"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J.B. Brooks
Arrow Video has released an anticipated, Blu-ray box set of director Don (Dirty Harry) Siegel and producer Dino (King Kong) De Laurentiis' The Shootist, starring John Wayne in his final, film role.
The Shootist, based on Glendon Swarthout's acclaimed novel and adapted for the screen by the author with Scott Hale, depicts the last days of legendary gunslinger, John Bernard Brooks, who's diagnosed with cancer. Bad men smell blood and converge to do him in, but the shootist won't go down without a fight, even if it should prove his last.
In addition to headliners, John Wayne and Lauren Bacall, the cast includes such Hollywood heavyweights as James Stewart, Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, John Carradine, Sheree North, Harry Morgan, Bill McKinney, Scatman Crothers, Rick (Richard) Lenz and in an offbeat departure, Ron Howard.
This 2K-remastered, Blu-ray includes commentary from filmmaker/effects-artist/critic, Howard (The Walking Dead) Berger; a reflective interview with western writer, C. Courtney Joyner; visual essays by critic, David Cairns and filmmaker/critic, Scott Totoya; an analysis of Elmer Bernstein's spirited score by historian/composer, Neil (Stan) Brand; an archival featurette; theatrical trailer; and photo gallery.
In addition to the Blu-ray's special features, the set includes six, 4" x 6", lobby-card (postcard-sized) reproductions; a 14" x 17", folded reproduction of Richard Amsel's theatrical poster, with a flipside reinterpretation (as seen on the Blu-ray cover), by Juan Esteban Rodriguez; and a 31-page, comprehensive, illustrated booklet by critic, Philip Kemp, detailing the movie's production.
The Shootist is a powerful, poignant character study, the sort that's hard to come by these days. As such, Arrow Video deserves enormous credit for commemorating this classic with renewed vigor. The release will no doubt extend the movie's popularity and maybe, just maybe, show some of Hollywood's current crop what quality storytelling is all about.
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