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Written by Larry Clow
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Wednesday, 06 December 2006 |
HSX Films, 1998
starring: Jeff Falcon, Justin McGuire, Stephane Gauger and John Sarkisian
directed by: Lance Mungia
the plot: In 1957, Russia dropped the bomb on America. Years later, “Lost” Vegas is a shining beacon in the desert, presided over by Elvis himself. When Elvis dies, hundreds of samurai rockers travel across the desert with the hope of becoming the new King. One of these is Buddy (Falcon), a lone warrior clad in a suit and tie and wielding a sweet guitar and a sharp sword. Along the way to Lost Vegas, Buddy rescues a young boy (McGuire) whose family was killed by marauding mutants, and the two encounter a host of freaks, weirdoes and malcontents, from an insane, nomadic Cleaver family to a gang of bowling-obsessed warriors known as the Pin Pals. They’re no match for Buddy’s blade, and as he leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, he attracts the attention of Death (Gauger), who is also heading to Lost Vegas to become King. As he nears the city, Buddy faces off against a Russian army battalion led by a cranky general (Sarkisian) who hates rock ’n’ roll. But before Buddy can be King, he must stare down Death himself.
why it’s good: A piece of comic book-style cheese that owes as much debt to kung-fu flicks as it does to ’50s pop-culture, “Six String Samurai” is truly a film that has to be seen to believed. The trick is to find the patience to sit through the whole thing, though. As exciting and well choreographed as they are, the fight scenes are usually too long, and there are a lot of other needless scenes interspersed throughout the film. And that cute, tow-headed sidekick? He’s annoying in the extreme, thanks to his repellant screaming and total uselessness for much of the movie. However, “Samurai” is still plenty of fun—the concept is killer, and the film has a certain visual flair that’s hard not to enjoy. There are some funny, subtle touches, too. Much of the dialogue is dubbed in the style of old-school martial arts movies, and there are plenty of off-hand jokes about Communism and the space-race. Falcon, a veteran of kung-fu movies, is a decent action hero (he performed all his own stunts), even when he’s saddled with an annoying kid. The rockabilly soundtrack, provided by The Red Elvises, manages to tie the movie together without being too over-powering.
why you should own it: A forgotten cinematic curiosity from the late ’90s, “Six String Samurai” is definitely worth watching at least once, so rent away. Lions Gate’s DVD features two music videos by the Red Elvises, but not much else.
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