#434 - The Quick & the Dead - WatchThis W/RickRamos

A New Kind of Forgotten Western - Sam Raimi's The Quick & the Dead

This week Mr. Chavez continues to travel and I continue my exploration into the vast number of films that I've somehow missed in this lifetime. There are quite a few films on this list and this podcast allows me the opportunity to watch them and assess their value. This week's choice is the 1995 Sam Raimi-directed, Sharon Stone lead (a rarity in the Western genre) The Quick & the Dead. This is by far not a great film or a forgotten masterpiece, however it is somewhat fascinating in its snapshot look at mid-90s Hollywood filmmaking. The beginning of an independent filmmakers dive into studio filmmaking (at this point, Raimi had directed The Evil Dead series and Darkman but was yet to take on the Spiderman series) and Sharon Stone's emergence as a powerhouse star and producer after Basic Instinct. With supporting performances from a nasty, vile, and dangerous Gene Hackman, and early appearances from Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, Raimi's film is filled wtih beautiful cinematography (Dante Spinotti) and exceptionally strange and compelling production design. It's a good time and I'm thrilled that I had the opportunity to watch it for this show. I hope you enjoy it. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to [e-mail]. Many Thanks.