Product Details

• Actors: Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Peter Stormare, Brad Rowe
• Directors: Uli Edel
• Writers: Gordon T. Dawson
• Producers: Daniel Schneider, David A. Rosemont, Gordon T. Dawson, Walton Dornisch
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• DVD Release Date: May 17, 2005
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007OY2OO
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,274 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Purgatory" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Purgatory is a down-and-dirty Western with a twist The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling would have loved. A band of 19th-century desperadoes, led by the monstrous Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts), takes a wrong turn while fleeing a posse and rides into an otherworldly, off-the-map town called Refuge. Sedate, almost repressed, and guarded by an unarmed sheriff (Sam Shepard), Refuge is a weird haven of hospitality with no jail, a literate shopkeeper (J.D. Souther), an erudite dandy of a doctor (Randy Quaid), a restless deputy (Donnie Wahlberg), and a beautiful young woman (Amelia Heinle) with no apparent family. In short order, Blackjack figures Refuge is his for the plundering. But the youngest of his gang, the innocent Sonny (Brad Rowe), slowly realizes the town's residents are, in fact, dead legends of the American West--Wild Bill Hickok (Shepard), Doc Holliday (Quaid), Jesse James (Souther), among others--spending a violence-free interim before being taken to Heaven (or Hell if they fail). A purely fun if slightly hokey piece of fanciful adventure, Purgatory's colorful cast plays the whole thing straight and gives this made-for-cable film (directed by Uli Edel of Last Exit to Brooklyn) some exciting, six-gun grit and emotional authenticity. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Between somewhere and nowhere in the untamed West is the small town of Refuge. There, neither the sheriff nor his deputy carry a sidearm. There's no jail either, because shooting, carousing and bad blood are not in the town's character. What peaceful folks live there? Wild Bill Hickok. Doc Holliday. Jesse James. Billy the Kid. All long dead. All mysteriously given a chance to undo their violent pasts in Purgatory. All put to a stern test when Blackjack and his ornery gang ride into town.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Surprisingly Good Western, August 6, 2001

By	Kali "bengaligirl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Purgatory (1999) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I am not a huge fan of Western movies but I decided to watch Purgatory because there was nothing else on TV and it was better than doing the housework that was for sure! Boy am I glad I gave the housework a miss! What an excellent film! It wasn't just a western but it was a love story, a mystery, a thriller, a bit of horror and lots of good quality acting. The storyline was fairly simple. A group of rowdy cowboys come across a small town called Refuge and they think that their luck is in. It's run by a Sheriff who doesn't tote a gun, and the locals are wary of trouble to the point of paranoia. Enter Sonny portrayed by the delicious young Brad Rowe as an idealistic young cowboy who is the first to realise that the town of Refuge isn't quite what it seems. There are familiar faces in the town, faces that have been dead for many years and they're all pretending to be people that they aren't. Sonny goes looking for the truth and in doing so falls in love with Rose a Refuge local played by newcomer Amelia Heinle. In order to save Rose from the outlaws he has been travelling with Sonny must take on a band of vicious men, and make Wild Bill Hickok, Sam Shepherd at his best, pick up his guns once more even though it means a fate worse than death for him. This is a great film, with a great storyline that is made even better by a strong cast of actors. Look out for Donnie Wahlberg who plays Deputy Glen/Billy The Kid, he's an absolute cutie-pie! It's not too graphic in the horror department so those who are squeamish can watch it without too much hiding behind pillows, and it has enough suspense for those who want a film with a little bit of a bite here and there. All in all a really good film, and a western at that!!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic and Profound, October 7, 2000

By	Mark Lahren (Bismarck, North Dakota USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Purgatory (1999) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

While the above information states the year 1999 for a release date, I believe that date is only for the release to video. I swear I saw this movie a year or two before then. Also, this movie is a TNT original, and I don't think it was ever in the theaters. But let me clarify, it could have done very well at theaters. This movie does not come across as 'made for television'. In fact, it is better than 95% of the movies currently on the big screen. I should state that, like many others here, I am not a big fan of westerns, and movies with religious undercurrents generally turn me right off. Thus, when my girlfriend wanted to watch this when it was first shown on TNT one night, I was not too excited by the idea. About 15 minutes into the film, my mind was totally changed and I was absolutely riveted to the screen. I was stunned by the subtle-but-immediate effect this movie was having on me. If my house would have started on fire, I don't think I'd have noticed.

This movie is pretty much impossible to categorize. It looks and feels like a western, but it's not. It also feels a bit like sci-fi, but it's not. Its message is deep and profound, but easy to understand instinctively. I've seen hundreds of movies, but I've never seen casting done this well before. All characters come across beautifully. This is not a huge-budget movie, Hollywood style, but you'll never notice the difference. I'm sure a large amount of money was spent, but this movie makes it due to stellar storytelling, great acting and wonderful direction, not big special effects. A powerful movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. No matter how old you are when you first see it, the story is likely to haunt you for years to come. A highly, highly recommended film.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing idea, May 11, 2005

By	N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When a few outlaws (led by Eric Roberts and Peter Stormare) enter upon a mysterious town, they get more than they bargained for in Purgatory: an intriguing allegory made for cable channel TNT. All the legendary names of the Wild West, including Billy the Kid (Donnie Wahlberg), Wild Bill (Sam Shepard), and Doc Holiday (Randy Quaid); all of whom attempting to redeem their souls for the acts committed while they were alive. Naturally, a conflict ensues, with the townsfolk reluctantly resorting to the violent means they have been trying to erase. Purgatory packs enough action for western enthusiasts, even though it may come off as too preachy for some, and while it wears thin towards the end, it still manages to be solid entertainment with an intriguing idea. If you dig westerns with a twist on redemption, check out Purgatory.