don't let the bad rating scare you and give it a try.

The opening scene does promise a very good movie. But movies can be illusive.

The story line is thin, but ok enough, there are more movies which are good enough with a thin story.

The lack of continuity is a problem in this movie. Also some sequences are cut very strangely, if there are a sort of pauzes in a supposed fast shooting scene. Most prominent in the sequence (1:15:45) when they are in a small room, with the girl on the bed, what then happens lags flow totally. Also in that same sequence the foley sounds are mainly terrible absent. Then the sound track is mainly absent or present but with the wrong music.

Finally, the movie suffers also from the directing skills.

Still it can be an interesting movie to watch for film academy students to figure out about what exactly is wrong with this movie.

No other User Reviews yet. Twisty little western, obviously shot on a budget. My favorite bit was the way all the characters, obviously not well read in western history, talked like they were reading cue cards from a stage play. The clothes were too clean, the teeth too straight. To me it translated to "surreal". My kind of film. The sociopathic Marshall, the all to clean old cowpoke, the Hollywood hair bad guy, and the parody of religious fanatics (although unfortunately I think you could find them in real life). It was utterly entertaining to me. A cross between a TV western, a Shakespearean play, and a slasher. Wheee! I do kind of object to Lance Henriksen getting a top billing spot. He had less than 5 minutes and was obviously just there for his name. Collect that check. He did his part well. A number of characters were introduced and thrown away, but again, it wasn't trying to be historical or realistic. I'd watch it again someday.

I had the chance to sit down and watch the 2019 Western movie "Eminence Hill" here in 2021, as I stumbled upon the movie by sheer, random chance. And seeing that the movie's cover had Lance Henriksen, Barry Corbin and Dominique Swain on the cover, I must say that I was interested in seeing it, especially because of Lance Henriksen.

The storyline told in "Eminence Hill", as written by Robert Conway and Owen Conway, was actually adequate. It wasn't a movie that had me overly impressed. But I will say that I was adequately entertained by what the movie turned out to be.

However, Lance Henriksen was in the movie for maybe a full minute or so. So having him on the movie's cover was just an awful way of luring people in to watching it with putting a familiar face there. Hey, it worked. I picked the movie up, didn't I?

Director Robert Conway managed to make the movie feel like an old fashioned Western, so that was definitely something that worked in favor of the movie.

While "Eminence Hill" was a watchable movie, it was hardly an outstanding or memorable Western. Nor is it a movie that warrants more than a single viewing. Though I think that for the true hardcore fans of the Western genre, then a movie such as "Eminence Hill" will bring proper entertainment.

My rating of "Eminence Hill" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.