The Magnificent Seven

Rating:
Summary: The Magnificent Seven could be rated with 10 stars!
Review: The Magnificnet Seven was definently a thriller! I loved every bit of it, especially the actors!

The small village of Istrakan in Mexico had always been raided by the thief and murderer named Calvera. The people of Istrakan are desperate because Calvera's men had again left only a tinsy wintsy bit of food until the people nearly starve to death. They come to a decision to stop this and goes to buy guns for them to fight. They meet a gunman named Chris Yul Brynner and he advises them to hire good gunmen to protect Istrakan instead of buying buns. With the help of Chris, the 3 men sent from the poor town finds 7 gunmen: Bernardo O'Reilly(Charles Bronson), Lee(Robert Vaughn), Vin(Steve MacQuin), Harry Luck(Brad Dexter), Chico(Horst Buchholz), and Britt(James Coburn). Chris joins them and they go to the village.

Can only 7 gunmen stop all of Calvera's men? And would the villagers trust them?

I really loved this movie and I can watch it over and over again. I strongly suggest you to watch "The Magnificent Seven"!!

Rating:
Summary: Seven guns go south of the border
Review: A genuine cinematic classic, The Magnificent Seven is one of the most enjoyable westerns ever to hit the screen and the stellar cast on board just make it shine ! As most any cinema fan knows, TMS was based on Akira Kurosawa's landmark "The Seven Samurai", albeit with a shift in setting from feudal Japan to Mexico of the old west...and six guns replacing samurai swords.
This excellent release on DVD hosts a plethora of extra features with an accompanying documentary and commentary by dapper James Coburn and western bad guy Eli Wallach ( After Wallach's cold blooded portrayal of bandit leader Calvera in TMS, Sergio Leone cast him a couple of years later as the cunning gunman Tuco in "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly". Prior to making TMS, Wallach had never ridden a horse in his life ! )

Director John Sturges showed why he is a class act at well paced dramas with his great directorial style on TMS, and Elmer Bernstein's oh so catchy signature score falls right in line with the mood of the script. Bryner & McQueen are outstanding as Chris and Vin, (love that opening sequence with the hearse and a panicky Whit Bissell ) with dynamic support from a youthful Charles Bronson, nervy Robert Vaughn, knife throwing James Coburn, money hungry Brad Dexter and the hot headed farmer-turned-gunslinger Horst Bucholz !!

Fans of this movie will NOT be dissapointed with this fantastic offering on DVD and it's behind the scenes look at it's stars and their stories. Add this one to your collection today.....

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate in Classic Western Experiences!
Review: The best way to spend a Sunday afternoon in front of the TV is with this DVD running! "The Magnificent Seven" gave new life to the dying genre of Westerns. With a sustaining plot (based on the Japanese Classic "The Seven Samurai"), a great script and a cast of stars that would all go on to great careers in acting, this film had it all. And who can forget that infectious theme music immortalized by Al Caiola? My old high school band did this theme at an assembly; what a great number!--Too bad that it probably contributed to the untimely death of countless people around the world who associated this music with the extremely popular "Marlboro" advertising campaign, then went on to a life-long smoking-addiction. Able to resist this (and most other advertising campaigns), I still love this film and it's music, who wouldn't?

Rating:
Summary: Truly, These Are Seven Heroes
Review: The impact that I felt as a 6-year old after first seeing this marvelous tale on the big screen has never lessened throughout the many years that have followed. Every repeat viewing leaves me with the same feelings all over again; good CAN triumph over evil, even though the good may at first appear to take ominous forms, as in this wonderfully told and superbly acted film. The sensitivity to the farmer's plight and the selflessness displayed as the seven defend the farmers and their poor village and defeat the marauding force headed by Calvera are an inspiration to all those who are not able or capable of defending themselves against evil. And what an exciting preview this film was back in 1960 as to the incredible careers that were about to spring forth for so many of the ensemble castmembers. To see the young, fresh faces of so many up-and-coming stars, such as James Coburn, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Horst Bucholz and Robert Vaughn, along with the already established Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach and Brad Dexter is a delight each and every time I view it. Great (and ancient) storyline, fine acting, beautifully rugged locations, superb music and great pacing make this baby a gem for all times, and all generations. There are serious, poignant moments..., humorous moments..., and outstandingly filmed and acted action moments.... Yes, matters were settled by guns in those days of border disputes and marauding bands of thieves, but that is how it was, and all involved in this beauty didn't flinch for even a moment in portraying that. Forty-one years later, this is still one of the very best western films ever made, and will continue to rank right up there for all time. Don't miss out on this one any longer!

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Westerns Ever Filmed!
Review: I love westerns and read and watch them as often as I can. This movie set the stage for what westerns are really all about. Some of the best and greatest stars in movies came together to make this movie into a classic. I recently watched it with some people who are at least twenty years younger than me and they agreed that it was great. This is the hip hop/rap generation getting turned on by good acting and a superbly written plot. If you haven't seen it yet run as fast as you can to the video store and get it. You will not be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Western Story With Great Actors
Review: This is not a new picture but DVD picture & sound are of such great quality you would think it was made with today's technology. Story is told in such a great way. Great Director!
A must see and a must own for anyone who likes a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: These seven are pretty magnificent.
Review: Great story, great action, great stars. Look at the careers of the men in this movie. Most of them became stars on their own.
For the period of time in which this film was released and before, up to Silverado, and more recently Tombstone, westerns do not get any better than this.

Rating:
Summary: I love this move
Review: This movie is great! Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen make this move one that you will watch over and over again. The music is perfect, the character actors like Eli Wallic make their parts come alive. These guys must have had one fantastic time making this move. You don't even have to like westerns to find yourself glued to the screen. Much of the magic comes from the off screen, friendly competition between the men. These guys all wanted to out do Yul as you can learn on the extra tracks the DVD gives you. Also, so much of the movie is brought to life by the actors actions and not the dialog. Their ability to really act is showcased in a way that is lost today with all the $$$$ going into special effects. Get it, you will love it!

Rating:
Summary: Great movie and solid DVD transfer!
Review: ....An interesting study of hired gunman, featuring many soon-to-be-famous actors who blended quite well, and a great score. Given the film's age, the DVD transfer is sharp and I thought the mono sound was reasonably crisp (other reviewers seem to disagree on that point, however). The extras include a documentary on the film which I found terrific: Most amusing is a story about the scene that was shot first, that of the seven riding over a creek with Yul in the lead. During rehearsal, they all did the scene 'straight' but in the actual cut, several of the actors did dramatic things (like swooping down with their hat to fetch some water from the creek) in order to draw attention to themselves in this ensemble cast. What hams! The back story, along those same lines, of the competition between Steve McQueen and Yul Brenner was interesting as was the legal ramblings that were needed just to get the movie made (an actor's strike, competing story rights, a ticked-off Anthony Quinn (who was originally cast in the Brenner role), and a mad screen writer all had to be overcome). The movie also has an audio commentary by Eli Wallach, James Coburn and Walter Mirisch which I look forward to hearing, but haven't done so yet. Given the price, these are quality extras! I don't think you can go wrong with this purchase.

Rating:
Summary: Strap on your six-shooter!
Review: MGM has just released the DVD of "The Magnificent Seven", perhaps the very last of an epoch of classic westerns. Poignant and sad, yet thrilling and action-filled, this cinema classic became a model for 100 action flicks to come. It's an early peek at the emerging movie anti-hero of the 60's and the 70's. An embattled farming village in Northern Mexico hires an unemployed gunslinger from Dodge City. Chris, played by Yul Brynner, recruits six more guns and takes a bloody stand against forty invading banditos. The film opened in 1960 to mild reviews. It was sent off to Europe, where it exploded with positive response. "The Seven" returned to the U.S. to wide acclaim, and as co-star James Coburn says in the documentary, "It's been playing ever since..." John Sturges filmed "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", and "The Great Escape", but history confirms that the meticulous out-door director achieved his artistic peak with this star-studded spectacle, featuring Elmer Bernstein's now classic theme. The film was followed by 3 sequels and a TV show that ran for 2 years. The DVD sound dialogue is a bit muted. The anamorphic 16:9 picture is perhaps the clearest ever, though you'll see some grain fallout during the lap dissolves. An audio commentary track with producer Walter Mirisch and several actors comes with 2 trailers and photos from the actual shoot and cast party. The real jewel of this new DVD is a brand new 46-minute documentary featuring interviews with all the major surviving stars, except Charles Bronson, who just turned 80. Charles Coburn, Eli Wallach, and Robert Vaughn re-live the adventures of filming this epic on location in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Amusing tales of future super-star Steve McQueen are revealed by his ex-wife. McQueen intentionally crashed his sports car to leave his TV series, "Wanted Dead or Alive", and join the cast of "Seven". Yul Brynner so enjoyed his all-black gunfighter attire that he repeated the same exact outfit in at least 4 more movies. Yul Brynner died of lung cancer in 1985. Steve McQueen died of cancer in 1980. Thanks to this timeless and valuable DVD, "The Magnificent Seven" may never die. After the raging battle ends, Brynner's character looks down on newly dug graves for the brave villagers. "We didn't do it.."he says. "Only the farmers win. We never win..."