Young Guns 1988. 20th Century Fox, Vestron Video, Color, Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1, 107 minutes, Rated R Release Date: August 12, 1988 Young Guns is available at Amazon.com as a Special Edition DVD, on Blue Ray, and on VHS. Movie Synopsis: In old New Mexico territory, an unruly group of young cowboys (among them, Billy the Kid) who call themselves the “Regulators,” set out to avenge the death of a British gentleman who had been their mentor. Cast: Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, Brian Keith, Patrick Wayne Director: Christopher Cain Thoughts on the Movie: Young Guns was a revelation when it was first released: unique in that it was taking the young actor “brat pack” thing and adapting it to the western genre of moving making. And it was so stylistic: the unforgettable enigmatic opening shots of each of the actors in old-fashioned, sepia-toned moving portraits. Very cool, indeed. And the movie itself is among the best of late 20th-century cinema: a good story, exceptional talent, and an incredible location (the enchanting Cerrillos, New Mexico, never looked so good). Then there’s the problem with Billy the Kid. I spend the whole movie wanting someone to hit him up the side of the head with a two-by-four (or whatever the equivalent to that would be in the old West). He was such a jerk, for lack of a better word. It was refreshing for me to know that Doc Scurlock (Keifer Sutherland) couldn’t stand him, either. But all this really means is that Emilio Estevez is a really good actor, and this was sort of a role of lifetime for him. He did a damn good job of portraying William H. Bonney. What a great movie. ~Jean Location Site: Cerrillos, New Mexico (see Map) The town itself and the nearby environs appear in numerous scenes of Young Guns. This charming old mining village is one of the most authentic examples of “Old West” New Mexico in the Santa Fe region. Right: A dog sleeps in the middle of the road in the quiet village of Cerrillos, New Mexico, one of the locations for the filming of the popular movie, “Young Guns.” Directions: • From Santa Fe going south, take Highway 14, also known as “The Turquoise Trail.” • From Albuquerque going north, take State Highway 333 going east to Highway 14. Once on “The Turquoise Trail,” you will pass the small villages of Golden and Madrid, before reaching the village of Cerrillos. About Cerrillos, New Mexico: Cerrillos, New Mexico (population 229; elevation 6,020 feet; 35° 26’ 14” N, 106° 7’ 36” W) is a tiny village approximately 25 miles south of Santa Fe on Highway 14, also known as the Turquoise Trail. Some of Northern New Mexico’s most spectacular scenery can be found along this road. Once a boomtown in the early mining days, Cerrillos is now a sleepy, Mexican-style village regularly visited by tourists. In its heyday in the 1880s, Cerrillos (“Little Hills”) had 21 saloons and four hotels. One of the turquoise mines was owned by Tiffany Jewelers of New York, and Thomas Edison came there to test an electromagnetic mining method (which didn’t work). Cerrillos’ Main Street offers a look at an Old West Town: a ready-made movie set, the false-front stores, wooden sidewalks, and dirt roads are still as they once were. Right: This happy llama is one of the special animals that can be found at the Casa Grande Trading Post and Petting Zoo in Cerrillos, New Mexico. Local Attractions: Casa Grande Trading Post, Petting Zoo, and Turquoise Mining Museum This 28-room hand-built adobe building, housing the Trading Post (gifts, rocks, bottles, and antiques), Turquoise Mining Museum (maps, displays, dioramas, rock collection and antiques of the area), the world famous Cerrillos Petting Zoo (20 animals: goats, llama, turkey, fancy chickens, and pigeons) is the perfect place for a day trip adventure with the family, and a nearby sceneic overlook with a view right out of Young Guns. Owners Todd and Patricia Brown are the registered claim holders of the Little Chalchihuitl Turquoise Mine in the nearby hills of Cerrillos. The Cerrillos Hills mining district is home to some of the oldest and most substantial turquoise working in North America, utilized from at least 900 A.D., and possibly earlier. By the 20th century, most of the Cerrillos turquoise lodes were cleaned out. Today, you will find examples of the Cerrillos turquoise found by the Brown’s at the Trading Post. Cerrillos turquoise is some of the most beautiful in the world, with a quality all its own. Its lovely green-blue-gold (more green than blue) color makes it truly unique and noticely different from other types of turquoise. Leftt: The What Not Shop is one of the attractions in the Northern New Mexico village of Cerrillos. The former mining town served as one of the locations for the movie, “Young Guns.” What-Not Shop The aptly named What Not Shop is a relic of a building which, for more than 50 years, has housed a huge collection of antiques: some of them valuable but, at best, most will sell for just a few dollars. The collection (at this writing) includes Isleta Indian pottery, Atlas E-Z Seal pint jars circa 1910, vintage machine oil cans, Hopi kachina dolls, rusting hand tools, a large free-standing hand loom with a half finished rug, a dusty saddle, a Silvertone clock radio, souvenir plates from Knotts Berry Farm in Ghost Town, California, National Geographic magazines for $1.00 each, and enough carnival glass bowls, plates and glasses to supply prizes for every game at the county fair. A lovely place to pick up a special item that is a real piece of history. Cerrillos Hills Park Cerrillos Hills Park has been open to the public since 2003. Along many of the trails, visitors will find numerous sealed mines, most with interpretive signs providing information about the region during its glory days. Those traveling out to Cerrillos Hills Park can make a round-trip adventure of it by taking I-25 south to exit 267 at the top of La Bajada Hill, just past the rest area. Go under the highway and then head straight for the mountains on County Road 57, also known as Waldo Canyon Road. This paved road turns to dirt after about a mile. About 6 miles later, you will reach the old railroad siding of Waldo, where the remains of massive coke furnaces can be seen near the tracks. The stop offers the shade of several aging cottonwood trees and ruins of old buildings. Amtrak and freight trains still operate on these tracks, trespassing is prohibited, and caution is advised. The road then cuts through a narrow, twisty gorge and eventually comes out at Cerrillos. Take a left onto County Road 59, which leads up past the village cemetery to the Cerrillos Hills State Park kiosk. The office is in downtown Cerrillos on Main Street. Above Right: A view of the beautiful high desert scenery that can be enjoyed at Cerrillos Hills Park, just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Lodging & Dining: For Recommended Hotels, Motels and Lodges in Santa Fe, see: Santa Fe Lodging Right: The boys from the original “Young Guns.” Left to right: Casey Siemaszko, Charlie Sheen, Keifer Sutherland, Emilo Estevez, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Dermot Mulroney. Movie Trivia: • Look for cameos by set visitors Tom Cruise and Randy Travis. In fact, Tom Cruise was disguised with a mustache and is hiding behind the barricades on the street during the shootout. • This film may be the first to have a great rock ‘n’ roll-style Western score by Brian Banks and Anthony Marinelli. • In the scene where the men are going through the Indian Village (Spirit World), Kiefer Sutherland’s character “Doc” is shown in the front of the group with a cover on his face, but it is not Kiefer Sutherland. He left that morning before the scene was shot, due to the birth of his child. • In the film, there are six members in Billy’s gang, the “Regulators.” In real life, however, there were 11, including an old man named George Coe who was a good friend of John Tunstall. • History has proven that Billy the Kid was not left-handed. That piece of the myth about the outlaw came about by a “ferrotype” (or early type of photograph) that was reversed numerous times when it was printed. The notion of a left-handed Billy became so entrenched, that in 1958, a film biography of “the Kid” (starring Paul Newman) was titled The Left Handed Gun. Character Quote: “I ain’t left-handed.” ~William H. Bonney (Emilio Estevez) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young Guns II 1990. 20th Century Fox, Warner Home Video, Color, Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1, 104 minutes, Rated PG-13 Release Date: August 1, 1990 Young Guns II is available at Amazon.com on DVD and VHS. Movie Synopsis: The story of the Lincoln County War continues in the sequel to the original Young Guns, featuring the further adventures of the surviving “Regulators,” and the final outcome for Billy the Kid. Cast: Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, James Coburn, William Petersen, Alan Ruck, Balthazar Getty Director: Geoff Murphy Thoughts on the Movie: Young Guns II. Could it possibly be as good as the original Young Guns? The answer is “yes, in its own way.” You’ve got some of the comfy characters from the first movie, mixed in with some pretty great new characters for this go round. And the continuing story turns out to be one that needs to be told. This time we have the town of Lincoln (which is not as picturesque as Cerrillos), but we get the amazing wild west locations that include some of the most beautiful scenery in New Mexico. The setup is looking pretty good. Emilio Estevez is at it again, brilliantly playing that darn, disgusting Billy the Kid, and Doc (Keifer Sutherland) is hatin’ on him even way more this time. So this is far more than just a “sequel,” it’s a necessary thing that had to happen. As I said, the rest of the story had to be told, and all in all, they (again) told it very well, if not in an exceedingly acurate way. Oh, and let me digress here long enough to mention Lou Diamond Phillips’ amazingly gorgeous long black hair. Wow. Young Guns II: it’s a good thing. ~Jean Location Site: Tent Rocks, Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico (see Map) Young Guns II utilized Tent Rocks in some the films action scenes, and it is surely some of the most beautiful scenery in central New Mexico. The spires and swirls of Tent Rocks are almost “other worldly” through nature’s design. This area, officially known as “Tent Rocks National Monument,” is a huge tourist attraction on the Cochiti Pueblo. Right: The breathtaking castle-like spires and rock formations at Tent Rocks National Monument, played a huge role in the filming of action scenes in “Young Guns II.” About Cochiti Pueblo: The Cochiti Pueblo (population 507; elevation 5,276 feet; 35° 36’ 32” N, 106° 21’ 01” W) is located 33 miles north of Albuquerque, on I-25 exit 259; and is 22 miles south of Santa Fe. The pueblo is listed as a “historic district” on the National Register of Historic Places. Its people are Native Americans who speak an eastern Keresan language. The pueblo administers 53,779 acres of reservation land and possesses jurisdiction over the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The Cochiti people are noted for their hospitality and friendship towards visitors who are welcomed to many of the annual ceremonies for which Cochiti is famous. There are a number of festivals and dances in June, July and August to which the public is invited to see the traditional dances and ceremonies of the Cochiti Pueblo. Many members of the Pueblo live outside the reservation and have been acculturated into the Anglo-Hispanic community, but most of them continue their association with the Pueblo. The Pueblo has been more affected by contact with modern culture than many of the other Pueblos, with electricity, plumbing, and above all, radio and television, which may account for the preponderance of the Anglo lifestyle in ratio to historic customs. At one time, agriculture was the primary activity of the Pueblo. Dams have been constructed to assist in the elaborate irrigation system that helps maintain the crops, but through the years, as employment outside the Pueblo increased, agriculture has decreased. Many of the ancient crafts have been revived, such as pottery and jewelry making, which constitutes a good source of income from sales to tourists. One of the most popular pieces is the “Storyteller” figure, which was revived in 1964, by Helen Cordero. It comprises a seated man with a number of children on his arms and lap, made of clay with vari-colored decorations. Animal figures such as turtles, birds, frogs. and lizards are also depicted. Many Cochiti artists work in watercolors, ink, and oil paint, and have achieved considerable fame for their innovative use of color. Right: The cast of “Young Guns II” are on horseback in one of the remote shooting locations in the desert of Central New Mexico. But the most important product of the craftsmen of Cochiti is the drum. These are made from hollowed tree trunks, mostly aspen, with leather ends laced together around the cylinder. Live trees are not cut down to make these drums, but great care is exercised in the selection of the logs. They are made by other Indians for their excellent quality and tone. Lodging & Dining: For Recommended Hotels, Motels and Lodges in Santa Fe, see: Santa Fe Lodging Awards: • Jon Bon Jovi won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song–Motion Picture for “Blaze of Glory.” • Jon Bon Jovi won the ASCAP Award for Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures. • Jon Bon Jovi was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song. • Jon Bon Jovi was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television. Left: Emilio Estevez, in costume, guns and all, for his role as William H. Bonney (a.k.a “Billy the Kid”) in the 1990 western, “Young Guns II.” Movie Trivia: • Lou Diamond Phillips broke his right ulna (the thinner and longer of the two bones in the forearm, on the side opposite to the thumb) after he was thrown by a horse and dragged 50 yards. • The soundtrack and main theme song, Blaze of Glory, were written and sung by rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who also had a small role in the film. • During his escape from jail, Billy shouts out, “Hello, Bob,” before shooting Bob Ollinger, and, “Goodbye, Bob,” after killing him: the same words that the real Billy the Kid used during the incident. • In Young Guns II, Doc Scurlock (again played by Keifer Sutherland) is serving as a school teacher in New York City when he is arrested and taken back to New Mexico, where he is saved from hanging by Billy the Kid. He rejoins Billy’s posse and is mortally wounded by John W. Poe (played by Viggo Mortensen), and then killed in a barrage of bullets, though the ambush was led by Pat Garrett. This is inaccurate, as Scurlock was married to a Spanish woman in 1876, and died peacefully in Texas, many years after the period of time covered by the movie. • The original Young Guns II screenplay accurately portrays Doc Scurlock as heading off to Texas with his bride. It has been reported that Kiefer Sutherland, faced with scheduling conflicts, refused to return to the Young Guns franchise unless his character died in the movie’s “Stinking Springs Shoot Out.” Writer John Fusco fought against this demand, but ultimately rewrote the scene to accommodate Sutherland’s schedule. Too bad. • The real Jose Chavez Y Chavez survived the Lincoln County War, and eventually became a police officer. But he became involved in a murder for hire, for which he spent time in prison. After his release, he lived a seemingly quiet life until dying in 1924. Character Quote: “You want to ride with Billy the Kid? You want to hide out in the desert like some kind of lizard?” ~William H. Bonney (Emilio Estevez)