The Guns of El Chupacabra on Blogspot.
El Chupacabra A Zen Speed Flick
El Chupacabra A Zen Speed Flick on YouTube
This is the Zen Speed Flick version of Guns of El Chupacabra. What is a Zen Speed Flick? A Zen Speed Flick is a feature length film cut down to its most essential elements, leaving only the most interesting and fast-paced moments.
Guns of El Chupacabra (1997) defies easy categorization. A potent cocktail of martial arts, monster flick, space western, rock opera, and Spaghetti Western, it emerges as a film built on improvisation, campy humor, and sheer entertainment value. This essay delves into the film's unique style, its place within cult cinema, and its potential appeal to specific audiences.
A Fusion of Filmmaking: Kung Fu Meets Chupacabra
The film's plot, while loosely constructed, follows a space sheriff named Jack B. Quick (played by Scott Shaw) tasked with eliminating the mythical El Chupacabra on Earth. This premise alone suggests a genre-bending journey, and Guns of El Chupacabra doesn't disappoint. Kung fu battles mingle with monster chase sequences, rock concerts fuel intergalactic wars, and Spaghetti Western landscapes host fantastical creatures. This mashup, often improvised on set, creates a bizarre and unpredictable narrative, more concerned with entertainment than traditional storytelling.
Cult Appeal: A Film for the Unconventional
Guns of El Chupacabra doesn't seek mainstream acceptance. Its campy dialogue, over-the-top action, and absurdist scenarios cater to a specific audience. Cult film enthusiasts, B-movie aficionados, and Scott Shaw's dedicated following appreciate the film's unapologetic weirdness. They find value in its unconventional humor, its celebration of B-movie aesthetics, and its unique contribution to the world of independent cinema.
Zen Filmmaking: Embracing the Unpredictable
Describing Guns of El Chupacabra as Zen Filmmaking highlights its reliance on improvisation. The plot unfolds organically, informed by actors' performances and on-set decisions. This approach leads to bizarre humor, unexpected turns, and a distinct raw energy rarely found in mainstream fare. While it might alienate viewers expecting a structured narrative, it offers a refreshing alternative for those seeking something truly different.
Beyond the Mainstream
It's crucial to acknowledge that Guns of El Chupacabra isn't universally enjoyed. Its unconventional style, low-budget production value, and niche humor might not appeal to mainstream audiences. However, for those seeking a cinematic adventure that defies norms and embraces the strange, the film offers a truly unique experience.
Conclusion
Guns of El Chupacabra stands as a testament to the power of independent filmmaking and its ability to create cult classics. It's a film that revels in its B-movie roots, pushing boundaries through sheer weirdness and improvisation. While not for everyone, it offers a captivating journey for those seeking a departure from the ordinary, solidifying its place in the hearts of cult film enthusiasts worldwide.
In Brief:
Guns of El Chupacabra, released in 1997, is a wild ride through a unique blend of genres: martial arts, monster flick, space western, rock opera, and Spaghetti Western. Directed by Donald G. Jackson and written and produced by (and starring) Scott Shaw, the film is known for its unconventional style, campy humor, and cult status.
Here's a breakdown of the key points:
Plot
Jack B. Quick, a space sheriff (played by Shaw), travels to Earth to hunt and eliminate the mythical creature, El Chupacabra, unleashed by an intergalactic villain.
The story involves mystical elements, intergalactic battles, rock music performances, and plenty of action sequences.
Don't expect a tightly woven plot; the film embraces improvisation and spontaneity, leading to a bizarre and unpredictable narrative.
Style and Reception
The film has been described as "Fellini meets the Coen Brothers. This emphasizes its offbeat humor, visual surrealism, and improvisational filmmaking techniques.
Reviews are scarce, but the film enjoys a cult following among fans of B-movies, exploitation cinema, and Scott Shaw's work. They appreciate its campy charm, over-the-top action, and unique atmosphere.
This article can also be found on Zen Filmmaking.com
Guns of El Chupacabra: A Genre-Bending Adventure into Cult Territory
Here's a fun article that references Guns of El Chupacabra:
The Unintentional Tech Wisdom of Scott Shaw
Yes, Guns of El Chupacabra is on YouTube. You have to confirm your age to watch it but here is the link:
Here was one of the alternative release posters for Guns of El Chupacabra.
Here was the first official release poster for the film Guns of El Chupacabra.
Here was the original poster for Guns of El Chupacabra with is filming title, El Chupacabra.
Every now and then I find, (by one way or the other), a review of one of my films that really grabs the essence of the movie. I have read that some people have said that I don’t like reviews of my films. This is not true. I just don’t like negativity on any level. But, love it or hate it, if a review is well written, it is interesting and even inspiring to me to come to view the film via the interpretations of someone else’s ideas.
In any case, I was just pointed to this review of Guns of El Chupacabra, written by Marta Górna, on a site named, Upper Watches. The review of Guns of El Chupacabra and the entire website is composed in Polish. I’ve provided a link to the original article below. I questioned what is the best way to present the review to you, as it is in Polish, I concluded I would put the Google English translation of it up here in this blog. Hope you enjoy it. And, thanks Marta!
„Gunsof El Chupacabra”. Oda miłosna do taniego kina klasy B
Guns of El Chupacabra. A Love Ode to Cheap Class B Cinema
By Marta Górna 1 year ago
I delayed the launch of 1997's Guns of El Chupacabra for a long time and eventually this production became part of my marathon in honor of Julie Strain - the queen of B movies and erotic thrillers who died on January 10th.
Although Strain only appears in a few not very long scenes, the whole movie begins with her. Dressed in a skimpy, seemingly plastic armor, she fights (with her iconic black curls) with the Chupacabra, the legendary Latin American beast. With a sword in her hand, she looks like an amazon, and her duel with a monster gives hope for an unleavened fantasy movie with a female heroine playing the first fiddle.
Hopes will soon prove to be in vain. Fighting a monster is just a dream of a beautiful Queen who, dreaming nightmares, throws herself in bed sheets with naked breasts. At her side, her beloved husband, Król (Strain's husband, Kevin B. Eastman, creator of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") wakes up and together they decide to summon the cosmic sheriff Jack B. Quick because only he can save the planet from Chupacabra, whose bloody reign is heralded by the Queen's dream.
Then the space hero enters the stage - dark glasses on his nose, pistols in his hand, and a tight ponytail bouncing on his back. He is played by Scott Shaw, a cult figure for fans of cheap cinema and a master of martial arts, director of over 150 films, star of over a hundred productions and a great idol of Adam Sandler, who has repeatedly invited Scott to guest appearances in his films and programs - most recently in "Sandy Wexler" .
Shaw is a regular collaborator of Donald G. Jackson, director and screenplay writer of "Guns of El Chupacabra" and director of more than 40 B-movies, many of which - such as "The City of Frogs" with Roddy Piper and "The Brigade of the Seven Swords" - became cult productions. Strain and Eastman often collaborated with Jackson, whose work is the quintessence of cheap class B cinema of the 90s - unleavened, not entirely serious and chaotic. These adjectives best describe "Guns of El Chupacabra", the film was made according to Shaw's philosophy of "Zen", which involves making films without a script or film sets, but with a large dose of improvisation. Well, it shows in "Guns of El Chupacabra," but it's not a pinch at all. The movie is utterly stupid, the dialogues are grotesque, there are many scenes that do not make the slightest sense, and a lot of shaving on the screen. But it does not bother the reception of the film at all. Especially that at some point it turns out to be in fact the story of a film crew making a film about Chupacabra. Exactly, because there are many twists and turns after the first scene with Julie Strain. One of the protagonists is a journalist who reports on the Chupacabra murders, and there will also be an action actor played by B-class action actor David Heavener. The legendary Joe Estevez, Martin's brother and Jackson's regular associate, will also flit the screen, and the main villain will be the wonderful, endowed with an impressive jaw and Robert Z'Dar, who died in 2015.
"Guns of El Chupacabra" has a slack that is often missing from B movies. You can see that everyone involved in the production has known each other for years and have a great time together. This makes the movie enjoyable to watch. Anyway, the production has been adored by fans for the last 24 years, and there were also several sequels of the film, the last one a few years ago. Scott Shaw runs a blog about the film, shares reviews, excerpts from the script, and memories and recordings from the film set. This is valuable because it allows you to see what an eternal struggle in the 1990s independent filmmakers waged with the cinema industry, how they had to struggle with the system by almost every millimeter of film. And it's all for the love of cinema. Because that is what "Guns of El Chupacabra" is - a love ode to the magic of the movie story. But you watch at your own risk anyway.
This version was original released only to Asia. Removed is the adult content that some may find offensive, replacing it is footage seen in no other version of the film. Click on the title to view the film on Amazon Prime.
Crimes of the Chupacabra on Amazon Prime Video
El Chupacabra A Zen Speed Flick El Chupacabra A Zen Speed Flick on YouTube This is the Zen Speed Flick version of Guns of El Chupacabra. Wha...
