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The Shadow Riders (1982) DVD Review
The Shadow Riders (1982) DVD Credits:
The Shadow Riders (1982) Directed by:
Andrew V. McLaglen
The Shadow Riders (1982) Written by:
Jim Byrnes
The Shadow Riders (1982) Cast:
Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Ben Johnson, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeffrey Osterhage, Gene Evans, Katharine Ross
The Shadow Riders (1982) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Shadow Riders (1982) DVD Release Date:
12th May 2008
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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The Shadow Riders (1982) Synopsis:

The Civil War is over and the Traven brothers are going home. But what Mac and Dal find upon their arrival is a town ravaged by Confederate rebels who've refused to surrender. Swearing to fight the Yankees to the bitter end, the guerillas have kidnapped the Travens' younger sisters - as well as Dal's sweetheart, Kate - and plan to sell the girls into a Mexico brothel to raise money for guns and bullets. Determined to rescue their loved ones, Mac and Dal bust their Uncle Black Jack out of prison and head south of the border, where they aim to finish a war they thought had already ended

The Shadow Riders (1982) DVD Review:

I can’t keep kidding myself. The Shadow Riders really isn’t that great of a western. It takes place in Texas yet was clearly filmed in California, the Butch Cassidy-esque premise is kind of silly, and all of the major players involved in the creation of the film produced a better western with their previous made-for-TV movie, The Sacketts. And yet, despite The Shadow Riders’ obvious flaws, I can’t help but be taken in by its charm, and that charm lies primarily in the hands of its lead actors: Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, and Katharine Ross.

The Shadow Riders is one of those movies that doesn’t really contribute anything new to the genre whatsoever, but it’s still an undeniably enjoyable film nonetheless. It surely would have benefited from a larger budget and a Hollywood studio backing it up, but the filmmakers make the best with what they have, and the best things they have are the three actors I’ve mentioned.

All three actors can seemingly do no wrong in any project they take part in. Tom Selleck is one of those actors that you just can’t help but like. He’s got charm, he’s got charisma, and you’ll think he’s an angel even if he’s doing something morally questionable. That’s why he works so well in parts like these, because the characters he plays often do bad things, but we still pull for the guy because it’s Tom Selleck playing the role. Sam Elliott is another actor who can do no wrong. Forget John Wayne, along with Clint Eastwood, Sam Elliott is the quintessential western actor in my eyes. From the way he presents himself to his notable vocal cadence, his presence is always an undeniable asset in any western. Put Sam Elliott in any movie and he will automatically make it better. Just look at Ghost Rider. And then there’s Katharine Ross. We fell in love with her in The Graduate and she’s still as charming as ever in more recent films like Donnie Darko. Not only does she hold her own with her two male costars, but her character is unusually strong for a western movie. She stands her ground throughout the film, and its refreshing to see a female character in a western that doesn’t default to the typical “damsel in distress” cliché.

As for the rest of the elements in the film, they’re all good enough, but nothing outstanding by any means. The script is exciting, but also stupid and cheesy in places. The directing works just fine but there’s nothing that stands out to make me take notice. Overall, the film as a whole works just fine for what it is, but it’s the actors that make it memorable and enjoyable.

As with the previous release of this DVD, the only extras (which don’t really count) are previews for other westerns.

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The Shadow Riders (1982) DVD review written by: Anthony Berk

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