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Amelia Heinle, Brad Rowe, Donnie Wahlberg

Purgatory is a down-and-dirty Western with a twist The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling would have loved. A band of 19th-century desperadoes, led by the monstrous Blackjack Britton (Eric Rob...( read more  read more... )erts), takes a wrong turn while fleeing a posse and rides into an otherworldly, off-the-map town called Refuge. Sedate, almost repressed, and guarded by an unarmed sheriff (Sam Shepard), Refuge is a weird haven of hospitality with no jail, a literate shopkeeper (J.D. Souther), an erudite dandy of a doctor (Randy Quaid), a restless deputy (Donnie Wahlberg), and a beautiful young woman (Amelia Heinle) with no apparent family. In short order, Blackjack figures Refuge is his for the plundering. But the youngest of his gang, the innocent Sonny (Brad Rowe), slowly realizes the town's residents are, in fact, dead legends of the American West--Wild Bill Hickok (Shepard), Doc Holliday (Quaid), Jesse James (Souther), among others--spending a violence-free interim before being taken to Heaven (or Hell if they fail). A purely fun if slightly hokey piece of fanciful adventure, Purgatory's colorful cast plays the whole thing straight and gives this made-for-cable film (directed by Uli Edel of Last Exit to Brooklyn) some exciting, six-gun grit and emotional authenticity. --Tom Keogh

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72% liked it

2,759 ratings

Unrated, 95 min.

Directed by: Uli Edel

Release Date: January 10, 1999

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DVD Release Date: May 17, 2005

Stats: 122 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (122)

  • StaisilD
    August 14, 2007
    StaisilD
    The plot mainly involves a gang of outlaws led by Blackjack (Eric Roberts) on the run who end up in a town that is none other than the realm of judgment itself. The town is populuated by the worst outlaws of the old west (Billy the Kid, Jesse James,Doc Holliday, and Wild Bill) wh...( read more)o have been given a second chance at salvation- if they can survive an indeterminate period of time without giving in to temptations to sin, they will be saved. The production was very well mounted with smoothly displayed photography that captured the vastness and close details that sprawled along the screen and a sulky, fine-tuned score that created an eerie howl, really does lift it out of the very stuffy mould of TV features.
  • yourdean
    October 25, 2009
    yourdean
    i like this story..it is really god to watch and see the moral behind it.
  • shrtgrlsrck
    April 26, 2009
    shrtgrlsrck
    I really enjoyed this movie! I love the twist it has. I love the boy's innocence while he is surrounded by murders and drinkers... Great Movie with great shooting scenes!
  • kysparkleangel
    November 3, 2008
    kysparkleangel
    So good. The ending was perfect!
  • zandurian
    October 4, 2008
    zandurian
    I really thought this was an older movie that I loved. I need to watch this and make sure it is the same one.
  • babygirlrolo
    May 22, 2008
    babygirlrolo
    One of the ONLY westerns that I actually liked !!!
  • bmcdonald07
    April 25, 2008
    bmcdonald07
    I watched this movie for the first time when I was in 4th grade and liked it. I just watched it again and it's still bad ass!
  • kronkles
    April 14, 2008
    kronkles
    THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS PURGATORY, SO HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT IT?
  • rusty13252
    March 28, 2008
    rusty13252
    a good western only if it had better actors.
  • shellygurl347
    December 11, 2007
    shellygurl347
    saw the end and enjoyed it

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Purgatory Trivia

  • Robin Williams tries to save is wife from purgatory.  Answer »
  • In which movie will you find Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and other dead western legends, brought together in a mysterious town and given a last chance to undo their violent pasts.   Answer »
  • In what movie did Randy Quaid play a character named Doc Woods?  Answer »
  • In the 1999 Movie, Purgatory, which outlaw did Donniw Wahlberg play?  Answer »
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