Genre: Westerns
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-SEP-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray
Something I've always liked about a majority of Sam Raimi's films is their ability to entertain. The Evil Dead movies, Darkman, the Spider-man trilogy, and Drag Me to Hell are all filled with just the right balance of quirks, style, and enough story/character depth to keep me engrossed within those universes. The Quick and the Dead is something of a divergence from all of Raimi's other fantasy-based action titles. There's no magic book, ghouls, radioactive spiders, crazed supervillains, or goat demons coming for your soul in this. It's a straight-up revenge-themed spaghetti western brimming with characters, drama, and good ole fashioned shootouts. There are three things in particular I think make this a very entertaining film. First, is Sharon Stone. I was only a kid when Sharon Stone was "hot stuff" in Hollywood, and I didn't really know what that meant at the time (having not figured out the "birds and the bees" yet). But wow, after seeing this and what little bits I can remember of her throughout her other mid-'90s titles, I can certainly see the kind of sex appeal she had. Having her as the protagonist does double for me in that 1) it gives me some great eye candy, and 2) perpetuates my all-time favorite theme in vengeance (and through a sexy vessel, at that). The second thing I really like is the rest of the cast. With established and eventual talent like Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gary Sinise, Pat Hingle, Lance Henriksen, and Keith David, it's an unequivocal star-studded lineup, each of who play their respective personalities to the best of their abilities and to the limits they have written on paper. And lastly, by far my favorite aspect of the movie is the photography. Dante Spinotti's angular framing and quick zooming really give the film a kind of cinematic flare and pizazz, something you just don't see anymore in a lot of westerns. While the narrative is pretty cookie-cutter and the characters fairly one-dimensional, it's an entertaining piece of fiction, nonetheless.
Video - 4.0
Prior to this BD viewing, my experiences with Q&D is pretty limited to either cable TV or VHS, so it's safe to say I have little source material to use for comparison. But for what it is today, Sony presents Q&D with a very good picture presentation. Colors range between not-quite-dull and purposely-washed-out, but make for some great aesthetic choices. There's an especially subtle hint of orange during scenes with either lots of sand in the background or sunlight shining on peoples' faces for that dramatic effect. Image detail overall is pretty sharp with healthy levels of contrast and blacks that never seem to crush or distract. Set design, costuming, and prop work are probably the elements that will stick out the most, adding a very authentic feel to the film. The are some artifacts and debris here and there, but it's nothing overly messy in relation to other titles I've seen on BD from around that time.
Audio - 4.5
Growing up, my interpretation of westerns had always been of a sheriff versus a bandit in some kind of gunslinger's duel outside of a tavern or just at the edge of town at either dawn or dusk. With this movie, I get just that, and plenty of it. As more of escapist entertainment than any kind of meaningful story, Q&D's main drive is through its action sequences and tension building up to those moments. With that said, the sound design benefits a lot from this TrueHD track. Background noise throughout the saloons and town activities flood the front and rear speakers, while dead silence casts a suspenseful grip in the moments before a quick draw. Dialogue is perfect and never gets muffled through all the action, with separation being especially nice. The score by Alan Silvestri helps to maintain a nice pace to the film and really gives it that old-school "western" feel with a good amount of brass and guitar. Gunshots are easily the showcase of the track, providing with as quick and precise a sound as the drawers themselves. Horse hooves on the dirt, saloon doors, spurs jingling, even the clicking of hammers all possess a very clear reproduction of sound. The only thing lacking, really, is a strong presence of LFEs. Around the end of the movie there's one scene that really triggers the sub, but it doesn't do enough to give the overall track a real balance. Still, though, everything else is pretty near-reference.
Overall - 4.5
I still haven't seen a whole lot of westerns to this date. Stuff like Unforgiven and 3:10 to Yuma make for some great story-telling, while stuff like Appoloosa and The Quick and the Dead make more for quick entertainment. But regardless, I have to say westerns do have their charm. Q&D is a short, little film that manages to entertain me to great bounds thanks in huge part to Sam Raimi's direction, the production design team, and a really great cast of actors. The video is very good, and the sound is excellent. The Quick and the Dead comes highly recommended.
Quick and the Dead - F. Price -
Bought as a gift for my Husband, he already had just the DVD.
He loves having it and BluRay is fantastic!!!
Terrible - Michele Greene - Jacksonville,FL
I watch this movie and it was terrible. Leonardo character was always trying to please his dad. And Sharon Stone; I don't know what her charater was all about. she was suppose to be big and bad. This movie was plain stupid. Don't buy it or rent unless you are desperate to be bored.
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