Cross "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with "The Magnificent Seven", and you get some idea of this truly bizarre western, which received its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival. Set for commercial release in April, this Mario Van Peebles starrer, which he also scripted, will prove a significant challenge to market. Cable seems a safer bet.
"Los Locos" was directed by French-Canadian Jean-Marc Vallee, who a couple of years ago scored a success at the festival (and a commercial hit in Canada) with his contemporary thriller "Liste Noir". He handles the reins of this western with surprising ease and manages to make the film look much more expensive than its $2.4 million budget. It should not be long before Hollywood beckons.
Van Peebles plays Chance, a disgraced scout who, when we first see him, is recovering from the effects of a tar and feathering, inflicted when he misled his military platoon during battle. He's nursed back to health by the loincloth-wearing Buck (Paul Lazar), one of six "locos" who reside in a mission led by the dictatorial Sister Drexel (Rusty Schwimmer).
When he recovers, Chance is recruited to lead the sister and her mentally challenged flock to their new home across the desert. During the treacherous journey, Chance and the locos encounter a series of adventures and violent confrontations, capped by a brutal battle with a group of nasty bandits. Along the way, Chance finds time for a romantic bath with the beautiful Allison (Melora Walters), who is eager to be impregnated. Through Chance's positive influence, the locos eventually emerge from their shell and fight like warriors.
The film is mostly a routine western, made distinctive only by its bizarre cast of characters. Unfortunately, the filmmakers were unable to resist infusing the movie with a severe case of the cutes, resulting in what often resembles a hyperviolent version of the 1966 hit "King of Hearts".
Van Peebles, though he brings his usual charisma and likability to his role, is mainly reduced to playing straight man to the rambunctious cast, which includes Rene Auberjonois as a mild-mannered autistic who late in the game realizes he has the heart (and skills) of a gunslinger. The film would seem to have pretensions to examine the need for tolerance of the mentally ill, but its serious aspirations are lost amid the gunplay.
LOS LOCOS
Gramercy Pictures
A Propaganda Films/
Van Peebles Films production
Producers Mario Van Peebles, John Vohlers
Executive producer Allan Poul
Director Jean-Marc Vallec
Screenplay Mario Van Peebles
Director of photography Pierre Gill
Editor Jean-Marc Vallee
Music Leslie Barber
Sound Bruce Nazarian
Art direction Greta Grigorian
Casting Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chance Mario Van Peebles
Allison Melora Walters
The president Rene Auberjonois
Buck Paul Lazar
Batista Danny Trejo
Baby Brother Tom Dorfmeister
Spackman Eric Winzenreid
Sister Drexel Rusty Schwimmer
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Los Locos" was directed by French-Canadian Jean-Marc Vallee, who a couple of years ago scored a success at the festival (and a commercial hit in Canada) with his contemporary thriller "Liste Noir". He handles the reins of this western with surprising ease and manages to make the film look much more expensive than its $2.4 million budget. It should not be long before Hollywood beckons.
Van Peebles plays Chance, a disgraced scout who, when we first see him, is recovering from the effects of a tar and feathering, inflicted when he misled his military platoon during battle. He's nursed back to health by the loincloth-wearing Buck (Paul Lazar), one of six "locos" who reside in a mission led by the dictatorial Sister Drexel (Rusty Schwimmer).
When he recovers, Chance is recruited to lead the sister and her mentally challenged flock to their new home across the desert. During the treacherous journey, Chance and the locos encounter a series of adventures and violent confrontations, capped by a brutal battle with a group of nasty bandits. Along the way, Chance finds time for a romantic bath with the beautiful Allison (Melora Walters), who is eager to be impregnated. Through Chance's positive influence, the locos eventually emerge from their shell and fight like warriors.
The film is mostly a routine western, made distinctive only by its bizarre cast of characters. Unfortunately, the filmmakers were unable to resist infusing the movie with a severe case of the cutes, resulting in what often resembles a hyperviolent version of the 1966 hit "King of Hearts".
Van Peebles, though he brings his usual charisma and likability to his role, is mainly reduced to playing straight man to the rambunctious cast, which includes Rene Auberjonois as a mild-mannered autistic who late in the game realizes he has the heart (and skills) of a gunslinger. The film would seem to have pretensions to examine the need for tolerance of the mentally ill, but its serious aspirations are lost amid the gunplay.
LOS LOCOS
Gramercy Pictures
A Propaganda Films/
Van Peebles Films production
Producers Mario Van Peebles, John Vohlers
Executive producer Allan Poul
Director Jean-Marc Vallec
Screenplay Mario Van Peebles
Director of photography Pierre Gill
Editor Jean-Marc Vallee
Music Leslie Barber
Sound Bruce Nazarian
Art direction Greta Grigorian
Casting Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chance Mario Van Peebles
Allison Melora Walters
The president Rene Auberjonois
Buck Paul Lazar
Batista Danny Trejo
Baby Brother Tom Dorfmeister
Spackman Eric Winzenreid
Sister Drexel Rusty Schwimmer
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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