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“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

Legendary director Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) directs the iconic John Wayne as an ageing gunfighter dying of cancer in his final screen appearance, a superb adaptation of Glendon Swarthout's classic western novel, The Shootist.

John Bernard Books is the stuff of legend, a renowned ‘shootist’ whose reputation looms large. But it’s 1901, and like the old west, John is dying and a reputation like his draws trouble like an outhouse draws flies. As word spreads that the famous gunfighter is on his last legs, the vultures begin to gather; old enemies, the marshal, newspaper men, an undertaker, all eager to see him dead. Other men might die quietly in bed or take their own lives, but J. B. Books will choose his executioner and face down death with a pistol in each hand.

With an outstanding cast that features not only Wayne, but James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, Scatman Crothers and John Carradine, The Shootist is an elegiac ode to a monumental screen presence and to the Western genre itself.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- New 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
- Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger
- The Last Day, a new visual essay by film critic David Cairns
- A Man-Making Moment, a new interview with Western author C. Courtney Joyner
- Laments of the West, a new appreciation of Elmer Bernstein’s score by film historian and composer Neil Brand
- Contemplating John Wayne: The Death of a Cowboy, a new visual essay by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya
- The Shootist: The Legend Lives On, archival featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Juan Esteban Rodríguez
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Juan Esteban Rodríguez
- Six postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by film critic Philip Kemp

Looks good

Great movie! I tend to forget Jimmy Stewart is in this.

I always forget it's Ron Howard and not the Schofield Kid from Unforgiven

First time I saw the movie today from an older BD, and I thought it was fine, if nothing else. One of the scenes that stayed with me most is

Spoiler

Books's old flame showing up at Mrs Rogers's house and the moment where he realizes she too is only in it for the money and desperate for him to agree to the participation in and publication of a book which by her own admission will include embellishments is just heartbreaking, and Wayne really sells it.

I felt it was a bit obvious at times: it didn't need the title cards indicating the passage of time, and the images from previous films as well as Ron Howard's voiceover (which is never used again thereafter if I remember correctly). I think a cold open with Book riding across the plain would have been more effective. I also wasn't sold on Ron Howard but Wayne and Bacall had strong chemistry. Not my favorite Siegel or Wayne movie by a long shot but very glad to have seen it, and Arrow's new 2k restoration should look quite lovely.

Apparently, this is a US only release...

All the Paramount titles have been US only. Seems Paramount's UK wing has no interest in licensing titles out.

Bummer

This one is out of stock on the Arrow site, also unavailable on DVDDiabolik. Not sure if the Limited Edition already sold out, but I grabbed a copy on Amazon.