“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
—attributed to Edmund Burke

 Reviews:

“Eastwood in fine form.”
—Gerry Shamray, SUN NEWSPAPERS OF CLEVELAND

“One of Eastwood's best oaters.”
—Steve Crum, KANSAS CITY KANSAN

“Clint Eastwood stars as the mysterious stranger who arrives in a town and challenges the citizens to fight evil.”
—Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH

 Rhetorical Ambiguities & Vicissitudes:

“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. ”
       —Isa 35:4

There are multitudes who regard earthly justice as an idealized phantom who is oft sought and much discussed, but seldom seen. Regardless of the political and bureaucratic rhetoric to the contrary, murderers, rapists, and pedophiles brazenly prowl among us. Criminal statistics, tainted by the inbred putrescence of an adversarial legal system born of questionable efficacy and inequitable compromise, pitch to and fro on the crosscurrents of ineptitude, bias, inconsistency, desensitizing media coverage, ephemeral political correctness, rampant corruption, and the rapidly growing tolerance delivered of hopelessness and apathy. Yet, in the minds and hearts of these selfsame multitudes there exists a Heavenly realm where justice, fairness, goodness, and integrity rest in the hands of an incorruptible God —a God who will put right that which has long been wrong, and who, in Romans 12:19, forebodes: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

“If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.”
       —De 32:41

 Observations & Revelations:

In truth, I am able to make no verifiable representations where this item is concerned. While I can most certainly ascertain the exterior condition of the tape itself and the protective plastic case in which it is housed, I do not, regrettably, possess the equipment (Betamax VCR) requisite to viewing the tape. I am, however, assured by the 83 year old gentleman who kindly donated this title, and who purchased it new at the seemingly outrageous price of $79.95, that the condition, when last viewed, was Excellent. He further informed me that, owing to deteriorating eyesight, the tape was viewed on not more than three occasions.

Although he derived great enjoyment from the various Westerns in his film library, I must confess that I have never seen this movie and am, therefore, unable to provide a personal critique, either pro or con. There exist, however, a remarkable number of online reviews by means of which one may glean a plethora of conflicting opinions and viewpoints, and become inculcated with the true meaning of subjectivity.

 A Bit About Beta:

With an estimated 18 million Betamax VCRs sold during its 27 year production run (1975-2002) and a not insignificant company of die-hard betaphiles who vehemently proclaim the technical superiority of Sony's Betamax design, there, nevertheless, exists a substantial dearth of Beta prerecorded and blank videocassettes.

Why then, with so many devotees, was a purportedly technologically superior and innovative product rendered virtually extinct? The reasons cited are many and varied, and include such suppositions as follow:

• Although, as a result of technological excellence, Sony was the firmly entrenched leader in the professional market (and so remain), they, ostensibly, completely misjudged that singular feature of greatest import to the mass market consumer. It became quite obvious, almost immediately following the release of the JVC VHS format, that the average consumer was influenced far more by the length of recording time than by video and audio quality. The early Sony Betamax offered a 60 minute record capacity, while the JVC VHS entry was double that amount.
• When Universal Studios and Disney filed suit alleging that VCRs, by enabling individuals to record movies and television programs, were infringing on the copyrights of movie and television producers and named Sony as the sole defendant, JVC and its growing alliance were permitted to proceed unimpeded while Sony was forced to divide its attention in order to address the legal proceedings. By the time that the case was resolved in Sony's favor, the Betamax market share had fallen to approximately 19%. The losers of the legal action, of course, promptly determined that they could, indeed, profit, nay prosper, by making available their products (a vast movie collection) on videocassette. Quite naturally their efforts were focused on that format which controlled the largest market share—VHS. The insatiable appetite of the consumer led to record sales of prerecorded tapes—VHS tapes. Those wishing to create a prerecorded videocassette library found that they had little choice but to purchase a VHS VCR. The battleship Betamax was listing heavily to starboard and would soon be relegated to the tranquil Sea of Nostalgia.
• To add insult to injury, the predominant VHS alliance began slashing the prices of its machines. (Increased sales lead to increased volumes lead to economies of production, etc.) At one point, an RCA VHS VCR could be purchased for $300 less than a Sony Betamax. As the price war raged, the meager Sony contingent lost more and more market share until by 1989 only 1% of the consumer-oriented VCRs being purchased were Betamax. In 2002, Captain and crew abandoned ship as Sony announced that production of the mass market Betamax had ceased.

Although production of the Betamax format ceased in 2002, there remains a steadfast and hearty band of ardent betaphiles who, with an indescribable zeal, painstakingly prowl rummage, yard, and garage sales, haunt the aisles of flea markets, and scrupulously search the Internet for that which is nearing extinction—the elusive Beta.

For you, the unwavering Betaphile, or you, the insatiable trivia buff, there currently exist sundry worthwhile online repositories of Betamax history, mythology, and lore. I include links to a few of the more noteworthy web sites for your perusal, edification, and, perchance, assistance.

Betamax — The Best Video System

Betamax PALsite Chat Room

Betaphile Club

The Ultimate Betamax Information Guide

Wikipedia — Betamax

 Pale Rider Betamax Video Tape Information:

• Title: Pale Rider
• Actor/Actress: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Christopher Penn
• Executive Producer: Fritz Manes
• Produced by: Clint Eastwood
• Directed by: Clint Eastwood
• Screenplay by: Michael Butler & Dennis Shryack
• Director of Photography: Bruce Surtees
• Music by: Lennie Niehaus
• Film Editing by: Joel Cox
• Cinematography by: Bruce Surtees
• Casting by: Phyllis Huffman
• Production Design by: Edward C. Carfagno
• Production Company: The Malpaso Company
• Video Released by: Warner Home Video Inc.
• Video Release Date: 1985
• Runtime: Approximately 116M
• Rating: R
• Language: English
• Color: Technicolor
• Sound Mix: Betamax Hi-Fi
• Closed Captioned:

 Starring:

• Clint Eastwood as Preacher
• Michael Moriarty as Hull Barret
• Carrie Snodgress as Sarah Wheeler
• Christopher Penn as Josh LaHood
• Richard A. Dysart as Coy LaHood
• Sydney Penny as Megan Wheeler
• Richard Kiel as Club
• Doug McGrath as Spider Conway
• John Russell as Stockburn
• Charles Hallahan as McGill
• Marvin J. McIntyre as Jagou
• Fran Ryan as Ma Blankenship
• Richard Hamilton as Jed Blankenship

 Special Features:

• Betamax Video Tape
• NTSC
• Digitally Processed
• Annotated Factory Case
• Betamax Hi-Fi
• Color

Specifications: 1