Hell to Pay
Hell to Pay
| 12 August 2005 (USA)
Hell to Pay Trailers

Ten legendary Western stars are reunited in this action-packed tale of brothers at odds-one a decorated soldier and reluctant hero, the other a gambler who keeps company with card sharks and corrupt women-in a small mining town torn apart by civil war. When they fall for the same woman, the brothers become divided; and one man is left to face a band of ruthless killers on his own. A tribute to the great American Western, Hell to Pay is a gritty and mesmerizing tale of love, honor, duty, treachery and betrayal.

Reviews
KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
zardoz-13 Amateur theatrics undermine "Border Shoot-Out" writer & director Chris McIntyre's wide-open-spaces epic "Hell to Pay," about enmities left over from the American Civil War. The only thing that distinguishes this pedestrian western that is the roll call of guest stars who starred in either western movies or television series. James Drury, Peter Brown, William Smith, Tim Thomerson, Buck Taylor, Lee Majors, Andrew Prine, and Denny Miller flesh out the cast. Ostensibly, they deliver the best performances in largely supporting roles. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast should never have gotten in front of a camera. Similarly, McIntyre could benefit from a course in film direction. The abysmal Sable Ranch sets look cobbled together. While McIntyre's skills are lacking as a director, he has written a tolerable horse opera with some good dialogue. This brother versus brother saga has a lot to do with the American Civil War. The villains still bear a deep-seated grudge toward the outcome of the war and take advantage of an African-American woman in one scene. Ultimately, everything boils down to a flamboyant gambler Chance (William Gregory Lee of "Mexican Sunrise") and a former Union Army officer Kirby (Kevin Kazakoff of "Universal Soldiers") who are related to each other. They are so alike that they act like one person. They are reunited with each other when the stagecoach that Chance is riding in pulls up on the trail at the sight of a Union Army officer. Whether he knew it or not, McIntyre seems to be channeling John Wayne's entrance in John Ford's immortal classic "Stagecoach" with this scene. The coachman, Johnny Behan (Peter Brown of "Laredo") refuses to let Kirby to hitch a ride until his Kirby's brother Chance lets him board the conveyance. All Kirby wants to do is settle down and bust sod, while his flippant brother Chance prefers to keep on gambling. You would think that McIntyre would have had Kirby and Chance team up again during the finale, but these two don't. Not only do the no-account the villains try to kill the town marshal (James Drury), but they also give Kirby a hard time. After appearing briefly in a ride-through-a scene, Sheriff Boone (Lee Majors of "Will Penny") rides back and saves the day. He has a shoot-out in the saloon with the chief bad guy, one-eyed saloon owner Dell Shannon (Bo Svenson of "Inglorious Bastards"), and kills him. The end credits thank Kevin Costner and Robert Vaughn for their contribution. Although it was shot in Hi-Definition Cinema on a Sony Cine Alta 900, "Hell to Pay" looks pathetic. Out of all the guest stars, James Drury fares the best. Shoot this western and put it out of our misery!
robertaawaters Hell to Pay is a bit bloody for my taste, even though it is no worse than many films. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the parade of seasoned stars and the western scenery & all; but, the story-line was very weak and I couldn't really see the point of it all. However, the music that accompanies the movie more than makes up for the lackluster film.Where did the guys -Nate & Noah Cryns- who wrote this music come from? They are awesome!! From the moment the music begins, it is by far, better than anything I've heard in years. I think it may be the best I've ever heard! Even though I wasn't thrilled with the action taking place on the film, the music evoked the exact emotion that was needed for each scene. I was transported in time to the old west during the opening credits and really felt like I was re-living those old days through the music.This movie is definitely worth a purchase and a viewing for the beautiful music and a trip down memory lane to see the old western stars once again.
witz-2 This has got to be the worst case of over acting since the silent era. Not just one or two actors but virtually the entire cast. Lee Majors and Bo Svenson were fine but the rest of them look like their first time acting.So the budget was not tremendous. Much of the costumes and set were believable but there were many things that jump out at the viewer to let us know that they couldn't double check or get all of the props to match the period.I can't think of one aspect of the film that I liked or didn't shake my head. Your time will be better spent burning lint collected from your bellybutton.
rancidroy I considered the combination of professional actors and experienced real life wild-west shooters a bit of refreshment.Admittedly a portion of the actors were "dated" but then the appeal of this movie is for the same group of folks. No, it ain't John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, or Tom Selleck but its an entertaining, straight forward movie intended to have no hidden messages or social commentaries. Which is what truly good movies are.....entertainment. I think this movie has the potential to become a sort of campy, cult classic.True, a couple of the "Bad Guys" could have been better looking but you gotta go with what you can get!