Keep your six-guns holstered - you don't need to hold up the local Wells Fargo to stream The Quick and the Dead. The offbeat 1995 Sam Raimi Western is streaming free on Vizio WatchFree+. The streaming service is available for free to anyone using a Vizio device.
The Quick and the Dead was part of a trend in the 1990s - following a fallow period in the 1980s, the Western experienced a revival in the wake of Clint Eastwood's critically and commercially successful 1992 film Unforgiven. In fact, there were so many Westerns being filmed simultaneously that Raimi's film had trouble finding enough period costumes. The film was a departure for Raimi, whose previous films had been in the horror and action genres. However, it features many of Raimi's distinctive filmmaking trademarks, and even includes his Oldsmobile 88 car in the film, disguised as a wagon. However, one of his other trademarks, the presence of Bruce Campbell, ended up on the cutting room floor. The script was written by Simon Moore (Traffic) as an homage to spaghetti Westerns.
What Is 'The Quick and the Dead' About?
In the Wild West town of Redemption, Mayor John Herod (Gene Hackman) rules with an iron fist. He's holding a single-elimination quick-draw competition in town, offering a huge cash prize to the ultimate victor. It attracts gunslingers from all over the West, played by a variety of tough-guy character actors, including Keith David, Lance Henriksen, Mark Boone Junior, Tobin Bell, and Sven-Ole Thorsen. It also draws in a mysterious woman known only as The Lady (Sharon Stone), who has a score to settle with Herod, The Kid (Leonardo DiCaprio), a naive teenager who believes Herod is his father, and one unwilling participant in the form of Cort (Russell Crowe), a former member of Herod's outlaw gang who's renounced violence to become a preacher. As the competition moves on, and challenger after challenger bites the dust, secrets are revealed, and only one man - or woman - will be left standing.
The Quick and the Dead received mixed reviews upon its release, as many critics found the juxtaposition of Western genre trappings with Raimi's eccentricities was jarring. It also disappointed at the box office, earning $47 million USD against a budget of $35 million. Raimi would rebound with the acclaimed neo-noir A Simple Plan, and would shortly thereafter rule the box office with his Spider-Man trilogy. Meanwhile, The Quick and the Dead has found a cult audience.
The Quick and the Dead is now streaming for free on Vizio WatchFree+. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
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The Quick and the Dead
The Quick and the Dead: In a lawless town ruled by a notorious gunman, a mysterious woman arrives to participate in a quick-draw elimination tournament. As competitors face off in lethal duels, her true motives and secrets gradually unfold, amidst a tense atmosphere of rivalry and retribution.
Image via TriStar Pictures
English (US) ·