Plot: What’s it about?
Gun Crazy is another in the long line of low budget Drew Barrymore flicks. And boy do I love them! This time Drew (Firestarter, Doppleganger) is playing Anita Minteer, a trailer park girl with less than average self esteem and an abusive, molesting stepfather. Anita’s mother took off when she was very young and her step father was left to care for her since, and not doing a very good job of it I might add. So one day at school Anita’s class assignment was to get a pen pal, any pen pal, so who does Anita write to? Howard Hickock played by James LeGros (Drugstore Cowboy, Point Break) who just happens to be an inmate at the state prison. The two form a “on paper” relationship and even exchange pictures and audio tapes to hear each others voices. Meanwhile Anita’s step father continues his sleazy, abusive intentions towards her, and frankly she’s had all she can take, so to cut to the chase she shoots him with his own gun! Then buries the body in a field! Women! As Anita and Howard continue to write to each other she learns that Howard might be getting out sooner than he thought for committing a good deed while on the inside. So when the big day of Howard’s release arrives Anita is right there at the bus stop to greet him. Now let me explain the Howard character a little. He’s not your typical ex-con, he’s not interested in sex with Anita (Fool!) or doing harm to anyone, Howard is a good christen man who has paid his debt to society and wants to find a job, start a life and be happy. So forget the fact that he’s obsessed with guns and that he served time for armed robbery and manslaughter. The two are happy together and Anita does her best to find Howard a job, makes sure he’s on time for his parole meetings, and when Howard refuses sex before marriage (Again, fool!) she even arranges for the two to be married.
This is when the film starts to take some twists and turns down “lousy script road.” The two get into some local trouble with punks who used to count on Anita for some uuhhh, fun, before she met Howard. And the gun affliction tie-in is basically how the couple gets into more trouble, they both like guns and to be honest the two probably have a combined I. Q of a head of lettuce. After missing one of his parole meetings Howard’s parole officer played by Michael Ironside (Top Gun, Starship Troopers) decides to go look for them only to find the two at his trailer drinking Jack & Coke and smoking weed with the officers daughter who is also Anita’s friend. Uh-oh! Well, to make a long story short, Howard and Anita get into some more trouble and this is what leads us into the whole “Bonnie and Clyde” motif of the film. This movie kinda reminds me of that 80’s movie starring Emilio Estevez, Wisdom. Ever see it? Oh well, anyway getting back to this movie, If your into Drew Barrymore (And I Am!) and like a good semi-suspensfull drama, this one is pretty cool in my opinion. Its not Oscar worthy in any category but it is a pretty good movie starring a pretty cool chick and you cant beat a flick that’s got Jester from Top Gun in it!!! Yeah! The film was written by Matthew Bright who also wrote Freeway with Kefier Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon. The script is kind of bland and bla but I find it just good enough to keep interest in the movie and the lead characters. The two things that bump this movies rank up from so-so to good are Drew Barrymore and the films director, Tamara Davis. I’ll take this time to fill those of you in who are not familiar with her work. Tamara Davis got her start directing music videos for groups like Sonic Youth and Depeche Mode as well as solo rap artists Tone Loc and Young M.C. She also has a couple of decent films under her belt including Billy Madison starring Adam Sandler and CB4 which was Chris Rock’s big screen debut. I really do like her directing style and what she’s done in this film, she has a very edgy, dark way of directing and it shows in this film. If your a Huge Barrymore fan like me I recommend shelling out the very reasonable price to make this one a keeper, if not you might want to rent it or bum it off a friend and check it out first. Either way, I think Gun Crazy is worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
This is only the second film I have seen from the studio that released it, RED (Real Entertainment in Digital). And id be lying if I said that this one was better than the other, the picture is a little dark for my taste and there is a light choppy feel to it. But this films picture quality is a lot better than the $9.99 price tag would suggest. Full screen presentation but lets put it this way, I have seen a lot worse. And also take into consideration that a lot of the movies scenes are indoor and night time ones.
Audio: How does it sound?
Recorded in “Ultra Stereo!” Ok, sorry im trying to pump this category up as much as I can because it is hurting in the sound department. Stereo track and not that this is a film bursting with effects but 2.0 or 5.1 would have been a nice touch. But lets give credit where credit is due the sound is crisp, clear and I didn’t have to max out my volume to hear it.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Original straight to video trailer, complete cast and crew bios and the scene selectors are cool looking bullet holes. Another Barrymore film with no interview or commentary track but hey for $9.99 im not gonna bitch about it.
