In the early to mid ‘90s there was a revival of the Western. The Unforgiven, Dances with Wolves, Quick and the Dead, Back to the Future III, Young Guns, and Young Guns II… just to name a few of the top-tier revivals. Quigley Down Under is definitely a part of that revival giving us a new spin on an old tale. Starring Tom Selleck as the Quigley of the title and Alan Rickman in a worthy post-Die Hard role as the evil rancher who hires Quigley to do a “job” he refuses to do.
The film propelled by Basil Poledouris’s amazing score, Quigley Down Under, is the type of brisk and entertaining western that allows room for drama, comedy, action, and a bit of (and I do mean a bit) socio-drama. However, everything is turned upside down (pun intended) as the film is set in the Australian outback. This transposing of the genre works perfectly for the genre known for its visual grandeur.
In these types of films, the rancher Marsden (Rickman) hires a gunslinger to do his dirty work but in this case, Matthew Quigley (Selleck) is a sharpshooter. This creates an entirely new set of visuals for director Simon Wincer and cinematographer David Eggby (of Mad Max fame) to work with. The duo somehow manages to make this Western adventure a thrilling piece of tense action. The set pieces creating tension with whether Quigley will be able to get his target in time to save someone. That someone oftentimes is his unintended partner Cora (Laura San Giacomo) aka “Crazy Cora”.
The push and pull of Cora and Quigley is the meat of the film as it plays out in the adroit script by John Hill. The film always leans into archetypes and story tropes but is smart enough to play with them in the most unexpected ways. Selleck and San Giacomo are great here as the at-odds couple that truly grow their relationship and definitely earns their ending. San Giacomo was always brilliantly manic and fun in her roles in post-Sex, Lies and Videotape, none more than here where is able to play into the jokes but is also given an agency that you usually don’t see in even modern Westerns.
Though Quigley Down Under would not be what it is if it were for the work of Alan Rickman as Marsden. Rickman in the middle of his trilogy of villainy with this role (sandwiched between Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). The actor brings the sly wit and charm that belies the character’s disgusting abhorrent behavior. Without Rickman’s moments and the special magic, the actor brings to the role the film would be your standard Western. His moments make Selleck and San Giacomo’s story work in contrast perfectly.
The only problem with Quigley Down Under is that there isn’t a series of Quigley movies ala Quigley in America, or Quigley and the Great Wall, or Quigley in the City of Lights. One will have to live with one perfectly rendered neo-western.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible) is a true marvel. The film has looked good on Blu-ray (the best in Shout Studio’s own 2018 Blu-ray release). On 4K UHD, Quigley Down Under finally looks the way it did in the theaters when it opened in October of 1990. The image is free of any digital artificing or crushed blacks. There is none of the dreaded DNR or other tricks to clean the image or color grading to take it away from the original 35mm presentation. The grain structure, contrast, and color reproduction all mimic the look of Cinematographer David Eggby’s accomplished work as it was projected on 35mm three decades ago. The transfer is also free of any scratches or dirt. One just needs to look at the expansive vista shots throughout the film or the tightly constructed action scenes to see the upgrade to the picture that Shout has done. Quigley Down Under in this UHD iteration is reference quality, a true upgrade in every respect.
The Extras
They include the following;
“This One Shoots a Mite Further” – Closer Look at the Sharps Rifle with Master Armorer Mike Tristano
“Finding Crazy Cora” – Interview with Laura San Giacomo
“The Rebirth of a Western”
TV Spots
Theatrical Trailer
“This One Shoots a Mite Further” – Closer Look at the Sharps Rifle with Master Armorer Mike Tristano (23:09) – the archival interview with the Master Armorer begins with a great discussion of what a Master Armorer does. Some of the details include a discussion about the Sharps Rifles and specifically the one that Quigley uses in the film; the history of the rifle – including a few great anecdotes of the rifle’s usage; the ammunition’s accuracy in the film; an example of the Sharp’s Rifle rather than the real prop used; how to actually use the weapon itself – including why there is a double trigger; how the weapon coined the term “Sharp Shooters”; how the film uses the weapon itself; modern day equivalent; the colt pistol that Alan Rickman’s character uses throughout; and much more. The interview has some great b-roll footage of the rifle.
“Finding Crazy Cora” – Interview with Laura San Giacomo (17:51) – this archival interview with the actor opens with a discussion of how she got the role. Some of the other details include the reasons why she took the part; the difficulties during the production; her training for the stunt work; the historical research she did for the role; the way that she approached the trickier parts of the film; working with Tom Selleck – including a great anecdote about his horse; working with Aboriginal actors; working with Alan Rickman; and much more.
“The Rebirth of a Western” (7:14) – this archival making-of featurette that highlights the story and Australia. Some great b-roll footage with Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, and director Simon Wincer.
TV Spots (1:04) – two 30-second TV spots.
Theatrical Trailer (1:52)
The Final Thought
Quigley Down Under has been given a truly beautiful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest Recommendations!!!
Tom Selleck is Quigley Down Under. The neo-western cult classic gets a new 4K UHD upgrade thanks to Shout Studios.
The Film
In the early to mid ‘90s there was a revival of the Western. The Unforgiven, Dances with Wolves, Quick and the Dead, Back to the Future III, Young Guns, and Young Guns II… just to name a few of the top-tier revivals. Quigley Down Under is definitely a part of that revival giving us a new spin on an old tale. Starring Tom Selleck as the Quigley of the title and Alan Rickman in a worthy post-Die Hard role as the evil rancher who hires Quigley to do a “job” he refuses to do.
The film propelled by Basil Poledouris’s amazing score, Quigley Down Under, is the type of brisk and entertaining western that allows room for drama, comedy, action, and a bit of (and I do mean a bit) socio-drama. However, everything is turned upside down (pun intended) as the film is set in the Australian outback. This transposing of the genre works perfectly for the genre known for its visual grandeur.
In these types of films, the rancher Marsden (Rickman) hires a gunslinger to do his dirty work but in this case, Matthew Quigley (Selleck) is a sharpshooter. This creates an entirely new set of visuals for director Simon Wincer and cinematographer David Eggby (of Mad Max fame) to work with. The duo somehow manages to make this Western adventure a thrilling piece of tense action. The set pieces creating tension with whether Quigley will be able to get his target in time to save someone. That someone oftentimes is his unintended partner Cora (Laura San Giacomo) aka “Crazy Cora”.
The push and pull of Cora and Quigley is the meat of the film as it plays out in the adroit script by John Hill. The film always leans into archetypes and story tropes but is smart enough to play with them in the most unexpected ways. Selleck and San Giacomo are great here as the at-odds couple that truly grow their relationship and definitely earns their ending. San Giacomo was always brilliantly manic and fun in her roles in post-Sex, Lies and Videotape, none more than here where is able to play into the jokes but is also given an agency that you usually don’t see in even modern Westerns.
Though Quigley Down Under would not be what it is if it were for the work of Alan Rickman as Marsden. Rickman in the middle of his trilogy of villainy with this role (sandwiched between Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). The actor brings the sly wit and charm that belies the character’s disgusting abhorrent behavior. Without Rickman’s moments and the special magic, the actor brings to the role the film would be your standard Western. His moments make Selleck and San Giacomo’s story work in contrast perfectly.
The only problem with Quigley Down Under is that there isn’t a series of Quigley movies ala Quigley in America, or Quigley and the Great Wall, or Quigley in the City of Lights. One will have to live with one perfectly rendered neo-western.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible) is a true marvel. The film has looked good on Blu-ray (the best in Shout Studio’s own 2018 Blu-ray release). On 4K UHD, Quigley Down Under finally looks the way it did in the theaters when it opened in October of 1990. The image is free of any digital artificing or crushed blacks. There is none of the dreaded DNR or other tricks to clean the image or color grading to take it away from the original 35mm presentation. The grain structure, contrast, and color reproduction all mimic the look of Cinematographer David Eggby’s accomplished work as it was projected on 35mm three decades ago. The transfer is also free of any scratches or dirt. One just needs to look at the expansive vista shots throughout the film or the tightly constructed action scenes to see the upgrade to the picture that Shout has done. Quigley Down Under in this UHD iteration is reference quality, a true upgrade in every respect.
The Extras
They include the following;
“This One Shoots a Mite Further” – Closer Look at the Sharps Rifle with Master Armorer Mike Tristano (23:09) – the archival interview with the Master Armorer begins with a great discussion of what a Master Armorer does. Some of the details include a discussion about the Sharps Rifles and specifically the one that Quigley uses in the film; the history of the rifle – including a few great anecdotes of the rifle’s usage; the ammunition’s accuracy in the film; an example of the Sharp’s Rifle rather than the real prop used; how to actually use the weapon itself – including why there is a double trigger; how the weapon coined the term “Sharp Shooters”; how the film uses the weapon itself; modern day equivalent; the colt pistol that Alan Rickman’s character uses throughout; and much more. The interview has some great b-roll footage of the rifle.
“Finding Crazy Cora” – Interview with Laura San Giacomo (17:51) – this archival interview with the actor opens with a discussion of how she got the role. Some of the other details include the reasons why she took the part; the difficulties during the production; her training for the stunt work; the historical research she did for the role; the way that she approached the trickier parts of the film; working with Tom Selleck – including a great anecdote about his horse; working with Aboriginal actors; working with Alan Rickman; and much more.
“The Rebirth of a Western” (7:14) – this archival making-of featurette that highlights the story and Australia. Some great b-roll footage with Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, and director Simon Wincer.
TV Spots (1:04) – two 30-second TV spots.
Theatrical Trailer (1:52)
The Final Thought
Quigley Down Under has been given a truly beautiful 4K UHD upgrade. Highest Recommendations!!!
Shout Studio’s 4K UHD Edition of Quigley Down Under is out March 12th
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