Dead Man's Revenge (1994)

"Dead Man's Revenge" opens like a tragedy before it turns into a sly comedy. Railroad speculator Bruce Dern plays a truly villainous bad guy, like Michael Ironsides is cast as the rancher good guy. As things unfold, Luck Hatcher (Michael Ironsides of "Starship Troopers") has a ranch that Payton McCay (Bruce Dern of "The Cowboys") wants badly, so badly that he has his dastardly henchmen gun down one of Hatcher's children. In a grandiose show of villainy, after he has run off Hatcher, McCay smothers Hatcher's wife to death. This western has a good cast, but writers Jim Byrnes of "Gunsmoke" and David Chisholm of "Longarm" have penned a saga that changes horses. Ultimately, this switcheroo western resembles an episode of "Alias Smith & Jones," but it is as well done. Ultimately, the only thing memorable about "Dead Man's Revenge" is the casting of Michael Ironsides as a wrongly accused hero.

Bruce Dern is the bad guy (what a "surprise") and Michael Ironside is the GOOD GUY (surprise!), in this failed mish-mash of a western. What starts out as a gritty revenge tale, eventually deteriorates into a ridiculous swindle scheme. The murky plot is rushed to conclusion, with very little character development of the numerous players. Believability is stretched to the maximum, and beyond the always interesting Bruce Dern and Michael Ironside, there is little here to like. I would have preferred a simple shootout instead of this convoluted western, which tries to be clever but fails miserably.................. - MERK

Booker's critique of Deadman's Revenge was right on the money! I own a videotape of this film and have watched it many times and indeed, the character actors of Booker the Piano Player and Polsen the Bartender are both unique and depict the people who inhabited the Old West so accurately and look as though they were lifted from the photographs of the U.S. South West of the late 19th Century. Michael Ironside played his role extremely well and it was a surprise to see him as the "good guy" for a change! Randy Travis added luster to this film well directed by Levi who also directed other memorable films and t.v. series, Doug McClure was superb in his role though short it was, he got the most of it and ended an unsurpassed career , especially in Westerns. Vondie Kurtis Hall added the African-American cowboy element left out of earlier Westerns. Like Herb Jeffries, Hall contributed a realistic image of the black cowboy. Oscar Micheaux would have been proud of him! The twists and turns were really great and held me in suspense when I saw it for the first time and was amazed at the transformation of the main character played by Michael Ironside from a youthful man with a full head of hair to a mature man who was unashamed of going bald. Bruce Dern was excellent as usual and knows how to portray the "bad guy." I'd highly recommend this film to all Western fans for its realistic portrayal of the Old West! I buy copies of the video and give them to friends and relatives as Christmas stocking fillers and for gifts at Channuka and Kwaanza too! If you see this video on sale, buy it because when you go back after deciding, it'll be gone and in some other luck soul's video collection. Hope it comes out on DVD soon! Booker had it right!

Not since Gary Cooper starred in High Noon has there been an adult Western like "Dead Man's Revenge" which starred Bruce Dern and Tobin Bell as the "bad guys," it also starred Doug McClure, this was his last movie prior to his death from cancer, he was brave up to the last and always in good spirits on the set! Also in this motion picture was Larry Polsen as the bartender who added so much as a character actor with his distinctive gaunt looks. Herbert H. Booker 2nd (Sarge) was the Piano Player, a ruggedly handsome longhaired bearded character, who like the bartender, added so much to the background colour of this remarkable film. Vondie Curtis-Hall turned in an excellent portrayal of an African-American in the old West in a role that was not servile and demeaning, but pride and dignity to the role of the black cowboy, he would rank with Herb Jeffries, the Bronze Buckaroo! Believe it or not, Michael Ironsides who is the main star is also the good guy! Melora Walters plays Bunny, a strong woman who ranks among Barbara Stanwyck and Kathrine Hepburn. This is a "must-rent" or own movie available on VHS video and DVD. This is the best Adult Western since "High Noon" and "Shane."