Theres a short list of screen legends whos body of work is so vast that unfortunately its very unlikely that ill ever get to see them all. Id love to be able to see all of Woody Allen’s films Id love to see every film that Jackie Chan has made, and id love to be able to watch every screen appearance of John Wayne. Yes I guess its possible that I could complete those missions but that would likely mean that I wouldnt be able to watch any other movies or shows in my years left. Regarding John Wayne, I think Ive seen perhaps a dozen of his films which is a drop in the ocean considering he has done just under 200 films that is not only a lot of viewing hours that id need to allocate, but its also a huge cost undertaking to try and track them down so what I have opted to do is to try and watch his key films and his landmark films. One of which is The Shootist which is arriving on bluray from Arrow this August.  I had heard of The Shootist over the years, its most notable as being the last film that John Wayne made The film was released in 1976, we lost John Wayne in 1979 and The Shootist feels like its a final swansong for one of the biggest screen legends of all time. The story of The Shootist fits in with the legend of John Wayne.

Legendary director Don Siegel (who directed the Clint Eastwood starring Dirty Harry) directs John Wayne as John Bernard Brooks, an ageing gunfighter who after having a cancer diagnosis confirmed, decides to spend his last few days holed up in a town hotel.

John Bernard Books is the stuff of legend, a renowned ‘shootist’ whose reputation looms large. As word spreads that the famous gunfighter is on his last legs and is ready for that final journey, the vultures begin to gather; old enemies start to pop up, the town marshal, newspaper men, an undertaker, all eager to see John dead so they can cash in on his death.  What I loved so much about The Shootist is that the film isnt a gunfight every ten minutes type western, no The Shootist felt to me more like a study of a man. What are the last days of a legendary gunfighter like? What is it like when the one time quick shooter feels the aches, pains and sadness that his days are  numbered and that his death likely wont be in a hale of bullets but more than likely will end up with him collapsing or just not waking from his sleep. The Shootist is (for me anyways) the best acting I have seen John Wayne do and when he is sharing the screen with other legends such as Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Scatman Crothers and John Carradine, you cant help but be riveted by the performances you are witnessing. Its one of those films that yes its a western, but should perhaps be better described as a great story, brilliantly performed and yes is set in the West.

So if you class yourself as one of those people who isnt a fan of westerns (and theres nothing wrong with that, I used to be one of those people) then I do still recommend The Shootist. Yes its a western, but it doesnt really put that western feel to the front of the stage. Its a story about people in a changing world and features some great performances. Id also be remis if I didn’t mention Ron Howard who appears in the film and is so good.  Ron Howard had of course been on screen many times before The Shootist but in this he shares a ton of scenes with Lauren Bacall, and John Wayne and does a fantastic job!

Arrow Video have done a great job with this release, it looks great, sounds great and has over 2 hours of special features (more if you count the full length commentary) So by checking out all the extras in the set, youll be an expert on The Shootist by the end of it. Check out this list of features.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 2K remaster by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger
• The Last Day, a visual essay by film critic David Cairns ( 28 Minutes)
• A Man-Making Moment, an interview with Western author C. Courtney Joyner (40 Minutes)
• Laments of the West, an appreciation of Elmer Bernstein’s score by film historian and composer Neil Brand (26 Minutes)
• Contemplating John Wayne: The Death of a Cowboy, a visual essay by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya (22 Minutes)
• The Shootist: The Legend Lives On, archival featurette (18 Minutes)
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Juan Esteban Rodríguez
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing by film critic Philip Kemp