Reviewed By Jason LockardIn 1985 Larry McMurtry wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning book set in the late nineteenth century, this sprawling epic of the Old West. The Story was Lonesome Dove.
It was such a sweeping tale that it was just a matter of time before some company would grab up the right and make a movie out of the tale. That happened in 1989. Now the fine folks at Mill Creek Entertainment are releasing this mini-series on DVD.
Augustus McCrea and Woodrow F. Call, are former Texas
Rangers, partners and friends. Augustus is a reluctant rancher while Call is a driven, demanding man. Call is obsessed
with the dream of creating a new homestead. The two men are polar opposites, but who rely
each other, if nothing else on their cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
At this time most thought this was a really bad idea to make a mini-series set in the old west! People thought that the western genre of films was all but dead. But stars like, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder and Anjelica Huston signed on to the project believing in it! And they were proven right as when CBS aired this mini-series over 26 million households tuned in. CBS won the Peabody award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. It also was nominated for 18 Emmy® Awards, and won seven.
At this time most thought this was a really bad idea to make a mini-series set in the old west! People thought that the western genre of films was all but dead. But stars like, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder and Anjelica Huston signed on to the project believing in it! And they were proven right as when CBS aired this mini-series over 26 million households tuned in. CBS won the Peabody award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. It also was nominated for 18 Emmy® Awards, and won seven.
The story was wonderfully adapted by William D. Witliff. His original idea was to have John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and James Stewart in the film And while that would have been amazing to see, I think what we got was a western saga masterpiece. When watching this mini-series you get lost in the old west and just wish you were living there!
This 2 Disc DVD set presents all four parts of this mini-series in stunning widescreen capturing the full beauty of the old west. Two episodes per disc. There is also a special 50 minute making of Lonesome Dove featurette. And if that wasn't enough to make this an add to your collection.
As for the packaging the DVDs are secured in there own trays. The DVD case is a sturdy hard shell plastic case. There is a blood orange slipcover (seen at the top of of the page) which is different artwork from the actual DVD artwork (seen just above). Which for DVD collectors is a true bonus.
So if you love westerns as much as I do and you enjoy bonus features this is a great little release. I highly recommend this one for your collection. Head over to www.MillCreekEnt.com and get your copy today!
Moral Rating: violence, sexual situation, freighting images, brief nudity and mild profanity
Audience: Not suitable for small children
Genre: Western
Length: Over 6 Hours
DVD Released: 2019
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