After watching Kelly Reichardt's superb debut River of Grass (1994-also reviewed) I decided to take a look at what other directing debuts from the early '90's I had, waiting to be played. Having caught his classic Cornetto trilogy countless times on TV,I was pleased to spot Edgar Wright's feature film debut, which led to me grabbing a fistful of fingers.
View on the film:
While the performances from the game cast leans on the amateur hour side of things, writer/ directing auteur Edgar Wright takes successful shots at what would later become major themes. Splashing pulpy animated credits on the screen for his shot in Wells, Somerset (and some in Poole) Spaghetti Western, Wright quick-draws with editor Giles Harding a early aim at what would become a signature editing style in his works, using the staples of Spaghetti Western for fluid whip-pan shoot-outs, which take parting shots on crash-zoom-ins towards outlaws mysteriously disappearing out of frame.
Although the friendship between cowboy Walter Marshall and the Indian Running Sore lacks the thoughtful, focused touch that would feature in later male friendships of his future works, the screenplay by Wright has a handmade, zany inventiveness, thanks to a scatter-gun approach of gags holding talking "horses" made up of paper mache heads on mops,with sped-up Sam peckinpah riffs and a argument over the Butch & Sundance ending,all for a fistful of fingers.
View on the film:
While the performances from the game cast leans on the amateur hour side of things, writer/ directing auteur Edgar Wright takes successful shots at what would later become major themes. Splashing pulpy animated credits on the screen for his shot in Wells, Somerset (and some in Poole) Spaghetti Western, Wright quick-draws with editor Giles Harding a early aim at what would become a signature editing style in his works, using the staples of Spaghetti Western for fluid whip-pan shoot-outs, which take parting shots on crash-zoom-ins towards outlaws mysteriously disappearing out of frame.
Although the friendship between cowboy Walter Marshall and the Indian Running Sore lacks the thoughtful, focused touch that would feature in later male friendships of his future works, the screenplay by Wright has a handmade, zany inventiveness, thanks to a scatter-gun approach of gags holding talking "horses" made up of paper mache heads on mops,with sped-up Sam peckinpah riffs and a argument over the Butch & Sundance ending,all for a fistful of fingers.