PARK CITY, Utah -- "Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane" is racked with grease and polish and chassied high with kick-butt, gas-guzzling entertainment. A midnight hit at the Sundance Film Festival, this neo-Tarantino, post-"El Mariachi" cheapo is a rough-edged gem and a nifty debut for filmmaker Joe Carnahan, who reportedly made it on a shoestring -- minus the caps on the ends.
A 1963 Pontiac Le Mans -- convertible, cherry and loaded -- is the center of attention in this off-road, rack-and-pinion economy film. Used-car lot partners Bob and Sid are in hock to the tune of 83 grand and threatened with eviction if they don't come up with some quick recompense. The two lemonheads get an interesting offer from a supplier, Ray, a fringe figure who has provided them the Vegas, Pintos and other immovable puddle-jumpers that caused them financial woe in the first place. Ray has a one-time-offer deal: accept delivery of the Pontiac, let it sit on the lot for 48 hours and a briefcase containing $250,000 is theirs.
Sounds nuts, sounds desperate and dangerous. What's in the car? Bob and Sid get edgy. It's only a matter of time and something loud and noisy, we get the feeling, will hit the fan. Interspersing the two losers' situation with a series of drug kills and other off-road activities, screenwriter-director Carnahan has notched a hard, funny and incendiary scenario. The dialogue is hypercrazed, dead-on, smartly goofy and laced with some acidic and detonous satirical doses. In short, "Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane" crackles with high-intensity wit and torque.
As the used-car oafs, Dan Leis and Carnahan are aptly intense and frazzled, while Dan Harlan is solid as a sleazy, successful used-car mogul. A tip of the hat to Hugh McChord for his icy Mr. Reich, a sociopathic killer who appreciates finer vehicles.
Admittedly, there's not a lot of backstory or spectacle gumming up this low-budget entree. Carnahan's visuals are tight, packed and tightly charged. An open account at the lab for cinematographer John Jimenez for the sharply glazed look and to editors Carnahan and John Flanagan for the pedal-to-the-metal pace.
BLOOD, GUTS, BULLETS & OCTANE
A Short Fuse Films production
A Joe Carnahan film
in association with Next Wave Films
Producers: Dan Leis, Joe Carnahan,
Leon Corcos, Patrick M. Lynn
Screenwriter-director: Joe Carnahan
Executive producers: Peter Broderick,
Charles Leis
Director of photography: John A. Jimenez
Music: Mark Priolo, Martin Birke
Editors: Joe Carnahan, John Flanagan
Sound designer: John Flanagan
Co-producers: Kevin Hale, Chip Sires
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bob Melba: Dan Leis
Sid French: Joe Carnahan
Raymont Phelps: James Salter
Danny Woo: Dan Harlan
Dotty Woo: Karla Cave
FBI agent Jared: Ken Rudulph
Mr. Reich: Hugh McChord
Bill the mechanic: Dave Pierini
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
A 1963 Pontiac Le Mans -- convertible, cherry and loaded -- is the center of attention in this off-road, rack-and-pinion economy film. Used-car lot partners Bob and Sid are in hock to the tune of 83 grand and threatened with eviction if they don't come up with some quick recompense. The two lemonheads get an interesting offer from a supplier, Ray, a fringe figure who has provided them the Vegas, Pintos and other immovable puddle-jumpers that caused them financial woe in the first place. Ray has a one-time-offer deal: accept delivery of the Pontiac, let it sit on the lot for 48 hours and a briefcase containing $250,000 is theirs.
Sounds nuts, sounds desperate and dangerous. What's in the car? Bob and Sid get edgy. It's only a matter of time and something loud and noisy, we get the feeling, will hit the fan. Interspersing the two losers' situation with a series of drug kills and other off-road activities, screenwriter-director Carnahan has notched a hard, funny and incendiary scenario. The dialogue is hypercrazed, dead-on, smartly goofy and laced with some acidic and detonous satirical doses. In short, "Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane" crackles with high-intensity wit and torque.
As the used-car oafs, Dan Leis and Carnahan are aptly intense and frazzled, while Dan Harlan is solid as a sleazy, successful used-car mogul. A tip of the hat to Hugh McChord for his icy Mr. Reich, a sociopathic killer who appreciates finer vehicles.
Admittedly, there's not a lot of backstory or spectacle gumming up this low-budget entree. Carnahan's visuals are tight, packed and tightly charged. An open account at the lab for cinematographer John Jimenez for the sharply glazed look and to editors Carnahan and John Flanagan for the pedal-to-the-metal pace.
BLOOD, GUTS, BULLETS & OCTANE
A Short Fuse Films production
A Joe Carnahan film
in association with Next Wave Films
Producers: Dan Leis, Joe Carnahan,
Leon Corcos, Patrick M. Lynn
Screenwriter-director: Joe Carnahan
Executive producers: Peter Broderick,
Charles Leis
Director of photography: John A. Jimenez
Music: Mark Priolo, Martin Birke
Editors: Joe Carnahan, John Flanagan
Sound designer: John Flanagan
Co-producers: Kevin Hale, Chip Sires
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bob Melba: Dan Leis
Sid French: Joe Carnahan
Raymont Phelps: James Salter
Danny Woo: Dan Harlan
Dotty Woo: Karla Cave
FBI agent Jared: Ken Rudulph
Mr. Reich: Hugh McChord
Bill the mechanic: Dave Pierini
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/26/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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