Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free First Class Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
13 used & new from £2.54

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Wild Bill [DVD] [1996]
 
See larger image
 

Wild Bill [DVD] [1996]

DVD ~ Jeff Bridges
2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.98 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £9.01 (69%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Items for dispatch to UK will be sold by Amazon's Preferred Merchant. (Why?) Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

8 new from £3.11 5 used from £2.54
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental.
With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this item with Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994] DVD ~ Kevin Costner

Wild Bill [DVD] [1996] + Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994]
  • This item: Wild Bill [DVD] [1996] DVD ~ Jeff Bridges

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994] DVD ~ Kevin Costner

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Wild Bill [DVD] [1996]
84% buy the item featured on this page:
Wild Bill [DVD] [1996] 2.9 out of 5 stars (8)
£3.98
Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994]
5% buy
Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994] 4.0 out of 5 stars (12)
£4.98
Open Range [DVD] [2004]
4% buy
Open Range [DVD] [2004] 4.2 out of 5 stars (42)
£2.98
Last Stand At Saber River [DVD] [1997]
4% buy
Last Stand At Saber River [DVD] [1997] 2.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£2.98

Product details

  • Actors: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, Keith Carradine
  • Directors: Walter Hill
  • Writers: Walter Hill, Peter Dexter, Thomas Babe
  • Producers: Gary Daigler, Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: MGM Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 1 Mar 2004
  • Run Time: 94 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00015N59C
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 26,496 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Audiences overlooked Wild Bill at the cinema, but it's one of the better Westerns of the 1990s, featuring yet another terrific performance by Jeff Bridges, America's most underrated movie actor. As James Butler Hickock, he captures the sense of a man at the end of his career, one of the first media superstars who discovers that his legend is more burden than blessing. As he heads toward his final hand of poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, he flashes back to his younger days and the events that built his reputation, even as he copes with encroaching blindness caused by syphilis.

Walter Hill blends action and elegy, utilising a screenplay based both on Pete Dexter's novel Deadwood and Thomas Babe's play Fathers and Sons. Wild Bill features strong supporting performances by John Hurt (as a Hickock sidekick) and Ellen Barkin (as the tough, lusty Calamity Jane)--but the centrepiece is the sad, manly performance by Bridges, who more than measures up to the part. --Marshall Fine

Synopsis
Director Walter Hill's WILD BILL is a film biography of legendary outlaw James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (Jeff Bridges). The story covers the major events that shaped the gunman's life, including his work as a Kansas lawman, his stint in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and his part-time relationship with a whip-wielding Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin). In addition, the film shows how Hickok gained his deadly reputation, as well as his repeated confrontations with a vengeful young killer named Jack McCall (David Arquette), whose mother was wronged by Hickok years back--and who may or may not be Hickok's own son. WILD BILL, which unusually focuses less on the legend and more on the real man, features Keith Carradine as Buffalo Bill.


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994]

Wyatt Earp [DVD] [1994]

DVD ~ Kevin Costner
4.0 out of 5 stars (12)  £4.98
Broken Trail [DVD] [2006]

Broken Trail [DVD] [2006]

DVD ~ Robert Duvall
4.0 out of 5 stars (8)  £4.98
Last Stand At Saber River [DVD] [1997]

Last Stand At Saber River [DVD] [1997]

DVD ~ Tom Selleck
2.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £2.98
Appaloosa [DVD] [2008]

Appaloosa [DVD] [2008]

DVD ~ Renee Zellweger
3.8 out of 5 stars (29)  £6.98
Seraphim Falls [DVD] [2007]

Seraphim Falls [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Pierce Brosnan
3.1 out of 5 stars (29)  £4.28
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great performance pity about the story, 15 Sep 2006
By P. Jenkins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
That is not to say that Wild Bill is not a very good film. It starts off as an entertaining look at the life and times of Wild Bill Hickok from a factual point of view. It then changes track and introduces a fictional story about his eventual killer being the son of a woman that he once loved and looks at the relationship between Wild Bill and his killer.

The film kicks off showing some of Hickok's gunfights and how he obtained his reputation. These are beautifully directed by Walter Hill, with great attention to detail - showing the gunfights exactly how they were suppossed to have happened.

It then shows Hickok as a man troubled with his past and looking at a bleak future, with the impending loss of his vision. Up until this point the film stays very true to the facts, giving an accurate and entertaining portrayal of Hickok and his life and times. Bridges is amazing in the role of Hickok, looking exactly like old pictures of Wild Bill and conveying the man as a killer, but living by his own set of rules. As I have mentioned, the Director Hill also deserves great credit for showing the Old West with amazing realism, grubby muddy steets, dimly lit bars etc.

The film then chages track as soon as his eventual murderer appears in the film, Jack McCall. Historic fact then goes out the window and shows McCall telling Hickok on numerous occassions that he is going to kill him, and, having cornered Wild Bill with men who also want Hickok dead, they all decide they are not able to shoot him. Later McCall eventually shoots Wild Bill in the back of the head, after Hickok generously offers him this view of himself, despite his stated intention to kill him.

That is not to say that the film is not entertaining, as it has some amazing set piece gunfights and captures the feel of the times perfectly. I just wish the writer had decided to stick to the factual story of Hickok, which would of been even more entertaining than the fiction.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Once again, Hollywood forgoes the truth and films the legen, 24 Feb 2005
By Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot dead from behind in a Deadwood, South Dakota saloon holding what is now known as the "Deadman's Hand" of aces and eights (both black: the fifth card was supposedly either the deuce of spades or the jack of diamonds). This 1995 film from director Walter Hill ("The Long Riders") is not so much about the infamous death or even the storied life of "Wild Bill" (Jeff Bridges) but more the man's death wish. The film is an exploration of the legend and not the recreation of history; Jack McCall (David Arquette, in a very controlled performance of his usual edgy little creep), the dirty low-down snake who plugged Wild Bill from behind, does so in this film version because the famous gun-fighter lawman broke the hat of Jack's mother (Diane Lane). In "fact" Jack told the miner's jury in Deadwood that found him not guilty that his brother had been gunned down by Hickok who had promised to shoot McCall if he saw him. It was only after McCall admitted his brother had not been killed by Wild Bill and kept bragging about killing Hickok once too often that Federal lawmen arrested him; before he was hung McCall claimed he had been hired by others to do the deed.

The screenplay by Hill is based on the book "Deadwood" by Pete Dexter and the play "Fathers and Sons" by Thomas Babe. In the film's climax McCall and a gang of thugs have gotten the drop on Wild Bill. Inexplicably, the thugs wait for McCall to decide whether or not he has the guts to shot Hickock. At one point Wild Bill offers to shoot himself, just to stop the stupid arguments. Charlie Prince (John Hurt), Wild Bill's educated English friend (and the narrator of the film) says: "Let him do it. He's been trying to kill himself his entire life." This line sounds like it unlocks the entire meaning of the film, but that is only if you take it at face value. "Wild Bill" shows a man playing by the rules of the game, and if he is incapable of loving any woman beyond the moment he is with her, even Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), it is not like the West is the land of romance.

The collision of Hickok and McCall is the backbone of the film, which reduces the other events in Wild Bill's life to two sets of flashbacks. In color we get the gunfights on which the Hickok legend was born, such as shooting wheelchair bound Will Plummer (Bruce Dern) while tied to a saloon chair, as well as the failed attempt to perform on stage in New York City with Buffalo Bill Cody (Keith Carradine, who ironically has provided his own memorable performance as Wild Bill in HBO's "Deadwood"). But there are also high contrast black & white sequences that are supposed to indicate significant moments in his life of a spiritual or personal nature. These might make him aware of his mortality and his character flaws, but these do not translate into a death wish.

Wild Bill Hickok sat down in a chair with his back to the front door of the saloon because it was the only open spot in the poker game (the gambler in the seat he wanted refused to give it up). That ironic element in the most famous death in the history of the Old West is jettisoned in this film, replaced instead with the rather paradoxical idea that his downfall was due to an uncharacteristic act of sentimentality on his part. In the end, "Wild Bill" comes down to a series of dazzingly brutal gunfights through which Bridges snarls his way. These are scenes that emphasize the choreography of the violence for effect rather than spraying a lot of blood all over the place. In the end, all you have to do is count the number of bullets that come out of his six-shooters to remind yourself this film is Hollywood invention. The final irony is that "Wild Bill" is undone by the very death scene that made Hickok immortal.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Jeff Bridges is good in everything, 4 May 2005
It would have been better not have have watched the TV series of Deadwood before seeing this as you can't help but compare. Still it is suitably dark and dirty looking and a fairly enjoyable way to spend an evening (if you were doing nothing special). And Jeff Bridges is always worth the rental fee.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars wild bill dvd
Wild Bill [1995] wild bill! what is so wild about this dvd nothing really. Jeff Bridges plays wild bill rather well. the beginning of the dvd starts off really well. Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. M. Moore

2.0 out of 5 stars A Viewers View
Excellent acting, scenery is first class and what dialog there is comes across as in period. But, as entertainment value this is rubbish, save your money and time and watch... Read more
Published 18 months ago by A. Taylor

3.0 out of 5 stars Ironic
Some reviewers seem to subscribe to the Alanis Morrisette definition of irony. Coindcidence does not equal irony. Damn Yanks.
Published 19 months ago by Mark C. Grassick

1.0 out of 5 stars What a turkey
Leaving aside the shameless Hollywood hackery inflicted on a good true story.....
Leaving aside the woeful mis-casting of Ellen Barkin as Calamity Jane... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Gareth Martin

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet-just remember it's a Film?
Nice to see the Wild West portrayed as it surely was and as I've seen it in numerous books - dismal and dirty with water sodden tracks for Main streets and filthy looking bars... Read more
Published on 27 May 2007 by Inmi Opinion

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

More info on Wish Lists

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates