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Tombstone (1993)
Directors: George P. Cosmatos
Writer: Kevin Jarre
Cast: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Dana Delany
Genre: Western
I've been meaning to re-watch Tombstone ever since I got on an O.K. Corral movie kick. I've watched a number of films about the gunfight at O.K. Corral. Some you might know of like John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946). Others you should've heard of like John Sturges' pair of fine films: Gunfight at OK Corral (1957) & Hour of the Gun (1967)...And others like the Marie Osmond's TV vehicle, I Married Wyatt Earp (1983) is best unheard of, yikes.
As I worked my way through all these films and documentaries too, I started getting an appreciation for the life of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and the infamous fight in Tombstone at the O.K. Corral. Well actually the gun fight only lasted seconds and took place in a vacant lot next to the O.K. Corral, but like they say, 'don't get your history from movies.'
I probably could write a mini novella about the real Wyatt Earp and still get it all wrong because the only true facts are: that no one left alive knows the real story and it has been spun so many different ways that Wyatt and Doc have entered that magical realm of mytho-heros.
Tombstone doesn't try to be factual, thank goodness as how could it be when the real facts are unknown...Instead it takes the myth and delivers it up in a potent, folklore way. The characters are larger than life with memorable lines and unforgettable scenes that one can recall long after the movie is over.
The last Wyatt Earp film I watched was Kevin Costner in Wyatt Earp (1994). I can't say I remember a thing about that movie, not one line, not one scene... Dennis Quad was a great Doc in Wyatt Earp, but for my money I'm going with Val Kilmer as the best Doc Holiday around. Val's Doc has heart and damn if he doesn't get all the best scenes to boot, even the scene without his boots! I loved the scene where he first meets Johnny Ringo who pulls out his gun and spins it around all fancy like...then, Doc answers him by taking a tiny tin cup and spinning it around his finger like it was a fancy six shooter. Did Val Kilmer win best supporting actor? If not he was robbed!
Tombstone (1993)
Writer: Kevin Jarre
Cast: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Dana Delany
Genre: Western
I've been meaning to re-watch Tombstone ever since I got on an O.K. Corral movie kick. I've watched a number of films about the gunfight at O.K. Corral. Some you might know of like John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946). Others you should've heard of like John Sturges' pair of fine films: Gunfight at OK Corral (1957) & Hour of the Gun (1967)...And others like the Marie Osmond's TV vehicle, I Married Wyatt Earp (1983) is best unheard of, yikes.
As I worked my way through all these films and documentaries too, I started getting an appreciation for the life of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and the infamous fight in Tombstone at the O.K. Corral. Well actually the gun fight only lasted seconds and took place in a vacant lot next to the O.K. Corral, but like they say, 'don't get your history from movies.'
I probably could write a mini novella about the real Wyatt Earp and still get it all wrong because the only true facts are: that no one left alive knows the real story and it has been spun so many different ways that Wyatt and Doc have entered that magical realm of mytho-heros.
Tombstone doesn't try to be factual, thank goodness as how could it be when the real facts are unknown...Instead it takes the myth and delivers it up in a potent, folklore way. The characters are larger than life with memorable lines and unforgettable scenes that one can recall long after the movie is over.
The last Wyatt Earp film I watched was Kevin Costner in Wyatt Earp (1994). I can't say I remember a thing about that movie, not one line, not one scene... Dennis Quad was a great Doc in Wyatt Earp, but for my money I'm going with Val Kilmer as the best Doc Holiday around. Val's Doc has heart and damn if he doesn't get all the best scenes to boot, even the scene without his boots! I loved the scene where he first meets Johnny Ringo who pulls out his gun and spins it around all fancy like...then, Doc answers him by taking a tiny tin cup and spinning it around his finger like it was a fancy six shooter. Did Val Kilmer win best supporting actor? If not he was robbed!