Six-String Samurai is an indie western wuxia musical satire. And if that collection of random genre tags makes you cringe, this definitely isn't for you. The story, if you even care, goes that USA was bombed by the Soviet Union in the late 50s and is now a nuclear wasteland. Except for Las Vegas, known now as Lost Vegas, where Elvis declared himself king. But now the king is dead and we end up following Buddy (Jeffrey Falcon), a wannabe heir to the throne, as he makes his way towards Vegas.
The film is very nonsensical. There is a scene, for example, where Buddy and a kid that ends up following him on his journey are attacked by a group of cavemen driving a rusty pickup truck. And they attack our protagonists with a truck bed mounted catapult. Flinging colourful gobstoppers. And nothing else.
And yes, that is absolutely cray cray. It's bonkers. I dare even say that it is kind of imaginative. But does it add anything to the story, beyond making it seem like it isn't firing on all cylinders? The answer is no.
The film has the style down. It looks good. Falcon is a talented martial artist, who can sell all the nonsensical sword fighting scenes, but when the story itself is simply hot air, there's not much he can do. Not helping the matters is the kid, played by Justin McGuire. At least he had the dignity of starting to talk during the latter half of the film. Before that his only contribution to the film was bleating like a wounded animal.
Six-String Samurai is worth a watch if you're looking for something unique, something you won't get from mainstream films. It's not a good film, but it has an identity. That's more than some films can say, but I still would not recommend it.
The film is very nonsensical. There is a scene, for example, where Buddy and a kid that ends up following him on his journey are attacked by a group of cavemen driving a rusty pickup truck. And they attack our protagonists with a truck bed mounted catapult. Flinging colourful gobstoppers. And nothing else.
And yes, that is absolutely cray cray. It's bonkers. I dare even say that it is kind of imaginative. But does it add anything to the story, beyond making it seem like it isn't firing on all cylinders? The answer is no.
The film has the style down. It looks good. Falcon is a talented martial artist, who can sell all the nonsensical sword fighting scenes, but when the story itself is simply hot air, there's not much he can do. Not helping the matters is the kid, played by Justin McGuire. At least he had the dignity of starting to talk during the latter half of the film. Before that his only contribution to the film was bleating like a wounded animal.
Six-String Samurai is worth a watch if you're looking for something unique, something you won't get from mainstream films. It's not a good film, but it has an identity. That's more than some films can say, but I still would not recommend it.