Appaloosa---Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen & Renee Zellweger (2008)

It is 1882 in New Mexico where the badlands of the territory seem to breed hired killers, and gangs of robbers including those who murdered without remorse.

New Mexico did not become a state until 30 years later in 1912, until then a lot of good men died trying to bring justice to the people of the region.

It was a time when wearing a badge for any lawman did not guarantee respect; only a bigger target for killers.

The Marshal of Appaloosa Jack Bell (Robert Jauregui) and his two deputies rode out to RB Ranch to arrest two men who had killed a man and his wife in cold-blood.

However, the owner of the ranch Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) told the Marshal he was out of his jurisdiction, and that he could not spare the men.

The Marshal told one of the deputies to cut the two men out of the group and when he rode a few feet, Randall Bragg shot him, the marshal and the other deputy.

When the Marshal and his deputies did not return to town; the town council hired Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) who are traveling experience lawmen. Cole and Hitch are hired by frantic towns as marshal and deputy to bring law and order by implementing new laws for the towns, and if that did not work; their guns spoke for them.

Anyone who rides into town and does not abide by the laws, they are arrested; however if they resist by firing their weapons; they are killed. This is what happened to three of Bragg’s men.

To add spice to the town a widow Mrs. Allison French (Renee Zellweger) arrived in Appaloosa and caught the attention of Cole.

Hitch also liked Allison, but she was interested in Cole. Cole helped her get employment as a piano player; and in no time they were buying a house that was being built.

This is where Appaloosa begins to get complicated in the romance and enforcing the law areas. Will Cole and Allison become a married couple?

Maybe Allison had a secret agenda? Does she really care for Cole? Will Hitch stay in Appaloosa and give up his wandering ways? Will Appaloosa become a respectable town? And, will Cole and Hitch still be a team?

I enjoyed my DVD of Appaloosa; and I am sure it will be watched over and over again. One can always see something new when watching a movie more than once.

Happy viewing and I hope you enjoyed visiting my movie blog. Thanks.

                                   

© BEPH 2014 All Rights Reserved

PurvisBobbi44 is the sole author of this Blog and if it is seen anywhere

else on the Internet or in print it was taken without my consent. 

Nowhere to Run with Jean-Claude Van Damme & Rosanna Arquette

Sam Gillen (Jean-Claude Van Damme) a citizen of Canada was capture by Federal Officers of the United States for a bank heist.

Sam’s partner Billy (Anthony Starke) in the robbery killed a security guard, but Sam was caught for the crime and he's now on his way to a Federal Prison with a bus load of criminals.

Sam did not turned Billy in because he was accepting the responsible for his part in the crime.

However, Billy would not let Sam down---determined to help his friend who took the rap for him---he stopped the prison bus by making it over-turn and helped Sam to escape.

Sam drove away fast---but not fast enough to save Billy; who was shot in the neck by a prison guard as they sped down the highway from them.

Sam kept going and listened to Billy tell him about the suitcase he had for him. Sam’s friend Billy died as he made his run for life in Billy’s fast car. When Sam felt he was far enough away he stopped and buried his friend Billy as the sunset in the evening darkness.

He found the suitcase Billy had left him in the trunk and changed into a suit, and took some of the money left for him; then went shopping for food.

Sam did not know where he was going at the moment he just knew he needed to find a place to hide for a while.

So he put up a tent in a wooded area by a large pond thinking no one would find him and then he fell asleep from exhaustion; as his journey furnished plenty of excitement the last two days.

He woke up later to darkness, and thinking about his supply of groceries-- he forgot to buy salt---so he started to look around to see maybe a little store might be near. He took his flashlight to explore his surroundings and he carefully made his way through the woods.

What Sam found was a farm that belonged to Clydie Anderson (Rosanna Arquette) who was a widow with two children Mike ‘Mookie’ Anderson (Kieran Culkin) and Bree Anderson (Tiffany Taubman).

He watched Clydie take the children upstairs to bed. Then she came back down to take a shower.

Sam knew he should not watch her undress and get in the shower---but he could not help himself. Then while she took her shower Sam broke in the house to borrow salt.

The old farm house had squeaky floor boards that alerted Mookie and he get up. Sam grabs the salt shaker before he quickly left the farm house and returned to his tent.

Sam in the end becane a hero to the family as he tried to help save their farm from an unscrupulous property developer Franklin Hale ( Joss Ackland) who had the local dishonest Sheriff Lonnie Cole (Edward Blatchford) secretly working for him and his henchman Mr. Dunston (Ted Levine) all trying to persuade Clydie to sell her farm.

If she does not sell to him--- then Franklin Hale’s business will fold because her property is the last one. He manipulated other property owners by any means he could use to get their property.

Now, he will use his strong tactics with the help of Lonnie and his other men to convenience her to sell. Which makes Lonnie the worse one of all because he is suppose to care for Clydie.

And this is when Sam steps in and levels the playing field. And the action begins as he tries to right the wrongs done to Clydie and her family.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of my favorite action actors---he soars high with his millions of fans and I am one. And, he will be in Expendables 3 and that makes me very happy.

© BEPH 2014 All Rights Reserved

PurvisBobbi44 is the sole author of this Blog and if it is seen anywhere

else on the Internet or in print it was taken without my consent.