Good or bad, I’m glad to see him make a very clear passion project, outside of a very corrupt Hollywood system. It’s great to see someone take such a big risk, and I hope it inspires more people to take big, *new* risks.
Costner: I have a plan for a 4 movie western series telling the stories of the Apache, a frontier widow and the US Cavalry, a wagon train, and a young woman looking for a new start. Producer: Sounds great, which story will the first movie be about? Costner: Yes.
I saw Horizon: Chapter One opening weekend and loved it. Three hours flew by, I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully, we have 3 more chapters to enjoy. I’m a bit of a history buff who has lived in the western US most of my life and I appreciate this film as an authentic presentation of the people who “won the west”. It’s a great movie. I’ll see it again before Chapter Two is released next month. -- Please note that Rotten Tomatoes critics give this film a score of 41 while the audience gives it a 71. I don’t understand why critics and Hollywood don’t appreciate Kevin Costner’s work. The Postman and Water World are great films, audience favorites, and yet critics still talk about their opening weekend box office disappointments.-- So dear audience, go see Horizon. It is magnificent, a masterpiece of Western storytelling. Chapter One is just the beginning.
Damn straight. Couldnt give a rats arse what hollywood reporter or tomatoes think. Ive always loved westerns n Loius Lamour books,looking fwd to seeing the landscape on the big screen,cant wait!
Agreed. Just got back. The bad reviews had me almost scared off. I've spent all my life in the western US (well, Missouri and parts west) and the stories are unbelievable when you read them in first hand accounts. My family fought in the Civil War, and I have those accounts of "Bleeding Kansas" and the orchard they lost in Missouri when they were driven out. The tales of those places, the Mormon wars, the Civil War, reconstruction, it's all there. It seems many journalists (should be in quotes) are just no longer interested in verifying that stories exactly like those in this movie ACTUALLY happened. Women wandered out of the desert, long thought dead, with tattooed faces, having lived with the tribes that abducted them for decades. So many wagons that their tracks are in the rocks still TODAY. There are Santa Fe trail markers through western Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and people interstate right by, not knowing about our crazy ancestors who decided that walking west into the unknown with no experience was somehow a good idea.
Of all the 90s vibe-revivals happening right now, the most 90s thing of them all is Kevin Costner making an ambitious, over budgeted, underperforming epic.
I have huge respect for Kevin Costner. He’s the last of a dying breed of filmmakers that puts his heart and soul into his passion projects and his fascination and genuine love for the old West has delivered some of the great modern westerns. Dances, Open Range, Wyatt Earp and now this, his magnum opus. Using his own money to get the movie made and the genuinely wise observation that ‘movies are more than their opening weekend’….he just gets it. His love and dedication to this genre are moreorless singlehandedly keeping the western alive, which is both uplifting and sad in equal measure. I know I’ll be watching ‘Horizon’ many years from now, long after all of the popcorn fluff has disappeared from memory. For that, he deserves immense credit. Old school movie star and a gifted director. We’re lucky to have him.
I dont get why its such a big deal he used his own money. The man was a multi-millionaire before, with more money than anyone can spend in a lifetime, and he still is. Its not like hes Kevin Smith using all his money to make Clerks out of love for filmmaking. This is a rich old man who is concerned about leaving a legacy when he exits this world and turns to dust like we all do. That isnt a humble sacrifice. Its vanity.
I thought the same thing. Open Range is one of my top 5 favorite Westerns. But I saw Horizon Chapter 1 last night and was thoroughly disappointed. This video nails a lot of it.
@@brokenwrench404Agreed. Selleck is at his best in westerns, and a PT.2 of Quigley Down Under would be awesome! One he starred in that isn't well known is called "Last Stand at Saber River". It was a made for tv mini series based on the book by Elmore Leonard. If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you do.
@@brokenwrench404crossfire trail was one of my favorite westerns growing up and got me to rummage through my dads books and get into louis l’amour. I always take a small paperback or two with me to read when I go backpacking in the cascades for a few days.
My wife and I saw it and we both loved it. I didn’t mind the run time and felt that breaking the movie into the different sub plots and stories helped to hold my attention for the entire 3 hours. I am excited for the next chapter to come out next month.
My wife and I felt the same - while I can understand The Drinker’s feelings about the stories not converging I can see how they’ll end up coming together in later chapters so I’m excited to see it
@@doubleecho1980 agreed! Costner also hinted that somehow the stories converge in Horizon with the leaflets all the characters had as well as the dialogues. I am very interested to watch as the settlement becomes a town.
I just saw Horizon today. It was my second time seeing the movie. My first viewing a week ago left me confused and disappointed, but I gave the movie a second chance and I'm glad I did. It is actually a great movie on the level of Dances With Wolves. If you've seen the movie once and did not enjoy it so much, go back and see it again. It is much easier to follow seeing it a second time, and you will get into the multiple story lines and the different characters. I am looking forward to the sequels. Kevin Costner has done a fine job with this movie. The movie critics thrive on bashing movies. Be your own critic, and view a movie more than once to see and absorb it fully.
Wait. You’re saying that the movie forces you to actually use your brain to the point that it’s advisable to watch it twice? … That’s actually the best endorsement I’ve come across in a very long time. I wasn’t going to watch this movie but now I just might. You see, I’m one of those weirdos that actually likes to use her brain.
One thing about movie critics is that they rarely ever get to see a movie twice (and some of them I suspect are not even fully paying attention the first time). It is a deadline-based business. I know there are many films where I disagree with "most critics", sometimes intensely. Some critics are trustworthy, others are hacks, but I bet all of them are pressed for time. In some cases, they seem prejudiced against long films might take a while to "get there"; however, there are also times when they love a film I find terribly slow & dull.
As a lover of Westerns, I rather enjoyed it. It felt very traditional, and even though it was long, I never felt bored since it had a lot going on. I look forward to seeing how all the different stories connect. Sure, it felt TV show-ish, but I'm glad he chose to make it a cinematic experience.
I dont think they usually have indians in wild west stuff anymore nowadays so it was cool to see them again in something new. Im not sure if white people and black people hanging out and being friends was a normal thing during that time like they portray it in this movie.
@CyberLance26 I'm sure there were SOME cases of black/white friendships. Even in classic wrstefns they had that, Unforgiven being one example I can think of. Yeah, today's crowd really hates when the natives are portrayed accurately...
@@OrthoLou In old wild west stuff black people was a rare thing and old stuff cared about being realistic and historically accurate way more than todays stuff does so i suspect that old stuff about that time was more how that stuff was actually like back then. Also i meant more that the movie portrayed it as a normal thing that was everywhere and not that those kinds of friendships did not exist at all.
@@OrthoLou a lot of people don't know that Indians were at war with each other before we even settled in America, different tribes were always fighting each other for territory and other reasons, it's not like they were all peaceful (the Apaches are just the most well documented Indian tribe that fought Colonists and other Indian tribes as well), they also killed the Vikings as soon as they got there, but it's hard to know who started it. Apparently most of the Indian population had died from disease and war by the time the Colonists arrived. And of course it's not like the Colonists slaughtered them without trying to negotiate with various tribes first (it's why we have Indian reservations now) but, most of them refused to sell their lands (and rightfully so) so the Colonists basically ended up taking it by force, because Colonists had more manpower and firepower they all had to surrender eventually. Most people don't know that China was also a part of the western expansion, as well, they helped build the railroads with there own people who were slaves, Unlike the Colonists who bought Africans as slaves, (the keyword is they bought them) it's not like the Colonists stole Africans from villages, they were sold by their own people.
Horizon was an absolute incredible film!! Loved it! It’s a classic western for people who love classic westerns. It’s NOT for your “average” movie goer. I love that Kevin Costner didn’t hold back and just made exactly the film he wanted to make. It’s raw, it’s violent and it’s historically accurate!!! It’s not confusing…it’s 3 separate groups of people, in different parts of the country, all dealing with their own ordeals all while heading to the new settlements of Horizon in the Southwest. It’s no different than a classic Western novel. I wish films like this got more recognition and credit. It’s refreshing to see something in theaters that isn’t “superhero” related, isn’t a reboot, or a sequel and it’s not full of 2024 “identify politics” or any political jargon that seems to attached to everything nowadays.
No it's not. A classic western would've chosen one of the many plotlines in this movie and rolled with it for an actual complete story. This was a wannabe western with no real direction.
I really liked the movie, but I did have a problem with the firearms in it. Everyone seems to have the latest repeating cartridge fed firearms, which didn't really become commonplace until the 1870s, especially in wilder places of the west. I would have liked to see more cap and ball reloading, which is extremely rarely seen on film. I can't chastise it too much though, I do hope at least 1 or 2 of the sequels actually get made.
I went and saw it on the 4th of July. It is a slow burn of a movie, but I could tell by the end what it was trying to accomplish. It is a sweeping drama of America’s greatest adventure, westward expansion. The West was an unforgiving place and brought out the best and worst of people. I will definitely go and spend another 9 hours of my life to see the end.
"greatest adventure, westward expansion" Greatest adventure ? What ??? It was an invasion of the indigenous people's homeland. The natives were fighting to throw the invaders out, and maintain it as their home. Which it was. The Indian wars were cruel and savage. Especially for them. They didn't have sufficient numbers or the firepower to prevent what we all know ended up happening to them. They gave it a good try though. You've got to give them credit for that at least. We would have done, and would do, the same thing, if a foreign power were to march in and attempt to take it from us today. No different from how they acted. Good luck living in your version of reality.
Open Range, Dances with Wolves, and the Untouchables are great movies, and yes Waterworld and the Postman are what they are. I admire Kevin Costner for taking chances and tackling passion projects. Honorary mention for *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.* Fantastic and timeless movie!
I really enjoyed that movie as well. Then I read the book, if you haven't read it and you enjoy the movie, don't read the book. It is nothing like the movie other than they share the same title.
@@AndyTheCornbread I read the book in high school, then watched the movie in college. Liked the movie better. That whole cyborg/cybernetics thing came out of nowhere for me and I LOVE scifi. Funny thing. What I remember most from the book, which was hinted at in the film (the donkey) was how important and difficult dental care would be after the apocalypse, lol.
Spot on. It takes more than beautiful cinematograohy, a good cast and a decent script to make a great film. Everything has to weave together into a fine tapestry.
Studios knew moviegoers wouldn't buy a 70 year old Kevin Costner as the baddest Cowboy gunslinger in the Ole West. With a box office take petering out with only $22 Million in 10 days, they were correct. Horizon is going to LOSE $100 Million.
@@legion7478 That's a good comparison in that those are trash too. But in Madam's defense, it at least sold $100 Million worth of tickets, which equaled it's production budget. The non-woke Horizon is on track to LOSE $100 Million.
Let’s just appreciate a film that an actor has put so much money and passion into. In a time where Hollywood is passionless and out of ideas. Good on Kevin 👏
He just should have fulfilled his commitments to Yellowstone first, he basically just walked away screwing them over before that story was done, show a little gratitude because Yellowstone resurrected his career and without it Horizon probably never would have been made.
@@deanfirnatine7814 he did not walk away from yellowstone, he was ready to film on time but on a limited schedule due to his own project... but the writer of yellowstone was not ready, he had not written anything due to all the spinoffs he chose to write instead! if you wanna put the blame somewhere for not finishing yellowstone, then how about the director that chose to focus on 5 or 6 spinoffs, or however many we are up to now, instead of finishing the main show?
@@deanfirnatine7814 he walked away because Taylor was being a bitch. Taylor got really mad that conservatives like his shows and changed a bunch of the plot lines
@@deanfirnatine7814 Yellowstone was and is on a slump. He even said he had to pick between that and his passion project. He chose to do this. Respect to him
I'm just glad he's got the passion to follow a very dear project of his. His last labour of love, Dances with Wolves, is still one of my favourite movies of all time.
Saw Horizon pt 1 yesterday. Absolutely loved the film! Yes...three hours is a wee bit to sit through without a break but there wasn't much of a lull in the action at any point, The scenery is magnificent and the script and acting are top notch. It has to be viewed on the largest screen possible to be thoroughly appreciated.
Every western of note needs to be seen on the big screen to be truly appreciated.Indeed i remember being blown away by the Wild Bunch when i watched it on the big screen back in 1969. I have seen it several times on the small screen since,but to be honest a TV screen doesn't do the Wild Bunch justice
This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It's an epic, gorgeous western of America's move west. I went into this movie knowing that it was part one of an operatic four-film saga. It's very much an expositional movie that sets the stage for what's to come. A beautiful score, gorgeous cinematography, and a stellar cast. It's not a mindless "popcorn movie", but it allows you to escape into a lush world with fascinating people. I found all the storylines engaging and I wanted more all the way to the very end of the montage of epic proportions of what is to come. Some actors like Giovanni Ribisi showing up only in the montage made me leave the theatre thinking about what his story might be and excited to see what is to come of all these stories. Sadly, part two has been pulled from release indefinitely, but part one found new life in streaming. It will be on MAX soon and I will be watching it again to hold me over until part two comes out.
Major props to him for putting his own money into what he wanted to see on the screen. We clearly need alternative avenues / channels for entertainment.
Costner has basically created an entirely new film format with the way he is releasing Part I and Part II just a month apart. To me, this signals that the first two parts are basically meant to viewed as a single film, and I think judgement of the first part should be reserved until the 2nd part is released. It doesn't seem fair to critique this the way you would any other standalone film. I personally was captivated by the set up in Part I, and look forward eagerly to Part II.
This isn’t too foreign but it has happened before with films like The Matrix and Che Part 1 and 2, the latter being a month between films as well. I think this film will be great once all four parts are connected, it’s trying to deconstruct the stereotypical scenarios depicted by John Ford and Wayne films. Costner is committed and I believe it will pay off.
I loved it. It was great. No cgi. No agenda. Men acting like men women acting like women. And it's very well done. All the ingredients that modern hollywood hates.
Drinker you forgot about the young kid's quest for vengeance storyline, where he finds that vengeance was not as satisfying as he thought it would be. Seeing all the people he grouped up with use this quest as a way to get rich, or satisfy their hatred disenchants him from what he believed to be a noble cause.
That's weird, I always found vengeance satisfying. You know, until it happens, the world seems to be... off. After it, the world is back on the right track. It's just that artists don't want to be responsible for saying this out loud.
@@tomigun5180 People like to think that an eye for an eye is no way to run a society, but really its the only way to hold people responsible for their behaviour.
@@TheSuperappelflap Sure, but in the film, they attack natives who had nothing to do with the initial attack on the settlement. Women and children are murdered. The group the boy created couldn't care less if the natives he's killing had a hand in the attack, or if they're even part of the same tribe. They're just as bad as the initial attackers who destroyed the settlement.
Loved it. Very well written, very tense and violent in parts. Hayes (Costner) and Caleb's (Campbell Bower) confrontation is incredible. You see Natives depicted as determined and merciless killers in one scene, and relieved to be returning home to their families alive in the next. Theres only one way to win in Horizon, survive, and if you're really lucky, you'll still be able to look in the mirror afterwards. The many threads of the plot were easy to follow, desperate people heading towards the same destination, unified in a daily struggle for survival. The cinematography needs to be seen on the big screen to be believed. And it was an unashamed story of America, with every available good and every available evil depicted in equal measure. Solid 8/10
I really liked it. Costner is playing the long game with the storytelling, so we might not see playoffs to some of the threads he left open until part 2 or 3. He's treating these movies like a mini series or streaming show except in a 1950s epic style. It's not really catching on, but the effort is appreciated. Definitely not a boring movie
If not for the lack of a resolution, this would be my favorite film of the year so far. It's a masterclass in cinematography, music score, sound design, set design, costume design, world-building, and acting. "Late Night With The Devil" still holds my #1 spot, but we'll see if that changes when "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" comes out. Great review, Drinker!
Don’t agree with much of that but I can agree that Late Night with the Devil is great and surprisingly underrated, would absolutely be one of my favourites of the year as well.
I’d still like to see it. Westerns are one of my favorite genres of movies. His direction and starring of his film Open Range has made that film one of my favorites.
The only thing I remember about Waterworld is the scene with the old guy saying “Oh thank god” before being blown up. Definitely one of the funniest moments in 90s cinema.
The ONLY thing I didn't like about that film was that the story seemed to jump all over and not stay on track and roll together smoothly. It felt like 8 different stories that shouldn't be in the same film but still edited together anyhow. I loved the sets and characters and action, but the story never made any sense to me no matter how many attempts I made to try and watch it.
Anytime I see such a drastic difference on Rotten Tomatoes between critics and audience ratings, with the audience being majority positive by a wide margin, I know it is a film that I will likely enjoy.
Modern critics have been far too infected by current ideologies to be reliably objective. It's like the secular equivalent of having someone give all of their reviews of movies and shows based on how they conform to their own religious beliefs, and being offended and spiteful when you don't accept those beliefs.
In my opinion Costner had one of the best comebacks ever. After several failures coming back strong in Yellowstone, a fucking Western that amazes even an Austrian in middle Europe.
Yellowstone is one of the dumbest, most ridiculous shows I've ever come across. I've seen it three times. Jokes aside, while some of the story arcs in Yellowstone are pretty bad (someone said it must take place in the John Wick universe, with the police, FBI, and Montana Sheriffs being very uninterested in the sheer amount of bodies piling up), Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Gil Birmingham, and Cole Hauser are just superb in it. They carry the show and make it worth a watch. It's Game of Thrones when GoT was good.
@@PolarizedMechsI'm from Montana, and the body count in a single episode is like more than an entire year in our whole state. 😂 But apart from that, I've been amazed at how the show nails the socio-political dynamics we face here in Montana. Sadly, the very thing the show rails against - rich, "out-of-staters" moving into Montana, buying up and developing agricultural land, driving up land prices and taxes, pushing out locals who can no longer afford to live here, and bringing with them toxic values that destroyed wherever they came from - is what the show has brought to Montana, due to its popularity.
Yeah but this epic adventure seems to want to throw all his previous movies into one. It's like he's trying to throw Dances with Wolves, Open Range and Silverado all together into one production. That's just not going to end well.
My criticism with Costner has less to do with direction than with acting. He's always been an incredibly 1-note actor. I remember seeing Robin Hoot Prince of Thieves in the theater like 30+ years ago, and thinking he was playing the exact same character as he was in Bull Durham. He has the acting range of Logan Paul.
The issue isn't that he can't direct. It the fact that he always feels the need to overindulge himself in everything that he gets himself involved in, making several of his movies painfully mediocre and dragged out.
if people can happily sit through 12 hours of the extended version of LOTR, they can sit through 12 hours of frontier storytelling. If he's smart he'll release them all pretty quickly like one every year. Because unlike LOTR, this doesn't have a built in fanbase to sit in hours long lines just to watch it.
Well Part 2 comes out in August of this year. Just a month away. Costner started filming part 3 before going on his press tour to promote these movies. So hopefully, Parts 3 and 4 still get made regardless of how these films do at the Box Office. It seems like Costner mostly doesn’t care how it fares at the Box Office since this is his ultimate Passion Project and is paying for it with his own money.
But LOTR had a satisfying individual narrative for each movie. They began having all the characters together before splitting them up, at which point we are already invested in them, and all had a climactic ending.
I think a "passion" project that fails at the box office can rightly be called a "vanity" project. Costner has sunk all his money into the project but he is very far from paying for it. In a May 20 _Variety_ article he is quoted as "I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie. It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.” However he also said about the 3rd and 4th parts “They’re going to happen regardless, but they’re not already funded” and for financial backers “I need somebody that’s impulsive, is emotional, has money, and wants to go west. And it’s like: Now let’s see how much of a gambler you are. Because everything I have is in the movie.” So maybe Costner is quixotic enough to not care about box office returns but I doubt he going to find enough backers that don't care either.
I sort of agree. The era when you had to decide between movies (too short and usually a one-off) or series (long but low production value) is over, and there is another option. Things like HBO made it more possible, to do the mini-series treatment (or high-value series with season-long stories), and then streaming made it possible to binge watch on one's own schedule. I think it is a welcome development, because content makers can just tell better stories now (if they want to).
Horizon is a great movie. My maternal great grandparents were homesteaders in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana. I will watch Horizon's remaining chapters with great interest.
I loved it. My 11yo son started watching it with me in the second hour and had dozens of questions so I restarted and he was hooked with that opening Indian invasion scene. I’m genuinely curious about the fate in each of the stories and how they will eventually collide. I also think telling stories in different ways like this can be refreshing. I don’t usually watch westerns but it was wonderful that a movie captured our attention and made me so grateful for the comforts of my modern life. I can’t wait for part 2
I totally agree Sadly not many people know that movies like "Open Range" even exist :(. A shame in my opinion, since especially Open Range shows Costner and Duvall at their finest!
Yes, it was called Centennial based on a Jame Mitchner (of Shogun fame) novel I believe. This mere TV mini-series was a far better product IMO showing the evolution and stories intersecting at a specific piece of land in the vast West.
Horizon is a great movie for those who like westerns. It reminds me a lot of Lonesome Dove. Kevin does a good job of taking you on an epic journey west. And this is only the first
Costner did the same thing with Wyatt Earp....it dragged like crazy...he tried to put every little detail of Earp's life into it...ended up just being boring, AND, got crushed by Tombstone ! Guess he hasn't learned his lesson.
A thing that I appreciate on Costner is that his first priority is art, and money comes only second. A lot of good art in history exists only because someone wanted it and was willing to pay what it takes to get it. It doesn't always turn up to be good, but well... there is always such risk.
I spent my childhood and teen age years devouring all classic westerns. I get it, Costner you are a true fan of good cinema, we are kindred spirits. 😉🙏
Agreed with everything you said here, visually it was epic in scope! The score was also great as well, but what was with the last few minutes of all the random choppy action with zero dialogue or narrative? It really was a shame because some of the choppy scenes at the end seemed like it would have been a better story if those were more developed. That end cut to cut was randomly bizarre tp say the least. Costner's gun fight was the most iconic scene in the film, it reminded me of Open Range. I would have loved to see more of that in the film.
The last 10 minutes of "part 1" was hysterically bad. Like we were chortling in the theater about how ridiculous it was. An extended montage of "next time... on THE FRONTIER" with random scenes, it was just so ill conceived. I guarantee this debacle is the result of nobody being able to tell Costner "no". This thing should have been a 10 part miniseries on HBO or Showtime but as a movie it just absolutely falls flat.
With a Costner film, I want to be absorbed into and lost in this world, not just entertained. 12 hours of gritty, beautifully photographed escapism is fine with me.
@@Hollyweeds Gosh , when did loving your country and its history became a crime .. sad ear we are in .. especially with Costner whi is always nuanced about it .. I love this guy .. Actually he's pretty loved in France, I'm quite proud of that
3 hours x 4 movies? Should have been conceived as a Netflix series right off the bat. Instead of of being a movie flop it might have gotten more success on that format. Who cares if its not as 'prestigious'.
This is especially true if there aren’t separable storylines for each movie within the overarching plot. The length alone isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of a plot to follow for this movie. Much less problematic if the eighth episode of your Netflix show hasn’t wrapped anything up.
Which would be absolutely no problem if the quality was there to carry it. If the story is engaging, the acting endearing and the cinematography impressive enough, runtime is of no real consequence. I Gladly would watch 4 hour long director's cut extended editions of Villeneuve's DUNE movies for example, even though they do have their weaknesses.
Apparently there are four installments of this, so that's 12 hours total. Shoulda been a mini-series. 12 one-hour episodes coulda been one of the best shows on TV. But four three-hour movies, at a time when cinemas are dying, sounds like a critical mistake.
saw it last week. Going to watch it again before it leaves the theaters. Loved it. So did my girlfriend. I'm hoping it gains momentum with Part two. Sometimes things take a second to take hold and then draw more people in. One thing I noticed about those in attendance, is that it skews to an older crowd. Me as well - I'm 54. I hope it succeeds.
It was all old people in the theater I watched the movie in. One of the old timers fell asleep and began to snore loudly. It made the rest of us laugh.
You hit the nail on the head Drinker. Each part of a multi-parted movie series should themselves be a self contained movie with its own resolve while at the same time leaving open the potential for the next part in the series. But seriously, if a story is going to drag on to four whole films, they may as well just make it a mini series. If it's a gripping enough story most viewers will binge watch it. If it drags on for hours in a movie format viewers will feel it.
I gotta say that even the short clips you show here are visually absolutely stunning. This is BBC nature series levels of cinematography. It makes me want to see it just for this.
Even in my 50's my bladder can't take it. I never could understand how people could drink a soda while watching a movie. I guess your best bet is to step out during one of the slower scenes. But I'm a completionist, and I don't like to miss things.
I always enjoyed The Postman. It was a movie of a regular man giving hope in a dystopian world, regaining and rebuilding a destroyed America by regaining the values that created it and made it great.
Whatever, I loved this movie. It's the kind of thing you'll watch on a weekend when the wife and kids go out of town. And if he sticks the landing with the others, all the fragmented feelings won't matter. I'm very excited to see the rest of them, which is more than I can say for much else these days.
@@brendangkelleher2669 PArt 3 is almsot finished filming so we'l get that one almost for sure .. Question is on part 4 , but I guess Costner is ready to go all in. !he doesn't do that to make money or please critiqcs, it's his life project and I think he'll die for it
Yellowstone is more mafia, less western. I like it, but Horizon, WHAT A GEM!!! Shortest 3 hours I ever spent, can't wait for more. Put the Costner hate aside, and go see it. WAY worth it.
I haven't seen Horizon yet, but I think Kevin Costner's best Western films are Silverado and Open Range. Wyatt Earp was decent, but it's hard to come behind an instant classic such as Tombstone.
Tombstone and Earp are neck and neck as to which is better. What pushes Earp over the edge, in my opinion, is Earp follows the biography of Earp (by Stuart Lake) pretty well. But yes, Open Range is one of my favorite westerns. That gun fight at the end is one of the most realistic of all western films.
@@alexgrenlie862 Yes because watching movies is so classy... You'll have to excuse me if i don't value the opinion of a random no name with a raccoon playlist...
I enjoyed it and never understood why it got a bad rap. It’s not claiming to be a critically acclaimed perfect piece of art, it’s a simple popcorn action flick
On the plus side, the montage at the end gives the impression that they filmed all 4 parts simultaneously - and if they release them 6 months apart or less, that'll work pretty well in it's favor.
Loved the movie. Boomer here. This is a saga that needs telling and traditional Hollywood is already beyond redemption. I bought 2 seats just to throw Costner a bit more money. I appreciate the effort he is making here. If it seems convoluted, it is because you are too used to the lazy resort to audience-insulting exposition that almost all movie now contain too much of. Anyway, that's my opinion. Hoping for all 4 movies.
Not bogging down your story with exposition and just outright refusing to explain anything about your characters or their motivations are two different things entirely. Show, don't tell only applies insofar as you actually have the showing do the telling. Vomiting a 3-hour series of disjointed, confusing, unrelated fractions of a real story onto a screen is not trusting your audience's intelligence, it's shifting the burden of telling your story onto them. Forcing the audience to piece together the narrative you're trying to craft themselves just says that you don't know how to do it properly yourself.
!haha 2 seats !! You're the best ! Costner and this movie totally deserve it ! I'm gonna watch it a 2nd time in theaters and bring my father (who is suppose to be the boomer)
I saw a review of the movie by an actual cowboy. He said if you like the old John Wayne movies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's then the run time and story are great. But if you need a lot CGI and not very complex story then you will be bored. It was made for old cowboys like Kevin Costner and Sam Elliot.
I think we need more of this. So many movies across all genres are so in your face 24/7 that its hard to care but when a film just does its thing it draws notice. Films shouldn't be everything to everyone and thats why Disney and Star Wars is failing at the end of the day.
This only deepens my conviction that I should watch Horizon instead of anything the Hollywood Machine belches out, because Kevin Costner is actually trying to make something good.
I love westerns, and this one is a long, boring, slog using multi-parts as an excuse to drag the story out for more money. I'll take Tombstone over this nonsense any day.
No, they weren't. They were very much of their time - the special effects were top-notch for what they were. It was a time of bloated budgets by well-known directors. The problem with them is Costner being the leading man, as well as the pacing and editing. Not sure if he uses the same editor or if he edits himself, but he doesn't know how to create a taut action scene, nor can he maintain tension.
There were decades behind their time. The theatrical cut of Waterworld was a mediocre movie that absolutely deserved to get lost in the shuffle - seriously, look up the movies released in 1995, it was a stellar year for cinema.
The best parts of Waterworld were Tina Majorino as Enola and Dennis Hopper, imo. Along with the sets and camerawork. Costner was the worst thing about it
Good or bad, I’m glad to see him make a very clear passion project, outside of a very corrupt Hollywood system. It’s great to see someone take such a big risk, and I hope it inspires more people to take big, *new* risks.
Except when you do bullshit like this, it stops studios and others to invest in "passion projects." Faulty logic.
Too bad the movie is shite
@@williammccormick984 Lmfao you're blind dude.
Corrupt how?
@@REELWORKS12923 I can't wait for Megalopolis.
Costner: I have a plan for a 4 movie western series telling the stories of the Apache, a frontier widow and the US Cavalry, a wagon train, and a young woman looking for a new start.
Producer: Sounds great, which story will the first movie be about?
Costner: Yes.
Genius... I can't stop f-n laughing!!!
So Game of Thrones in the American West? Sign me up!
Sounds interesting.
Can we make the Native Americans blue?
@@ECKohnsWestworld😂
I saw Horizon: Chapter One opening weekend and loved it. Three hours flew by, I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully, we have 3 more chapters to enjoy. I’m a bit of a history buff who has lived in the western US most of my life and I appreciate this film as an authentic presentation of the people who “won the west”. It’s a great movie. I’ll see it again before Chapter Two is released next month. -- Please note that Rotten Tomatoes critics give this film a score of 41 while the audience gives it a 71. I don’t understand why critics and Hollywood don’t appreciate Kevin Costner’s work. The Postman and Water World are great films, audience favorites, and yet critics still talk about their opening weekend box office disappointments.-- So dear audience, go see Horizon. It is magnificent, a masterpiece of Western storytelling. Chapter One is just the beginning.
Well you don't have to wait long for the next one it's out in two weeks
Damn straight. Couldnt give a rats arse what hollywood reporter or tomatoes think. Ive always loved westerns n Loius Lamour books,looking fwd to seeing the landscape on the big screen,cant wait!
@@TommyLee-hu5dyThe next one just got pulled from the theatrical release calendar. Understandably
@@TommyLee-hu5dy No it's not. It's been pulled from theatrical release.
Agreed. Just got back. The bad reviews had me almost scared off. I've spent all my life in the western US (well, Missouri and parts west) and the stories are unbelievable when you read them in first hand accounts. My family fought in the Civil War, and I have those accounts of "Bleeding Kansas" and the orchard they lost in Missouri when they were driven out. The tales of those places, the Mormon wars, the Civil War, reconstruction, it's all there. It seems many journalists (should be in quotes) are just no longer interested in verifying that stories exactly like those in this movie ACTUALLY happened. Women wandered out of the desert, long thought dead, with tattooed faces, having lived with the tribes that abducted them for decades. So many wagons that their tracks are in the rocks still TODAY. There are Santa Fe trail markers through western Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and people interstate right by, not knowing about our crazy ancestors who decided that walking west into the unknown with no experience was somehow a good idea.
The one advantage to current modern Hollywood releases is that they make Water World and the Postman look like masterpieces.
Waterworld had some great moments even looking it when it appeared.
Am I wrong for actually liking Postman? Sure, except for Costner's dead acting and the over-the-top patriotism I liked the cinematography.
Tina Majorino was adorable in Waterworld. She was good in the film and she did wonderful as Enola.
I don't know. I feel like y'all are watching different movies than me.
Sheet Waterworld to me was awesome new and now
You have to respect the man for putting his own money into it.
There’s a name for this. “Vanity Project”.
He'll make his investment back and then some. Once this hits streaming and physical media the sales will be solid.
@@sthubbins4038 💯💯
So if a man puts his own money in a swamp subdivision near a toxic waste site, you respect that?
@@billnelson3405 I do if he finds oil and becomes a billionaire. But I'd hardly call this a subdivision near a toxic waste site.
Of all the 90s vibe-revivals happening right now, the most 90s thing of them all is Kevin Costner making an ambitious, over budgeted, underperforming epic.
I have huge respect for Kevin Costner. He’s the last of a dying breed of filmmakers that puts his heart and soul into his passion projects and his fascination and genuine love for the old West has delivered some of the great modern westerns. Dances, Open Range, Wyatt Earp and now this, his magnum opus. Using his own money to get the movie made and the genuinely wise observation that ‘movies are more than their opening weekend’….he just gets it. His love and dedication to this genre are moreorless singlehandedly keeping the western alive, which is both uplifting and sad in equal measure. I know I’ll be watching ‘Horizon’ many years from now, long after all of the popcorn fluff has disappeared from memory. For that, he deserves immense credit. Old school movie star and a gifted director. We’re lucky to have him.
I dont get why its such a big deal he used his own money. The man was a multi-millionaire before, with more money than anyone can spend in a lifetime, and he still is. Its not like hes Kevin Smith using all his money to make Clerks out of love for filmmaking. This is a rich old man who is concerned about leaving a legacy when he exits this world and turns to dust like we all do. That isnt a humble sacrifice. Its vanity.
@@TheSuperappelflap Or so you think.
Honestly, even these few clips seem unforgettable.
Don't forget Clint Eastwood
@@mavvynne444 Clint’s a legend.
This movie honestly felt half its runtime. It's good to see Epics again that aren't superhero films.
You're so right, i was surprised when it stopped ! didn't feel bored at all ! What a good movie it is ! Can't wait for Part 2 !
This movie did NOT feel like 90 minutes.
@@TwentyPercentDash 😆😆
@@TwentyPercentDash
it didn't feel like 3 hours either though.
For such a long film, the pacing was pretty good.
@@grim_2000 It felt like 3 hours to me. I checked the time twice, and I rarely ever check the time during movies.
Saw this movie today. About 3 hours long, with end credits.
I loved it. I truly did. Can't wait for part 2.
Same here, I really enjoyed it.
same.. Cinema is not just about the Hero's Journey, as much as I love Drinkers basic thesis..
‘Open Range’ is one of the greatest Westerns ever made. If Costner is directing, I’m there.
100% agree and I’m all for this western. Now if Tom selleck would get back to westerns I’d be beyond happy
@@brokenwrench404 Nah. He's bus doing Jesse Stone movies
I thought the same thing. Open Range is one of my top 5 favorite Westerns. But I saw Horizon Chapter 1 last night and was thoroughly disappointed. This video nails a lot of it.
@@brokenwrench404Agreed. Selleck is at his best in westerns, and a PT.2 of Quigley Down Under would be awesome!
One he starred in that isn't well known is called "Last Stand at Saber River". It was a made for tv mini series based on the book by Elmore Leonard. If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you do.
@@brokenwrench404crossfire trail was one of my favorite westerns growing up and got me to rummage through my dads books and get into louis l’amour. I always take a small paperback or two with me to read when I go backpacking in the cascades for a few days.
My wife and I saw it and we both loved it. I didn’t mind the run time and felt that breaking the movie into the different sub plots and stories helped to hold my attention for the entire 3 hours. I am excited for the next chapter to come out next month.
My wife and I felt the same - while I can understand The Drinker’s feelings about the stories not converging I can see how they’ll end up coming together in later chapters so I’m excited to see it
mabe drinker needs a wife
Totally agree.
@@doubleecho1980 agreed! Costner also hinted that somehow the stories converge in Horizon with the leaflets all the characters had as well as the dialogues. I am very interested to watch as the settlement becomes a town.
Yep, I liked it a lot too.
I just saw Horizon today. It was my second time seeing the movie. My first viewing a week ago left me confused and disappointed, but I gave the movie a second chance and I'm glad I did. It is actually a great movie on the level of Dances With Wolves. If you've seen the movie once and did not enjoy it so much, go back and see it again. It is much easier to follow seeing it a second time, and you will get into the multiple story lines and the different characters. I am looking forward to the sequels. Kevin Costner has done a fine job with this movie. The movie critics thrive on bashing movies. Be your own critic, and view a movie more than once to see and absorb it fully.
Wait. You’re saying that the movie forces you to actually use your brain to the point that it’s advisable to watch it twice?
… That’s actually the best endorsement I’ve come across in a very long time. I wasn’t going to watch this movie but now I just might.
You see, I’m one of those weirdos that actually likes to use her brain.
One thing about movie critics is that they rarely ever get to see a movie twice (and some of them I suspect are not even fully paying attention the first time). It is a deadline-based business. I know there are many films where I disagree with "most critics", sometimes intensely. Some critics are trustworthy, others are hacks, but I bet all of them are pressed for time. In some cases, they seem prejudiced against long films might take a while to "get there"; however, there are also times when they love a film I find terribly slow & dull.
I’m glad he’s back making early American westerns again.
Open range was awesome
No doubt. I’ve thought Westerns were probably a thing of the past but this film was pretty awesome.
Have you seen Old Henry? I enjoyed it.
@@Crunch2327That was damn good actually. Another underrated and overlooked gem.
As a lover of Westerns, I rather enjoyed it. It felt very traditional, and even though it was long, I never felt bored since it had a lot going on. I look forward to seeing how all the different stories connect.
Sure, it felt TV show-ish, but I'm glad he chose to make it a cinematic experience.
I dont think they usually have indians in wild west stuff anymore nowadays so it was cool to see them again in something new.
Im not sure if white people and black people hanging out and being friends was a normal thing during that time like they portray it in this movie.
Yes
@CyberLance26 I'm sure there were SOME cases of black/white friendships. Even in classic wrstefns they had that, Unforgiven being one example I can think of.
Yeah, today's crowd really hates when the natives are portrayed accurately...
@@OrthoLou In old wild west stuff black people was a rare thing and old stuff cared about being realistic and historically accurate way more than todays stuff does so i suspect that old stuff about that time was more how that stuff was actually like back then.
Also i meant more that the movie portrayed it as a normal thing that was everywhere and not that those kinds of friendships did not exist at all.
@@OrthoLou a lot of people don't know that Indians were at war with each other before we even settled in America, different tribes were always fighting each other for territory and other reasons, it's not like they were all peaceful (the Apaches are just the most well documented Indian tribe that fought Colonists and other Indian tribes as well), they also killed the Vikings as soon as they got there, but it's hard to know who started it. Apparently most of the Indian population had died from disease and war by the time the Colonists arrived. And of course it's not like the Colonists slaughtered them without trying to negotiate with various tribes first (it's why we have Indian reservations now) but, most of them refused to sell their lands (and rightfully so) so the Colonists basically ended up taking it by force, because Colonists had more manpower and firepower they all had to surrender eventually. Most people don't know that China was also a part of the western expansion, as well, they helped build the railroads with there own people who were slaves, Unlike the Colonists who bought Africans as slaves, (the keyword is they bought them) it's not like the Colonists stole Africans from villages, they were sold by their own people.
I'm just grateful that actors like Costner are still producing unique movies.
Unique???
This isn't unique though
@sfdko3291 it is its own thing unlike the reboots and requels of today
Horizon was an absolute incredible film!! Loved it!
It’s a classic western for people who love classic westerns. It’s NOT for your “average” movie goer. I love that Kevin Costner didn’t hold back and just made exactly the film he wanted to make. It’s raw, it’s violent and it’s historically accurate!!!
It’s not confusing…it’s 3 separate groups of people, in different parts of the country, all dealing with their own ordeals all while heading to the new settlements of Horizon in the Southwest. It’s no different than a classic Western novel.
I wish films like this got more recognition and credit. It’s refreshing to see something in theaters that isn’t “superhero” related, isn’t a reboot, or a sequel and it’s not full of 2024 “identify politics” or any political jargon that seems to attached to everything nowadays.
No it's not. A classic western would've chosen one of the many plotlines in this movie and rolled with it for an actual complete story. This was a wannabe western with no real direction.
Its like Buster Scruggs. A western just doing its thing, telling stories and then leaving. Take it as you will.
Blimey, some people just can’t respect an opinion
I really liked the movie, but I did have a problem with the firearms in it. Everyone seems to have the latest repeating cartridge fed firearms, which didn't really become commonplace until the 1870s, especially in wilder places of the west. I would have liked to see more cap and ball reloading, which is extremely rarely seen on film. I can't chastise it too much though, I do hope at least 1 or 2 of the sequels actually get made.
I went and saw it on the 4th of July. It is a slow burn of a movie, but I could tell by the end what it was trying to accomplish. It is a sweeping drama of America’s greatest adventure, westward expansion. The West was an unforgiving place and brought out the best and worst of people. I will definitely go and spend another 9 hours of my life to see the end.
"greatest adventure, westward expansion" Greatest adventure ? What ??? It was an invasion of the indigenous people's homeland. The natives were fighting to throw the invaders out, and maintain it as their home. Which it was. The Indian wars were cruel and savage. Especially for them. They didn't have sufficient numbers or the firepower to prevent what we all know ended up happening to them. They gave it a good try though. You've got to give them credit for that at least. We would have done, and would do, the same thing, if a foreign power were to march in and attempt to take it from us today. No different from how they acted. Good luck living in your version of reality.
Water World was amazing! That opening battle scene in the water town was an epic practical effect masterpiece!
Open Range, Dances with Wolves, and the Untouchables are great movies, and yes Waterworld and the Postman are what they are. I admire Kevin Costner for taking chances and tackling passion projects.
Honorary mention for *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.* Fantastic and timeless movie!
Why does no one ever talk about No Way Out. Great movie in it's time (1987). Also has Gene Hackman and Sean Young.
I LOVE Costner's Robin Hood film!
But why a spoon cousin?
BECAUSE ITS DULL, YOU TWIT! IT'LL HURT MORE!
@@gunghovagabond 🤣 ah yes....good old Alan Rickman
@@BlaBla-jj6sh I was about to mention No Way Out, Bull Durham, Hatfields and McCoys, JFK, Revenge, Silverado, and Tin Cup
The Postman was a terribly underrated film. Will Patton’s performance as Bethlehem was second to none.
Shakespeare? Is that you?
I love that movie
I really enjoyed that movie as well. Then I read the book, if you haven't read it and you enjoy the movie, don't read the book. It is nothing like the movie other than they share the same title.
I liked The Postman.
@@AndyTheCornbread I read the book in high school, then watched the movie in college. Liked the movie better. That whole cyborg/cybernetics thing came out of nowhere for me and I LOVE scifi. Funny thing. What I remember most from the book, which was hinted at in the film (the donkey) was how important and difficult dental care would be after the apocalypse, lol.
Spot on.
It takes more than beautiful cinematograohy, a good cast and a decent script to make a great film.
Everything has to weave together into a fine tapestry.
I'm not surprised that various Hollywood studios would pass on a film about masculine men portraying traditional values
brokeback mountain
Studios knew moviegoers wouldn't buy a 70 year old Kevin Costner as the baddest Cowboy gunslinger in the Ole West. With a box office take petering out with only $22 Million in 10 days, they were correct. Horizon is going to LOSE $100 Million.
@@daveclark8337 Not as much as the acolyte. Or madam web. Or any of the other woke garbage no one wants to watch
@@legion7478 Facts
@@legion7478 That's a good comparison in that those are trash too. But in Madam's defense, it at least sold $100 Million worth of tickets, which equaled it's production budget. The non-woke Horizon is on track to LOSE $100 Million.
Let’s just appreciate a film that an actor has put so much money and passion into. In a time where Hollywood is passionless and out of ideas. Good on Kevin 👏
Er, no, you're not a time...
He just should have fulfilled his commitments to Yellowstone first, he basically just walked away screwing them over before that story was done, show a little gratitude because Yellowstone resurrected his career and without it Horizon probably never would have been made.
@@deanfirnatine7814
he did not walk away from yellowstone, he was ready to film on time but on a limited schedule due to his own project...
but the writer of yellowstone was not ready, he had not written anything due to all the spinoffs he chose to write instead!
if you wanna put the blame somewhere for not finishing yellowstone, then how about the director that chose to focus on 5 or 6 spinoffs, or however many we are up to now, instead of finishing the main show?
@@deanfirnatine7814 he walked away because Taylor was being a bitch. Taylor got really mad that conservatives like his shows and changed a bunch of the plot lines
@@deanfirnatine7814 Yellowstone was and is on a slump. He even said he had to pick between that and his passion project. He chose to do this. Respect to him
I never understood the hate that “The Postman” received. I was young when I watched it, but I loved it and still hold it on high regard.
The movie must have delivered for you.
I'm just glad he's got the passion to follow a very dear project of his. His last labour of love, Dances with Wolves, is still one of my favourite movies of all time.
Saw Horizon pt 1 yesterday. Absolutely loved the film! Yes...three hours is a wee bit to sit through without a break but there wasn't much of a lull in the action at any point, The scenery is magnificent and the script and acting are top notch. It has to be viewed on the largest screen possible to be thoroughly appreciated.
Every western of note needs to be seen on the big screen to be truly appreciated.Indeed i remember being blown away by the Wild Bunch when i watched it on the big screen back in 1969. I have seen it several times on the small screen since,but to be honest a TV screen doesn't do the Wild Bunch justice
This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It's an epic, gorgeous western of America's move west. I went into this movie knowing that it was part one of an operatic four-film saga. It's very much an expositional movie that sets the stage for what's to come. A beautiful score, gorgeous cinematography, and a stellar cast. It's not a mindless "popcorn movie", but it allows you to escape into a lush world with fascinating people. I found all the storylines engaging and I wanted more all the way to the very end of the montage of epic proportions of what is to come. Some actors like Giovanni Ribisi showing up only in the montage made me leave the theatre thinking about what his story might be and excited to see what is to come of all these stories. Sadly, part two has been pulled from release indefinitely, but part one found new life in streaming. It will be on MAX soon and I will be watching it again to hold me over until part two comes out.
Major props to him for putting his own money into what he wanted to see on the screen. We clearly need alternative avenues / channels for entertainment.
Costner has basically created an entirely new film format with the way he is releasing Part I and Part II just a month apart. To me, this signals that the first two parts are basically meant to viewed as a single film, and I think judgement of the first part should be reserved until the 2nd part is released. It doesn't seem fair to critique this the way you would any other standalone film. I personally was captivated by the set up in Part I, and look forward eagerly to Part II.
Totally agree with you the fact that professional critics don"t take into acount is a proof they're a joke. This is right down dishonnest..
@@tiphainec5055
He didnt see hey hated the movie. He was praisimg it for the most part. He just said it has its flaws.
@@hulkfan97 yes it's true, I'm harsh for no reason woth the Drinker who was pretty honest and nice in this revew. I'm gonna edit
This isn’t too foreign but it has happened before with films like The Matrix and Che Part 1 and 2, the latter being a month between films as well. I think this film will be great once all four parts are connected, it’s trying to deconstruct the stereotypical scenarios depicted by John Ford and Wayne films. Costner is committed and I believe it will pay off.
Well said. Nice insight.
I saw it tonight. Absolutely brilliant. Montage at the end just wanted me to watch Chapter 2 straight away. Soundtrack is also very good. 👏👏👏
I loved it. It was great. No cgi. No agenda. Men acting like men women acting like women. And it's very well done. All the ingredients that modern hollywood hates.
Lol if you saw 1 black person. U would call it woke XD
@@erenjaeger1738 And you clearly haven't seen the movie...
@fhlostonparaphrase That one conservatives guy *See a black man* "THIS IS WOKE. BLACKS?!?! ANTI WHITE HERE 🤬🤬🤬" - 👴🏻
"Men acting like men women acting like women"? Oh boy...
@erenjaeger1738 you didn't even watch critical drinkers' full video. There are black actors in the movie genius.
Drinker you forgot about the young kid's quest for vengeance storyline, where he finds that vengeance was not as satisfying as he thought it would be. Seeing all the people he grouped up with use this quest as a way to get rich, or satisfy their hatred disenchants him from what he believed to be a noble cause.
Like a more hopeful version of Unforgiven
That's weird, I always found vengeance satisfying. You know, until it happens, the world seems to be... off. After it, the world is back on the right track. It's just that artists don't want to be responsible for saying this out loud.
@@tomigun5180 People like to think that an eye for an eye is no way to run a society, but really its the only way to hold people responsible for their behaviour.
@@TheSuperappelflap Sure, but in the film, they attack natives who had nothing to do with the initial attack on the settlement. Women and children are murdered. The group the boy created couldn't care less if the natives he's killing had a hand in the attack, or if they're even part of the same tribe. They're just as bad as the initial attackers who destroyed the settlement.
Loved it. Very well written, very tense and violent in parts. Hayes (Costner) and Caleb's (Campbell Bower) confrontation is incredible.
You see Natives depicted as determined and merciless killers in one scene, and relieved to be returning home to their families alive in the next.
Theres only one way to win in Horizon, survive, and if you're really lucky, you'll still be able to look in the mirror afterwards.
The many threads of the plot were easy to follow, desperate people heading towards the same destination, unified in a daily struggle for survival.
The cinematography needs to be seen on the big screen to be believed.
And it was an unashamed story of America, with every available good and every available evil depicted in equal measure. Solid 8/10
I really liked it. Costner is playing the long game with the storytelling, so we might not see playoffs to some of the threads he left open until part 2 or 3. He's treating these movies like a mini series or streaming show except in a 1950s epic style. It's not really catching on, but the effort is appreciated. Definitely not a boring movie
The whole thing is toast, Put a fork in it.
"Long game with the storytelling." Sounds like a lot of words for "filler."
If not for the lack of a resolution, this would be my favorite film of the year so far. It's a masterclass in cinematography, music score, sound design, set design, costume design, world-building, and acting. "Late Night With The Devil" still holds my #1 spot, but we'll see if that changes when "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" comes out. Great review, Drinker!
Don’t agree with much of that but I can agree that Late Night with the Devil is great and surprisingly underrated, would absolutely be one of my favourites of the year as well.
Cheers, gonna catch LNWD now.
I’d still like to see it. Westerns are one of my favorite genres of movies. His direction and starring of his film Open Range has made that film one of my favorites.
Super excited to see this. I am tired of “modern” movies Hollywood have been putting out. This should be refreshing
Waterworld is so damned underrated
The only thing I remember about Waterworld is the scene with the old guy saying “Oh thank god” before being blown up. Definitely one of the funniest moments in 90s cinema.
@@07foxmulderI will never forget Jeanne Tripplehorn’s bum.
Waterworld sucked.
I would rather watch Postman again than that turd devoid of all logic.
The ONLY thing I didn't like about that film was that the story seemed to jump all over and not stay on track and roll together smoothly. It felt like 8 different stories that shouldn't be in the same film but still edited together anyhow. I loved the sets and characters and action, but the story never made any sense to me no matter how many attempts I made to try and watch it.
I saw a two 3-hour movies in two days. The first, The Count of Monte Christo, felt like 2 hours. Horizon felt like 5.
Anytime I see such a drastic difference on Rotten Tomatoes between critics and audience ratings, with the audience being majority positive by a wide margin, I know it is a film that I will likely enjoy.
Modern critics have been far too infected by current ideologies to be reliably objective. It's like the secular equivalent of having someone give all of their reviews of movies and shows based on how they conform to their own religious beliefs, and being offended and spiteful when you don't accept those beliefs.
Wyatt Earp, Open Range, Dances with wolves, absolute epics. Just hope this is the same level.
I would never get tired of it even if it's 10 hours long. Can't wait to binge watch all parts. I love a Kevin Costner Western. I loved Waterworld btw.
In my opinion Costner had one of the best comebacks ever. After several failures coming back strong in Yellowstone, a fucking Western that amazes even an Austrian in middle Europe.
Yellowstone is one of the dumbest, most ridiculous shows I've ever come across. I've seen it three times.
Jokes aside, while some of the story arcs in Yellowstone are pretty bad (someone said it must take place in the John Wick universe, with the police, FBI, and Montana Sheriffs being very uninterested in the sheer amount of bodies piling up), Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Gil Birmingham, and Cole Hauser are just superb in it. They carry the show and make it worth a watch. It's Game of Thrones when GoT was good.
I like Yellowstone. Costner kills it
Don't swear, Monkey Boy
I thought his comeback was in Man of Steel, since after that movie he started appearing prominently in a lot of movies.
@@PolarizedMechsI'm from Montana, and the body count in a single episode is like more than an entire year in our whole state. 😂 But apart from that, I've been amazed at how the show nails the socio-political dynamics we face here in Montana. Sadly, the very thing the show rails against - rich, "out-of-staters" moving into Montana, buying up and developing agricultural land, driving up land prices and taxes, pushing out locals who can no longer afford to live here, and bringing with them toxic values that destroyed wherever they came from - is what the show has brought to Montana, due to its popularity.
My parents and i went to see this movie in theaters and we enjoyed it regardless of the length and multiple storylines going on.
Agreed. 👍 It was an awesome theatrical experience.
This is a solid film! The time flew by, definitely worth your money!! Completely unwoke.
Why are many people saying costner can't direct? Dude, have you seen open range or dances with wolves?
Those 2 movies came out at least over 20 years ago
Yeah but this epic adventure seems to want to throw all his previous movies into one.
It's like he's trying to throw Dances with Wolves, Open Range and Silverado all together into one production. That's just not going to end well.
My criticism with Costner has less to do with direction than with acting. He's always been an incredibly 1-note actor. I remember seeing Robin Hoot Prince of Thieves in the theater like 30+ years ago, and thinking he was playing the exact same character as he was in Bull Durham. He has the acting range of Logan Paul.
@@Chadius_Thundercock So? They're both some of the greatest westerns ever made - yes, I'll die on this hill.
The issue isn't that he can't direct. It the fact that he always feels the need to overindulge himself in everything that he gets himself involved in, making several of his movies painfully mediocre and dragged out.
if people can happily sit through 12 hours of the extended version of LOTR, they can sit through 12 hours of frontier storytelling. If he's smart he'll release them all pretty quickly like one every year. Because unlike LOTR, this doesn't have a built in fanbase to sit in hours long lines just to watch it.
Well, it didn't work so well for the Matrix sequels.....
Well Part 2 comes out in August of this year. Just a month away.
Costner started filming part 3 before going on his press tour to promote these movies. So hopefully, Parts 3 and 4 still get made regardless of how these films do at the Box Office.
It seems like Costner mostly doesn’t care how it fares at the Box Office since this is his ultimate Passion Project and is paying for it with his own money.
But LOTR had a satisfying individual narrative for each movie. They began having all the characters together before splitting them up, at which point we are already invested in them, and all had a climactic ending.
The next one comes out in August so it sounds like it’s gonna be pretty quick
I think a "passion" project that fails at the box office can rightly be called a "vanity" project.
Costner has sunk all his money into the project but he is very far from paying for it. In a May 20 _Variety_ article he is quoted as "I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie. It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.” However he also said about the 3rd and 4th parts “They’re going to happen regardless, but they’re not already funded” and for financial backers “I need somebody that’s impulsive, is emotional, has money, and wants to go west. And it’s like: Now let’s see how much of a gambler you are. Because everything I have is in the movie.” So maybe Costner is quixotic enough to not care about box office returns but I doubt he going to find enough backers that don't care either.
I love stories like this, but I feel like this would have been a perfect eight episode mini series.
Costner films are like the miniseries we used to have in the 80s. You can see a 2 hour episode 2 the next night, not wait a year to forget everything.
I sort of agree. The era when you had to decide between movies (too short and usually a one-off) or series (long but low production value) is over, and there is another option.
Things like HBO made it more possible, to do the mini-series treatment (or high-value series with season-long stories), and then streaming made it possible to binge watch on one's own schedule.
I think it is a welcome development, because content makers can just tell better stories now (if they want to).
Horizon is a great movie. My maternal great grandparents were homesteaders in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana. I will watch Horizon's remaining chapters with great interest.
I loved it. My 11yo son started watching it with me in the second hour and had dozens of questions so I restarted and he was hooked with that opening Indian invasion scene. I’m genuinely curious about the fate in each of the stories and how they will eventually collide. I also think telling stories in different ways like this can be refreshing. I don’t usually watch westerns but it was wonderful that a movie captured our attention and made me so grateful for the comforts of my modern life. I can’t wait for part 2
Glad hes making films again. The shoot out in Open Range is probably the best ever.
I totally agree
Sadly not many people know that movies like "Open Range" even exist :(.
A shame in my opinion, since especially Open Range shows Costner and Duvall at their finest!
As an older person (53) this reminds me of something that would've been made into a NBC/ABC/CBS mini-series like North and South and Roots were.
That thing what squeaks!!
Yes, this would be a great miniseries. Surprised he didn’t go that route……like 1883 and 1923…..that would have been a good path to follow.
I agree. I think Costner is trying to make his Lonesome Dove.
Yes, it was called Centennial based on a Jame Mitchner (of Shogun fame) novel I believe. This mere TV mini-series was a far better product IMO showing the evolution and stories intersecting at a specific piece of land in the vast West.
@@melainewhite6409 There was also the Into the West mini series on TNT or TBS by Steven Spielberg years ago that was similar.
The score is a relentless avalanche. Itll keep me from getting to the end of even Chapter One.
The series Deadwood set an unpassable height for westerns for me
Swearingen (sp?) was the coolest guy in the West.
Man, Ive never watched that and have kept hearing good things over the years.I guess I better get on it. 😂
@@danbaumann8273 It´s the first series i would see if i got a full amnesia :D
@@tonta182 lol
Horizon is a great movie for those who like westerns. It reminds me a lot of Lonesome Dove. Kevin does a good job of taking you on an epic journey west. And this is only the first
Shout out for Lonesome Dove.
Has Robert Duvall ever made a bad film???
Costner did the same thing with Wyatt Earp....it dragged like crazy...he tried to put every little detail of Earp's life into it...ended up just being boring, AND, got crushed by Tombstone ! Guess he hasn't learned his lesson.
The problem with passion projects is that there is nobody around the passionate creator to tell them "No".
Henry cavill
Open Range was amazing in many ways.
I respect the approach and the commitment to go all in. I'm all in with Kevin Costner on this. RESPECT!
A thing that I appreciate on Costner is that his first priority is art, and money comes only second. A lot of good art in history exists only because someone wanted it and was willing to pay what it takes to get it. It doesn't always turn up to be good, but well... there is always such risk.
I spent my childhood and teen age years devouring all classic westerns. I get it, Costner you are a true fan of good cinema, we are kindred spirits. 😉🙏
Agreed with everything you said here, visually it was epic in scope! The score was also great as well, but what was with the last few minutes of all the random choppy action with zero dialogue or narrative? It really was a shame because some of the choppy scenes at the end seemed like it would have been a better story if those were more developed. That end cut to cut was randomly bizarre tp say the least. Costner's gun fight was the most iconic scene in the film, it reminded me of Open Range. I would have loved to see more of that in the film.
Loved this movie. A bit chaotic, but the stories are very captivating. Its a love letter to the genre
The last 10 minutes of "part 1" was hysterically bad. Like we were chortling in the theater about how ridiculous it was. An extended montage of "next time... on THE FRONTIER" with random scenes, it was just so ill conceived.
I guarantee this debacle is the result of nobody being able to tell Costner "no". This thing should have been a 10 part miniseries on HBO or Showtime but as a movie it just absolutely falls flat.
@@asmrhead1560 It's a series of connected movies. They aren't supposed to be standalone.
I also enjoyed it, but I am a real fan of the genre.
@@DanMcClinton They don't make enough Westerns, I agree wholeheartedly.
@@Hunnard That is no excuse for the first movie just... stopping. Don't piss on my boot and tell me it's raining.
If water world is as horrible as everyone claims then call it my guilty pleasure because I love it.
Same!
Yup and the postman is another one for me
It had it's moments.
I really liked water world
Water world is fn awesome. It's my second most favorite movie
With a Costner film, I want to be absorbed into and lost in this world, not just entertained. 12 hours of gritty, beautifully photographed escapism is fine with me.
LOVED every second of it. Watching it again. Epic sagas are too rare to pass.
I knew it was going to be long, I was there for an epic western and that's what I got. Excited for the next chapter.
IT's a very good movie , not for the critics of today I guess
@@tiphainec5055 people just hate Kevin Costner for political reasons. It's obvious in their shallow critiques. I bet most haven't even seen it.
@@Hollyweeds Ho really as i'm French I don't know that much about the politics of Costner .. why is he hated for that ? Too Traditional values ?
@@tiphainec5055 yes exactly. He's very pro American and some people just hate that.
@@Hollyweeds Gosh , when did loving your country and its history became a crime .. sad ear we are in .. especially with Costner whi is always nuanced about it .. I love this guy .. Actually he's pretty loved in France, I'm quite proud of that
3 hours x 4 movies? Should have been conceived as a Netflix series right off the bat. Instead of of being a movie flop it might have gotten more success on that format. Who cares if its not as 'prestigious'.
Heavily disagree. Some of the best memories movies are 2/3 hours long.
@@possummagic3571 This ain't no Tolkien.
@@andreleclerc7231 and you're no Ebert.
@@ifyoudisagreeyouarewrong well... box office did bomb, einstein, maybe there's something to it.
This is especially true if there aren’t separable storylines for each movie within the overarching plot. The length alone isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of a plot to follow for this movie. Much less problematic if the eighth episode of your Netflix show hasn’t wrapped anything up.
I swear Kevin Costner is incapable of directing a movie that’s less than 3 hours long.
More movie for your dollar 👍
And Tarantino.
Which would be absolutely no problem if the quality was there to carry it. If the story is engaging, the acting endearing and the cinematography impressive enough, runtime is of no real consequence. I Gladly would watch 4 hour long director's cut extended editions of Villeneuve's DUNE movies for example, even though they do have their weaknesses.
That's why it's been 27 years since Costner has been the Lead actor in a Big budget movie. And that one was The Postman, also a major box office flop.
Apparently there are four installments of this, so that's 12 hours total. Shoulda been a mini-series. 12 one-hour episodes coulda been one of the best shows on TV. But four three-hour movies, at a time when cinemas are dying, sounds like a critical mistake.
Waterworld is literally one of my favorite movies, and I love the postman....
My man!✋
Your analysis is spot on: Horizon would be SOOO much better if it was just written and shot like a Western version of Acolyte.
Odd that Wyatt Earp was listed as a Costner success... That thing bombed.
I saw this after I saw Tombstone. This was dull. I didn't need Earp's whole life.
@@suflanker45 I liked it more than Tombstone, which I found cheap and superficial, compared to Costner's work.
I thought the two films complemented each other. Enjoyed them both for different reasons.
saw it last week. Going to watch it again before it leaves the theaters. Loved it. So did my girlfriend. I'm hoping it gains momentum with Part two. Sometimes things take a second to take hold and then draw more people in. One thing I noticed about those in attendance, is that it skews to an older crowd. Me as well - I'm 54. I hope it succeeds.
It was all old people in the theater I watched the movie in. One of the old timers fell asleep and began to snore loudly. It made the rest of us laugh.
Movie starts, bunch of stuff happens that's hard to follow, movie ends.
Modern movies in a nutshell.
How was it hard to follow?
You hit the nail on the head Drinker. Each part of a multi-parted movie series should themselves be a self contained movie with its own resolve while at the same time leaving open the potential for the next part in the series.
But seriously, if a story is going to drag on to four whole films, they may as well just make it a mini series. If it's a gripping enough story most viewers will binge watch it. If it drags on for hours in a movie format viewers will feel it.
It doesn't drag, imho.
"Bill Durham"
Drinker hit the sauce early and hard
It's the Scottish accent, especially in Dindee
I gotta say that even the short clips you show here are visually absolutely stunning. This is BBC nature series levels of cinematography. It makes me want to see it just for this.
When did intermissions go out of style? With ads, previews, and the movie itself, they’re really pushing the limits of the human bladder.
Show up to the theater 20 minutes after the listed showtime if you don’t want to sit through ads and trailers.
They need to sell urine bags and IV lines because they have passed the limitations of the human bladder.
Trying to get my Wife to feel comfortable showing up AFTER the start time has been difficult but she’s had enough of the long preamble too. 😂
Even in my 50's my bladder can't take it. I never could understand how people could drink a soda while watching a movie. I guess your best bet is to step out during one of the slower scenes. But I'm a completionist, and I don't like to miss things.
@@JimmyMon666
Same
I always enjoyed The Postman. It was a movie of a regular man giving hope in a dystopian world, regaining and rebuilding a destroyed America by regaining the values that created it and made it great.
Also don't forget how great its actually to have a real set instead of just a pure CGI spew on the screen
Whatever, I loved this movie. It's the kind of thing you'll watch on a weekend when the wife and kids go out of town. And if he sticks the landing with the others, all the fragmented feelings won't matter. I'm very excited to see the rest of them, which is more than I can say for much else these days.
I also loved it. I saw it in a full theater during a matinee. A classic Western 💯
I Loved it too, so different from today' garbage ! so refrershing
Given the poor box office,I don’t think we are going to get part 3 and 4
@@brendangkelleher2669 PArt 3 is almsot finished filming so we'l get that one almost for sure .. Question is on part 4 , but I guess Costner is ready to go all in. !he doesn't do that to make money or please critiqcs, it's his life project and I think he'll die for it
@@tiphainec5055 Have to respect the man for that 👍
Yellowstone is more mafia, less western. I like it, but Horizon, WHAT A GEM!!! Shortest 3 hours I ever spent, can't wait for more. Put the Costner hate aside, and go see it. WAY worth it.
I haven't seen Horizon yet, but I think Kevin Costner's best Western films are Silverado and Open Range. Wyatt Earp was decent, but it's hard to come behind an instant classic such as Tombstone.
Tombstone and Earp are neck and neck as to which is better. What pushes Earp over the edge, in my opinion, is Earp follows the biography of Earp (by Stuart Lake) pretty well. But yes, Open Range is one of my favorite westerns. That gun fight at the end is one of the most realistic of all western films.
Waterworld is a timeless classic
If you have no standards or class, sure
@@alexgrenlie862Right here. I have low standards lol. I enjoyed Waterworld.
oh, yes it was.... __
@@alexgrenlie862 Yes because watching movies is so classy... You'll have to excuse me if i don't value the opinion of a random no name with a raccoon playlist...
I enjoyed it and never understood why it got a bad rap. It’s not claiming to be a critically acclaimed perfect piece of art, it’s a simple popcorn action flick
This movie deserves so much, movies like this need to be praised❤️
Horizons was incredible. It is like Open Range, Dances with Wolves, the Searchers, and Once Upon a Time in the West. I love it.
Once Upon a Time in the West is the only one of those that is good.
@@JamesNixon-b7p maybe in your opinion. Open Range is an excellent movie.
@@streetfightinmanrs The gunfight at the end is pretty good. I'll give it that.
On the plus side, the montage at the end gives the impression that they filmed all 4 parts simultaneously - and if they release them 6 months apart or less, that'll work pretty well in it's favor.
Like they would. (Edit: I hear the first two will be shown a month apart.)
I think Part 2 is coming out in August and Parts 3 and 4 will be released next summer and out a month apart.
If that’s true then hell ya, cause I ain’t watching if I gotta wait 4 fucking years for them to not film the end
Part 2 is already completed and dated to premiere in theaters on August 16, but parts 3 and 4 have not yet been filmed.
Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves remains one of my favorite movies, ever.
that's a brutal one. i remember being scared from the evil witch as a kid.
“But why a spoon cousin?”
@@JugglernautNr9 It had a bit of everything, one of the reasons it's great!
Professor Snape was amazing in that role.
@@peterslaby9782 "It's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more!"
Costner in his wheelhouse is an excellent act. Keep in Westerns or around a baseball and there is no one better.
He'd better try baseball then, this movie just ensured producers will avoid Westerns like the plague.
The Postman was a GREAT movie.
Waterworld(1995) is better and the best, IMO. It’s a sci fi classic
And I thought I was the only person on the planet who liked it.
The film was good, the book was better.
Lets be honest while not all Kevin’s movies have been successful the vast majority of them are a good time and have a cult following post box office.
I've always liked The Postman, too. Some really good performances and the story is pretty cool.
Loved the movie. Boomer here. This is a saga that needs telling and traditional Hollywood is already beyond redemption. I bought 2 seats just to throw Costner a bit more money. I appreciate the effort he is making here. If it seems convoluted, it is because you are too used to the lazy resort to audience-insulting exposition that almost all movie now contain too much of. Anyway, that's my opinion. Hoping for all 4 movies.
*Nailed it in one!!*
Not bogging down your story with exposition and just outright refusing to explain anything about your characters or their motivations are two different things entirely. Show, don't tell only applies insofar as you actually have the showing do the telling. Vomiting a 3-hour series of disjointed, confusing, unrelated fractions of a real story onto a screen is not trusting your audience's intelligence, it's shifting the burden of telling your story onto them. Forcing the audience to piece together the narrative you're trying to craft themselves just says that you don't know how to do it properly yourself.
!haha 2 seats !! You're the best ! Costner and this movie totally deserve it ! I'm gonna watch it a 2nd time in theaters and bring my father (who is suppose to be the boomer)
Part 2 is already completed and scheduled to premiere in US theaters on August 16, but parts 3 and 4 have not yet been filmed.
@@justinsayin3979 part 3 IS being film right now
The review was top notch. Thanks dude.
"Attention span of a brain damaged gold fish" LOLOL You nailed it again, Drinker!
Bro it’s such a normie take, everyone knows about low attention spans and the goldfish statistic.
As a brain damaged goldfish, I feel I must protest.
I saw a review of the movie by an actual cowboy. He said if you like the old John Wayne movies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's then the run time and story are great. But if you need a lot CGI and not very complex story then you will be bored. It was made for old cowboys like Kevin Costner and Sam Elliot.
I think we need more of this. So many movies across all genres are so in your face 24/7 that its hard to care but when a film just does its thing it draws notice.
Films shouldn't be everything to everyone and thats why Disney and Star Wars is failing at the end of the day.
This only deepens my conviction that I should watch Horizon instead of anything the Hollywood Machine belches out, because Kevin Costner is actually trying to make something good.
I love westerns, and this one is a long, boring, slog using multi-parts as an excuse to drag the story out for more money. I'll take Tombstone over this nonsense any day.
I'll take his Wyatt Earp over Tombstone any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Garbage and trash
Love Chapter 1. Yes it can be a little messy with 4 different stories at once but man it looks really beautiful
I liked it, but it was a bit long, and I love westerns. My wife, who doesn't like westerns, loved it and had no idea it was long. 🤷♂️
I actually found it short, I was surprised when we reached the end , i was so in the story and in the West !
Waterworld and the postman were ahead of their time.
No, they weren't. They were very much of their time - the special effects were top-notch for what they were. It was a time of bloated budgets by well-known directors. The problem with them is Costner being the leading man, as well as the pacing and editing. Not sure if he uses the same editor or if he edits himself, but he doesn't know how to create a taut action scene, nor can he maintain tension.
Our man here needs a double-bill rewatch.
In being shit
There were decades behind their time. The theatrical cut of Waterworld was a mediocre movie that absolutely deserved to get lost in the shuffle - seriously, look up the movies released in 1995, it was a stellar year for cinema.
The best parts of Waterworld were Tina Majorino as Enola and Dennis Hopper, imo. Along with the sets and camerawork. Costner was the worst thing about it
This should be a 12 part TV series. I watched it in 3 parts, as far. There are natural break points on the hour marks.
Loved it. The story is about the West. Not bloated, not slow but a feast.