Customer Reviews

The Complete Billy Jack Collection (Born Losers/Billy Jack/The Trial of Billy Jack/Billy Jack Goes to Washington)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We live in troubled times. It appears we no longer have any heroes. Who can we look up to? No one....but luckily 1970s icon Billy Jack is back to give us all hope.

We've been suppressed by "The Man" for too long. "The Man" is both Democrat and Republican. "The Man" is whoever is in power over the decent, hard working common folk.

Billy Jack takes on "The Man" in this great DVD collection. Billy Jack is a half-breed Indian, West Point grad, and Vietnam vet, who although trys to remain true to his pacifist beliefs, will take on the "The Man" when "The Man" hurts the little guy. Better watch out when Billy Jack takes off his boots!

Billy Jack is not some mindless machine of violence. He usually ends up in a debate with Jean, the woman he loves, over the use of violence as a problem solving tactic.

By today's standards, these movies are kinda slow, full of dialog and debate over civil rights, government corruption, and being hassled by "The Man." Oh, and these films feature long stretches of girls with long blonde hair, parted down the middle, singing earnest [ie. out of tune] folks songs.

This collection is fantastic. We get wonderful widescreen transfers of the 4 classic Billy Jack movies.

Highly recommended.

Some reviewers want to rate these movies by today's standards and that is a little unfair to this set of B-movies. The movie "Billy Jack" was one of the most popular movies of it's time. It was released and re-released dozens of times in theaters and drive-ins back in the day. A movie that led to films like "Walking Tall", "Macon County Line" and more. These movies are very dated, but fun to watch. "Billy Jack Goes To Washington" was a victim of it's own ideals when the right to film in areas of Washington, D.C. was yanked upon hearing of it's plot line. If the Billy Jack films were released today, with today's technology and multiple media outlets, there probably would have been more films and might have led to a TV series, as well. These films aren't just about going up against 'the man', they are also about the injustice and mistreatment of the American Indian back in the day. Tom Laughlin is now in his 70's and won't be making any more Billy Jack films. Enjoy these for the time that they were in and the memories they bring back.

Now that the Ventura 35th Anniversary Ultimate Billy Jack Collection is now OOP, this 4-DVD set from Image Entertainment is now replacing that one! This has pretty much the same content(the menus are even the same execpt this one has the Image Entertainment logo in the beginning instead of Ventura's, it even says 35th Anniversary and everything!) as the 35th Ultimate set except for the bonus disc. Each film has 2 commentary tracks(one from 2000 and one from 2005), This set has 4 slim line cases in a nice collector's box! Recommended for the Billy Jack fan!!!

i never realised what a huge influence the Billy Jack movies had on me in the 70's until i watched them again in my 50's...way ahead of their time in terms of social justice issues, critique of political status quo etc. ....the melding of asian martial arts with native American spirituality is truly inspired and the portrayal of Billy's struggle to reconcile the tamasic/rajasic and sattvic sides of his temperament is something ALL authentic budoka will identify with...and what a great finale in the 'goes to washington' flick...OK, so Tom is no Bruce Lee and production values are typical of independent films of the era, but Bong Soo Han's hapkido still holds up and hey, if you don't recognise these as genuine classics then you're lacking something central to what makes us human...the medium IS the message...and if you want to give you're kids/grandkids an insight to what it was like in the late 60's/early 70's then tie 'em to a chair and make 'em watch these...one day they'll thank you for caring....

It was a gift to my mother, and she LOVED it. she watched all of them twice. I will say though, the sound is all over the place, is quiet one second then blasting the next.

the whole series is good. bought it for my dad for his bday and he loved them. they came in perfect condition. thanks

These were all low budget non-mainstream films. What set them apart was the moral attitude of each film. Billy Jack was a war hero of a hated war. On top of that he was a half-breed Indian/White mix who lived on the reservation and was its policeman. All of these facts helped to make the films great (in particular, Billy Jack). They get into Native American Mysticism and draw a clear line in the sand between right and wrong. They may not have the best scripts, nor the best acting, but they are definitely among the best B-movies ever made. Additionally, Billy Jack had the best theme song ever. "One Tin Soldier" by Coven was even banned from the radio for a time. The message of the song and the movie definitely go hand and hand. Whether or not you have seen any of the films, this is a great buy and I know I'll enjoy mine with my grandchildren for years and years. In fact my grandchildren will probably enjoy it with their grandchildren. I love these films.

An important movie- not as well written as we could like, but still very good to see!

The politics pf this significant movie are still as relevant today as they were when this was written: especially given both that Obama just proved himself as a tool by his rejection of Native American political prisoner Lenard Peltier 's Aug. 24th 2009 request for parole AND the recent attempts by Native American activists to reestablish the Lakota independence by their declaration of a new Lakotah nation- the Republic of Lacotah.

This second of 4 Billy Jack films is perhaps the most evenly and well acted of the collection, inspiring many a person to get off the couch and DO something. The soundtrack includes the sad and inspiring hit song One Tin Soldier(The Legend of Billy Jack)- well worth the price of admission.

Actor/director/activist Tom Laughlin first created the character in the wild and rough biker flick 'The Born Losers' and he later followed 'Billy Jack' with 'The Trial of Billy Jack' (1974) and "Billy Jack Goes to Washington" (1977).

The character of Billy Jack was the original model for Rambo and for 'Walking Tall' as he represented the indomitable outsider, and he was the first one in that era to do that according to many film experts. This role-model is troubled but manages major triumphs in the face of seemingly indomitable foes, thus proving that even just one person can take on prejudice, the good-old-boy network and even the system itself - if that individual is determined and willing the sacrifice enough.

[minor spoilers]

Set in the late 1960's, the movie explores Billy Jack's need, as a half white and half Cherokee Indian, to explore his native heritage and the results of his refusal to accept prejudice and bigotry. Recently returned from the war to take residence in a Indian Reservation, Billy Jack quickly becomes the protector for the wild Mustang horses, the Freedom School nearby, which is directed by Jean Roberts, the woman that Billy Jack loves (played by Delores Taylor, Laughlin's real-life wife), and the Native Americans on the reservation.

The bigoted white townsfolk don't approve of Jean's minority-group students nor the schools [still relevant] radical philosophies, so they do everything they can to humiliate and physically abuse the kids. The list of malevolent bigots include both the Sheriff, Stuart Posner, as well as the Deputy Sheriff, Mike, whose pregnant and ailing 15-year-old daughter, Barbara is being hidden at the school, after running away from home due to physical abuse by her father.

At first, Posner's son, Bernard, seems like a person to be sympathized with after refusing to shoot any of the wild horses for dog food meat, the way his father wants him too, but ends up helping cause much trouble for the Freedom School in the hopes making his father proud of him.

The kids are denied service by the white owner/proprietor of an ice-cream shop because some of the youngsters are Native American. Making matters worse, Bernard Posner succumbs to his prejudiced upbringing and humiliates and degrades the Native American youngsters by dumping white flour on them. When ex-green beret Billy Jack comes into the ice-cream shop and sees what has happened, he becomes enraged and gets into a physical fights with both Bernard and his pal, Dinosaur", and with a bunch of local toughs directly across the street, using his expertise in the martial art of Hapkido(combines Tae Kwon Do and Aikido) in self-defense against them.

Thus begins an [...] of self-righteous violence on both sides, which includes a brutal [...] on one side and the {possibly warranted} death of a prominent figure on the other.

Very empowering movie for both libertarian and leftist alike! And even if you're not very political, this is still as movie well worth watching!

The best part for me was getting the last movie Billy Jack Goes to Washington which has been hard to find at times and getting all o these in one set. You can't beat the price for what you get. I even had some of these on VHS and these DVDs are great.

The interviews in the extras were great to watch as well.

Nothing else I can add that other's haven't already covered.

Billy Jack is a one of a kind movie and story. The kind of a guy that everyone would like to be. The Robin Hood of our time. Filmed differently from other movies. The difference made the movie what it is. Great!!