Quigley Down Under



The Western with a twist: it's set in Western Australia.

Matthew Quigley, possibly the world's greatest sharpshooter, travels to Australia from Wyoming to take up employment with Elliott Marston, a Cattle Baron who needs help clearing wild animals off his land. When he finds out that the "wild animals" he's expected to kill are the local Aboriginal people, he doesn't take it too well. Marston doesn't take being thrown out the nearest window too well, either. Things kind of escalate from there.

In addition to his other problems, Quigley has to deal with Crazy Cora, who's quite pretty but comes by her nickname honestly, and is apparently convinced he's her long-lost husband Roy. You don't need us to tell you how that subplot ends, do you?

Released in 1990, the film stars Tom Selleck, Alan Rickman, and Laura San Giacomo.

""Some men are born in the wrong century. I think I was born on the wrong continent.""
 * Bedouin Rescue Service
 * Born in the Wrong Century: Marston fancies himself this, as he has a fascination (Almost an obsession) with the American West and traditional Cowboy fare.

""It's a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length's thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It's converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred forty grain paper patch bullet. It's fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It's marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further.""
 * Cattle Baron
 * Cloudcuckoolander: She is not called Crazy Cora for nothing. Watch the movie to see just what drove her crazy.
 * Death by Irony
 * Fastest Gun in the West
 * Foreign Culture Fetish: Marston
 * Foreign Queasine
 * The Gunfighter Wannabe
 * Gun Porn: The Sharps.


 * The Gunslinger
 * I Am Not Left-Handed/You Said You Couldn't Dance:
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: Averted. He almost never misses, but at anything past point blank range he has to line up his shots carefully, adjust his sights and he often uses a solid base to help prop up and steady his weapon. Just like he would need to do in reality.
 * Instant Death Bullet
 * In the Back: Used a few times, just because battles are chaotic, but very pointedly Averted at one point. Quigley narrowly escapes a barrage of bullets and gets the drop on his THREE attackers. Although the element of surprise would have been very useful, Quigley calls out to them just so they will turn around and save him from this trope.
 * Land Down Under
 * Magical Native American Aborigine
 * No One Could Survive That: With those exact words!
 * Of Corsets Sexy: Cora.
 * Only a Flesh Wound
 * Period Piece
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: Marston sure hates him some Aborigines.
 * Roof Hopping
 * Shop Keeper
 * Showdown At High Noon: Kind of.
 * Single-Issue Psychology
 * Stealth Hi Bye: An entire tribe of Aborigines, simultaneously; Quigley is suitably impressed.
 * Thoroughly Mistaken Identity
 * Try and Follow
 * Villain Ball/Bond Villain Stupidity: Marston whizzes two chances to just shoot Quigley.
 * Wanted Poster
 * The Western
 * Weapon of Choice: Quigley's custom 1874 Sharps Buffalo Rifle and Marston's Peacemakers.
 * You Said You Couldn't Dance