The Quick &  the Dead (1995)  

Filmed - Nov 21, 1993 – Feb 27, 1994

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A  woman seeks to avenge her father's death at the annual gunfighter's tournament in the ghostly town called Redemption, where an outlaw named Herod rules. On the town's one dusty street as one fighter after another is fatally eliminated until only the young woman, & Herod.

Director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) tries gamely to recapture the exotic mysteries of spaghetti Westerns in this stylish but empty film, which stars Sharon Stone as a stranger who comes to the town of Redemption in time for an annual shooting contest. Her real motivations for being there are the stuff that might have found their way into a film by Sergio Leone--in fact, much of this film is a pastiche of Leone's greatest hits, including A Fistful of Dollars and Once upon a Time in America--but one can't quite believe Stone in the role. Gene Hackman gives a predictably solid performance as the town tyrant, and Leonardo DiCaprio is good as a lucky young gunslinger who gets to kiss the heroine. But not even the cast can help this failed project. Raimi brings a lot of razzle-dazzle to his camera work, but it doesn't make the film any more substantial. A widescreen version of the film can be seen on DVD. --Tom Keogh

The infamous movie which brought Russell Crowe to the United States. Yes, Sharon Stone loved Russell's performance in Romper Stomper, and decided she had to have Mr. Crowe in her western. Sam Raimi agreed to put a hold on production, and the rest is history, as they say!

Gene Hackman (Herod) decides to host a gunfight competition in his town. Gunslingers come from everywhere for the money: last person left standing and alive wins the $123,000 pot. In rides Sharon Stone (Ellen), a woman gunslinger with a chip on her shoulder for Herod who was responsible for her father's death. Russell plays the part of Cort, a desperado turned preacher. Herod has had Cort brought back into town in shackles, where he spends the better part of the movie. Seems Cort used to ride with Herod, but found religion and abondoned the gang. Herod wants to force Cort to admit he's still a killer.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Kid, Herod's angry son. Herod, Ellen, Cort and Kid all enter the gunslinger contest, along with a large group of unwashed extras. As all the other gun fighters are beaten, the final four is Herod vs. Kid, and Ellen vs. Cort. During the days leading up to the final gunfight, Cort and Ellen form a friendship-and in the international uncut version, they form a little more...intimate bond.

Herod kills the Kid, and Cort kills Ellen-so we are led to believe. On the final day of the contest, Cort and Herod face off. Suddenly, there's an explosion- Herod is distracted, and Ellen walks in-alive. Seems she and Cort had some pillow talk and came up with a way to get even with Herod. Herod is shot dead, and Ellen rides off into the sunset, leaving Cord to run the town, and leaving him the money.

This is a great movie for Russell fans. He has the best lines AND the best hair!