Young Guns

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This week the guys sat down to watch a more-or-less historically accurate movie about William H. Bonney, aka Billy The Kid, and his involvement with the Regulators during the Lincoln County War. Not Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (although at least two of the guys more than likely have that movie on their lists).

No, this week the guys watched Young Guns, starring Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Durmot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, Terrance Stamp, Jack Palance, and a bunch of other awesome actors. Holy crap! What a great cast!

Is this or is this not a "Brat Pack" movie?

Billy (Estevez) is on the run, and he is saved from the local police by rancher John Tunstall (Stamp), who takes Billy back to the ranch to work with the rest of the Regulators--Dick Brewer (Sheen), "Doc" Scurlock (Sutherland), Chavez y Chavez (Phillips), Dirty Steve Stephens (Mulrony), and Charley Bowdre (Siemaszko).

And fake Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox...
Of the OLD WEST!

When Tunstall is murdered by a group of men working for L.G. Murphy (Palance), a competing cattleman with deep ties to state and local government in the New Mexico Territory, Reinstall's business partner, Alex McSween (Terry O'Quinn), convinces a judge to deputise the young group of Regulators to round up those responsible for Tunstall's murder.

Kneel before (*BANG!*) AAAARGH!

Things go into the shitter pretty quickly (there's a pun here, but you have to see the movie to get it) when Billy kills Henry Hill instead of serving his warrant and taking him into custody, putting all of the Regulators on the wrong side of the law.

It also puts Dick and Billy at odds with each other, and the tension threatens to turn the group against each other. The problem is indirectly resolved by buffalo hunter and occasional bounty hunter Buckshot Roberts (Brian Keith) some time later, when Dick is killed.

Actual dialogue: "Ya peckerhead sumbitch!"

The remaining Regulators continue on, hunting down the other murderers, as well as the sheriff of Lincoln and some of his deputies. Meanwhile, Doc is trying to win the affection of Murphy's trophy Asian, Yen Sun (Alice Carter), by being abusive and insulting to her.

And giving her dead flowers. Smooth, Doc.

When Pat Garrett (Patrick Wayne) informs Billy that Murphy's men are converging on the McSween ranch in order to kill Alex, the crew heads there to get McSween and his wife (Sharon Thomas), only to discover it's a trap meant to get all of Tunstall's supporters in one place.

Not in the mood to be ambushed.

A standoff ensues, pitting the five Regulators and the McSweens against an army of Murphy's men, an army of law enforcement, and a literal army. Will they survive? (If you don't know, you should at least Wikipedia this stuff...)

Larry digs this movie, and rightly so. In particular, he's a big fan of the sequence involving the Regulators taking peyote to figure out what to do next.

Jake also loves the movie, as well as the peyote scene. He also offers up a potentially mind-blowing theory connected to it, which Larry pokes a hole in. However, it's still compelling.

Derek hates most Westerns, but cheerfully considers this movie, as well as its sequel, exceptions to the rule. He also offers up a theory concerning a prostitute that Charley wants to spend some time with.

So get on your boots, load up your Colt Peacemakers, and listen to this week's episode!