The Quick and the Dead
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Short description
A mysterious woman arrives in the western town of Redemption, where a ruthless man named Herod holds power and stages an annual quick-draw tournament for a large cash prize. Gunfighters gather from across the territory to compete, among them a professional killer, a gambler, a former outlaw turned preacher and a young hotshot. The woman, Ellen, enters the contest as well, though her reasons for being there go beyond the money and the title.
Sam Raimi directed the film, the sixth of the seventeen features he has made in chronological order, following Army of Darkness and preceding A Simple Plan. Simon Moore wrote the screenplay, and Patrick Markey, Allen Shapiro and Joshua Donen produced. Sharon Stone plays Ellen, with Gene Hackman as Herod, Russell Crowe as Cort, Leonardo DiCaprio as Kid, Tobin Bell as Dog Kelly and Roberts Blossom as Doc Wallace. The production, mounted by TriStar Pictures with IndieProd and Japan Satellite Broadcasting, cost about 35 million dollars and returned roughly 47 million worldwide.
Audience response has been moderate and steady over the decades: on IMDb the rating stands at 6.5 from 113,000 votes, and on TMDB it is 6.6 from 2,040 votes. A critics' rating of 6.2 from 51 reviews places professional opinion close to the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- A sexual scene involving Ellen (Sharon Stone) and Kurt (Russell Crowe) was filmed, but Stone and the film's director, Sam Raimi, ultimately decided that the film could do without this episode. Interestingly, this episode was included in the version intended for foreign distribution.
- Sharon Stone really wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to star in the film, so she provided money to cover his fee.
- Sharon Stone also invited Russell Crowe. The studio was initially skeptical of her choice, as this Australian actor was then still largely unknown to American audiences.
- While filming in Arizona, Sharon Stone persuaded Russell to spend Christmas morning with her at a Salvation Army branch, where they distributed food to the poor. Afterwards, they visited a shelter for children who had experienced domestic violence.
- The wedding scene of Kid and Matty Silk was cut from the film.
- All the actors who participated in the shootout scenes underwent special training, learning to instantly draw their revolvers. And since Gene Hackman was on set for less time than the others, he had more time to practice. As a result, he became the fastest at performing the action.
- Sharon Stone wore an authentic leather jacket in the film. The jacket was over 100 years old and had been a museum exhibit before filming.
- In 1994, 12 Westerns were still being filmed, so the props department had trouble with the availability of costumes from the appropriate period.
- All the weapons in the film are authentic, from the late 19th century. It showcases many examples of firearms that you won't see in other Westerns.
- The actors involved in the film began training in handling weapons three months before filming began. They even took the weapons with them to the hotel after filming to practice at the end of the shooting day.
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