Gun Crazy

Starring:Drew Barrymore, Robert Greenberg (II), Rodney Harvey, Jeremy Davies, Dan Eisenstein, Joe Dallesandro, Willow Tipton, James LeGros, Ione Skye, James Oseland, Thomas E. Weyer, Billy Drago, Tom Smith-Alden, James Wheaton, Gerald Lynn Walker, Ida Lee, Lawrence Steven Meyers, Herb Weld, Lee Mary Weilnau, Michael Ironside
Director: Tamra Davis
Studio: Studio / Sterling
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Film Noir Classic Collection Vol 1
If You Want One Film Noir Collection, This is the One.
"You're not a detective, you're a slot machine. You'd slit your own throat for six bits plus tax."
5 of the Best
Black & White rarely looks and sounds this good

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 1 (The Asphalt Jungle / Gun Crazy / Murder My Sweet / Out of the Past / The Set-Up)
Starring: Sterling Hayden , Louis Calhern , Jean Hagen , James Whitmore , and Sam Jaffe
Director: John Huston , Joseph H. Lewis , and Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 2 (Born to Kill / Clash by Night / Crossfire / Dillinger (1945) / The Narrow Margin (1952))
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)
Classic Film Noir 9 Movie Pack
Kiss of Death (Fox Film Noir)
The Warner Gangsters Collection (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties)

ASIN: B000244F2S
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Amazon.com

Some boxed sets claim to be definitive, but are haphazardly selected. Not this one. Four of the five titles here can legitimately lay claim to being essentials in the film noir canon, and the fifth, The Set-Up, is a terrific boxing picture with a strong noir atmosphere. If you're a fan of noir--or have no idea what it's all about--this collection is a treat.

Of course, none of these movies were made as "film noir." The term was coined later by French critics to describe the moody, anxious feel of postwar American movies, especially the genre that highlighted duplicitous dames and susceptible men lost in the criminal jungle. Indeed, the title The Asphalt Jungle conveys the edgy urban arena of these pictures. That film is John Huston's masterly 1950 account of a heist, with Sterling Hayden the disenchanted, noirish hero. Joseph H. Lewis's Gun Crazy (1949) is one of the most supercharged (and sexually perverse) of noir films, with John Dall and Peggy Cummins as young criminals in love. Murder, My Sweet (1944) is a straight adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely. Amid the film's shadowy chiaroscuro, former musical comedy star Dick Powell makes a career-changing transition as Chandler's private dick, Philip Marlowe. Out of the Past puts Robert Mitchum (perhaps the quintessential noir actor) in trouble with gangster Kirk Douglas, complicated by classic femme fatale Jane Greer. Jacques Tourneur provides the evocative direction. And The Set-Up plays out an ingenious boxing tale in "real time," superbly enacted by (former boxer) Robert Ryan. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Film Noir Classic Collection Vol 1.......2007-01-16

The product is exactly as described.
The picture quality is excellent.
I have no hesitation in recommending this product to any propective purcher

If You Want One Film Noir Collection, This is the One........2006-10-11

If you want to buy one film noir collection, this "Film Noir Classic Collection, Volume 1" from Warner Brothers is the one to get. These are all 5-star films. "The Asphalt Jungle", "Gun Crazy", "Murder, My Sweet", and "Out of the Past" are top-notch films from the height of the film noir movement 1944-1950, each representing at least one iconic film noir motif. "The Set-Up" is not film noir, but it's brilliant nonetheless. All of the films in this collection are accompanied by audio commentaries that vary in quality and focus but are worthwhile for film noir buffs. A better sampler of crime films from Hollywood's Golden Era could not have been assembled.

"The Asphalt Jungle" (1950) is a steadily paced, thoughtful heist film. The requisite crew of mastermind, safecracker, driver, stick-up man, and financier are assembled to pull a grand jewel heist. Complex characters and themes make this a great deal more than a typical heist flick. Based on the novel by W.R. Burnett and directed by John Huston, "The Asphalt Jungle" was nominated for 4 Academy Awards. The audio commentary is by film historian Drew Casper, and there is a short introduction to the film by John Huston.

"Gun Crazy" (1949) is a Bonnie-and-Clyde-inspired fugitive couple film that might be the most blatant expression of the sexualization of violence in the film noir canon. Sharpshooting femme fatale Annie Laurie Starr lures her equally "gun crazy" nice-guy husband Bart into a life of crime. Their "amour fou" is irrational but, at the same time, completely fascinating. The audio commentary is by film critic Glenn Erikson.

"Out of the Past" (1947) typifies the noir style so elegantly and in so many ways. Retired private detective Jeff Bailey has settled down to a quiet life in a small town when his past comes back to haunt him. Years before, he was hired by a wealthy gambler in New York to track down the man's errant mistress Kathie. But Jeff fell head over heels for the beautiful, duplicitous Kathie, and now both the lady and her lover insist on his loyalty. Actors Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer make a striking pair, accented by beautiful low-key light. The audio commentary is by film noir historian James Ursini.

"Murder, My Sweet" (1944) exemplifies labyrinthine plots in the style of Raymond Chandler, upon whose novel the film is based. Private detective Philip Marlowe finds that two of his cases may be related when a quest to find the girlfriend of an insistent thug and a case of missing jewels lead him around in circles but always to Mrs. Helen Grayle, the lady whose jewels went missing. The audio commentary is by film noir historian Alain Silver.

"The Set-Up" (1949) is not film noir, but an introverted character drama starring Robert Ryan as a boxer past his prime, clinging to hopes of moderate success in the ring. "The Set-Up" is perhaps best remembered for being shot in real time, including15-minutes in the ring. With a beautiful naturalistic visual style and a subdued, sympathetic performance from Robert Ryan, "The Set-Up" is one of the most memorable boxing films made. The audio commentary is by directors Robert Wise and Martin Scorsese, who were recorded separately.

"You're not a detective, you're a slot machine. You'd slit your own throat for six bits plus tax.".......2006-08-21

From Warner Home Video comes the Film Noir Classic Collection, Volume 1, featuring, in no particular order, the following films...

The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Huston and starring Sterling Hayden as a streetwise hooligan hired on as muscle for a big-time heist, caught in the middle when things go seriously sour. The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), looks very good, limited to a few, very minor flaws, and the Dolby Digital audio, available in both English and French, comes across sharp and clean. There is a so-so commentary track featuring author/film noir specialist Drew Casper with co-star James Whitmore, along with a theatrical trailer, an introduction by director John Houston (0:49), and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

Gun Crazy (1949) aka Deadly Is the Female, directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring John Dall and Peggy Cummins as a pair of pistol packing newlyweds who embark on a life of crime because it's a hell of a lot easier (and exciting) than actually working for a living, that is at least until the Johnny Law makes the scene...the picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), looks very good, limited to a few, very minor flaws, and the Dolby Digital audio is sharp and clean. There is a commentary track featuring author/film noir specialist Glenn Erickson, along with subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

Murder, My Sweet (1944), directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Dick Powell and Claire Trevor, the former playing Private Eye Philip Marlowe, caught up in a mystery involving a stolen jade necklace, a couple of hot tomatoes, and a corpse or two. The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), looks very clean and clear, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes across clearly. As far as extras, included is a commentary track with author/film-noir specialist Alain Silver, a rough looking theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

Out of the Past (1947), directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. Mitchum plays a once private eye now fulltime schlub whose past catches up to him after getting too close to a dame he was only supposed to find for a well to do client, and ultimately ends up on the wrong end of a murder investigation. The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), is strong, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes across well. As far as extras, included is a commentary track with author/film-noir specialist James Ursini and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

The Set-Up (1949), directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Ryan as an aging boxer who gets crossed by his unscrupulous manager while going for his last, big shot. The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), comes across well with few, if any, noticeable flaws, and the Dolby Digital mono comes through cleanly. As far as extras, there's an audio commentary track featuring director Robert Wise and Martin Scorsese, along with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

While each film in this set is outstanding in its own right, my personal favorites are The Asphalt Jungle and Murder, My Sweet.

Cookieman108

By the way, if you dig on these, you might want to check out the other DVD sets in the series, listed below...and the quote I used for the title of this review came from the film Murder, My Sweet.

Film Noir Classics Collection, Volume 2
Born to Kill (1947), Clash by Night (1952), Crossfire (1947), Dillinger (1945), The Narrow Margin (1952).

Film Noir Classics Collection, Volume 3
Border Incident (1949), His Kind of Woman (1951), Lady in the Lake (1947), On Dangerous Ground (1952), and The Racket (1951). This set also includes a bonus disc which includes a handful of short features

5 of the Best.......2006-08-18

Excellent choice of movies, either as intro to Noir, or for the aficionado who can recite the lines and anticipate every scene.Through the cynical postwar eyes of writers and directors like Huston and Tourneur, bleak views of human behavior are handled with style and wit, and the denouement of criminal behavior comes from the moment of conscious choice to treat people with contempt.
Superb.

Black & White rarely looks and sounds this good.......2006-01-26

I jump-started my personal noir collection with this box. I can't say enough about these movies -- all 5 are classics. I will give THE SET-UP special attention since it is unique. Told in almost real-time, it's a fascinating boxing/mobster/underdog drama.

Average customer rating:

Best for it's cinematography and the bank robbery scene....
A sordid cheesy thriller in noir style!
"Bart, I've been kicked around all my life, and from now on, I'm gonna start kicking back!"
"It's just that some guys are born smart about women and some guys are born dumb."
Noir, but different

Gun Crazy
Starring: Peggy Cummins , John Dall , Berry Kroeger , Morris Carnovsky , and Anabel Shaw
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Set-Up
The Asphalt Jungle
The Big Combo
Out of the Past
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

ASIN: B000244EWY
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Amazon.com

One of the most vital of all film noir pictures, Gun Crazy has more cinematic gusto and sexual heat than almost any movie of its time. It's a variation on the Bonnie and Clyde story, but with a bizarre set-up: firearms enthusiasts John Dall and Peggy Cummins (neither of whom were ever this wild again) meet as sharpshooters in a carnival, then turn to crime. The direction, by Joseph H. Lewis, is like a spray of hot lead from a gun barrel, capped by an amazing sequence--shot in one long take--of a bank robbery seen from the backseat of the getaway car. (Billy Wilder himself called up Lewis to find out how he did it.) If most film noirs trace the anxieties of postwar America, Gun Crazy goes directly to sheer madness. Trivia note: the film had a title change, to Deadly Is the Female, for its original release, whereupon it was changed back. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Best for it's cinematography and the bank robbery scene...........2006-12-25

I found the the cinematography and direction to be extraordinary and well above average for noir, however, when compared to the the best film noir, the acting/casting and the weak script keep this one from being a true lost classic. Check out Born Killer, Detour, or Pickup on South Street first.

Also, the bank robbery scene shot entirely from the backseat of the getaway car is everything it's cracked up to be, and then some!! Mr. Tarantino has certainly been here robbing some bones....

A sordid cheesy thriller in noir style!.......2006-09-29

Gun Crazy starts with a young boy smashing a window in order to steal a gun. In the courtroom scene that follows we learn that the young miscreant is fascinated with guns but never uses them to kill. He just loves to shoot and is very good at it. The judge sends young Bart to juvie until he is 18.

Bart spends much of his young adult life in the army, teaching shooting. When he gets out he falls for sharp-shooter carnie Annie. She is bad through and through, and maybe a little insane. Certainly her strangely crayoned eyebrows give her a daft look. Under Annie's influence, Bart's here-to-fore cardigan-wearing nice-guy persona is in thrall to Annie's dark feminine enchantment. Bart joins Annie on a crime spree. The isolation and thrill of danger make the relationship more and more passionate and thrilling.

Gun Crazy is an interesting period piece but definitely a B-movie with flawed writing, cheesy film-making, and only adequate acting from not-so charismatic stars. The script problems create slow sequences in the film. The film-making had some creative moments that were obviously designed to thrill drive-in movie viewers--such as filming car chase scenes from the back seat. This is a kitsch piece that will appeal due to its overwrought sensibility and style.

"Bart, I've been kicked around all my life, and from now on, I'm gonna start kicking back!".......2006-08-10

Directed by Joseph `Wagon Wheel Joe' Lewis (The Big Combo, Terror in a Texas Town), his nickname apparently derived from the early days in his career when he shot mostly westerners, Gun Crazy (1949) aka Deadly Is the Female stars John Dall (Rope, The Man Who Cheated Himself) and Peggy Cummins (Night of the Demon, Carry on Admiral) as a couple of young, impulsive individuals whose common passions (for each other and guns) take them on an exciting, and ultimately dangerous journey from which there is no return. Also appearing is Berry Kroeger (Blood Alley), Morris Carnovsky (Joe Palooka in the Knockout), Anabel Shaw (Shock), Harry Lewis (Key Largo), Nedrick Young (Seconds), and a young Russ Tamblyn (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, High School Confidential!), probably best known for his role as `Riff', hot tempered leader of the Jets, from the musical West Side Story (1961)...remember, `When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way! From you first cigarette your last dyin' days'.

As the film begins we see a young boy, played by Tamblyn, named Bart Tare, who's in a whole heap of trouble. Seems Bart really isn't a bad seed, but his undeniable desire towards firearms in general has gotten him into some hot water enough times he's eventually sent to reform school despite pleas from his sister Ruby (Shaw), who also happens to be his guardian. As the years pass, an adult Bart, now played by Dall, is eventually released and enlists in the army (as good a place as any to satiate one's desire to be around guns), to which he returns home once his stint is up. Bart and his childhood friends celebrate his homecoming by going to a traveling carnival where they witness the sharp-shooting skills of one Annie Laurie Starr (Cummins), whom Bart immediately finds himself drawn to, her six-shooters singing a siren call he can't resist. Demonstrating his own formidable skills as a marksman, Bart ends up joining the carnival, although he and Annie soon leave after a falling out with their boss (What?! And give up the life of a carny? That's just plain nuts). Young, unencumbered with responsibilities, and armed with pistols, the pair ties the knot, quickly blowing through whatever dough they have in an orgiastic spending jag, and soon find themselves light in the pockets, so to speak. Bart's content to eek out a living on a menial wage with a real job, as long as he's got Annie, but she desires a life full of thrills, action, and lots of moola, enough of each for her to suggest to Bart that they use their talents to take what they need (Annie is most definitely a bad seed). Bart reluctantly goes along (the sap), and the pair begins a life of crime, one that starts out small time but eventually expands as whatever dough they manage to steal is quickly used up to maintain the extravagant lifestyle Annie desires. Eventually the stress of being a nogoodnik wears on Bart, enough so he pleads with Annie that they should go straight, but she convinces him to pull one, last score, one that will give them the funds they need to start a new life down old Mexico way...the heist is a success, but things sour during the getaway, and now they're pursued by both local, state, and federal authorities, all with orders to `shoot to kill'...

This is a great film, worth watching if only for the scene involving the first time Bart and Annie hold up a bank, clad in the western gear worn during their stint in the carnival. The long, continuous shot involves one camera, positioned in the back seat of their car, and shows the jacked up couple on their way to the bank, trying to find a place to park, Bart entering the bank, while Annie stays behind. The camera never leaves the back seat, giving the viewer the feeling that they're sort of in on the holdup (from the standpoint of being in the backseat of the getaway car), sharing all the excitement and the danger. There's a number of similarly interesting shots throughout the film, which goes a long way towards really keeping things lively and the overall pacing in high gear. An interesting thing, when I first saw John Dall on the screen, he looked so familiar to me, but for the life of me I couldn't recall what I'd seen him in before until I reviewed his credits and saw he was one of the principal players in Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 feature Rope. Both he and Ms. Cummins create quite a lot of heat here, portraying a young, passionate, impetuous pair on the razor's edge, he a lovelorn sap willing to follow his heart despite better judgment, eventually realizing his folly but also realizing he can't turn back, and she a manipulative, materialistic, type who not only knows exactly what she wants but also what she is, and makes no apologies for either...which is worse, she who has little pretense (anyone who spends five minutes with this dame will know she's trouble), or he, who struggles continually with his conscience, generally always siding with his heart over his brain? Seeing as how they both had some obviously bad wiring, it's a matter of six of one, half dozen of the other, if you ask me. What's funny is there was at least one who tried to warn Bart off on Annie, a fellow performer by the name of Bluey-Bluey, whom Bart shared quarters with during his stint with the carnival. In Bart's defense I suppose it's kind of difficult to take advice from a guy in greasy clown makeup who goes by the name Bluey-Bluey. Another aspect that really stood out for me was the ending...it becomes fairly obvious how things will go in a general sense, but the story actually manages to squeeze in a delicious, unexpected twist in terms of the specifics. To say any more would spoil it (I'll give you a hint, it does involve guns...I know, I know, not much of a hint considering the film is titled Gun Crazy), but know that's it's a real hoot and a half, one worth hanging on for...all in all this is a tight, engaging film, well directed film with some really interesting characters, strong performances, and decent production values, one worth checking out if you enjoy sexually charged noir crime dramas from back in the day.

The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), looks very good, limited to a few, very minor flaws, and the Dolby Digital audio is sharp and clean. There is a commentary track featuring author/film noir specialist Glenn Erickson, along with subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. If you're interested in picking up this DVD, you might want to look into purchasing the Film Noir Classics Collection, Volume 1, a most excellent DVD set, as it includes this film, along with The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Murder My Sweet (1944), Out of the Past (1947), and The Set-Up (1949) at a cost which is significantly less than buying the features individually, at least at the time this review was written.

Cookieman108

"It's just that some guys are born smart about women and some guys are born dumb.".......2006-05-30

Ehh this film had its moments - the bank robbery, the meat packing plant robbery - but between those moments I got bored. Then again I get bored pretty easily so it might not have been entirely the movie's fault...naw, I thought about it and it is the movie's fault.

Bart has had an addiction to guns all his life, not in an evil I gotta kill everybody I see kind of way he just likes them and he's a good shot. After a stint in the military Bart comes home and his buddies take him out on the town. They go to a carnival and he meets a female sharpshooter. You can tell she's bad news from the start but he falls for her and after they burn through all the money he's saved up she wants to keep living the highlife. Reluctantly Bart's talked into some small time robberies, but they just don't pay enough and she wants to do more dangerous jobs with bigger payoffs. It all comes to a bad end.

Satisfactory noir but nothing makes it stand out.

Noir, but different.......2006-04-06

Wonderful film - I went into this expecting a cult classic bordering on camp and was surprised to find it a very intelligent film with nuanced characters and amazing camera work. Thoroughly enjoyable. And once you're done go back and listen with the commentary track - a great mix of stories from the making of the film and perspective on the work's influence and place in history.

Average customer rating:

Gun Crazy: Beyond the Law
Starring: Ryoko Yonekura , Shingo Tsurumi , Takeshi Yamato , Shun Sugata , and Takashi Ukaji
Director: Atsushi Muroga
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Gun Crazy - A Woman From Nowhere
Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition and Torture
Gun Crazy - Traitor's Rhapsody
The Princess Blade
Azumi

ASIN: B0002IQFHW
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Description

Yuki is an idealistic young lawyer who's finding out that Law and Justice are not always hand in hand. When she confronts a client with their criminal ties and discovers that her firm has been party to the deception, Yuki finds herself looking down the losing end of a barrel. That is until a mysterious hitman named Takita intervenes leaving Yuki to redefine her idea of justice. Seeking Takita's guidance, she forms a dangerous alliance that will lead her into a world of crime and vigilante payback. But when the tables turn the only things Saki has to lose are the ones she loves. Will Yuki turn on her masters? Or is she too far down a road of no return? Either way Justice will be served. Loaded with action and surprises, Gun Crazy: Beyond The Law will leave you wondering "Who are the GOOD guys?"

Average customer rating:

Prettty good I enjoyed it.
A fun, modern Spaghetti Western with a twist
A FISTFUL OF YEN

Gun Crazy - A Woman From Nowhere
Director: Atsushi Muroga
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Gun Crazy: Beyond the Law
Yesterday
Shiri
2009 Lost Memories
Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition and Torture

ASIN: B00029NMJA
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Prettty good I enjoyed it........2006-10-02

Interesting story. I don't know about the acting though.

A fun, modern Spaghetti Western with a twist.......2004-07-20

The story of "A Woman From Nowhere" is rather simple and pretty much adapted right out of a Eastwood Spaghetti Western: A mysterious stranger comes into a lawless town run by a kingpin and starts shooting up the place with few words spoken. Even the opening credits and music have that spaghetti feel: Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone would be proud. The really interesting twists are that the stranger is a beautiful(!) woman, Saki (Ryoko Yonekura) on a Harley, and the location is in a small town somewhere in Japan.

In this actioner, there's a considerable amount of gunplay, some of it good, some predictable, and in other spots somewhat hokey, but it's a whole lot of fun. Ryoko handles her guns with believability and aplomb and gives the thugs their due. It wasn't as much of an acting challenge for her as it was a physical challenge, but she handled things exceptionally well. She shows off her considerable acting skills much more in Japanese dramas such as "Seikei Bijin" (Plastic Beauty) and as Otsu in the NHK drama, "Musashi"

I'd highly recommend film if you're a Ryoko Yonekura fan (which I adoringly am) and/or a "girls with guns" movie fan, and it does hold up to repeated viewings. To me, there's something eminently and inexplicably appealing about "girls with guns" movies like "La Femme Nikita" and "The Long Kiss Goodnight." And to have a Japanese supermodel like Ryoko starring in it as well is just gobs of icing on the cake.

A FISTFUL OF YEN.......2004-07-13

Japan has always been fascinated by American Westerns and vice versa, the Western has been influenced by the Samurai movies of Kurosawa. The lone gunman or the lone samurai, what's the difference? Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere is almost a direct homage to the films of Sergio Leone, in particular the Clint Eastwood trilogy which in turn were homages to Kurosawa.

The movie begins with two Japanese cops on the verge of being torn in half by wires connecting their arms and legs to two trucks. That's when we're introduced to Tojo, the crime boss that runs the town of Tsuson. Fast forward 15 years as a mysterious bounty hunter named Saki, played by the luscious, maybe too luscious, Ryoko Yonekura in her action film debut. She arrives on her motorcycle just in time to see two American soldiers execute a man for disappointing their boss Tojo. They shoot Saki's motorcycle as a warning. She makes friends with a mechanic to fix her bike and learns from him that the entire town and the bordering Amercian military base are controlled by Tojo. Saki has been hired to kill him. The only allies she has is the mechanic and the last policeman left in town, who just happens to be a drunk. When she learns Tojo is going to hijack a shipment of laundered money, to the tune of 2 million dollars, from the US forces, Saki decides to lay a trap.

Yes, Gun Crazy is a B-movie. You can tell they didn't have a lot of money to work with. Most of the fight scenes show close-ups of guns shooting or of facial expressions. The only shots they linger on are bullet impacts. Well, at least this way they didn't have to hire fight choreographers. In one scene it almost looks like someone else's leg comes off the screen and kicks for Yonekura. Saki seems to move more like a model, she has kind of a sloppy walk like she's gonna trip at any moment. There's some element of charm in the movie even in its shortcomings. You can tell the director is really sincere in his storytelling, even though he doesn't have the budget. There are nice iconic moments in the film. Overall, the film is very well-acted, especially the police chief and the mechanic. Ryoko has some good moments, and shines best in moments of subtlety.

There is a sequel which will be released on August 24, 2004. It is rated 17+ for some language and gore. It has Japanese 2.0 sound and 5.1 English which has a pretty good dub. This dvd also features an interview with Ryoko Yonekura.

Customer Reviews:

A fair rainy day movie..........2007-06-26

(Purchase) or watch only on a rainy day.
Drew Barrymore fans will enjoy her performance. Joe Dallesandro should have stayed home.

Must set this straight! .......2006-02-22

Not a great movie, But...

I must set the record straight! Whoever reviewed this (on the Amazon page for his DVD), didn't even see it, or was sleeping or drunk. I'll copy n paste below, then, I'll tell you what they have wrong. OK, you with me here?

~~~~~~~~
Plot Outline: A trashy teen murders her sexually abusive step-father, then helps get her reformed prison pen-pal released on good behavior so that she can re-corrupt him.
Plot Synopsis: Anita is a nymphomaniac high-school girl who frequently allows random boys and men to have sex with her, and is frequently raped by her absentee mother's boyfriend. As part of a school assignment Anita takes up correspondence with a lonely young prison inmate, whose letters stir up dormant desires for violence and guns. After buying herself a firearm, Anita convinces her mother's boyfriend to teach her how to use it, and, after he rapes her again, shoots him to death and hides the body. She then sets about getting her new "boyfriend" out of jail and to her, where she slowly drags him with her on her downward spiral of sex, violence, and murder for the sake of murder.
~~~~~~~
OK, that is totally WRONG!

Drew Barrymore's character, Anita, was NOT a nymphomaniac. She was abused and used. She wanted to be loved and cared for.

She did NOT corrupt her fresh out of jail boyfriend. Bad things happened. He was the gun lover, she took up guns to please him, and she was inspired by him. she did NOT drag him down with her "on her downward spiral of sex, violence, and murder for the sake of murder." They didn't even have sex! He couldn't get it up! He was the one that was shooting everyone. She stopped him from shooting her girlfriend's dad.

OK, she was a little weird when she hid the body of her mother's boyfriend. That was weird! (note, mom's boyfreind, not her stepfather, another error!)

This is a love story of two lonely hurt people, and together they go from bad to worse.

In a robbery attempt, she couldn't take the people's money, she gave it back, felt sorry for them. So, to say she was the "trashy teen" is plain wrong!

Also, at the bottom of the details page, is a photo of Drew, saying this is Drew in the movie "Gun Crazy" but - that is a photo of her from "Never been kissed" NOT Guncrazy. Her hair was cut and styled totally different in Guncrazy. grrrrrrr!

As for the movie - how did I like it? well.. it rather sucked. But, I am a big time Drew Barrymore fan, so, I had to see it. The boyfriend was kinda cute, in a strange way. Not dreamy cute by any means.

The boyfriend of the girl's mother, was very convincing playing a jerk. The pastor of the church - ewwwwwwwwww - so good at being creepy - it was uncanny!

This poor couple, they just wanted people to leave them alone, and just wanted to live happily ever after, but kept getting in trouble and didn't get a break. Sad.

Not going to make my top 100 list, or be a classic. But, worth watching, especially if you are a Drew fan!

Crazy is the Female.......2005-08-06

I am always excited to see the darkness of cinema's past, but continually happy with its progress and evolution over the years. If the genre displayed in Guncrazy would have remained throughout the cinematic years, I think I would have had to choose a different hobby other than film. Here we have a very gritty, very disturbing film, which just never seems to leave the hangar. I continually felt that Guncrazy was this grounded plane never geared for takeoff, which was disappointing because several times it seemed as if it was ready for lift-off. Director Tamra Davis has her work cut out for her on this picture. It surprised me that the woman who brought us Billy Madison, Half-Baked, and Crossroads would dare dabble in a project like this ... yet she did, and I don't think that she succeeded. Matthew Bright, the guy who brought us Freeway, has a very crafted story, but I believe that it is Davis' direction, coupled with disappointing acting that ultimately destroys this film.

Think about this for a minute. When you are directing a film of this caliber, you as a director need to realize that it is more than just a story about sexual teens and violence, but instead a haunting image of our world, culture, and society. As I watched this film, I couldn't help but see (and sometimes hear) Bright's angst-ridden voice about our society trying to come through, but it felt that Davis was pushing that aside in hopes to give Drew more screen time. We kept scratching on the surface of guns and violence, but never quite dug deep enough. There was so much that should have happened with this story, that Bright's words were completely ignored and left for Davis to butcher. I believe that if Bright would have manned this project, we may have seen stronger characters, deeper emotions and themes, all the while exposing truths about our society. These were elements that were lacking considerably in this film. While it is said that Davis tried to avoid making a remake of Crazy is the Female, I believe that the older film spoke more about society than this film did. Davis covered up truths and intelligence with overly clichéd shock moments coupled with silly, incoherent violence.

With Davis practically missing the mark behind the camera, this left nothing for the actors. Barrymore decently tries to fill the shoes of this innocent 17-year old that only wanted love and would do anything for it, but the lacking chemistry between her and LeGros overshadows her performance. I felt as if Davis could only afford a portion of LeGros for this film and most of the time he was replaced with a cardboard cut-out of himself. He gave no emotion to his character. I realize that he was to show how corrupt the world had been to him, but does that mean he cannot smile, frown, show fear, excitement, hatred, distrust, love, or any range of emotions that come with being an actor. LeGros hurt this film. Typically, I like his performances, but I don't think he was ready, nor did it seem that he really wanted this role. This hurt the foundation of the film. Here we have Barrymore giving a decent performance, but LeGros doesn't hold up his end of the bargain, which ultimately hurts any support that we have for our heroines.

While I sternly believe that Davis destroyed the overall tone of the film and LeGros' cardboard image impeded any connection with Barrymore, there were some scenes that I thought Bright exceptionally wrote into this film. My favorite scene in the entire film was when Anita and Howard were together at the house living a life that could never be theirs. It was so interesting to see these two victims of poverty living, breathing, and experiencing a physically imaginative world. Then, a pivotal changing moment in the film occurs and it really places this film into a different perspective. I wasn't expecting this type of change in the film, and it really showcased what Bright was trying to accomplish. Another scene that I enjoyed occurred right before this monumental scene, when Hank is just about to be arrested by his parole officer. He screams down the hall of the hospital, and all Anita responds with is, "What's he yellin' about now?" This shocked me because it completely tore down any barriers that I thought I already knew about Anita and Hank's relationship. Was there a level of comfortability settling in with the relationship? Interesting turn, which captured my attention. Sadly, the remaining scenes were just a flagrant disrespect to Bright's darkening talent.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this film. I strongly suggest it to those who are big Matthew Bright fans, but we forewarned this is not as exceptional or as shocking as Freeway was. This was a film completely chastised by Tamra Davis and James LeGros. Barrymore decently carries herself, a la Reese Witherspoon in Freeway, but it just doesn't come together smoothly. The overall tone and elements are completely missing as Davis implements increasing scenes of shock value instead of stronger elements of society. It is difficult to watch, not because of what occurs in the film, but because of the lack of direction, acting, and overall momentum. The final result seems more like a cheaply tailored small tuxedo on a very large man. It covers the wrong spots. Skip it. You will live life happier.

Grade: ** out of *****

Horrible DVD release.......2005-06-29

The Sterling DVD (comes in a white DVD case) release of this film is horrible. It has a 1.33:1 full frame transfer. The transfer looks like it's from a laserdisc. Also, it doesn't contain ANY extras whatsoever. There's a DVD release of this film from First Look pictures (it has a colored DVD case) that features a 1.78:1 widescreen presentation with bonus features such as:

Audio-commentary by director Tamra Davis
Interview with Drew Barrymore
Behind-the-scenes featurette
Trivia game
Storyboards

If you like this movie, try finding the First Look pictures version on DVD.

Not Quite Trash Classic.......2004-10-20

So what is this movie? A film noir homage(a la "Gun Crazy")? A Bonnie and Clyde homage? A Lifetime movie-of-the-week? Or is it just plain trash that falls just short of classic status. Drew Barrymore and James LeGros earnestly play the trailer park trash nymphette and her prison pen pal turned partner in crime, respectively. The movie engages your attention throughout. What it lacks are those over-the-top moments that a movie like this needs to attain that midnight movie trash classic status. There is some interesting casting here. Billy Drago (he played Frank Nitti in "The Untouchables") as the trailer-park preacher. Tracey Walter, veteran of Jonathan Demme films, appears here as a barroom patron. Joe D'Allesandro, veteran of Andy Warhol films and the Sonny Steelgrave segment of TV's "Wiseguy", appears as Barrymore's mother's boyfriend.

Average customer rating:

Gun Crazy - Traitor's Rhapsody
Director: Atsushi Muroga
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Gun Crazy: Requiem for a Bodyguard
Blind Woman's Curse
Killing Machine
Gun Crazy: Beyond the Law
Lady Ninja Kasumi, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000IMVE6O
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

A new detective, Aki Fukase suffers from guilt after the loss of her partner from a trap set by Galhowk, a international terrorism group. Ordered to take time off she tracks down Galhowk supported by Detective Shirai to clear her name.

Average customer rating:

Gun Crazy: Requiem for a Bodyguard
Director: Atsushi Muroga
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Gun Crazy - Traitor's Rhapsody
Blind Woman's Curse
Killing Machine
Private Collections
Perversion Story

ASIN: B000JU8H5Q
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Description

Top karate student Kiba works as a bodyguard in order to earn the money for the upkeep of his beloved dojo. He takes a jobto protect a beautiful woman in Hong Kong. Her beauty is so overwhelming so as to disarm Kiba, but then things change. Passing monks turn vicious as their karate surpasses their charm in visually stunning surroundings.

Average customer rating:

Gun Crazy
Starring: Drew Barrymore , Robert Greenberg (II) , Rodney Harvey , Jeremy Davies , and Dan Eisenstein
Director: Tamra Davis
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00008G8LJ
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Action Packed: Gun Crazy/The Presence/Shattered Image/Chains of Gold

Average customer rating:

Action Packed: Gun Crazy/The Presence/Shattered Image/Chains of Gold
Starring: Tom Byron , Kim McKamy , and Alex Jordan
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008G975
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Average customer rating:

Gun Crazy
Starring: Billy Drago , Michael Ironside , and Joe Dallesandro
Director: Tamra Davis
Manufacturer: Reel Entertainment in Digital
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Rated R
Color
Recorded in Ultra-Stereo

ASIN: B000QG7RHC

Product Description

Since Anita Minteer (Drew Barrymore) was nine, every man she ever met has wanted only one thing. But when she becomes penpals with imprisoned convict Howard Hickock (James LeGros), she gains confidence and sees a possible escape from the torment of her everyday life. Howard's infatuation with guns drives Anita to them as well. But with this new found strength in her hands, she murders her sexually abusive guardian. Now with Howard out on parole and the police on their back, there can be no turning back. In the style of Bonnie & Clyde, Guncrazy tells the story of two young lovers on the run from the law.

DVD:

DVD List

DVD

DVD

Open Range

Eagle's Claw / Seven Grand Masters : DVD

Gone, But Not Forgotten (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Frauen dienen Christus