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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 28761
Released: May 25, 2004 |
| Our Price: $1.39 |
| Used Price: $1.59 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Saddle up for a raucous and "robust western adventure" (Variety) that packs "strong action" (Film & TV Daily) and the crackling chemistry of screen icons Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot! Based on the novel by Louis L'Amour, Shalako is a "handsome" (Variety), "rousing western" (Motion Picture Herald) that delivers nonstop thrills with both barrels blazing! Gutsy, gunslinging Shalako (Connery) is a loner who looks out for number one, until he finds himself rescuingand falling fora beautiful countess (Bardot) under attack by Apache Indians. But when Shalako discovers that the countess is part of a European hunting party that refuses to be led to safety, he must summon all his courage to fight the Apache and save the woman he loves or die trying!
Shalako Reviews:
Another Euro-Western Bites the Dust 
2009-11-05 - After escaping Bondage for the first time, Sean Connery utilized his box-office clout to star in a dreadful Louis L'Amour adaptation. "Shalako" (1968) managed to round up director Edward Dmytryk and a fine international cast for a two-hour exercise in Euro-Western boredom. Zero chemistry between Connery and Brigitte Bardot - both hopelessly lost in the Almeria landscape. Not even the presence of Woody Strode can redeem this turkey.
"Prepare to bury the dead." 
2009-10-31 - This is a very different and interesting movie for several reasons.One reason,I have been a fan of Westerns for over 60 years,and much as I still enjoy them,new ones are hard to find.Even the new ones ,the few that come to our theatres,are hyped up to the nth degree;they pale in comparison to the "oldies";at least in my humble opinion.A lot of money is spent on producing movies today,but it takes more than special effects,advertising,sound effects and music to make a great movie. To me ,movies like "High Noon" ,"Tombstone" and the "Spaghetti Westerns" are the standard for great westerns and they were great because of the storyline,excellent photography,often in B&W,great music,what can compare with the theme song from "High Noon"?
"Shalako" ,the film adaptation of Louis L'Amour's novel, really fits the bill for me. It's hard to believe this was made over 40 years ago,but is as good an if it were made yesterday,in fact probably better.It is anything but typical in many ways.The actors, Sean Connery,Brigitte Bardot,Honor Blackman,and even a black actor playing an Apache,using the mountains and desert of Spain for filming a story taking place in New Mexico,would at first,seem to be foolhardy;but it all adds to the success of this movie.
The theme of a group of elite,upper crust nobility from England getting caught up in a desperate situation in the Old West", while on a hunting expedition is one that has been used before and in fact,something that took place often by the aristocracy to" sample" the wild west.This movie reminded me of Larry McMurtry's recent 4-volume series,"The Berrybender Narratives"; which by the way I believe would be equally as good as "Lonesome Dove" in film.
Some great stuff was done in westerns in the late 60's ,led by Clint Eastwood in the "Spaghetti Westerns".This all came about by Hollywood thinking the time was over for Westerns ,and we got some of the best westerns ever,made in Italy or Spain shot in Europe and directed and produced by Europeans.
This movie fall into this gendre.
Although I had heard of the novel by L'Amour;I didn't know it was made into a movie.I don't know if it has been shown on TV or not;but when I saw the DVD,it looked very interesting.
I'm glad I got it and really enjoyed it for a lot of reasons;and strongly recommend it to any fan of Westerns.If you enjoy the "Spaghetties";you can't help but like this one.
Go Shalako Go! 
2009-09-17 - I'm not sure the exact moment "Shalako" became a comedy, but by film's end, I was laughing out loud. I'm usually lenient with older films, and this 1968 western most certainly falls into that category. Based on Louis L'Amour's novel "Shalako" and directed by dependable veteran Edward Dmytryk (who gave us the great unheralded western "Warlock"), "Shalako" should have been one of those interesting finds one discovers when wading through anti-hero westerns of the era.
Fresh from his turn as James Bond in "You Only Live Twice," Sean Connery plays the title character, a cynical, buckskin-clad tracker who has little use for civilization. Well, society arrives in the form of an arrogant clique of British aristocracy traveling across the wilds on a hunting trip. They stop their wagons to sit at dinner tables adorned with candelabras while sipping champagne and dining with the shiniest of cutlery. Unbeknownst to them, they've crossed into Apache territory. Shalako rides up all dusty and essentially says (add Scottish accent), "You're going to get keeled."
The English troupe is a hip, colorful lot, including the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Jack Hawkins, Peter Van Eyck, Honor Blackman and even a smirking Stephen Boyd as a corrupt tracker. They all have stories, endless stories, in this overly-plotted film. Bardot, a sexy dame no doubt, prances around with go-go hair and goth eye shadow perfectly applied throughout the duration of the movie. She's surrounded by some Injuns whom Shalako reluctantly kills. Shalako has a pow-wow with the Apache leader, played by the great Woody Strode ("Goal Dust: The Warm and Candid Memoirs of a Pioneer Black Athlete and Actor"), who delivers a line straight from the Jay Silverheels' era, "Shalako good. Leave by sun-up or we kill white man." Yes, even in 1968 black actors were still playing Native Americans.
If the Brits were to leave, there would be no film. So they stay, believing superior intellect and well-oiled hunting rifles should more-than-suffice against the untamed savage. They hole up in an old fort and after the deaths of many men, realize the error of their ways. In an exhausting roundabout way, the aristocracy find themselves on foot in the desert, with Shalako leading them to hills and water. Filmed on the plains of Spain, we have yet another European western possessing awkward topography, dubbed supporting casts and Caucasian men in wigs trying to appear Native American (I know, Sergio Leone got away with this).
Anyway, while our desperate crew hikes across the sunny slopes of endless sand, they appear to be hot, but clothes remain unruffled and there's not a drop of sweat to be found. Connery and Bardot find time to make googly eyes, consummating their attraction next to a waterhole with the threat torturous death hanging over them. Go Shalako Go! Death eventually arrives, but the Indians have the good sense to charge one at a time, making for easy target practice. I will give "Shalako" credit for one scene, surprisingly brutal, when Indians surround a female captive and tear her clothes away, forcing her to swallow her own diamond necklace. The scene, usually edited for family TV, is included on the DVD.
Things come to a fatigued head when Sean and Woody meet face-to-face and decide to duel to the death...with spears! I realized we had entered Mel Brooks territory, and the laughs began. The film's peculiar final shot, almost purposefully flat, appears to show Bardot leaving her troupe and joining Sean. I suppose she had a mighty good time next to that waterhole. They could live next to it, dining nightly on prickly pear, but where is she going to buy mascara?!
To see this film done right, check out "The Law and Jake Wade" or "Hombre" instead.
For all the Louis L'Amour fans!
2009-07-13 - This is an older movie, made from the book by the same name. It follows the book fairly well, although there's a rather creative addition where one of the women has gone off with the bad guys and gets killed by the Indians in a pretty ironic, and strange, way. Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot play the lead roles well, with the camera spending an inordinate amount of time on Bardot's very sexy looks. Still, it's a pretty good story, especially if you've read the book. Briefly, it's about a group of European aristocrats, with a few Americans thrown in, who come to the West to "hunt wild animals" although the leader is hoping to encounter Indians also. Shalako is a cowboy who ends up helping them when they encounter those Indians, who prove to be a lot smarter than the Baron expected. As a rule, I hate to see a movie after I've read the book, because I usually think that the movie isn't as good as the book, but they did a fair job this time and I enjoyed it enough that I bought the DVD and have watched it several times.
Shalako 
2008-09-28 - Sean Connery's only Western is certainly an oddity. The failure isn't Connery's fault, he acquits himself rather well. Most might think it very strange that he was cast in this role but the casting was of Connery was perfect. The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Louis L'Amour; the character of Shalako from the book had an European background &, for reasons that escape me at the moment, he immigrated to America. In fact, much of the film follows L'Amour's novel closely. As it states in the opening credits of the film many Europeans visited the West on hunting expeditions.
Where the movie fails should be blamed on the production company. It was a British film company that was produced this & they didn't have much experience for this endeavor. Edward Dmytryk (Broken Lance, The Caine Mutiny) was chosen to counter this lack of experience. But Dmytryk hadn't directed but a handful of Western up to this point. The casting of Brigitte Bardot was simply atrocious. I'm not saying she couldn't act but English was not her language. She certainly was easy on the eyes but this does not make her right for the role. The casting of the British hunting party had no problems; Peter Van Eyck (Von Hallstatt), Honor Blackman (Lady Daggett) & Jack Hawkins (Sir Daggett) were all Brits portraying Brits. Nothing wrong with Stephen Boyd playing the nefarious heavy, Bosky Fulton. But Woody Strode (Chato) as an Indian was another BIG stretch. Strode was an underrated actor & he was adequate in the role but it was completely wrong. I know, it isn't the first time an Indian was portrayed in the movies by someone who didn't have a drop of Indian blood.
The scene that has stayed with me the most (40 years, in fact) is when the Indians catch the coach. The last survivor is Lady Daggett & when she's straddled by a brave she attempts to bribe him with an expensive piece of jewelry. This is funny to the brave & he forces her to swallow it & she dies. This was brutal for 1968 & I still find it chilling.
But for all the things wrong with the movie it's still decent. Connery is great at anything he does & I love watching actors cast against type. Connery was trying hard to break his James Bond image so I'm sure that led to his accepting the role. He normally would do another movie between his 007 films & these were considerably different than what he had become famous for. The transfers are great so the movie looks great. It's shown in the wide screen format (2.35:1) & hasn't any bonus features except for subtitles.
