Rating: NR
Genres:
Fantasy
Western
Release Date: 05/17/2005
Dubbed: English/Espanol
Sound: DD2
Run Time: 94 min
Flags: Profanity, Western Violence
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
In this
fantasy set in the Old West, Blackjack Britton (
Eric Roberts) is an outlaw on the run from police after a bank robbery. Britton and his gang wind up in a small town called Refuge, where things are rather unusual -- outlaws are warmly welcomed and offered free food and lodging but warned not to swear, and none of the residents carry guns, including Sheriff Forrest (
Sam Shepard). Britton and his gang notice that Sheriff Forrest bears a striking resemblance to the famous gunfighter
Wild Bill Hickock, who died some years ago. Elsewhere in Refuge, Britton's gang meets dead ringers for such late, great outlaws as
Doc Holliday (
Randy Quaid),
Billy the Kid (
Donnie Wahlberg), and
Jesse James (
J.D. Souther). Britton learns that Refuge is actually Purgatory, where the gunfighters are stranded between Heaven and Hell, hoping to hoping to find a redemptive grace that will bring them salvation as they struggle not to backslide into final damnation. Soon Britton's gang becomes restless, and the men of Refuge may have to return to their guns if they are to protect the town. Produced for the
TNT cable network,
Purgatory also features
Peter Stormare,
Brad Rowe, and
Richard Edson. The film is also available on home video in a Spanish subtitled edition.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
;)
