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Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere
Director, Atsushi Muroga, who brought us the cult hit Junk, once again sinks his teeth firmly in genre territory with the East-meets-West-meets-East picture, Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere. This time Muroga gives us an homage to Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, which itself was based on Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Sticking firmly with the Spaghetti Western motif, a mysterious drifter (on a Harley, no less) wanders into a desolate town run by a ruthless Kingpin and all Hell breaks loose. The twist is that in Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere the "Clint Eastwood" role is played by the beautiful Actress/Model, Ryoko Yonekura.
Set in a remote border town of Tsuson, a staple of the Spaghetti Western, Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere takes place on the edge of an American Military base somewhere in Japan. Ironically, the soldiers' presence has turned it into a lawless, dangerous place. In rides Saki (Yonekura) on her motorcycle hot on the trail of Tojo (Shingo Tsurumi), the white-suited, yakuza crime-lord controlling the town. She immediately runs afoul of some soldiers, working as Tojo's enforcers, and settles things with a hail of bullets.
Enter Fujimoto and Sam, who plan to steal $2,000,000 from an armored transport truck. Saki spoils their heist and makes off with the money, attracting Tojo's attention along the way. This sets in motion the events that lead up to their inevitable showdown. When Saki is first introduced to us, she appears as nothing more than the newest bounty hunter sent after Tojo, but we quickly see that it is more than a job, her vendetta seems highly personal. Perhaps there is a connection between Tojo and the leg brace she wears?
The end result is far less complex than either, A Fistful of Dollars, or Yojimbo, the sources that it draws from, but that doesn't stop Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere from being a fast-paced and highly enjoyable girl-with-guns picture. In fact, Muroga's film sometimes has more in common with the over-the-top Hong Kong action pictures of the 80's and 90's, as Saki wields her two-fisted Beretta's again and again, than the Spaghetti Westerns he tried so hard to emulate.
The DVD:
Picture: The movie is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. Overall, the picture is good, although the colors could have been brighter, but maybe it was a stylistic touch, rather than a casualty of the film's low budget.
Audio: There are two audio tracks included on this DVD. The default is the English 5.1 Dolby Surround track, while the original Japanese is presented in 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo. I prefer to watch films in their original language track, but the 5.1 English dub sounds better, with enriched sound effects and music.
Extras: The only Extras included on this disc are an interview with Ryoko Yonekura and trailers for future ADV releases, including Gun Crazy: Beyond the Law, the second film in the Gun Crazy series.
Conclusion: Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere is a cut above your average girl-with-guns film, thanks in part to Muroga's blending of drama with the typical action scenes, but probably the movie's strongest aspect is also it's weakest, Yonekura's Saki. It seems that the actress was very uncomfortable with most of her scenes, since when it came to action movies she never wanted "to watch them...only to make them". Unfortunately, this attitude comes through in her performance, keeping Saki from being a wholly original or memorable character. Still, Gun Crazy: A Woman From Nowhere, manages to be a fun ride that holds up to repeat viewing.
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