Starring - Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, R.I.P.D.), Sam Waterston (Serial Mom, Tales from the Crypt), and Elizabeth Ashley (Hey Arnold!, Touched By an Angel)
Release Date - 1975
Genre - Comedy/Western
Tagline - "Oh! give me a home, with a low interest loan, a cowgirl and two pick-up trucks. A color TV, all the beer should be free, and that, man, is Rancho Deluxe"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
Sometime back Vinegar Syndrome announced their partnership with the newly formed Fun City Editions. This partnership brought some seriously fun and enjoyable movies to my attention that I would have normally missed out on. Since then they have released Alphabet City, Jeremy, Walking the Edge, Smile, and I Start Counting. All have been phenomenal releases so when they announced the release of the 1975 western comedy Rancho Deluxe I was all in. I quickly pre-ordered it and after watching a few other Vin Syn partner releases I went ahead and tossed it in. It was another hit from this extremely underrated boutique label.
The film follows rustlers who poach cattle from the local wealthy cattle owner. This pisses the ranch owner off to no end resulting in him bringing in a former horse thief turned straight to snuff them out. The pair think they have a way in when they partner with the cattle-owner's ranch hands to snag a shipment of cattle but things are not as easy as they seem.
I believe that Rancho Deluxe is the first FCE release that I actually knew about prior to their announcement. When I was younger I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's with my uncle who had a sizeable VHS collection and one of the tapes he had happened to Rancho Deluxe. I never watched it but I was there a few times as he had it playing so I caught a scene or two. With FCE behind the release I figured now was the best time to finally check it out. I'm glad I did because it was a pretty fun modern western with some laughs. The acting in this one is great. Bridges has appeared in some of my favorite films over the years but this is probably my favorite performance of his aside from his performance of The Dude. I loved how chaotic he was in this role and his characters dedication to living the free roaming life was really fun to watch. I also enjoyed Sam Waterston's performance as well. I'm not used to seeing Waterston in this type of role and I absolutely loved it. The supporting cast is just as fun. I loved the assortment of characters the film delivers along with the outstanding performances that everyone delivered. The story for this one is mostly a loose western following two rustlers who kills cattle and use the beef to cover their expenses. However, we get some romance scattered in along with some laughs and a very interesting crime aspect that doesn't really take hold until the later part of the film. The pacing is smooth and the dialogue in this one is a lot of fun. The characters really do make the story as fun as it is. Finally, the film is not a gory one BUT there is a few graphic scenes featuring cows being shot. A lot of blood and the practical effects work for these scenes but those looking for real carnage will need to look elsewhere. Overall, Rancho Deluxe is a surprisingly funny and well put together. The cast is great and this release from Fun City is a must own for movie collectors. Check it out.
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