SKIN THAT SMOKE WAGON, LANE
If you haven’t seen Tombstone, you are doing a severe disservice to yourself and your future heirs to not grant them the knowledge, wisdom, and dramatic testosterone offered them by this huge throbbing penis of a movie. Tombstone posits a compelling vision of the world where everyone has mustaches and is doing one of the following at all times:
a.) kicking someone’s ass
b.) preparing to kick someone’s ass
c.) getting ass kicked
d.) is drinking
e.) is drinking and dying of tuberculosis
f.) is drinking, dying of tuberculosis, gambling, and kicking someone’s ass
g.) is addicted to laudanum
This perfect vision of the world still applies to our world. (Though you could slip “is watching pornography on a cell phone while high on crystal meth and preparing to shoot a stranger in traffic” in there, too.) So many good things are in this movie: Billy Zane getting killed in cold blood, Kurt Russell saying shit like “Skin that smoke wagon” and “Hertz, donut” when he’s trying to say “Hurts, don’t it?”, Sam Elliott firing shotguns, pre-manorexic Billy Bob Thornton getting bitch-slapped by Russell, and Billy Zane getting killed in cold blood
We haven’t even touched the obvious quality–Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday–mostly because its quality as obvious as the parallels between Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer in the clip above. Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself. Just remember that line for when someone tells you you’ve had too much to drink. It sounds great, especially if you vomit onto their shoes just after saying it. In case you needed one more selling point, take the bit of trivia from IMDB that we may get as our epitaph:
Director George P. Cosmatos is quoted as saying that all lightning and mustaches are real.
No higher compliment can be paid to a life. (HT: Kevin.)









1
spartymike says:
I posit that Tombstone is one of the more overrated movies out there (not saying it’s not good!).
My proof: Jason Priestly is prominently involved. QED, bitches.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
2
jd says:
the opposite of the drunken “i have not yet begun to defile myself” is the drunken “I’m your huckleberry”.
results may vary.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
3
Orson Swindle says:
Spartymike: counter! All mustaches and lightning are real. Also this movie did what Marilyn Monroe couldn’t do to Robert Mitchum: it broke his back.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
4
The Holy Grail says:
Pure, unadulterated genius…. tips afternoon beer your way…. I can watch Billy Bong Thorton get bitch-slapped over and over again…. if only Headley Lamar (sp?) were in this production just to hear the phrase “Let’s go do that Voodoo that you do so well” and of course, Billy Zane dies in cold-blood
June 30th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
5
spartymike says:
Orson: concession. It does have Sam Elliott and his mustache, which remains to this day the grossest omission from your Wednesday tradition.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
6
sandman227 says:
It’s a shame that Dennis Quaid’s Doc got outshone by “Tombstone”….”Wyatt Earp” was a much better movie: with the glaring, disappointing exception that it starred Kevin Costner.
Wyatt: “What the hell’s the matter with you, Doc?”
Doc:”What’s the matter with me? What have you got??”
June 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
7
sandman227 says:
Oh, and the exception that “Tombstone” featured Dana Delany…Grrrrrrrrrrr
June 30th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
8
Stan Gable says:
Must agree with Sandman….although my idiot friends laugh at me ’cause I think Wyatt Earp is the better movie…..and yes, Quaid is a much more realistic “Doc”
That Billy Bob scene, though, is the best thing in Tombstone and worth weathering the rest of the movie……”I’ll be your huckelberry” is kinda cool too….
June 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
9
Billy From Baton Rouge says:
How is it we’ve had 3 high school musicals, yet nobody has ever reproduced the formula of drinking/mustaches/shooting/zanedeath to box office gold?
Also, Meyer/Kiffen comparisons aside, Kurt Russell and Les Miles bear a striking resemblance.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
10
italiangator says:
@Stan Gable, if I wanted a realistic Doc, I’d go read some books and never watch another Hollywood film; if I want the coolest motherfucker to ever walk the planet, I’ll go ahead and take Kilmer’s Doc.
and O, the plan a few years ago was to make t-shirts for all the regulars at Balls’ all-you-can-drink Wednesday nights; the back being just a short, sweet, “I have not yet begun to defile myself”.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
11
beerbaron says:
While I prefer Tombstone to Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp has the best single line…
“You can all kiss my rebel dick.”
June 30th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
12
Touchdown74 says:
Tears. Of. Joy.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
13
Mooncricket says:
And you must be Doc Holliday.
-That’s the rumor.
You retired too?
-Not me. I’m in my prime.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
14
EZ says:
Tomorrow’s topic: Which was the better movie? Like Father Like Son or VIce Versa?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
15
Raider Red says:
“I have two guns. One for each of you.”
June 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
16
Orson Swindle says:
Oh, sooooo easy. Judge Reinhold’s best performance.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
17
Brizzle says:
Anybody who says ‘Wyatt Earp’ is better than ‘Tombstone’ is no daisy, no daisy at all.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
18
twogreattastes says:
That moustache is by far Kurt Russell’s single greatest achievement ever. He could have just stopped trying after that and it would’ve been fine by me.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
19
Vol says:
I must say, Gator people…y’all are really all in on this Kiffin thing. You better hope he’s not successful, because you’re setting yourself up for a major dose of humilty if he turns out to be the Boy Wonder we on Rocky Top hope he is.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
20
dg8r says:
Oh Vol, don’t be silly.
Kiffin:
What is that now? Two championships in three years? Meyer, son of a bitch, nobody’s that lucky.
Urban:
Why Kiffen, whatever do you mean? Maybe football’s just not your game Lane.
I know! Let’s have a spelling contest!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
21
JTG says:
One of my favorite scenes in any movie is when Kilmer as Doc clowns Johnny Ringo with his spinning shot glass routine. Awesome.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
22
Brizzle says:
Yes, well this happens to be a Nocturne.
A which?
You know, Frederic fucking Chopin.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
23
Pig Stabbin Z says:
Much like a previous discussion about Bill Paxton on this site, the inclusion of Sam Elliot makes anything gold. See: Big Lebowski, Tombstone, Roadhouse, When We Were Soldiers. He is outranked on the True Man meter by only John Wayne and Bruce Dern.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
24
Matt says:
Orson and co.,
Thank you for the work you do everyday.
3 lines in succession with the same meaning:
Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens.
I said throw down, boy.
Are you gonna do something or just stand there and bleed?
Genius.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
25
Farsider says:
Video could have used more of the Freek’s touch, but point was well-taken. TS had more great lines, more all-around tough guys, than any western I can remember. Michael Biehn’s portrayal of Johnny Ringo and Powers Boothe’s creepy Curly Bill Brocius are memorable. Just which college football coaches channel the redoubtable Brocius and Ringo? Mike Leach gets my vote for one of those roles.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
26
JediBendu says:
Curly Bill: “Well… bye”
June 30th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
27
Displaced Gator says:
Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave.
If you don’t think Val Kilmer wasn’t the best Doc Holliday you are clearly bat shit crazy.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
28
Brizzle says:
@27
I totally agree, except I was gonna go with “nuttier than squirrel shit.”
June 30th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
29
An 'eer with a Beer says:
@23
Bruce Dern? True Man meter?
I think you meant weasel-o-meter.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
30
yoyofutbawl says:
29
Pure weasel, best epitomized in “Smile” as the sleazy SoCal RV dealer. Which has me thinking how hot Annette O’Toole was way back when.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:22 am
31
TJ says:
spartymike:
Also, Charlton Heston. Any movie that gets Heston to just show up for 30 seconds and be gruff, that’s a mansome movie.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:13 am
32
JIMatUA says:
My favorite…”You tell them I’m coming…and hell’s coming with me!! Hell’s coming with me!”
As an honorble mention. “It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds”
July 1st, 2009 at 7:16 am
33
Stan Gable says:
Hey Z at #23….Dern’s manness only extends to his role at Rumsfeld in the ‘Burbs. “A soldier’s way, saves the day!”
July 1st, 2009 at 8:06 am
34
Ltrain says:
#14 – Honorable mention to Eighteen Again?
#19 – Don’t feel special. We never heard from any other fans that Urban’s gimmicks would never work in the SEC, or that Tebow was a glorified fullback who would never succeed as a starter, blah blah blah. It’s normal off-season idiocy. There is evidence, though, that the SEC has proven to be a tough place to learn on the job, see [Name Redacted], Corch.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:19 am
35
Spats says:
“Goddamn! It’s like I’m playing cards with my brother’s kids, or something.” (just before being bitch-slapped). I still say that, occasionally.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:11 am
36
iggy says:
“You nerve wracking sons of bitches….”
“You see this? It says UNITED STATES MARSHAL… You called down the Thunder well now you’ve got it…”
“I see a red sash I kill the man wearin it!”
Tombstone is easily one of the most quoteable movies ever made…. Second maybe to Return of the Jedi…
“The Emperor does not share you optimistic appraisal of the situation….”
July 1st, 2009 at 2:50 pm