What has Ciao done? I don't like the new layout at all!
What has Ciao done? I don't like the new layout at all!
Member since:05.03.2005
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Review of “Hang 'em High”, a DVD starring Clint Eastwood.
This DVD is not my usual cup of tea, I'm not a particular fan of either westerns or Clint Eastwood, but on a wet afternoon recently, we decided to pass away a few hours watching movies and this DVD had been loitering in the back of the cupboard unwatched for ages.
The DVD
The DVD is one of the first 'Spaghetti Westerns' actually filmed in America. The film was also instrumental in bringing Mr Eastwood into the public eye, being one of his earlier movies. The actual movie was released back in 1968 by United Artists and in my opinion has stood the test of time.
The DVD version was released in 2000 by MGM. Run time of this DVD is 1 hour 50 minutes and it is classified as suitable for age 18 and over. The genre is 'Western'.
The DVD is a fairly basic one with only a few extras included such as a Making Of The Movie Trailer, Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu and Chapter Access. I have to be honest and say that I very rarely watch special features, preferring to view the movie and draw my own conclusions. I find too much in the way of technical explanations sometimes spoils the film for me. As I didn't view any of the special features, I cannot comment on them!
Cast and director
The starring role is that of Clint Eastwood who plays the main character, Jed Cooper.
Other actors include Ed Begley, Inger Stevens, Pat Hingle, Bruce Dern, Dennis Hopper and Ben Johnson The Director is Ted Post
The Plot
The opening sequences show the main character, Jed Cooper, driving a herd of cattle towards a river. Jed is an ex-law man who has invested his savings in the cattle in the hope of starting a new life for himself as a rancher. Jed has purchased the cattle from a ranch but is unaware that he has been duped. The person who sold him the cattle had in fact murdered the rancher and then when Jed arrived on the scene, pretended to be the rightful owner of the animals. As Jed is leading his beasts across the river, a posse of nine men apprehend him and accuse him of cattle rustling, Jed denies this and is subjected to a trial and subsequently hanged. The posse leave him to die, but fortunately Jed is rescued and taken to the nearby city where he is nursed back to health and then tried for cattle rustling. He is found not guilty and as he now has no savings or cattle, he is offered a post as a law man. Jed takes the job and then decides to use his position to seek revenge on the posse members who left him for dead. If you want to know the outcome or find out about the love interest aspect of the film, you'll have to watch it for yourself!
The film does contain some fairly gruesome scenes and strong language, therefore the 18+ rating is in my opinion justified.
Availability and cost
I truly don't recall where we got this DVD or how much it cost, knowing me, not very much! However, a quick web search shows that www.amazon.co.uk are offering used editions of the DVD from 48p
My Thoughts and Conclusion
I genuinely enjoyed this DVD AS I have stated earlier in the review, I am not a fan of Westerns or indeed Mr Eastwood, yet I found this film rather compelling and the storyline good. The acting was better than in many westerns and I would recommend this film as an excellent way to pass a couple of hours even if Like me you are not 'into' westerns!
Production Year: 1941 - Westerns - Director: Fritz Lang - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Randolph Scott, Dean Jagger, Barton MacLane, Robert Young
Production Year: 1971 - Westerns - Director: Ed Sherin - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Frank Silvera, Jon Cypher, Richard Jordan, Barton Heyman
Production Year: 1949 - Westerns - Director: John Ford - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, George O'Brien
Production Year: 1976 - Westerns - Director: Irvin Kershner - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Gale Sondergaard, Geoffrey Lewis, William Lucking, Jorge Luke, Richard Harris
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![Hang 'Em High [DVD] [1968]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78535157.jpg "Hang 'Em High [DVD] [1968]")
Jul 24th, 2009
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