Six-String Samurai (1998)

Directed by: Lance Mungia

Runtime: 91 minutes

 

So someone thought it would be a good idea to dump nuclear apocalypse, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, kung fu movies, Ogami Itto (Lone Wolf and Cub or Shogun Assassin(which ever works for you)), the sillier aspects of the 1950's and the invading Soviets into a blender. The result is a beautifully shot and absolutely insane movie. Let the madness begin.

The movie opens with a nameless child and his mother running away from post nuclear cavemen. In Disney fashion the mother quickly gets taken out of the movie and leaves the nameless child on his own. Before the cavemen can kill off the kill off the kid as well our hero Buddy (a.k.a. The Six-String Samurai) jumps into the scene and quickly cuts down the cavemen. As the Child tries to understand what just happened, our protagonist starts leaving telling the Child to just fly away.

The two of them go walking through a picturesque and barren locations while Buddy tries to get rid of the Child. The Child lets out a rather annoying yell shout thing that he does for about two thirds of the movie and the pair go to the next plot point in the movie.

The reason Buddy and the Child are on this strange journey is because The King of Lost Vegas is dead and Buddy hopes to wear the crown. Back story time, back in 1957 the Soviet's launch an nuclear attack and invade the United States. This leaves the US in ruins except for one city Lost Vegas. Lost Vegas is ruled by Elvis Aaron Presley making him both the king of Rock and Roll and the king of what was Las Vegas. Fast forward to where the movie takes place and The King is dead and anyone who play an electric guitar and use a weapon is heading to Lost Vegas to be the next king.

Along the way Buddy and the Child meets neo-cavemen, bowler assassins, cannibals that still think it is the 1950's, assorted weird and colourful nuts, survivors of the Red Army, and Death and his bow packing band. Death is also on his way to Lost Vegas as well to kill rock and roll and make death metal the music of choice.

This is the movie as a whole. Scene, some somewhat witty dialogue or no dialogue, a silly but fitting adversary that Buddy skillfully takes out, the Child being annoying, Buddy going further down the road with the Child in tow and repeat with a new scene. This is also the only negative point I had with the film and this is more something I found annoying instead of something that damages the film.

 It was an enjoyable watch overall and I strongly recommend watching this if you can find it. It is also a shame that Jeffrey Falcon never did another film after this. He reminds me of Bruce Campbell that is skilled martial arts.

MVT: The best lines from the film:
Mesh-Head: If I were you, I would run.
Buddy: If you were me, you'd be good-lookin'.  

Make or Break: The make for me is a three way tie between the soundtrack by The Red Elvises, the landscape shots and the insanely fun plot. The break for me was the repetitiveness of the story.

Score: 7.5 out of 10