cliffvose
Despite some massive inconsistencies in the logistics of the plot and some amateurish acting the absurd premise does deliver a kind of Disney comic appeal. I guess 'the historical setting' allows the use of the 'n word', which in a more contemporary setting would be frowned upon by the largely disenfranchised classes. Maybe some people in the theaters would suck in their breath while others would just snigger and pop popcorn. The main character played deadpan by George Sample III gets seventh billing in the credits. So, what's new? Marla, played by Sondra James is the real star, with some great lines.
XweAponX
Came across this on Amazon, it's a hidden gem.Jake McDorman and Martin Starr are two bumbling, inept, deputies - Doyle and Hayford - who stumble into a World O' Hurt when they encounter "Prisoner 614" (George Sample III).Ron Perlman shows his redneck side as, well, in the whole film, his name is "The Sheriff", as he plays a type of person who he usually speaks out against. I can even see a few people that Ron may have based his performance on, people he digs into daily. In this film, he gets to show us a valid portrait of the worst kind of people, and succeeds in holding us up a kind of mirror as we judge ourselves.At first I thought this was going to be a western, although it is indeed a period piece. Probably taking place around late 60's-ish, I thought I had heard Prisoner 614 say "(19)58" was when he was arrested. Either way, this country had not developed socially very well and the Civil Rights movement was still happening strong. But this aspect of the film is played down, focusing more on the ineptitude of our Deputies. And a few choice words or phrases are inserted, just enough to make us remember the slow burning tension of those days. But we do see a few forward-looking people, one of them played by the true treasure of this film, Sondra James - Who although has been in Movies and Television since 1982, is most known for her voice and ADR work. Here, she plays the hostess of a Diner and turns out to be the most progressive thinking person of the whole film, positively affecting Deputies Doyle and Hayford.The other treasure of this film is George Sample III, who is not really a man of many words, at first. But he also positively affects our two deputies. His mute style of comedy is effective.This film is full of ironic humor, at some points is as uncomfortable to watch as Laverne and Shirley or even Lucille Ball with the level of sheer ineptitude reached by Doyle/Hayford. We are not talking about slapstick, but in fact, real, accurately portrayed dumbness.The magic is what happens as we focus our attention on these two boys, suddenly, something larger happens.Oh Yes, the main Irony of this film is it's production company: Saban, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Saban (And X-men, the Animated Series).
