Tombstone (1993)

  I shouldn't even have to describe this movie.  I should just be able to put up the poster and have everyone recognize it as badass.  But there are still people who have never seen this movie.  Up until last night, Rob was one of them.  I can't say he was anxious to watch it since he's pathologically afraid of trying new things but I persevered.  He liked it.  Not as much as I thought he should have, but he was preoccupied with thoughts of Star Wars:  The Old Republic.  What can I do?

This tells the (highly embellished) story of the shootout at the OK Corral but starts months before that with the arrival of the Earp brothers and their wives to Tombstone, Arizona, a silver boomtown.  Middle brother Wyatt (Kurt Russell) had made a name for himself as a lawman in Kansas but retired and moved out west with his family to settle down and make money.  Not long after he arrives in Tombstone, he ousts a foul-mouthed card dealer (Billy Bob Thornton) from The Oriental saloon and takes over, beginning a lucrative job and running into his old friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer).  But things are not all wine and roses.  The town is under the thumb of The Cowboys, a mangy group of psychopaths led by Curly Bill (Powers Boothe).  After the US Marshal in town is shot, Wyatt's brother Virgil (Sam Elliott) steps up to take his place, with all three Earps earning the enmity of The Cowboys. The movie spirals into more and more bloodshed as grudges are settled and made anew.

There are so many stars in this movie it's ridiculous.  Everybody from Michael Biehn to Billy Zane.  I can only imagine how crazy casting must have been.  Still, it is one of the absolute best Westerns of all time.