generationofswine It seems that HBO reinvents itself every so often. I remember my dad defending it back when we first got it, saying that, "no it was not porn." Today HBO is serious political dramas and about a decade ago it was stunning original series.Back in the late 80s and early 90s it was the comedy king. Stand up, Comic Relief, Mr. Show, and original movies that were simply hysterical.El Diablo was made at the height of HBO's comedy agenda and it shows. The film is comedy played straight. One of the funniest Westerns that was ever released and one of the first and few released in the all to short Western Revival

smokehill retrievers Wonderfully fun film that sometimes takes itself seriously, but mostly just has a lot of fun with the genre. Anthony Edwards is very well cast in his part, and Gossett is just fabulous as the "rode hard" old gunslinger who tries to turn Edwards into a western hero...sort of. Gossett's glorious line about why he shot someone in the back is no doubt destined to become a classic -- "Cuz that's the side he was pointing toward me." Whether you like westerns or not, this is definitely worth watching. And probably more than once.

loupgarou-2 A very appealing comedy western. Anthony Edwards is very good as a tenderfoot schoolteacher from Boston who attempts to rescue one of his students (who is captured by the infamous El Diablo) without really knowing anything about the West or what his quest is going to entail. Luckily he meets up with a down-to-earth gunman who can help him along the way. Lou Gosset is excellent as the laidback, do whatever it takes gunfighter. When asked by Edwards why he shot a bad guy in the back he replies "Why, his back was to me." They meet up with a few other colorful characters and proceed to attempt the rescue. Good humor, good acting and colorful characterizations abound in this above average made for TV oater.

helpless_dancer Because that's the way he was facing. I loved this western, it was one of the best I've ever seen. Gossett played a practical gunslinger who shot a man in the back if he had to in order to win and stay alive, not because he was a gutless wonder. He took a school teacher with 2 left hands under his wing after the man's fiancee is captured by a notorious murdering bank robber, El Diablo. Watching the instructor learn the ways of the west while becoming a tougher man was both amusing and exciting. Thumbs up.