1987 - THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, an early HBO film

The Quick and the Dead is an early HBO film and by early I mean that no women were required to walk around topless which is the current HBO policy regarding their films.

For a western which was mostly a dead genre at this point this film isn't that bad.  It has a good cast, Tom Conti, Sam Elliott, Matt Clark and Kate Capshaw (Mrs Spielberg).  The action is decent, the story is interesting and the film is short and doesn't push it's luck with a lot of padded out exposition and violence.

Probably the main standout of the film is the photography by Dick Bush who usually worked with wild man director Ken Russell.  The film was shot in Arizona in some scenic locations. 

Nothing special here but the acting is decent and this is a pleasant reminder of the virtues of a good western.


90 minutes.