Product Details

• Actors: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Sydney Penny, Chris Penn
• Directors: Clint Eastwood
• Writers: Dennis Shryack, Michael Butler
• Producers: Clint Eastwood, David Valdes, Fritz Manes
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: April 1, 1992
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300270726
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,969 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

After a nine-year break from the genre that made him an international star (the Western just before this one was The Outlaw Josey Wales, from 1976), Clint Eastwood returned in this gritty Western, crafted in the tradition of Shane and High Noon. Eastwood directed and stars as the nameless stranger known only as "Preacher," because he rides into a beleaguered mining town wearing a clerical collar. He's either an agent of death or an angel of mercy, and the echoes of Shane ring loud and clear when he comes to the aid of independent miners who are being terrorized by a local tycoon (Richard Dysart) and his ruthless band of hired guns. Befriended by a miner (Michael Moriarty) and idolized by the miner's wife and daughter (played by Carrie Snodgress and Sydney Penny, respectively), the "Pale Rider" sparks the defiant spirit of the underdog miners and takes after the bad guys with single-minded purpose. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com

After a nine-year break from the genre that made him an international star (the Western just before this one was The Outlaw Josey Wales, from 1976), Clint Eastwood returned in this gritty Western, crafted in the tradition of Shane and High Noon. Eastwood directed and stars as the nameless stranger known only as "Preacher," because he rides into a beleaguered mining town wearing a clerical collar. He's either an agent of death or an angel of mercy, and the echoes of Shane ring loud and clear when he comes to the aid of independent miners who are being terrorized by a local tycoon (Richard Dysart) and his ruthless band of hired guns. Befriended by a miner (Michael Moriarty) and idolized by the miner's wife and daughter (played by Carrie Snodgress and Sydney Penny, respectively), the "Pale Rider" sparks the defiant spirit of the underdog miners and takes after the bad guys with single-minded purpose. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Nothing like a good piece of hickory!", July 12, 2005

By 

M. Hart "Sci-Fi Fan" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pale Rider (Snap Case Packaging) (DVD)

The Gold Rush in nineteenth-century California attracted all types of people seeking their fortunes. Some would settle in small mining encampments where each had their claims to search for the precious ore, but greed could encourage some to try and drive people away from their claims. Such was the setting for the 1985 film "Pale Rider", which was directed by Clint Eastwood. Located a few miles from a small town, a mining encampment includes the hard-working Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty), a woman that he's been living with named Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgrass) and her teenaged daughter Megan Wheeler (Sydney Penny). Frustrated with rising bills at the nearby country store and a greedy & wealthy man named Coy LaHood (Richard A. Dysart) who is trying to drive away the miners, Hull and Sarah's relationship is somewhat strained. After Megan prays for assistance and is reading a verse in the Book of Revelation that states "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death" (Rev. 6:8), she sees a man riding a pale horse approaching. The rider comes to be known only as "The Preacher" (Clint Eastwood) and after helping Hull out of a skirmish with some of LaHood's men, Hull invites the Preacher to stay with him, Sarah and Megan. It isn't before long that the Preacher begins to give the miners at Hull's encampment courage to stand up to LaHood and to work together. LaHood, of course, is furious that a preacher is helping them because he wants their land so that he can use his very destructive hydraulic mining technology to strip the land of whatever gold may be there. When LaHood can't buy the Preacher out of the encampment, he resorts to hiring a "marshal" of sorts named Stockburn (John Russell, 1921-1991) and his "deputies" to get rid of the Preacher. LaHood, however, doesn't know what the Preacher is capable of doing.

With excellent cinematography, interesting characters, an engaging story and good acting, "Pale Rider" is an excellent film. Other memorable characters include LaHood's son Josh (Chris Penn), Club (Richard Kiel, who is better known for his portrayal of the character "Jaws" from the James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" & "Moonraker" in 1977 & 1979 respectively), McGill (Charles Hallahan), Ma Blankenship (Fran Ryan, 1916-2000) and Jed Blankenship (Richard Hamilton, 1920-2004). Memorable scenes include the Preacher's arrival, the boulder, visiting LaHood's hydraulic mine, the arrival of Stockburn and the final scenes. Overall, I rate "Pale Rider" with 5 stars.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clint Eastwood Creates a Resurrected and Sexualized Version of "Shane", August 20, 2005

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Pale Rider (Snap Case Packaging) (DVD)

In "Pale Rider", Clint Eastwood has taken the classic 1953 Alan Ladd movie "Shane" and turned it into a "modern" sexualized version. There is no mistaking the sexual tension in this film. Clint plays the mysterious "Preacher" (a character the antithesis of sex,), who comes to a mining settlement to rescue persecuted settlers who are a target for a larger mining interest. Eastwood's "Preacher" creates sexual tension with both female leads, the widow Carrie Snodgrass and her duaghter Megan, played by the beautiful Sydney Penny (the memorable "Meggie" in "The Thorn Birds"). Due to previous trauma, the widow has a dead love life and her interest in a new love is reborn with the arrival of Eastwood. Megan, a precocious child of 14 is ready to give her young love to the answer to her prayers, the Preacher.

"Pale Rider" is Eastwood's first western since "The Outlaw Josie Wales", 9 years earlier. In the mid-1980's, the western genre was considered "dead" in Hollywood with little public interest, but the success of this movie resurrected the western, and led to several more movies and made-for TV movies with old west themes (Silverado). Eastwood would make one more western, "Unforgiven" (1993), which Hollywood critics would heap praise on and award with several Academy Awards.

Eastwood resurrects another character in this movie, that of the mysterious stranger in "High Plains Drifter", who comes out of the past to exact revenge on a town that abandoned him when he was sherrif. His "Preacher" in "High Plains Drifter", has a clouded past as well, and throughout the film, there are hints given that the Preacher is perhaps a man back from the dead to repay past atrocities.

The showdown in town between Eastwood and the evil gang of killers is renimicient of the final scene in "Shane", where Alan Ladd goes to town to face down the evil Mr. Wilson and his gang of gunmen. Eastwood's Preacher faces down his former tormenters one by one until he finally faces the man who he once met in his dark past, the man who once put 6 shots in tight pattern in his back. As th film ends, Megan also appears much like "Little Joe" did in "Shane", but not to beg him to come back, but to tell him thank you and say her last loving goodbye. The Preacher, his past atoned, rides off into the cold snowy mountains, his job finished.

It is a very entertaining movie, but one that is not fit for the entire family. Younger children should not be allowed to view the close up shooting scenes where good and bad alike are shot through the forehead and other places. The gruesome violence is not toned down, typical Eastwood film technique. I'd recommend that children under 12 not be allowed to see the film due to the violence. Adults and western film fans will find the movie entertaining.

"Pale Rider" does not match "Shane" in terms of its classic movie status. "Shane" is a much better movie, but "Pale Rider" is still one of Eastwood's better received films, receiving warm praise from critics and fans alike.

For the Eastwood film fan, you will want to have this one for your collection.

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riding high, April 12, 2004

By 

James Ferguson (Vilnius, Lithuania) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven / 3 DVD Set (DVD)

This is a great 3-pack. I always thought that Pale Rider was his best personal effort, but he got the Oscar for The Unforgiven. Now you can compare the two, and you have The Outlaw Josey Wales to boot. Eastwood built a Western filmography almost as great as the legend himself, John Wayne. Eastwood always looked good in the saddle and his preternatural scowl fit the High Plains well, whether in early Italian/Spanish productions with Sergio Leone, or his later personal westerns. He covers much of the same material, but his delivery gets ever better. The Unforgiven has a deconstructionist feel to it with memorable performances by Gene Hackman and Richard Harris. It was probably the most daring of his western movies, but Pale Rider has the greatest visual appeal, set in the rugged backdrop of Montana, it exudes the romance of the Old West, like A.B. Guthrie's Big Sky novels. The Outlaw Josey Wales makes a good bridge between his early "spaghetti" westerns to his later big screen performances.