Champagne and Bullets
| Champagne and Bullets | |
|---|---|
 Case art from the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray release | |
| Directed by | John De Hart |
| Written by | John De Hart |
| Produced by | John De Hart |
| Starring | John De Hart Wings Hauser Pamela Bryant |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes (Champagne and Bullets cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Champagne and Bullets (also known as Road to Revenge and GetEven) is an independent 1993 action movie. Described as a vanity project, Champagne and Bullets has become a cult movie due to writer/director/star John De Hart's amateur and "inexplicable"[1] performance. Contemporary reviewers have celebrated the film as a "classic"[2] B-movie.
History
[edit]According to Vinegar Syndrome, the film was originally edited as Champagne and Bullets in 16 mm but never commercially released. The film was re-edited several times and released as Road to Revenge and GetEven. The latter title is arguably the most well-known, as the GetEven cut is described as "notorious"[3] by Vinegar Syndrome and has been discussed by genre film programs such as Red Letter Media.[4]
The first video version is 10 minutes shorter than the original film, while the 2007 version was also substantially edited and augmented with erotic scenes (although several depictions of sexual assaults were removed) among other things.[5]
Plot
[edit]Former LAPD officer Rick Bode is now a limousine chauffeur. His ex-girlfriend, Cindy, is being harassed by members of a satanist cult, and Bode decides to help her by fighting them.
Bode then helps his best friend, Huck, resolve legal issues with his wife.
Cast
[edit]- John De Hart as Nick Bode
- Pamela Bryant as Cindy
- Wings Hauser as Huck
- William Smith as Normad, the cult leader
- Al Sapienza as drug smuggler
Reception
[edit]Horror Society said, "What makes this one so much fun is how bad and awkward it is to watch. Overall, Champagne and Bullets is The Room of direct to video action flicks. It’s one of the strangest yet wildest movies I had ever seen yet I couldn’t stop watching"[6]
Writing for Blu-ray.com, Brian Orndorf states that the film "is lunacy when it isn't incredibly boring and indulgent, quickly ascending to Bad Movie Night heaven."[7]
The B-movie website Nanarland places the film among the most notable vanity projects in the film industry.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Rabin, Nathan (18 August 2021). "Control Nathan Rabin 4.0 #225 Champagne and Bullets (1993)". Nathan Rabin's Happy Place. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Kristopowitz, Bryan. "The Gratuitous B-Movie Column: Champagne and Bullets". 411MANIA. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Champagne & Bullets (aka GetEven / Road to Revenge)". Vinegar Syndrome. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Best of the Worst: Parole Violators, Future Force, and Geteven". Red Letter Media. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ a b Nanarland. "Champagne and Bullets - la chronique de Nanarland". www.nanarland.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ "Blu Review – Champagne And Bullets (Vinegar Syndrome)". Horror Society. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ Orndorf, Brian. "Champagne and Bullets Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.