Here is the cast: Tom Selleck portrays a bold, and confident character. Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross, Jeff Osterhage, Ben Johnson, and Geoffrey Lewis perfectly filled out the supporting roles in the film.
Director Andrew V McLaglen has made his mark in the industry through his great work, and his name will always stand alongside the greats.
The film’s release came in the year of 1982 which still holds a special place in the hearts of thousands.
Mood: Further and beyond the saying “I want to watch something similar to these Sackett boys” Westerns have always been about far away lands and epic struggles. An example would be the confront with an “otter,” that is, which happens to be the hairiest mammal on Earth.
For western fans, this is the perfect addition where you do not have to think, and you can simply loosen up while being entertained.
As a movie adaptation of Louis L’Amour’s prose, The Shadow Riders is a made for TV movie that came out in the year of 1982. If I went through my relatively smaller share of L’Amour books, I would love to put it in one line saying, every bit ease as this movie is to watch.
Also, trumping the sass and teenaged obsession, the film comes with an astonishing 100 minutes of montage featuring the two finest mustached Hollywood actors performing wonders on screen. And lets not forget Oster age’s astonishing chest hair, that is without a doubt distracting. Take my word for it or go watch the movie, both of them come with zero regrets, and spending it does not seem like a chore at all.
Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, and Jeff Osterhage taking a photo on the set of The Shadow Riders.
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The Shadow Riders starts when the South surrenders and the Civil War ends. The Traven brothers, Mac, who is played by Tom Selleck, and Dal, played by Sam Elliott, were on different sides of the war. First, we see Mac spending time with a ‘professional’ woman, but knowing it’s Tom Selleck, he’s just talking to her.
So, Dal is not doing as well. He is bound up by a troop of Union soldiers (being a Reb and all), head up, and facing a firing squad all while having that quintessential Sam Elliott vibe. But a number of Confederate soldiers ride in and guns a-blazing, extract Dal. Still, Major Cooper, played by Geoffrey Lewis, insists that Dal keeps riding with them, but Dal is determined to head home which causes them to give him a horse and a gun before leaving him.
Now within a couple of minutes he’s got himself strung up again, this time his arms and legs are bound by a pack of hillbillies who are not fond of his treatment of their horse thieving kin.
The Traven brothers pull up at their parents’ house with their mother working outside and saying, with utmost certainty, “I know only one person in the world who speaks with that voice.”
Elliot and Selleck may not share many features apart from the fact that they are all exceptionally handsome, but that’s besides the point. Orth is brilliant in the role, as all of them are, and he was so good in the book that you instantly believe in the family relation (including the younger Traven, played by Osterhage).
Some years back, Selleck, Elliot, and Orth came together to work on The Sacketts and liked it so much that they approached L’Amour and asked him for another concept. And thus we have The Shadow Riders.
With moustache illustration
Everyone in Traven’s town has a sister that was abducted with the intention to sell them as sex slaves in Mexico, including his ex-girlfriend Kate. When the kidnapping took place, law enforcement was absent, mainly because Sheriff Gillette (R.G. Armstrong) was busy looking for Uncle Jack Traven who was seen in a rather compromising position with the sheriff’s wife. That means our two rather unkempt protagonists have to save the day.
When I saw Armstrong step on screen, I was willing to bet I screamed “I KNOW HIM” while simultaneously jumping off the couch. I mean, he has starred in movies like Predator and Payback. But when I saw those eyes, he immediately reminded me of Prune face in Dick Tracy. For some odd yet astonishing reason, I can pick actors by facial disfigurements, but I cannot remember anything I did 5 minutes ago. There you go, Useless talent #38.
Anyways, Jesse Traven along with the rest of those girls are being held hostage on a beach. It’s pretty clear that this is an issue that needs some heavy chasing and shooting. Mac and Dal set out to round up Traven (Ben Johnson. Also of The Sacketts) the enigmatic Black Jack and spring him out from captivity.
Shadow riders is ideal for enjoying a weekday evening. Sounds somewhat odd, but it has tons of action, tons of memorable one-liners and story and of course, Michael’s glaucous moustache. The movie gets bonus points for not letting anything get to deep or serious like Uncle Jack’s killing of the Mexicans who were trying to purchase the girls. Oh the good old days when saying “no big deal” after detonating explosives as a means to solve problems was acceptable.
In addition, there is some upbeat western soundtrack that is synonymous to other Selleck or James Garner movies.
A very fast train battle chase is accompanied by what appears to be a Disney Western score.
*Still! I love The Shadow Riders; for politics has made movies like these a necessity.*
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