So many people seem to hate this film! Yes, it's flawed (script is generic and predictable) but I still liked it, as it entertained me and had interesting subject matter. And an interesting cast too... At least check it out to hear Hopper's Irish accent.

(Some Spoilers) Taking place in California's wine rich Naper Valley circa 1895 the movie "Blood Red" has to do with a group of recently arrived Italian immigrants who've finally achieved the American dream of owning their own land. That's until a number of greedy and unscrupulous railroad and cattle barons decided to take it away from them! And with deadly force if necessary.

Using all the underhanded tactics available to him railroad bigwig Bradford Barrigan, Dennis Hooper, gets some of the wine growers-through treats and intimidation- to give up their land so he can bulldoze his railroad, the Barrigan Pacific, through it. It's when defiant Sabastian Collogero, Giancarlo Gianne, puts his foot down and cause a wine growers revolt that Barrigan calls in reinforcements, or paid head crackers, to put the wine growers in their proper place. Off their land and on the welfare rolls.

Not really interested in the family business young handsome and fun loving, especially towards the young ladies, Marco, Eric Roberts, is having a lot of trouble with his dad Don Sabastian is having an affair with his bitter rival, in the wine growing business, Don Antonio's, Al Ruscio, pretty daughter Angelica, Lara Harris. These differences between the two families, Marcco's and Angelica's, are soon forgotten when Barrigan through his top thug Andrews, Burt Young, starts making trouble for them.

With Sabastian refusing to give into Barrigan's unreasonable demands, give me your land or else, he ends up being brutally beaten and strung up by Andrews' goons who also attempted to burn down his home with his family in it. With negotiations, between the local wine growers and Barrigan conducted by the well meaning but very naive state Senator Endicott (Gary Swanson) falling apart, due to Barrigan's stonewalling, Carlo together with his two friends American Indian Samuel Joseph, Joseph Running Fox, and the not at all Italian looking fellow Italian Enzio, Michael Madsen, take matters-as well as their sturdy Italian shotguns-into their own hands.

Fine period piece reflecting on the bitter struggle of the common man against the big cooperations when the United States was coming into its own as a world power in the beginning of the 20th Century.

Feeling his native Italy Sabastian expected to realize his dream in finding a land of freedom justice and opportunities, not with its streets paved with gold, that would allow him to provide and care for his family. Having thugs like Barrigan and Andrews trying to take all he worked for, his land, away from him almost destroyed, as it did him, that dream. That's until his son Marco woke up and finally smelled the coffee-or cappuccino-and stopped chasing girls and got down to business by kicking a** in kicking Barrigan Andrews and all his goons out of Napa Valley.

This is a very good movie. It is well done in all respects. It is a good script with good casting. It is a delight to see the two Roberts together even though Julia has a very small role. IF you like good old fashioned tales about good and evil, good guys and bad guys, crooks and decent people, you will love this movie. Dennis hopper does what he does best, play a mean and nasty person - in this case, the railroad baron. Eric Roberts takes on the role of hero and fills that role very well. He is forced into his heroic stance by circumstance not by choice, making it all the more entertaining. This movie has it all, a villain, crooked politicians, good politicians, betrayal, a love story, little guys against giants, people fighting for their land and homes, – what more could you want. Fix yourself some popcorn, turn out the lights, sit back and allow yourself to be entertained in classic fashion. This movie does what all movies should do – no political agenda, no great moral – it is just good, old fashioned entertainment.