Purgatory (1999)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
Purgatory Videos & Photos
Movie Info
In this fantasy set in the Old West, Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts) is an outlaw on the run from police after a bank robbery. Britton and his gang wind up in a small town called Refuge, where things are rather unusual -- outlaws are warmly welcomed and offered free food and lodging but warned not to swear, and none of the residents carry guns, including Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepard). Britton and his gang notice that Sheriff Forrest bears a striking resemblance to the famous gunfighter Wild … More
| Rating: | Unrated |
| Genre: | Western, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy |
| Directed By: | Uli Edel |
| Written By: | Gordon Dawson |
| In Theaters: | Jan 10, 1999 Wide |
| On DVD: | May 17, 2005 |
| Runtime: |
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Cast
as Sheriff Forrest
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as Sonny
as Rose
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as Brooks
as Dolly
as Lamb
as Euripides
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LoginCritic Reviews for Purgatory
All Critics (3) | Fresh (1) | Rotten (2) | DVD (2)
Finds a fairly novel way in which to mix some of the classic old-school characters with just a dose of otherworldly weirdness. I dug it.
...the story manages to inject a much-needed shot of adrenaline into a dying carcass.
Audience Reviews for Purgatory
Uli Edel drops some fantasy into a western atmosphere in Purgatory.This isn't a 90 minute sprint around the track by any means, but for a film that does harness a slower pace, the cloudiness and sense of mystery stirs up enough intrigue to keep the story afloat.The film may kick off with a bang; however, there isn't much in the way of bullets flying around, which leaves the feeling that this is lesser than an action picture. Fortunately, the final act makes up for it all.The cast is strong and it shows. Sam Shepard was born for his role and Eric Roberts proves to be an excellent adversary. Peter Stormare, Randy Quaid, J.D. Souther, and Donnie Wahlberg fill up the supporting cast nicely. Amelia Heinle is a sight for sore eyes in a film full of gun-slinging cowboys.Purgatory fits the bill as a western with a unique flavor, thus making it a recommendable film.
Super Reviewer
I really enjoyed this movie! I love the twist it has. I love the boy's innocence while he is surrounded by murders and drinkers... Great Movie with great shooting scenes!
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 some exciting, six-gun grit and emotional authenticity.
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