Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Boring

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

I found this movie rather entertaining really...while mostly laid back in style, it has enough action and story to keep your attention all the way through...Something else it has is mystery and a healthy amount of surrealism too...when I watched it the first time years ago, I liked it because it didn't throw wild west cliche's at you all through it, but mixed in quite a bit of mysterious religion as well...After watching it for a second time, it became clear that the movie has a soul...No, it isn't a blockbuster, but it fills you with a warmth, strangely enough, that leaves you satisfied at the end...

This film starts out with a band of desperadoes led by "Blackjack Britton" (Eric Roberts) who decide to rob the bank in a town called "Sweetwater". What they don't anticipate is that while they are robbing the bank the U.S. Cavalry happens to also ride into town. A gunfight ensues and the bandits hightail it out of town as fast as they can with a large posse chasing after them. The further they ride the more desperate they become and eventually lose all of the money they had stolen. Then they encounter a dust storm and when they finally ride through it they come upon a town called "Refuge" which is well off the beaten path. At first they decide to keep a low profile but then they notice that nobody in the town is armed. Not content with simply accepting the town's hospitality they soon decide to force themselves upon it. But what they don't realize is that this is no ordinary town. And the townsfolk are not run-of-the-mill people either. Anyway, rather than disclosing the mystery of the movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this is not an ordinary western. The acting is decent and Amelia Heinie (as "Rose") certainly lent some nice scenery. But what made this film so unusual was the unique storyline which was quite intriguing. All things considered then, although the end was somewhat predictable the movie managed to keep my attention for the most part and I rate it as slightly better than average.

This one caught my attention because horror and western are my two favorite film genres, and it's not every day you encounter a movie that falls into both categories. Granted, "Purgatory" is primarily a western that merely just hints at supernatural horror themes, but still it's an admirably effort to blend two very versatile genres. It's also a pretty decent film, especially considering it's made for cable and starring a long list of nearly washed up B-move actors. Imagine what a wedding between "Bonanza" and "The Twilight Zone" would look like and you suddenly got a good idea what to expect of "Purgatory". Following a bank robbery gone wrong and a severe sandstorm, the notorious outlaw Blackjack Britton and his large group of rovers arrive in a remote little town called Refuge. The inhabitants of this unworldly village are all exaggeratedly friendly and obliging, yet they strangely look like legendary gunslingers that are all supposed to be rotting in hell already. Could this secluded place be their last chance for redemption? And will they be able to resist picking up their guns again when their peaceful community is threatened by these fugitive criminals? It's really a worthwhile effort, with a reasonable portion of action sequences and a fairly intelligent script. The B-cast does a splendid job and it's pretty damn difficult to select a favorite performer. Eric Roberts hasn't played such a good role since the early 1990's and it's always a joy to look at Peter Stormare, Randy Quaid and John Dennis Johnston. The most surprisingly pleasing performances come from Sam Shepard and Donnie Wahlberg (as Billy the Kid). I was hoping for director Uli Edel to emphasize a little more on the potentially great horror aspects in the story, but we still ended up seeing a competent western, so no complaints here.

This was a really satisfying story with great performances from the actors, even Eric Roberts who usually annoys me.The basic story is that a band of outlaws heading for Mexico get waylaid in a town called refuge where no pone carries a gun and everyone welcomes them with open arms. But like the rattlesnakes they are, instead of accepting and appreciating this hospitality the outlaws decide to take the town for all it's worth not realising exactly what kind of place they have ridden into.This film is exactly the type of thing you get when an interesting premise is properly executed. A real treat that I only found by accident on late night TV!