Cinefamily wrote:It’s a crying shame that a movie this genuinely fun and well-crafted has been mostly lost to time, but let’s try to rectify the situation. Picture the same amount of mindblowing-to-your-inner-twelve-year-old, coming-of-age action radness of Red Dawn, but also with the small-town naturalism of a John Sayles film — and M. Emmet Walsh as an ultra-smarmy bounty hunter! A shining diamond buried in the still-not-yet-released-on-DVD hinterlands, War Party stars Lost Boys vamp Billy Wirth alongside Entourage’s Kevin Dillon in this rollicking, on-the-lam Midwestern tale. A Civil War battle re-enactment is just what’s needed to economically revitalize our heroes’ Indian rez in Montana — except that racial tensions flare, real guns are fired during the “show”, and a large batch of really awesome chaos erupts. Director Franc Roddam (Quadrophenia) keeps things slick and appropriately dusty, Wirth is full of broody charm (as well as sports a wicked Ian Astbury-style, bangs-heavy ‘do), and more than one tomahawk gets firmly planted in villainous rednecks’ skulls.
War Party (Franc Roddam, 1988)
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
War Party (Franc Roddam, 1988)
Never heard of this before it popped up on my Tumblr feed, but it sounds fascinating (and from a Criterion-approved director no less). Anyone ever seen it?
- GaryC
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 pm
- Location: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK
Re: War Party (Franc Roddam, 1988)
Yes - I saw it in a press show at the time. It had a very limited UK cinema release.
To be honest, it's not lasted in my memory at all well, so take that as you will.
To be honest, it's not lasted in my memory at all well, so take that as you will.
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- Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:36 pm
Re: War Party (Franc Roddam, 1988)
I must admit I don't remember the details of the film, only really liking it a lot (and Billy Wirth!!). I've been trying to see if it's been released anywhere in the world on DVD, but it doesn't seem to be. I would love to see it again.