In a Valley of Violence (2016)

A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge.

Director:

Ti West

Writer:

Ti West

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, Taissa Farmiga

Cast

Cast overview:
Ethan Hawke	...	Paul
John Travolta	...	Marshal
Taissa Farmiga	...	Mary-Anne
James Ransone	...	Gilly
Karen Gillan	...	Ellen
Toby Huss	...	Harris
Tommy Nohilly	...	Tubby
Larry Fessenden	...	Roy
Michael Davis	...	Dollar Bill
James Cady	...	Bartender
Burn Gorman	...	Priest
Kaius Harrison	...	William T. Baxter (as K. Harrison Sweeney)
Jumpy	...	Abby

Storyline

A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

wild west | small town | vengeance | street shootout | left for dead | 

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Taglines:

Keep Your Finger on the Trigger

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Its screening at South by Southwest gained notoriety after comedian Doug Benson forcibly removed an audience member for using his cell phone throughout the screening.

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Goofs

Just moments after Paul and Abby get out of the bath, Abby's hair is completely dry and fluffy as if she's never been wet.

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Quotes

Paul: [talking at his dog's grave] I'm not sure what you'd want me to do. I could just keep heading down to Mexico like we planned. I know I promised you that I was done killin'. But I think I'm gonna have to break that promise. I'm not done. Not yet. And it's not done with me, either. Those men left me with nothing. I'm gonna leave them with less.

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Connections

Referenced in Half in the Bag: The Fanatic (2019)

User Reviews

Horrible and humorous, just the way I like my Westerns.

"A town run by sinners." Priest (Burn Gorman)

Yep, Denton, Texas, is all that and more. It resides In A Valley of Violence, the titular warning to all of us that beside the dust, nothing is going to be pretty.

But don't be so gloomy, for this oater is a genre hooter, a tongue-in-cheek satire of the Western generously seasoned with absurdity and dark comedy. From the serious take of Clint Eastwood (think The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Unforgiven; or whatever) to Quentin Tarantino (think Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight), this Valley is temporarily governed by an ambivalent Marshal (John Travolta) and a stoic drifter, Paul (Ethan Hawke).

They are bound to clash as the Marshal tries to protect his lame-brained but hostile son, Gilly (James Ransone), from Paul's vengeance. Not so much because Gilly and the resident thugs employed by the Marshal are robbers or even lazy but because they have murdered Paul's ever-so- cute dog Abby (Jumpy).

Because that mutt is more adorable than The Artist's Uggie, we shift our sympathy immediately to him and forsake the humans. Talking about shifting realities, the town is set in Texas but filmed in New Mexico, whose landscape thankfully looks nothing like Texas's.

Writer/director Ti West, best known for horror films but just as much at home with this genre, has an especially good eye for the contradictions in the Marshal, who is a saint next to Gene Hackman's menacing Sheriff in The Quick and the Dead. But then, our hero Paul has his own contradictions, best to be enjoyed while watching the film, for character development is not West's primary goal.

No, he is interested in spoofing the Western while he crafts a blood and guts mini thriller. Along the way we can enjoy Jeff Grace's Morricone-like spaghetti Western music and titles and credits worth of the playful Tarantino and James Bond franchise.

He does this all to produce an enjoyable black comedy whose absurdity is in check while its comedy wins the day.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

In a Valley of Violence

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$29,343, 23 October 2016

Gross USA:

$61,797

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$61,797

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blumhouse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1