DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Smokey Smith remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school westerns that don't overstay their welcome, you’ll probably find something to like here. It’s got that specific 1930s desert grit that feels like it was filmed in a backyard with a lot of dust. However, if you need a complex plot or high production values, you should probably just skip this and go watch The Man Hunter instead.
The whole thing moves pretty fast. Bob Steele is basically just squinting at people until he finds the right guy. It’s not exactly Shakespeare, but it’s got heart. 🤠
There is this one scene where they are sitting around a table and the lighting is just... weird. It feels like they were using a single candle and a prayer. It adds this strange, unintentional tension that I actually kind of loved.
And George 'Gabby' Hayes is in it, obviously. He brings that classic energy that makes you feel like you're watching a relic from another dimension. Every time he opens his mouth, you know exactly what kind of movie you're in.
Sometimes the movie just stops caring about the mystery entirely. They spend about twenty minutes just riding through canyons, and honestly? It’s better that way. It feels like the director just wanted to get some nice shots of the horses and forgot there was a script somewhere in his pocket.
If you're looking for a deep dive into human psychology, you're in the wrong place. But if you want to see a guy pretend to be an outlaw for about an hour while everyone forgets the plot? Yeah, this works. It’s not as polished as As Husbands Go, but it’s got way more tumbleweeds.
The ending comes out of nowhere. Seriously. It just stops. It’s like they ran out of film and just decided that was enough for the day. It’s charming in a really messy, chaotic sort of way. 🐎