Director – Lance Mungia (Third Eye Spies, The Crow: Wicked Prayer)
Starring – Jeffrey Falcon (Caged Beauties, Rape in Public Sea), Justin McGuire (Clownation), and Kim De Angelo
Release Date – 1998
Rating – 4/5
UHD Release – 4.5/5
Many years ago when I first started collecting DVD I often found myself buying up any horror movie I could find along with any weird or strange title I came across. It wasn’t long before I added a copy of 1998’s action adventure film Six-String Samurai to my collection. I owned it for sometime but when I finally watched it I was fucking hooked. It was one of the wildest films I had ever seen.
Sometime back Vinegar Syndrome announced the release of this late 90s classic on UHD and it was an immediate buy. I try not to double dip but I’m a Vin Syn collector and my old DVD had seen better days.
**Spoiler Alert** The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where nomadic samurais fight for the title of king of Lost Vegas. We meet the six-string samurai and a kid that he rescued from a gang of savage killers as they make their way across the sand-covered landscape while the top hat wearing Death and his band of metal head archers hunt for him so Death can be the king of Lost Vegas. **Spoiler Alert**
I review a lot of movies and I know a great deal of them are for a certain group of viewers who have a different taste for cinema. However, I think everyone can enjoy the wild ride that is Six-String Samurai. It has so much going on while delivering some gorgeous cinematography and some well done martial arts. It’s so much fun and this Vin Syn release is the way to watch it.
The acting is solid but there is some good scenes and there is some better scenes. Jeffrey Falcon makes the film. His fight scenes are great and watching how his character speaks to others is what makes this film so much fun. A lot of the supporting cast and one off characters are so much fun. The cast had a lot of fun with this one and it shows in every scene. With that being said, I hated the voices used for the metal band. Any scene that involves them talking instantly got under my skin. They are extremely annoying and don’t fit in the film at all.
The story for this one is an early 90s comic book come to life. We get fights, roving gangs or groups with themes. a crazy ass psychobilly style, and a post-apocalyptic setting. It’s extremely wild and unpredictable. When mix all this with the abundance of memorable characters you have something that feels out of it’s time. It’s very enjoyable and blends so many genres. The slower scenes still deliver character and story progression while the more action centered scenes pull you in.
Finally, the film has a little blood but nothing that really stands out. We get some great shots of a barren land along with some great wardrobe but the star here is the story. Overall, Six-String Samurai is a must see film that I didn’t see early enough. It’s an important film in 90s cinema and an essential release from Vinegar Syndrome. I highly recommend this gorgeous UHD.
Special Features:
VSU exclusive ‘ultra’ high-end magnet clasp box, containing the slipcovered 2-disc set and a 40-page book. Case artwork designed by Tom Hodge of The Dude Designs. Box designed and patented by VS.
Region Free 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray Set
4k UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range
Newly scanned & restored in 4k from it’s 35mm original camera negative
Brand new commentary track with director Lance Mungia and cinematographer Kristian Bernier
Brand new commentary track with director Lance Mungia
“VEGAS NEEDS A NEW KING: THE MAKING OF SIX-STRING SAMURAI” – a brand new extended length making-of documentary directed by Elijah Drenner and Lance Mungia
“Garden of Rio” – short film directed by Lance Mungia
Extensive stills gallery
40-page book featuring essays by director Lance Mungia
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
