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The Trial of Billy Jack

The Trial of Billy Jack

List Price: $9.99
Your Price: $9.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Verdict is in on The Trial of Billy Jack - Don't Ask!!!
Review: As Billy Jack was good, the Trial of Billy Jack was bad. It was a disgrace to the martial arts, a disgrace to the memory of Billy Jack, a disgrace to anyone involved in its production, a disgrace period.

And those are its better parts!!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Verdict is in on The Trial of Billy Jack - Don't Ask!!!
Review: As Billy Jack was good, the Trial of Billy Jack was bad. It was a disgrace to the martial arts, a disgrace to the memory of Billy Jack, a disgrace to anyone involved in its production, a disgrace period.

And those are its better parts!!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: GARBAGE
Review: Haven't people figured out yet that diversity doesn't work? Sure it looks good in the movies, but in reality it'll never work. Being separated is the only way to go.

Overall this movie's a joke.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: NOT LETTERBOXED!!
Review: I really enjoy the BILLY JACK movies and my review would carry a much higher rating if this Panavision film was properly letterboxed! TRIAL OF BJ and IN WASHINGTON were both shot in Panavision....IN WASHINGTON is letterboxed appropriately at 2.35:1, but TRIAL is pan & scan(full screen)--the viewer is missing a significant amount of the filmed frame!!

This is just a warning to folks such as myself who like to see movies the way they were meant to be seen, with the compositions unspoiled! This is the only DVD in the set that opens with the Warner Brothers logo, so it is possible that this old Warner transfer is the only thing they had available for the production of this title--but it's too bad that the opportunity was missed to see this classic the way it was originally filmed!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Perfect Fodder for MST3K
Review: I recently acquired this DVD and watched the film for the first time since its release in 1974. As I watched it, I couldn't help imagining what Tom Servo and Crow might have to say if "Mystery Science Theater 3000" skewered it. Obviously, the film has numerous flaws, not the least of which is its interminable length; cutting it down to two hours might not have made it a good movie, but it would have made it much easier to sit through. As the voice-over commentary by Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor makes clear, they had a fixation with 1960s and 1970s campus riots, especially those resulting in student deaths, which fixation caused them to conclude, Oliver-Stonishly, that every single one of these incidents was a political-campaign ploy calculated to demonstrate law and order to the electorate. Needless to say, this perspective makes the film painfully didactic and even manipulative. Finally, The Trial of Billy Jack is much more implausible than the original Billy Jack movie, which creates major problems when it comes to the willing suspension of disbelief.

I will say this, however--the film has some great aerial shots of Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Billy Jack
Review: I thought A lot of the movie Billy Jack. But I do not think they should Remake it Because no actor no matter how good they are could replace Tom Laughlin it just would no be the same.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Deeply Misunderstood Film
Review: If you are a Billy Jack fan, buy this film!!!!! Takes off right where Billy Jack left off. The people writing negative reviews just don't get this film. This film does have a deeper philosphy and if you are uncomfortable with that don't buy this film. It is an amazing work, and a strange piece of history that this "indie film" ever reached mass market appeal. It is probably the first film that ever introduced the Native American Vision Quest and, in general, is sympathetic to traditional Native American beliefs. Is it dated? Yes! Stand up to Year 2000 movie production techniques? No! But it does offer challenges for those questioning what it means to live as a human being and for that I give it 5 stars. The film has a strong philosophy that veiwers will either tune into or reject.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best of the Billy Jack films
Review: It is really remarkable this historic film has made it on to DVD, and equally remarkable how small our concept of what a movie has become. It seems that ever since Star Wars, you just can't make a movie outside the box anymore without getting completely shunned by the community, but not Billy Jack. This and the first Billy Jack are probably two of the most successful independent films ever, but while 'original' Billy Jack introduces most of Laughlin's favorite themes, he mostly sticks to the straight course. With Trial, all precautions are thrown to the wind, and the final result is something you just need to take in its entirity. Like other films from this period, their is a strong dose of symbolism and attempts to even give the film a cyclical nature (the film is actually framed where the first 15 minutes or so of the film actually occur chronologically right before the end.) To make an analogy to music, the early 70's was the period of progressive rock, free jazz and concept albums--but also too in film. Tom and Deloris continue to experiment with improvisation in this film, their are folk musical numbers, and the presentation does manage to flow more like a psychedelic piece than a normal film (see Boorman's Zardoz for example.) It is hard to say if everything done here is completely intentional, and there are a few points that are certainly hillarious without meaning to be so. Still, I find myself enjoying the many messages here, including the fact that Billy Jack actually fails and really isn't the hero of the film. The philosophies toward education are actually inspiring, and I think Deloris's acting here really shines throughout the entire film--and in the end it is hard not to belive she is the character she is portraying.

Well, in any event, this is a 3 hour THING and it isn't a perfect film and suffers at time from simple lack of budget, etc...but this also gives it a certain charm a lot of other films don't have. Even if you don't care for the Billy Jack films, you have to give them credit for sticking with their dreams and fighting for it to the end.

If you enjoy independent, unique films with a strong vision, this is one worth seeing, and unfortunatley will almost necessitate purchase since it is not to be found in video stores.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: One of my all-time favorite bad films! I first learned about it through Harry Medved's "50 worst movies of all time" book, and man, I was not dissapointed. You simply must see this incredible, camp classic. Who could possibly resist dialogue like: "You mean like when a kid's tripping out..or on a real bummer?" It's all here: the sobbing,earnest hippies babbling bromides--Delores welling up with tears--bad,bad,baaaaad "establishment" people kicking puppies--Delores welling up with tears--A Native-American named "Blue Elk"- Delores welling up with tears--and lots and lots of badly staged violence to insure a decent box-office return from the peace-loving teens. I say teens because no grown adult could possibly take this seriously...er..well...God, I hope not. Anyone who's ever read any of the humorous,egomaniacal ramblings of Tom Laughlin in interviews will have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this film, sanctimony on steroids. So, pull up a chair, kick off your Bierkenstocks, dig into that wheat germ and have a ball.

*A word of caution: If you know anyone whose brain cells were permanently damaged by that really,potent windowpane acid in 69', and thinks Neil Young lyrics are deep, they may be in danger of taking this movie seriously. Be a friend and take their keys before they drive to the video store. The life you save may live to cure cancer some day.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Billy Jack is back
Review: The Billy Jack you loved in the original movie is back. The civil-rights, freedom fighting character is still fighting the government for acceptance of his friend, Jean's school and the American indian. Most of the major characters are still the same, bringing with them veiled referenced to such incidents as Watergate and Kent State. This is a movie that should remind us of a time when social consciousness was an important part of all our lives.


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