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Even though its listed as a 2005 release film, it wasn't until 2006 that this film was released here in New Zealand.

I can say, without a doubt that Good Night, and Good Luck was in my opinion the best film of 2006. Superb performances all round (David Strathairn in particular) and a fascinating look at one of the darkest periods in America's modern history. The dangers of television pointed out in the final speech by Edward R. Murrow were a prophetic warning as to what and how television should be used. The question as to where the responsibility lies and what should be done to place restrictions on the material broadcast remains to be asked? I can see how such a film remains ever so timely in todays world of television and how anything outrageous is broadcast for the sake of boosting ratings. For me, Good Night, and Good Luck is a comparison piece to Sidney Lumet's Network, two films that look at the television industry and address what is right and proper to broadcast to a nation. While Network is a satire, they both address the same issues and they remain as both important, fascinating and topical films.

After seeing Sam Peckinpah's definitive western The Wild Bunch and his under-rated anti-war film Cross of Iron, I was looking decidedly forward to viewing more of his films. Next came The Osternam Weekend, a terribly uneven film which made Peckinpah's trademark slow motion filming technique look like budget, overused television replays. After that disastrous engagement, Peckinpah's reputation as a great filmmaker was dropping. Hearing that film critic Roger Ebert gave Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia four stars and that he called it a masterpiece, I was re-enthusied to see more Peckinpah! However, the film was poor in pretty much all departments. The films only redeeming quality was the presence of Warren Oates, the great character actor. Finally in a starring role, the film showcases his great talent as a leading dramatic actor. If you are a fan of the late Warren Oates, as I am, then this film is for you. But beware, this film is slow, boring and at times just plain stupid. I'm surprised that there are so many scholars and authors out there who examine each Peckinpah film in such in-depth detail when the film is just plain bad and has no cinematic quality to it whatsoever.

The saga of Tom Horn - a real-life "enforcer" of Old West days - held a particular fascination for another legend. Hollywood icon Steve McQueen starred in and executive-produced what would be his next-to-last movie, a gritty, exciting recreation of Horn's latter-day career in a turn-of-the-century West where gentler ways supplanted the law of the gun - and Horn would be an unwitting victim of that change.

Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth, Billy Green Bush and Slim Pickens head a strong cast in a film capturing the essence of a time when a man's word was only as good as his guns or fists. Shot on serenely beautiful Arizona locations, Tom Horn indelibly brings to life one of the West's truly unsung heroes.

McQueen's Tom Horn remains to me an unfairly dismissed film. Not only do we have excellent performance from Steve McQueen, but the rest of cast (especially Richard Farnsworth), put in emotionally charged performances. The film is also littered with excellent action sequences such as the violent gun battle at the farm ranch and the attack on the cattle rustlers as they attempt to gun down Horn. The film also built up genuine suspense towards the end and the audience really felt sympathy for the Horn character, a quality hard to find in films of today.

The script was also at times sharp and was humorous (look at the great scene between Horn and the soon to be Heavy Weight Champion of the World) and it really complemented McQueen's acting performance.

The film boasts excellent photography, shot on beautiful Arizona locations (the hills, the sky, the sunset) and direction from William Wiard. Also worth a mention is the costumes which give the film that extra bit of authenticity and the music which assists in building up the suspense

From its realistic shootouts to the pounding musical score. From the lush photography to the dark humour... Tom Horn remains an underrated film of excellence which any fan of Steve McQueen or Western's should not miss out on...