The Worst Film Ever

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Written and directed by Burt Kennedy, Once Upon a Texas Train stars Willie Nelson, Richard Widmark, Shaun Cassidy and Chuck Connors. Music is by Arthur Rubinstein and cinematography Ken Lamkin.A TV movie that Western fans can enjoy more for nostalgia value than anything bordering must see entertainment. Plot essentially has aged criminals led by Nelson's John Henry Lee, being pursued by aged law enforcers led by Widmark's Captain Oren Hayes. The passing of time a persistent theme as Kennedy throws in fun and sparky dialogue, narrative twists to make characters unlikely allies, while action flits in and out to off set the threat of impending boredom.Made with love no doubt, and with the likes of Jack Elam and Royal Dano joining the Western roll call cast list, it's a passable Oater for lovers of such. 5/10

With that old familiar call to arms code word 'Brazos!', the Over the Hill Gang rides again in this late Eighties made for TV flick that fans of classic Westerns will be glad to catch for one last roundup. The story itself is probably secondary to seeing familiar favorites like Jack Elam, Royal Dano, Gene Evans and Dub Taylor all in one place. Maybe the biggest shocker for me was seeing how much the old Rifleman himself, Chuck Connors, had aged in appearance from his TV star days, but after all, he was sixty seven or so at the time of the picture. It got me to thinking how any of these guys might still be able to stay on a horse. All of the principals except Willie Nelson were in their sixties or seventies, with Dub Taylor around eighty one. Hard to imagine him riding the range as Cannonball Taylor as far back as the 1940's with the likes of Wild Bill Elliott, Jimmy Wakely and the Durango Kid.The picture is built around crusty villain John Henry Lee, portrayed by Willie Nelson, who's first thought after getting out of prison after twenty years is to go and rob a bank with his old pardners. Hot on his trail is Richard Widmark's Captain Owen Hayes, harboring a personal grudge against his foe. That's where Angie Dickinson comes in as Mrs. Hayes, who in earlier times might have gone the other way with the red headed stranger.The idea of Shaun Cassidy heading up a young passel of outlaws to go up against the old timers seemed a bit awkward. Even when they had the upper hand, you always had the idea that these guys were in way over their heads. Wouldn't it have been something if in the final showdown, the old geezers simply put the upstarts over their knees for a good old spanking?Like I said earlier, catch this one for a bit of TV Western nostalgia. It's got generous amounts of humor mixed in with the shoot 'em up action, and fans of the players will appreciate that last ride into the sunset.

When I watched this movie I had no idea it followed the exploits of the characters of "The Over-the-Hill Gang", so that was a pleasant surprise, since I liked those two old corny TV movies.This entry has some pretty good dialogue, at least in the first half. Then, unfortunately, the movie bogs down and kind of drags toward a silly ending. But what the heck. Can't expect "Gone With the Wind", can we? There are a lot of errors in the movie; geographic, anachronisms, that sort of thing. But I doubt that anyone watches a movie like this expecting to find a realistic portrayal of the Old West. At the very least, it beats the heck out of watching "reality" TV.

Okay, Willie Nelson has to be one of the worst actors that ever opened his mouth in front of a camera. Can you say "self-conscious"??? How about also "stilted" (as in his delivery), "awkward" (as in his gestures), and "stiff as a board" (as in his demeanor). There's nothing nostalgic here either, just a bunch of old actors (and Willie, who is NOT an actor) trying' to make a buck, as far as I can see. Then there's Shaun Cassidy, who looks like his mother, Shirley Jones, with a cowboy hat on. Can you say, "out of his league"? If he attended the Willie Nelson School of Acting, he might actually be better than he is here. You can get about 5 minutes out of watching this film, then even an infomercial looks like a better option. Fuggedaboutit!