The Legend of God's Gun
Marina Guirguis | los angeles, ca | 10/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Will someone with a gun shut this preacher up?" Viewers need saddle up for this wild, hallucinogenic gallop through Leoni's classics! In "The Legend of God's Gun," a lone preacher in the godless town of Playa Diablo seeks retribution for his lost love, murdered at the hands of venom-sucking bandito, El Sobero. In the process, the town of plagued villagers is purged of its demonic ills in this twisted rendition of good versus evil. Conceived by madman and composer Kirpatrick Thomas (the evil, El Sobero), the film is a visual and auditory tribute to the spaghetti western- exploded and deconstructed for your postmodern palette. Shot, edited, and directed by Mike Bruce (the less than honorable sheriff of Playa Diablo), "The Legend of God's Gun," is a visceral collage that is sure to become a cult phenomenon.
With a ridiculously low budget, a production team (including cast) of about 100, and over three years in the making, the film is a miraculous incarnation by all rights. Presented in 5.1 surround-sound, the production delivers a dark, orgiastic, and hyperbolic explosion of classic western elements meant to jolt and amuse its audience through spectacle and sound, rather than through logical plot narrative. With dream sequences that recall some of Fellini's spectral signature, Mike Bruce retains a stylistic savvy that honors its Italian predecessors while it recreates the genre in an aggressive and pioneering format (thanks to Bruce's creative editing.) Extra features on the DVD include music videos by Gram Rabbit and Spindrift, hilarious outtakes, and behind-the scenes mayhem.
Remarkably, the soundtrack (which precedes the film in its conception) triumphs as a singular achievement that deserves its own attention. Kirpatrick Thomas is the prolific songwriter and longtime front-man for Spindrift, a Los Angeles based psychedelic rock band whose performances have graced such festivals as Austin's SXSW and Joshua Tree's Clean Air Clean Stars. Serving as a spiritual catalyst for the film's vile happenings, Kirpatrick's ambient and romantic compositions venerate Morricone's work while his haunting vocal tracks will linger long after the film's viewing. Musically, the soundtrack offers a sublime debut of Thomas' potential as one of today's great film composers.
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