Cast: Joe Carnahan, Dan Leis, Dan Harlan, Hugh McChord, Ken Rudulph
Director: Joe Carnahan
Producers: Dan Leis, Patrick M. Lynn, Leon Corcos
Screenplay: Joe Carnahan
Cinematography: John A. Jiminez
Music: Mark Priolo
U.S. Distributor: Lion's Gate Films
Based on his direction of Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane, Joe Carnahan probably has a bright future in the movie industry. Unfortunately, showcasing Carnahan's energetic approach to film making is about all this pointless thriller accomplishes. Even for those who generally enjoy bottom-of-the-barrel budget, independent motion pictures, this is bound to disappoint. There's nothing of substance here. For a while, Carnahan's kinetic approach (which includes a lot of quick cuts and frequent changes from black-and-white to color) obfuscates the lack of plot and character development, but the reality of the situation eventually becomes obvious.
The price tag associated with Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane is being touted as $7300. That's in the El Mariachi range, and considers only the cost accrued by shooting the movie in 16 mm then assembling an edited copy on video tape. Another $100,000 was required to generate the first 35 mm print needed for the Sundance Film Festival, where Carnahan's movie showed out of competition (it was a midnight screening). Realistically, the "$7300 movie" hook is about the only angle that Lion's Gate can use for marketing this film, since the actual content would have trouble selling a dime novel or comic book. The trailer, which is brilliant in a Clerks sort of way, doesn't feature a frame of footage from the movie.
The story is pretty simple. A pair of used car dealers, Sid (Carnahan) and Bob (Dan Leis), are minding their own business, trying to make ends meet, when someone offers them an incredible deal. If they keep a 1963 Pontiac Le Mans on their lot until the right person picks it up, it will be worth $250,000 to them. Greedy for the money, they agree, but they're not stupid, and expect a setup. It doesn't take long before the bullets start whizzing by. It's then that they realize they're in over their heads, but, while Bob is just looking for a way to survive, Sid still wants the payday. But, to boost their hand, he needs to know what's in the Le Mans' trunk, and it's wired to a bomb that the local car repairman can't defuse.
What all of Carnahan's frantic camera movement and other directorial flourishes try to hide is the lack of a worthwhile narrative. The roster of characters consists of the two used car salesmen (who spend the first 20 minutes of the movie spouting used car salesmen clichés), an older, more shrewd dealer named Dan Woo (Dan Harlan), a killer with a blond ponytail (Hugh McChord), and an FBI agent (Ken Rudulph) who's not really involved in the plot but appears to be on hand to provide background exposition. Carnahan borrows freely from Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who were apparently his inspirations for making this film. The steals would have been more effective had they been used in the service of something less forgettable. For example, why bother jumping back and forth in time when so little is happening in the past, present, and future? Actually, Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane offers one moderately clever twist, but it's hardly worth sitting through 80 minutes for. Still, if you're looking for something to like about the film, at least what's in the trunk isn't what we expect it to be.
Lion's Gate President Marc Urman admits that Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane is likely to find favor with only a limited audience, and, given the lack of financial liability incurred by the distributor, it's almost guaranteed to make money. One could argue that the title is accurate, although it promises more action and energy than Carnahan delivers. Unless you're a connoisseur of ultra-low budget movies, or are interested in making one of your own, it's probably best to skip this particular production, and wait to see what the director can come up with when someone gives him a few dollars to play with. That, not this, will determine how much of Carnahan's potential can be transformed into something tangible.
© 1999 James Berardinelli