Tombstone - 1993

source: the internets

Sunday afternoon I decided to watch Tombstone, as I lay in bed, trying to feel better. I watched this when it was released on video in either '93 or '94. I remember I was living back with my mom after getting kinda-sorta kicked out of Northeastern University. It's a long story that I'd rather not get into, since it doesn't involve Mr Bill Paxton or any of the films he's in. But anyway, the point is, I had already seen this before. And I didn't like it any more the second time around.

The main reason, above all else, is because I'm not a fan of the Western. They just really aren't my thing. I think this stems from the fact that, since I was young, I've decided to ignore the fact that the USA was once a barren, open expanse of land that was settled by people driving covered wagons. In my mind, US History doesn't start til 1920!* But please don't tell my Mom that, with her being a History teacher and all.

So, yeah. Back to Tombstone. It's a film about Wyatt Earp and his brothers who move to Tombstone, Arizona in order to retire and live a peaceful life, free of shootins and hangins and stealin' and crazy violence. Well, once they get there, they come face to face with a band of ruthless meanies called the Cowboys, who want to terrorize Tombstone and take everything for themselves. Ok, so this gang is called the Cowboys. But, um, weren't they all Cowboys back then? Maybe I should have paid more attention in school.

The Earps (Wyatt, played by Kurt Russell; Morgan, played by our hero Bill Paxton; and Virgil played by Sam Elliott) team up with Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer) are pressured to help get the Cowboys out of Tombstone. Lots of shootin' and stabbin' go on. Wyatt decides to make himself Marshall of Tombstone and he proposes a law that bans firearms in town. Well, this pisses people off, so the battle of the OK Corral goes down. Unfortunately, Morgan is killed and Virgil is wounded badly. After losing his Morgan, he decides to shoot and kill any man wearing a red sash (this is like the present day red bandannas of the Bloods, only a little more, um, gay).

Admittedly, this is where the film loses me. Our hero, Bill Paxton, is now dead, so why bother watching the rest of the film, right? I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't get through the remaining hour or so of this movie. But basically what happens is that Wyatt has another big gunfight with the Cowboys, killing Curly Bill (played by Powers Boothe) in a nearby river. Note: Powers Boothe and Bill Paxton both starred in Frailty together! Ringo becomes the leader of the Cowboys and tells Wyatt he'll kill him to avenge the deaths of his fellow gang members.


Doc Holliday beats Wyatt to the punch and ends up killing Ringo. Wyatt is happy to see his friend still alive, but barely hanging on to life as his tuberculosis has gotten the best of him. Doc goes to a hospital where he later dies and Wyatt decides to leave his opium fiend wife for the travelling actress named Josephine (played by Dana Delaney).

So, yeah. Happy ending! But I totally lost concentration after the big OK Corral scene. With Morgan dead, I really didn't care much about the remaining characters. I guess that's where the film falls short for me. Plus, I am not a fan of movies that wrap up everything neatly with a bow, and that's what this film does. Hell, the last few minutes are narrated and we hear how awesome Wyatt's life is now with Josephine. Blah.

If you like Westerns, watch Tombstone. If you like early American history, watch Tombstone. If you aren't into either, but love Bill Paxton like I do, watch Tombstone. If you're dead inside, skip it.

Hey look! Bill Paxton and Terry O'Quinn are in a scene together! I love the character "Locke" from Lost, so this was a pleasant surprise. Oh, and there's a fat Billy Bob Thornton in this film, too!

Sadly, Bill doesn't don any leather pants in this film. But I'm happy to say that his mustache is more manly than the one he had as Simon in True Lies.

*I'm not 100% serious.