La terreur de la pampa: A dusty, weird little ride

Is this thing worth a watch?

If you have an itch for old-school, slightly dusty westerns that don't take themselves too seriously, sure, give it a go. It’s perfect for people who enjoy spotting strange genre mashups. If you’re looking for a tight, gritty masterpiece, you’re gonna be annoyed by the first twenty minutes. This isn't exactly The Scarlet Letter in terms of emotional weight, let's be real.

Billy Forster is just a guy washing dishes who thinks he’s built for something better. We've all felt that, right? The way he just up and leaves Hollywood is so fast it made my head spin. One minute he's scrubbing plates, the next he's riding toward Texas like he’s already auditioning for a part.

Tom Spielman is the villain here, and man, he is really into the highwayman life. He’s got this henchman named Sam, and honestly, the dynamic between them feels like they’re just waiting for someone to point a camera at them. The whole 'terrorizing travelers' thing is handled with such weird casualness. It’s like they’re just doing chores between robberies.

Wait, why is Fernandel here?

Seeing Fernandel pop up in a Texas ranch setting is the kind of thing that makes you rub your eyes. It’s like finding a croissant in a taco. It doesn't make sense, but it’s kind of funny. Sometimes the movie feels like it’s trying to be a serious drama, and then Fernandel shows up and the whole mood shifts into something way more lighthearted.

There’s this moment where Billy teams up with Partridge Eye, the local Indian character. The way they interact is so stiff, like they were both reading their lines from a piece of paper taped to the cactus next to them. It’s charming, though. You can tell they were trying, even if the script was doing them no favors.

I noticed the background extras in the saloon scenes look like they’d rather be literally anywhere else. One guy in the corner is just staring at his boots for three full minutes. I couldn't stop watching him. It’s way more interesting than the actual plot developments half the time.

• The dialogue is mostly filler, but it has a nice rhythm if you don't think about it too hard.
• The horse riding scenes are mostly just people trotting in circles.
• Nelly is the only one who seems to know what's going on, which is a trope I usually roll my eyes at, but it works here.

This movie isn't as intense as Traffic in Souls, obviously. It’s much lower stakes and feels like a Sunday afternoon project. The final confrontation? It happens so fast you might miss it if you get up to grab a snack. Billy just sort of... wins? It’s not a grand cinematic finale, but it felt honest enough for a guy like Billy.

Maybe it’s not a classic. Maybe it’s just a weird footnote. But I liked it better than I expected. It’s got that specific, clunky charm that you just can't manufacture in a modern studio. 🤠