Search - Johnson County War on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 09/24/2002 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 58 mins Studio: Hallmark Total Copies: 1 Genres: Western, Epic Western

The backdrop for this epic Western, which aired in August 2002 on the Hallmark Channel, will be familiar to fans of the genre and students of Western history. The Johnson County War took place in northern Wyoming in April 1892, growing out of the familiar story of big-money ranchers who suspected homesteader neighbors of rustling. Screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana adapted Frederick Manfred's 1957 novel, -Riders of Judgment, which used some of the events and people but changed the names, including the county (which becomes Bighorn) and the main town (from Buffalo to Antelope). Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (1981) also employed elements of the Johnson County War in its story. Manfred's book and this film center on Cain Hammett (Tom Berenger), a lonesome cowboy who hankers for Rory (Michelle Forbes); she has married his younger brother Dale (Adam Storke) in spite of the fact that she really loves Cain. A third Hammett brother, Harry (Luke Perry), unlike his honest, homesteading siblings, is a rustler who runs afoul of Marshal Hunt Lawton (Burt Reynolds), who is in the employ of wealthy Lord Peter (Christopher Cazenove), an Englishman in cahoots with the owners of big ranches to exterminate all of the homesteaders, guilty or innocent. Cain Hammett's real-life counterpart, Nate Champion, was a prime target of mercenaries hired by the big cattlemen, and the siege of Cain's cabin, which was the opening salvo in the war, provides the film with its climax. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

Tom Berenger - Cain Hammett
Luke Perry - Harry Hammett
Michelle Forbes - Rory Hammett
Adam Storke - Dale Hammett
Burt Reynolds - Marshal Hunt Lawton

It's all out war in the country in the made-for-TV film Johnson County War. The movie is presented in its original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio, sporting solid colors and dark black levels throughout. While there are a few inherent problems with this transfer (including a lack of sharpness in the image), overall this is an above-average transfer for a made-for-TV film. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround in English and aptly supports the film when needed. Viewers won't find much among this mix to get excited about -- directional effects and surround sounds are kept to the bare minimum. However, the audio mix is completely free and clear of any hiss or distortion. No alternate subtitles or soundtracks are available on this mix. The extra features on Johnson County War are floating at the bare minimum -- all that's included on this disc is a very fluffy and short behind-the-scenes featurette, a gallery of various trailers and promos, and a small photo gallery of the stars. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide