The Complete Billy Jack Collection

Tom Laughlin's Billy Jack was a cultural icon of the 1970s. Half Indian, half white, Jack's a Vietnam veteran and ex-Green Beret trained in martial arts who wants to turn his back on violence to become one with the natural world of his reservation, which he defends against incursions from the outside. The character first appeared in Born Losers (1967), a biker film that Laughlin wrote, produced, and directed under various pseudonyms, but Billy Jack (1971), the story of an alternative Freedom School on an Indian reservation under attack from greedy, powerful local townspeople, is the movie that Laughlin and his wife Delores Taylor ( also his co-writer and costar) really wanted to make. Billy Jack explores the plight of Native Americans, celebrates the counterculture, and promotes peace through comedy in a community drama program (Howard Hesseman and Alan Myerson of the San Francisco improv troupe The Committee perform the satirical sketches). When peaceful protest is met with guns and brutality, Billy becomes a one-man army of poetic justice, kicking major ass. After Billy Jack became a smash hit, Laughlin and Taylor made two sequels: The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), an almost three-hour epic that pits Billy against the National Guard, and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977), which turns Billy into a butt-kicking Mr. Smith. Neither sophisticated nor subtle (with often appalling performances), the cult quartet is a cinematic artifact of a generation. DVD extras feature Laughlin and Taylor on two separate commentary tracks for each film: one from 2000, the other recorded in 2005 (moderated by their son, Frank Taylor, and covering much of the same territory). A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 8, 2017—Shout! Factory, 4 discs, 511 min., not rated/GP/PG, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $44.99—Making their latest appearances on DVD and debut (for nearly all) on Blu-ray, 1967's The Born Losers, 1971's Billy Jack (the only title here previously released on Blu-ray), 1974's The Trial of Billy Jack, and 1977's Billy Jack Goes to Washington all feature fine transfers and DTS-HD mono soundtracks. Extras on each film include audio commentaries (with director/star Tom Laughlin and wife/costar Delores Taylor; and with Laughlin, Taylor, and son Frank Laughlin), and stills galleries. Bottom line: this minor cult classic series looks good on Blu-ray.]