Appaloosa

Viggo Mortensen follows a classic cowboy code in the Western "Appaloosa": Speak softly and carry a big honkin' gun.

Mortensen Packs a Big Gun
By David Germain
Associated Press
17 September 2008



"When I first had it, I said, `Do you really need it to be an eight-gauge, Ed?'" Mortensen, 49, said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Appaloosa" premiered in advance of its theatrical release Friday.

"It's not that manageable, it's not going to be accurate at much distance. I said, `I'm not going to shoot that thing off a horse, because I'd get blown off the horse, realistically.'"

Viggo Mortensen on the eight-gauge shotgun
Mortensen Packs a Big Gun
By David Germain
Associated Press
17 September 2008



"It was so big, I didn't know at first if I could walk around with it in the movie because it was so huge. Then we made the decision that he should walk around with it everywhere. The gun would be his bad-ass friend and sidekick....
The gun is used as a sort of nuclear deterrent."

Viggo Mortensen on the eight-gauge shotgun
Mortensen delves into America's cowboy mentality
By Katherine Monk
Canwest News Service
7 September 2008



"The first day, I said, 'I know it's in the book, I know it's an important part of the character. But it's a big gun.' And I thought, 'It's going to be a long couple of month if I have to do this every day.' But by the second day, I liked it. And I said, 'Actually, I want to have it everywhere, have it when I'm in bed, when I'm having dinner, when I'm walking down the street.' And it is kind of intimidating. It was like my -- my scary friend, you know? But it had a psychological effect. It's like that thing you fight sometimes, the obstacle becomes your friend, you know? So, it was alright."

CBS Interview
8 September 2008



One of the things that will make Everett Hitch an iconic western hero is not his selflessness, his skill or integrity... It's his gun. You see, Hitch's weapon of choice is an 8-gauge shotgun. You heard me right, 8-gauge. I didn't even know a shotgun that large existed and Hitch carries the telephone pole-sized cannon the entire movie. When he uses it, your jaw will hit the ground.

Coop Cooper
The Small Town Critic
1 October 2008