Customer Reviews

Silverado

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

A return to the classic western of yesterday, "Silverado" recalls the sprawling efforts of Sergio Leone and the old spaghetti westerns while recycling many of the motifs of the best efforts from Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann and John Ford. It's a pity that Kasdan hasn't rethought the film and added in additional footage. Perhaps the version we saw in theaters was the definitive version but given the wealth of material I doubt it. "Silverado" is greater than the sum of its parts with a number of strong performances from Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy and others. Kasdan manages to echo classic films in this sprawling but exciting western adventure.

Emmett (Scott Glenn) has just been released from prison and is on his way to Silverado to visit with his family when he's attacked by a group of outlaws. He's initially unclear as to why they chose him but it soon becomes apparent that they're hired guns sent by Ethan McKendrick (Ray Baker) to average the death of his father. Along the way Emmett must spring his kid brother Jake (Kevin Costner) from the jail of Turley for a killing that happened in self defense. Emmett has a guardian angel in the form of Mal (Danny Glover) a butcher who is headed to Silverado himself to help out his parents. Emmett also saves Paden (Kevin Kline) a man left to die in the desert by outlaws who ambushed him. When Emmett arrives in Silverado he finds things haven't changed; Ethan McKendrick is still trying to dominate the town by installing his own sheriff (Brian Dennehy) a former outlaw who rode at one time with Paden. He realizes that as long as he stays in Silverado he and his family's lives are in danger.

A beautiful and rich looking transfer highlights this first ever Superbit transfer of "Silverado". This Superbit transfer sparkles and I didn't notice any digital or analog blemishes of note. The black level of the transfer produces deep, rich shadows and the vibrant colors haven't looked this good since the movie was released theatrically in 1985. There's some noticable grain at the beginning of the film but that's to be expected. This is the first edition to sport a DTS track and a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack as well. The DTS track has slightly better dynamic range but it's virtually impossible to tell them apart otherwise.

Unlike the previous single disc edition of "Silverado", this edition has a number of terrific extras and has relocated the original "Making of" featurette to the second disc to maximize the bit rate for a better picture and sound. "The Making of `Silverado'" features interviews with Lawrence and Mark Kasdan discussing the origin of the film. Lawrence Kasdan has a series of precise images he wanted to portray and turned to his brother Mark to help him flesh out a screenplay that would allow him to keep those startling images and make a coherent story.

"A Return to `Silverado'" features Kevin Costner discussing his involvement in the film. Although Costner had heard stories about Kasdan writing the part of Jake for him to make up for having to cut him out of "The Big Chill", Costner was never told that by Kasdan himself. "A History of Western Shootouts" is little more than a promo piece for 10 of Columbia's westerns with John Cleese doing the honors as narrator in discussing "Missing", "The Professionals", "The Quick and the Dead", "A Man Called Sledge", "Old Gringo", "The Man from Colorado" and others. Running almost 9 minutes, it's not much of a featurette consisting of scenes from each film briefly described by Cleese. "Columbia's Top Westerns Trailer" consists of a montage of scenes from classic westerns put together to advertise DVD titles for Columbia. Once again, it's little more than a promo piece. Finally we get "Along the Silverado Trail" a historical commentary about this western. There's no commentary from any of the cast or Kasdan which is a disappointment and a bit of a surprise.

The reason to buy this is the upgrade Superbit transfer. It looks terrific here and the DTS track sounds especially good. There are only two extras worthwhile on this Suberbit Gift Pack and that's "A Return to `Silverado' with Kevin Costner" and "Along the Silverado Trail". Everything else falls into the category of promo pieces or filler. The 20 page booklet included is also quite informative but duplicates much of what is said in the "Making of" featurette. There's also a nice deck of playing cards included in this set.

In the well-made documentary that accompanies this collectors edition DVD release, the Kasdan brothers admit to being fans of the classic western films. They have incorporated many techniques of that genre in this fine film. The super cast includes Kevin Kline, Scott Glen, Kevin Costner, and Danny Glover as the four leads with Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Jeff Goldblum, and Linda Hunt in supporting roles.

The film starts with a light flavor as we are introduced to the various characters but takes on an increasingly dark character as it rushes toward the foreseeable conclusion. This movie is meant to be a sort of compendium of all that is good about westerns and in that regard it performs admirably.

The DVD video quality is good but grain is noticeable in some scenes. Sound quality is quite good and the film was nominated for awards in that category. The aforementioned documentary is well worth watching and includes deleted scenes as well as insight from the Kasdan brothers and the actors. I would have liked to see more extras but this rarely happens with films from this time period due to the extra cost that would be involved.

All in all, a very good film presented in an attractive package that will appeal to DVD collectors.

I'll tell you how much I like this movie. I bought the VHS and soundtrack no more than six weeks ago and upon discovering its DVD availability, I immediately hit "1-Click".

I can't think of another Western in the 15 years since this film was released that I enjoyed more, not even "Lonesome Dove", and that's saying a lot. I was praying that it would be released on DVD and it's nice to know my prayers were answered.

The cast is one of the finest of the mid-Eighties: Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Jeff Goldblum, Linda Hunt, John Cleese, and Brian Dennehy. And these are just the principals.

Silverado is a sweeping Western demi-epic that takes some classic genre cliches and weaves them into a modern classic, emboldened by Bruce Boughton's masterful score. The master of this all is co-writer and director Lawrence Kasdan, who has given us some other gems like "Body Heat" and "The Big Chill".

This DVD release is great news and the only thing that could make me happier is to find that additional scenes featuring Rosanna Arquette, deleted from the theatrical release, appear somewhere on the DVD.

This review refers to the Collector's Edition DVD(Columbia/Tristar)......
A lone cowboy, trapped in a desert cabin,pinned down by the bad guys,he must shoot his way out.Then crossing the dry dusty desert happens upon another,left to die of thirst in the hot sun.
They become quick friends and the one becomes two, on their way to Silverado! A quick stop off in the small town of Turley to befriend a stranger outcast because of his race, and to break the younger brother out of jail(unjustly accused of murder). The three make a hasty departure out of town,being chased, guns blazing, and are rescued by the stranger they befriended in town. Now they are four friends riding side by side through the west.The story doesn't end, here it's only just beginning....
These four now become heroes, as they go after thieves,protect a wagontrain of homesteaders,save their families and friends from the land grubbing McKendricks,and fight corrupt lawmen.
This western, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, pays homage to all the great westerns that came before it. It's got everything. Smokey saloons, posse chases,shootouts, standoffs,good guys, bad guys, there's even a stampeede. Shot in New Mexico, the cinematography is outstanding. You really get a feel for the Old West, the settlers,and the bustling town. It's got drama,adventure, action, comedy and romance,and all done in a way that can be viewed by the whole family.(There is some violence but never graphic).
The cast needs no introduction, they're all terrific in their portrayals. The leads are Scott Glenn,Kevin Kline,Danny Glover, and playing the younger"full of juice" brother is Kevin Costner.The supporting players are equally marvelous. Brian Dennehy,John Cleese,Jeff Goldblum,Roseanna Arquette,Jeff Fahey, and the ever fiesty Linda Hunt. Even the horses are great!
You'll be real happy with the digitally mastered DVD transfer. Presented in the original widescreen(2:35.1), the desert vistas,and and mountainous scenery are breathtaking. You won't miss a moment of the action. The picture and colors are clear and crisp. The Audio choices are 5.1 or 2 channel surround depending on your set up, and all the sounds of the old west come to life around you. One little minor problem I had was the dialouge, I had to turn it up in some places and then back down when the action started up. What the heck, my remote finger got a work out anyway. Special features include a Making of Documentary, and Trailer. There are various languages, and subtitles, and comes with an informative little booklet.
Growing up with Roy and Dale, Hopalong, and the Lone Ranger,I have always loved westerns, and this one is right up there with those guys!
Happy trails.......Laurie

also recommended:Deadwood: The Complete Seasons 1-3 - a great westrn series for those who don't mind R language - several sets available - see my review for links and details of series

"Silverado" is a 1985 Western about two brothers (Scott Glenn & Kevin Costner) and two other gents (Kevin Kline & Danny Glover) who become friends and ultimately team-up to take on the corrupt sheriff of the New Mexican town Silverado.

The first time I tried to watch "Silverado" was in the mid-90s and something turned me off. I now know what that was: "Silverado" doesn't have the downbeat, ultra-realistic, amoral vibe of most post-50s Westerns. This is a rip-roaring Western in the truest sense of the word. There are a few moral ambiguities (e.g. Jeff Goldblum's character and Kline's conundrum in the story) but, for the most part, the heroes are heroes and the villains drip with evil.

My main problem was that certain situations or events struck me as a bit unrealistic, almost verging on Indiana Jones territory, which is easy to explain since writer/director Lawrence Kasdan also wrote "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Upon seeing it again recently I decided to accept the few implausible heroics to glean from (and enjoy) the meat of the picture, which is essentially a serious story running the gamut of the human condition (e.g. injustice, action, drama, comedy, etc.). I only bring this up so that viewers who insist on realism in their Westerns like, say, "Open Range" or "The Wild Bunch" will make the necessary mental adjustments before attempting to digest the film.

One aspect of "Silverado" I like, which most post-50s Westerns lack, is the palpable spirit of life, freedom and joy that the heroes (and their friends) possess. Despite the various evils they experience (which we can all relate to in one way or another) they maintain a certain joy of living, the jubilance of life and freedom itself. Hence, the film isn't a downer. It's somehow uplifting.

Stories like this need a good villain and Brian Dennehy more than fills the bill. In fact, he's horrifying as the corrupt sheriff of Silverado. Remember Dennehy as the sheriff in "First Blood"? This is essentially the same role multiplied by ten, as in ten-times WORSE.

The main hero is Kevin Kline. The only other film I've seen him in is "Grand Canyon." I liked him in that film and feel the same here. I don't know, he's just good at playing the perfect, likable everyman.

Scott Glenn is a quintessential Westerner and Kevin Costner plays his younger gung-ho brother. Costner is quite different here than in other Western roles like "Dances with Wolves," "Wyatt Earp" and "Open Range." In "Silverado" he's young and spunky, an expert and deadly gunslinger, but full of mirth at the same time.

Another item that turned me off when I first saw "Silverado" was that the story is convoluted. There are numerous characters and each has his/her own sub-story (think of Kasdan's "Grand Canyon"). Heck, we don't even see the town Silverado until a full 45 minutes into the film. But the good thing about a story like this is that it's not superficial; hence, it's worthy of numerous repeat viewings (because you're not likely gonna digest it all in just one or two viewings).

I enjoyed certain subplots like Kline's love for the midget saloon bartender (Linda Hunt), love in a son/mother manner, that is. As well as the love and loyalty of the four heroes; the fact that Glover is a black man is of no issue. Love in its purest sense is spiritual in nature and transcends blood, skin color or raw lust. You never know who you'll meet in life and form a strong love-bond with. It's amazing.

Unfortunately some subplots obviously got left on the cutting room floor. For instance, Rosanna Arquette and Jeff Goldblum.

So why not 5/5 stars? I didn't find the story ultra-captivating like, say, Kasdan's "Grand Canyon." I had to struggle a bit to keep attentive here and there. Other than that "Silverado" has everything you'd ever want in a Western (in fact, maybe overkill): gunfights, fast-draw showdowns, smoke-filled saloons, saloon girls, homesteaders, wagon trains, outlaws, posses, jailbreaks, stampedes, box canyons, glorious Western locations, and more.

I love Western movies. Especially John Wayne Westerns. "Rio Bravo", "Hondo", "True Grit", "The Searchers", and more. I first watched this movie at my uncle's house, thinking that because it was a more modern movie, I wouldn't really like it that much. And let me tell you something. I was watching it, mesmerized for the whole 132 minutes of it! It was superb!

It's a typical western story. There's the good guys who fight for justice, and the bad guys, who are greedy, selfish, and cruel. But the story line and plot was good, centering on the four main actors, Kevin Kline (Paden), Scott Glenn (Emmett), Danny Glover (Mal), and Kevin Costner (Jake). The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. The ending is such a good one, too.

As soon as I could, I bought this DVD and I don't regret it. You can watch this movie so many times and you still won't get tired of it. The DVD has lots of special features. I loved watching the "Making of Silverado" documentary, learned a lot about the movie. I love the production notes. This is a movie you can't miss!!

Silverado is one of the best of the modern westerns. At a time when westerns were out of favor in Hollywood, Lawrence Kasden (writer of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) wrote and directed this 'feel-good' western. It's not the gritty western of Leone or Eastwood's Unforgiven, but more like a John Ford/John Wayne western of the 40s and 50s. There is a lot of killing, but no gratuitous violence, and none of it glorified. It has a huge cast (though Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, and Danny Glover are the principal actors) with some great performances, and many that are surprising. John Cleese has a surprisingly good role, and this is one of Costner's better roles, before he became too big for himself. It is shot beautifully (out in New Mexico). The score is huge and wonderful. They built the largest 'western' town to make this movie. And the opening sequence is a good one.

There is no commentary on the dvd, but it does have a really good making of documentary. Anyone who wishes to make a making of documentary should watch this one to see how it is done.

I can't say that this movie is for everyone, but if you like westerns at all, this one will take you back.

Entertaining, well-written and overall a well-directed film with an all-star cast... "Silverado" is fantastic Western film.

From the late 1970's to mid-1980's, there was a glut of Western films. But in 1985, the Western known as "Silverado" took America by storm and was nominated for four Academy Awards. Directed and written by Lawrence Kasdan ("Wyatt Earp", "The Big Chill", "Raiders of the Lost Arc", "Star Wars: Epiosde V - The Empire Strikes Back") and co-written by Mark Casdan, the Casdan's were joined by composer Bruce Broughton ("Tiny Toon Adventures", "Infinity" and "Lost in Space") and cinematographer John Bailey ("How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", "Mad Money, "The Producers" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants").

"Silverado" would feature an all-star cast which included Kevin Kline ("Wild Wild West", "The Pink Panther", "The Big Chill" and "A Fish Called Wanda"), Scott Glenn ("Training Day", "Vertical Limit", "Freedom Writers" and "The Bourne Ultimatum"), Kevin Costner ("Field of Dreams", "Untouchables", "JFK", "The Bodyguard" and Wyatt Earp"), Danny Glober ("Lethal Weapon" films, "Borthers & Sisters", "ER", "Dreamgirls"), Brian Dennehy ("Our Fathers, "Ratatouille", "Romeo & Juliet"), Rosanna Arquette ("What About Brian", "The L World", "Pulp Fiction"), John Cleece ("Monty Python" films, "Fawlty Towers", "A Fish Called Wanda") and Linda Hunt ("The Unit", "The American Experience", "The Practice" and "Carnivale").

As for the Blu-ray release, as "Silverado" is a Columbia Pictures classic, as a few classics from Sony, gets the special Digibook release (not in typical blue clamshell but a book-style format) which features a 38-page booklet that includes information on the filming of "Silverado", information on the film's talent, plus images from the film and theatrical posters.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Silverado" is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1). For the most part, the film is definitely a mix-bag. For a film that was shown in theaters back in 1985, the scenery of where the film is very beautiful. But in the opening shots alone, I wouldn't be surprised if there are viewers who may find the opening scenes as too grainy and a bit aged. Blacks are nice and deep and skin tones are natural. The fact, that a lot of the film is shot outdoors and giving that sense of a vibrant Western era and its natural element is captured quite beautifully. From the mountains to the blue skies and the animals, I enjoyed how the filmmakers really captured that look and feel of the late 1800's. Suffice to say that cinematographer John Bailey did a wonderful job.

While most of the film looks very good and detail of the West can be seen quite well via High Definition, as a person who likes to see grain in their Blu-ray releases and no DNR (digital noise reduction), I acknowledge that this is one of those films on Blu-ray that will definitely have film fans of both sides of the picture quality fence supporting or not supporting the grainy appearance of the film. And personally, I do feel this is the best looking version of "Silverado" to date (and obviously surpassing the quality of the 2005 Superbit DVD release) and is the best release of Silverado to date.

Audio is presented in English, French and Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (and Spanish 5.1). The lossless audio quality features a lot of the primary dialogue coming through the front and center channels but there is a good use of panning through the surround channels as bullets whizzing from left to right. For the most part, the gunshots do come alive during the film and dialogue is quite clear and understandable.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Silverado" comes with the following special features that are in Standard Definition, English audio and feature subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese:

* Along the Silverado Trail: A Western Historians' Commentary - The commentary are done by two Western historians. For the most part, both men are quite knowledgeable when it comes to Westerns and lend their own personal opinions of this film and relation to other Westerns. I always find it interesting when people plug their own events during a commentary, when who knows when people will listen to the commentary. But nevertheless, interesting commentary and I do agree with some of the points that they had for the film. The following commentary is new for this Blu-ray release.
* The Making of Silverado - (37:01) The cast and crew of "Silverado" discuss how certain scenes were made for the film and also how they had to decrease the duration and certain scenes were cut and some regrets of not furthering storylines (ie. Rosanna Arquette's character).
* A Return to Silverado with Kevin Costner - (21:01) Kevin Costner talks about the film, how he got the part, the people he worked with and mostly a complimentary featurette for the director. Also, certain scenes during shooting that he never understood at the time but understands now.
* movieiQ - For those with a BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player (profile 2.0), when selecting this option, a panel shows up during the watching of the film and people can access cast, crew, music and production information.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Silverado" is a modern, stylized-Western with an impressive cast with ambitious filmmaking (the film took 96 days to film) and at the time, it had been quite long while for a Western to show up on the big screen. So, for the most part, "Silverado" was a Western that many people watched and enjoyed and for the most part, it was good timing.

The storytelling of Lawrence and Mark Kasdan is top-notch and suffice to say, there was a lot of hype around Kasdan's name as he was the guy who wrote the "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" and "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" film. Suffice to say, Lawrence Kasdan was a very much respect screenwriter and as a director, many people appreciated his work on "The Big Chill" and "Body Heat".

But what makes "Silverado" so enjoyable are its characters. Emmet and Jake, the two brothers are so different from each other but yet Emmet brings us that stoic cowboy, while Jake is almost a comedic but cool kind of guy. With Paden, almost like an everyman type of role. Cool, calm and reserved and for the role of Mal, it was quite interesting to see an African-American in the film but also to see a little bit of how racism affected the character. But to bring these four characters together, definitely made up for a fun and entertaining film.

Although I did enjoy the film, I do feel that the film had some problems. The relationship with Rosanna Arquette's Hannah and Scott Glenn's Emmett really goes nowhere. In fact, you will learn in the special features that after the film came out, some have wished that they could have explored more of Arquette's character because it was underused. Also, Jeff Goldblum's character as "Slick", we don't really know the motivation of his character unless he was much closer to Cobb than we know of. After watching the film, it makes you wonder how much of his footage was cut from the film.

As for those who own the Superbit DVD version, sure this Blu-ray release may not come with the playing cards but it does come with a commentary and a booklet with far more pages and most importantly a High Definition transfer and lossless audio. This release easily becomes the definitive version to own. Granted, the film was nearly three hours at first but was cut down to 132 minutes. With that being said, it would have been nice to see those deleted scenes (which were briefly shown in the "making of" featurette") included on this Blu-ray release.

Overall, "Silverado" is one of those films that continually has action and makes you wonder which direction the film is going to go and who is going to die. You rarely get bored and for the most part, the film was quite entertaining. For me, I kind of liken it to a film as enjoyable like John Wayne's "El Dorado" - a film with a great cast of characters, enjoyable storyline and a lot of action.

Granted, although "Silverado" may not be as deep as a modern Western such as "Unforgiven", it's definitely a film that was enjoyable from beginning to end and have wished for decades that there would have been a sequel created.

Nevertheless, if you are a big fan of this film, "Silverado" may not be hailed as a Western classic but for a modern Western, it's one of my favorite Westerns created within the last 25 years. Definitely recommended!

I would love to give all of these sets the 5 star Blu review, but when enough little things creep in there I try to remain objective and rate it comparatively against other excellent releases. The movie played great and the overall product makes for an appealing gift idea, but the initial release price kills it.

The picture quality has the upgraded feel over the prior releases (excluding the Superbit) and provides for a fun watch with little to no grain or flicker. There is a buffered/fuzzy look in some sequences where there is a great deal of light contrasting dark clothing (several of the shots where cast members are outlined by a bright sky). To get an idea of the before/after watch the documentary making of opening sequence/Silverado title vs. the BD opening, you will see the amount of clarity upgrades. What disappointed me was the conversion backwards on the sound, meaning they chose not to take the DTS soundtrack from the Silverado (2 Disc Superbit Gift Set) release. I love the DTS, and as usual with the THD there is a flatter feel. Not a deal breaker, just not the best.

The supplements are a copy from the Superbit release including the Historian's Commentary, the Making Of, and the Return with Costner (which gets old fast - playing the interview in the store had customers disliking his "I am Silverado" attitude). The BD does have the new MovieIQ option (your player needs to be BD Live enabled) that when turned on is like having an updated IMDB on your screen for everything there is about the cast, crew, etc. The book is inconsequential and really only had one page (will include a scan once it streets - no prebook pics are allowed) of the 34 that entertained me. The majority of the pages are fuzzy glossy pics of the main cast and their bios. The audio has Spanish, French and Portuguese 5.1 tracks with subs in the same. A/B/C coded and states the "approx. 132 minutes" as opposed to the 133 on the Superbit.

Wish I could say run out and buy it right away, but I feel the prior special edition owners will be rightfully wary. I love playing it in the store as the clarity makes for a good presentation, but I have several people waiting for a price drop. Enjoy...

Although there have been westerns made since Silverado this seems to be the last one that is just for fun, no messages. I enjoy Unforgiven and Dances With Wolves but why doesn't anyone make fun westerns any more?

I first saw this film on the big screen and then subsequently on television before rushing out to buy the video release. Over the past few years I haven't watched it because it doesn't look right in pan and scan. Now at last I have bought the widescreen version and can really enjoy the film again. This is great fun, a wonderful film and its a pity that a sequel is unlikely (or am I wrong?)

The picture quality is excellent and I was amazed at how dark the video tape is in comparison. I also noticed that while the DVD states that the aspect is 2.35 the film seems more like 1.85. Comparing the video tape (the opening scene looks like 2.35) the DVD has more picture information. So anyone concerned that they aren't getting the full picture - don't worry, its all here.

Great picture quality and good sound. A brilliant cast, great locations, good direction and a fun script make this a great modern western. Watch it, enjoy it and relive your childhood (if you watched every western as a child, as I did).

Yehaa!