Six String Samurai
dir. by Lance Mungia
starring Jeffrey Falcon, Justin McGuire, Dan Barton
From the allergenic opening battle in the pampas grass to the final spirit hike to the emerald city of Lost Vegas, Six String Samurai gives a surreal interpretation of the popular Kung Fu Buddy film. Our hero, Buddy, the too-cool hero of this post-nuclear desert, crosses Death Valley to claim the title of King of Rock & Roll and rule Lost Vegas and what remains of the world we know. He saves a feral-boy wannabe from a marauding pack of Neanderthals, adopting him in his quest. Every other guitar player left alive has the same destination, but Death and his 3-piece back up band aren’t letting anyone get close. The Tom Petty-ish Death wipes out any number of unintroduced and unlamented guitarists. Death’s aim isn’t as good when he shoots at Buddy, who deflects arrows, rocks, and razor sharp bowling pins with his samurai sword and 6-string Fender. Too cool.
The highlight of this film is the rocking solid soundtrack provided by the Red Elvises. Not every band can work a balalaika riff into “Good Golly Miss Molly.” They provided a steady stream of original and interpreted cover tunes, and have shoes to die for. They do die in first reel, yet they keep the soundtrack rocking until the final credits roll.
Ultimately, this film points up the never-ending struggle between the heavy metal sound of death and decay and the life-affirming sound of ’50s rock & roll. In 5 years, you can drag this film out to verify your knowledge of cool and obscure art films that no one else has ever seen. Catch this one quickly before it goes to video. Blockbuster won’t have it, that’s for sure.
