Proof that weirdness and originality - properties that Six-String
Samurai has in spades - doesn't always translate into a good movie. This
indie post-apocalyptic spoof/homage/rip-off is a minor cult item on the
Internet thanks to the type of movie fan who likes to delve up the most
obscure films as personal favorites, sort of the one-upmanship of pop
trivia seen in the excellent High Fidelity movie.
OK, sure. We all have a bit of that in all of us. After all, you're
reading a review by someone who thinks that A Boy and
His Dog (1975) is one of the best and most influential science fiction
movies ever made! However, sometimes such "cult" movies are merely
obscure and simply devoid of any aesthetic values that warrants their
status. Simply put: Six-String Samurai isn't all that good really . .
. one doesn't connect emotionally to the material while some bits are simply
irritating.
(How weird is Six-String Samurai? The plot involves a samurai
sword wielding Buddy Holly lookalike traveling through the desert on his
way to Lost Vegas. You see, Lost Vegas needs a new king after Elvis died.
Did we mention that America was taken over by the Russians in the late 1950s
after a nuclear war?)
THE DISC: For an indie movie (one made independently of the major
Hollywood studios for cheap) Six-String Samurai's production values
are quite good. The photography is good and looks great on DVD. Really crisp
image. Most surprising is the sound, which is really alive and kicking. Good
stuff too. It is presented in its original theatrical aspect of 1.85:1
widescreen. It is however not an anamorphic transfer. (See? I can get tech
geeky with the best of them . . .)
It is a bit skimpy on the extras though: the menu is static. There is an
original trailer plus a long-ish trailer for movies distributed by the same
company, ranging from anything from The Basketball Diaries and Ninja
Scroll to Ghost in the Shell and Wings
of Honneamise (now there's some DVD titles I'd like to get my hands on).
Add to this two oddball music videos by the Red Elvises the Rock 'n' Roll
outfit who did most of the songs featured on the soundtrack and you have the
whole package.
What would have been nice is a director's commentary: I am sure there are
always interesting stories to tell about movies made at such low budgets.
For instance, apparently this movie was only filmed during weekends because
the kid in it had to go to school during the week . . .
Oh yeah, this is an all region disc.
WORTH IT? Do you like dragging out obscure movies such as The
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension to
freak/impress/scare your friends? Then I suppose this is a worthwhile
purchase.
RECOMMENDATION: People who will borrow this DVD from you might
just question your sanity. This isn't really a good movie after all. So
beware . . .
