The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

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

Even avid Dennis Hopper fans may not have seen or heard of this one, a turn of the century Western in which Hopper's character Bick Waner, tries to turn his back on a life of crime and go straight. Things go inauspiciously for him as one job after another goes down in flames, either due to his temper or the whims of his boss. However once it becomes known that he's the former outlaw and train robber Kid Blue, the die is cast and The Kid decides to pull one last job.It was cool to see some of the stellar character actors of the era here - Warren Oates as a wistful dreamer of the ancient Greeks with their notions of man love, Ben Johnson as an arrogant sheriff, and Peter Boyle in an early role as Preacher Bob, an eccentric inventor with unusual insights into the gospels. The film has an interesting share of comedic elements, mostly involving Boyle's character and an Indian named Old Coyote (Jose Torvay), who's made it his mission to get 'pushed under the water' by the preacher. For those not in the know, he wants to be baptized so he can claim his earthly riches.There's no pretense of Western film greatness with this flick, but it is entertaining enough, taking place in the old West town of Dime Box, home of the Great American Ceramic Novelty Company. The story sheds light on the dawning of American capitalism and how small, dusty towns of the era managed to get lucky when an aspiring businessman made his enterprise the center of town life. One has to get a kick out of Reese Ford's (Oates) purchase of a new fangled steel bathtub for $12.29 (without freight charges), as the film tiptoes around the edges of homo-eroticism when Hopper and Oates climb into the tub together to relive the ancient Greek baths. Personally, getting soaped down by the lovely Molly Ford (Lee Purcell) would be a much better deal.Best line of advice comes from Old Coyote discussing menu options with his Indian cohorts and Kid Blue - "If you're hungry, don't eat cow sh_t". I'll be keeping that in mind.

The first half of this seemed kind of slow to me and a couple of times I only watched about 10 minutes of it when it came on IFC, telling myself I'd rather watch it all the way through from the beginning.I was glad I did. Bickner (Hopper) is a godless, but sincere former outlaw trying to live a straight life under tough conditions and a mean sheriff in a small town where the factory turned out to be his only hope for work.Though I thought it a bit slow at first, about halfway through, I found I was into it and the ending actually made me smile.My favorite line is easily Hopper's when he tells Warren Oates, "A man's gotta kill his own snakes.", which I found to have meaning on multiple levels.

I saw this movie in the mid-70s at the People's Theater in a small town in Kansas (shortly before it burned down (the theater, not the town) & I've been wanting to see it ever since, although I'm almost afraid to now for fear of spoiling my memory of it..The way I remember it, it was set in a Colorado town at the turn of the century (19th to 20th) & it was about capitalism & modernity & the end of the frontier. The classic scene in my memory is Dennis Hopper walking down Main Street with the owner of the new factory, which makes little gewgaws of some sort. The factory owner explains to Dennis Hopper that he needs to get a job in the factory so he can earn money to buy things that other people make in other factories-- (not mentioning, of course, that he skims off his share in the process). Political economy 101 for the wild wild west.I'll admit that it wasn't a cinematic masterpiece-- the only lines of dialogue I remember for sure are Hopper's Native American pal advising him: "If you're not hungry, don't eat cow (censored word)," and somebody yelling, "Shoot that peckerwood, sheriff." On second thought, I probably shouldn't watch it again. Still, I like the beat, I can dance to it, I'll give it a 9.

This film really clicked with me. One of the first times I had seen Peter Boyle and Dennis Hopper. Really enjoyed it. I had just graduated from college. I got to see it in a sneak preview. I have looked for it ever since to see it again.