BILLY JACK GOES TO WASHINGTON (DVD) DVD

Billy Jack Goes to Washington
The fourth film starring Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack, Billy Jack Goes To Washington was a loose remake of Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. The story begins with Billy receiving a pardon for the trumped-up charges that put him behind bars in The Trial Of Billy Jack. To curry favor with youth and minority voters, Billy is appointed to a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. However, while Billy is told to not makes waves, he discovers Washington D.C. is a hotbed of rampant corruption, and he makes it his mission to bring honesty and justice back to our government. As with his other Billy Jack vehicles, Tom Laughlin wrote and directed the film as well as playing the title role; his wife Delores Taylor also appears again as Jean Roberts, and E.G. Marshall and Lucie Arnaz round out the supporting cast. Billy Jack Goes To Washington never received a theatrical release outside of a few scattered preview screenings, though Laughlin himself recently released the film on home video. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack Delores Taylor as Jean Roberts E.G. Marshall as Sen. Joseph Paine Terasa Laughlin as Staff Worker Elmer Bernstein as m Sam Wanamaker as Bailey Lucie Arnaz as Saunders McArthur Dick Gautier as Gov. Hubert Hopper Pat O'Brien as Vice President

Crew Hilyard M. Brown - Art Director Tom Laughlin - Director George Grenville - Editor Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score) Jack A. Marta - Cinematographer Delores Taylor - Producer Frank Capra, Jr. - Producer Teresa Christina - Screenwriter Tom Laughlin - Screenwriter Delores Taylor - Screenwriter Lewis R. Foster - Short Story Author

Billy Jack Goes to Washington
The cinematic odyssey of Billy Jack comes to a memorably surreal finale with this terminally odd combination of left-wing politics and crowd-pleasing melodrama. This film basically plops the character of Billy Jack down in the middle of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Needless to say, the results are eccentric -- a classic Billy Jack-style fight scene pops up in the middle of what is ostensibly a dialogue-driven melodrama, and Lucie Arnaz delivers a lengthy, cynical monologue about how Congress and the House of Representative bog down the work they are supposed to achieve. The film is also rather stilted -- the politicos are either hopelessly complacent and ineffectual or so villainous they make Snidely Whiplash look like a saint. However, Billy Jack Goes to Washington remains oddly watchable for the patient viewer despite this high level of eccentricity. Director/co-writer/star Tom Laughlin might not be able to coat his message in easily digestible entertainment, but he knows how to make a slick-looking film and manipulate the audience on a mechanical but effective level. Billy Jack Goes to Washington also benefits from the best cast of any Billy Jack film -- Arnaz, Sam Wanamaker, and E.G. Marshall all deliver committed, energetic performances, with Marshall taking home top honors as a corrupt but regretful politician torn between his corrupt industrialist patron and Billy Jack. Ultimately, Billy Jack Goes to Washington is too contrived and hysterical in tone to be genuinely effective for most viewers, but its distinctively unusual combination of elements make it an interesting curiosity piece for adventurous film buffs. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: Additional Features: MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: min   DVD Chapters: Chapters 0. Chapters 1. Opening Narration [1:50] 2. Senator Foley Dies [1:23] 3. Opening Credits [4:04] 4. Dan Has Top Secret Files [1:11] 5. Billy Jack Appointed [3:55] 6. Grandfather Says Go [2:20] 7. Dan Makes a Deal [1:01] 8. Billy Acceptance Party [3:01] 9. Saunders Makes Her Deal [1:47] 10. Billy's First Lesson [3:58] 11. How a Bill Gets Passed [3:25] 12. Collision Course Is Set [5:06] 13. National Initiative [3:02] 14. Dan Is Killed [4:41] 15. Billy Wants Answers [2:33] 16. Bailey Threatens Billy [7:38] 17. Carol Attacked [2:26] 18. Billy Saves Jean & Carol [2:48] 19. Billy Confronts Payne [3:37] 20. The Battle Begins [2:30] 21. Senate Hearing [6:57] 22. Jean Wants To Fight [2:16] 23. Billy Inspired By Founders [2:32] 24. Billy Makes His Stand [3:29] 25. Billy & Payne Go At It [6:30] 26. Filibuster [3:02] 27. Bailey's Machine Begins [2:00] 28. Payne Rallies Senators [2:51] 29. Billy Reveals The Truth [2:16] 30. Bailey Controls The Media [2:28] 31. Bailey's Public Opinion [2:34] 32. Another Lost Cause [5:14] 33. Billy Collapses [3:18] 34. Billy & Jean in Ambulance [:49] 35. Payne's Conscience Wins [2:38] 36. Closing Credits [2:35]