Six-String Samurai

Six-String Samurai is a 1998 post-apocalyptic action/comedy film directed by Lance Mungia and starring Jeffrey Falcon and Justin McGuire. Brian Tyler composed the score for this film along with the Red Elvises, the latter providing the majority of the soundtrack.

The film was greeted with a great deal of excitement when shown at Slamdance in 1998, winning the Slamdance awards for best editing and cinematography, and gathering extremely favorable reviews from influential alternative, cult and indie film publications such as Fangoria, Film Threat and Ain't It Cool News. It is billed as a "post-apocalyptic musical satire".

In a limited theatrical release the film ran for several months in a few theaters, gaining a reputation as a minor cult film; having a budget of $2,000,000, it only made a mere $124,494 at the box offices. An intended trilogy has been discussed but not yet realized, just like the predicted launching of the career of the film's star, Jeffrey Falcon, a martial artist who had appeared in several Hong Kong action movies in the 1980s and early 1990s. While Mungia made several music videos, he did not direct another feature until the 2005 film The Crow: Wicked Prayer.

Plot
In 1957, the Soviet Union attacks the United States with nuclear weapons, rendering most of the nation uninhabitable. The American government has collapsed with the exception of the haven known as "Lost Vegas", ruled by King Elvis. The Red Army has been besieging Lost Vegas, but the lack of supplies over the years has relegated them to a gang of thugs. Forty years after the Soviet invasion, King Elvis dies and radio disc jockey Keith Mortimer announces a call for all musicians to come to Lost Vegas to try to become the new King of Rock 'n' Roll. The ending of message being 'Vegas needs a new King!'

Buddy, a lone guitarist and swordsman, saves an unnamed boy he simply calls "Kid" from a group of bandits; consequently, as the Kid's mother was killed by the bandits, he tags along with Buddy much to his annoyance in the beginning. As the duo travel through the desert wasteland, the heavy metal-playing Death stages several attempts to prevent Buddy from reaching Lost Vegas alive and claim the throne for himself. After enduring an attack by a bounty-hunting bowling team, Buddy and the Kid steal a car from another musician to make their get away leaving before Death and his band kill the bowling team for their failure and shoes. When their car breaks down Buddy and the Kid run into a cannibalistic suburban family though unaware of their true nature at first. Buddy leaves the Kid with them and takes off, the Kid escapes after a group of radiation suited men invade the home and the family flees with Buddy and the Kid's abandoned car. The two reunite again and continue on their journey while Death has been killing off all other musicians coming across his path. Buddy and the Kid arrive in the town of Fallout where again he tries ditching the Kid and enters a bar spending his time drinking and being alone with a cheerleader like groupie. Death arrives and Buddy and the Kid escape after he finally speaks. Continuing their travel Buddy is approached by a mini guitar playing teen he humiliated back in Fallout to a duel. Buddy refuses not wanting to take his life but the teen still runs toward him with Buddy unintentionally killing him in self defense. His confidence breaks and he lays his sword down walking away but the Kid brings it back to him saying he can still 'be a good king'. The two begin to bond closer and are later ambushed by Death and his and after they collapsed in the Desert. Buddy slides the Kid and his guitar to safety while he battles Death's band, he leaves the fight when the Kid is captured by a group of underground mutants and after saving him are ambushed by the Red Army, after a grueling battle Buddy is injured with the Kid dragging him to safety to heal. Their moment is short lived when Death finally catches up to them and engages Buddy in a guitar duel clashing their style of music against one another; Buddy Rock 'n' Roll and Death Heavy Metal. When Buddy proves the better guitarist an angry Death orders his band mates to shoot him and the Kid with their bows. Buddy shields the Kid and appears dead but an injured Buddy rises up and battles against Death in a sword fight. Death mortally wounds Buddy in the end informing him he was the last remaining obstacle in his way to become King, but the Kid discovers water is Death's weakness after spitting at him. The Kid then melts Death away with a canteen full of water. With his defeat Death's band mates are in shock that the Kid bested him, they give him a card and tell him with admiration that 'if you need a band call us' and they take their leave. Buddy's lifeless body disappears leaving behind his belongings and the Kid saddened by his death, but the Kid wanting to finish his journey puts on his clothes and glasses and carries his sword and guitar finally reaching Lost Vegas with a vision of him turning into Buddy with a sound of crowd cheering as he gets closer to the city.

Cast

 * Jeffrey Falcon as Buddy, a parody of Buddy Holly
 * Justin McGuire as the Kid
 * Stephane Gauger as Death, a parody of Slash
 * Lex Lang as the voice of Death


 * George L. Casillas as Mariachi, a parody of Ritchie Valens
 * Monti Ellison as the Head Pin Pal
 * Kareem as Bowler #2
 * Paul Szopa as Bowler #3
 * Richard McGuire as the Cantina owner
 * Gabrille Pimenter as Little Man
 * Dan Barton as Ward Cleaver
 * Lora Witty as Harriet Cleaver
 * Rheagan Wallace as Peggy Cleaver
 * Nathaniel Bresler as Rusty Cleaver
 * John Sarkisian as the Russian General
 * Euan MacDonald as Russian Lieutenant #1
 * Henrik Henrickson as Russian Lieutenant #2
 * Kim De Angelo as the Mother

The Red Elvises appear as themselves. Director Lance Mungia plays one of the Archers.

Opening sequence distortion
The opening sequence has an intentionally distorted visual effect. The de-anamorphic visuals are a subtle "tribute" to the Chinese martial arts films (notably the films by Shaw Brothers) that often had their wide-screen opening sequences compressed to the 1.33:1 format of TV screens for VHS release.

Thematic elements
Throughout the film there are homages to many major musical movements in the United States. Buddy, the main character, is a symbol of the birth of rock 'n' roll. He shares the same clothing style of Buddy Holly, especially his horn-rimmed glasses.

During the film "Death", who resembles Slash from Guns N' Roses, kills a character representing Jerry Lee Lewis. Death also dispatches a mariachi band and another musician dressed country western style. His minions also torment a traveler dressed in hip hop fashion. Buddy also has a duel with a musician (wielding a ukulele) resembling Ritchie Valens, who died in the same 1959 plane crash as the original Buddy Holly. Death also kills rock music, through the death of Buddy. However, the last scene shows the child donning Buddy's clothing, suggesting that though rock'n roll is dead, there is still hope for the future.

The film also has references to the Wizard of Oz, loosely imitating the 1939 movie. A little person instructs Buddy to "follow the yellow brick road". Lost Vegas, seen from the distance, looks like the Emerald City. Death is obsessed with a specific object, Buddy's guitar pick, much like the Wicked Witch trying to get Dorothy's red slippers. Finally, Death is killed when sprayed with water, as was the Wicked Witch. When Buddy dies, his body disappears, leaving only his clothes for the kid to take, again like the Wicked Witch.

Soundtrack
Six-String Samurai: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the original soundtrack to the film; the soundtrack was released by Rykodisc on August 25, 1998.
 * 1) United States of Russia (Red Elvises)
 * 2) Neverland*
 * 3) Love Pipe (Red Elvises)
 * 4) A Mother's Hand/Buddy*
 * 5) Fly Away Little Butterfly*
 * 6) Kill 200 Men (Dialogue)
 * 7) Boogie on the Beach  (Red Elvises)
 * 8) I Do Not Like Rock & Roll (Dialogue)
 * 9) Hungarian Dance #5  (Red Elvises)
 * 10) Arrowed Kid/Bowlers on the Floor (Dialogue)
 * 11) Rock & Rolling Ourselves to Death (Dialogue)/Jerry's Got the Squeeze Box (Red Elvises)
 * 12) Lonely Highway of Love (Dialogue)/Scorchi Chornie (Red Elvises)
 * 13) My Darling Lorraine  (Red Elvises)
 * 14) Astro*
 * 15) Follow the Yellow Brick Road(Dialogue)/Leech (Red Elvises)
 * 16) See You Around Kid (Dialogue)/Siberia  (Red Elvises)
 * 17) Good Golly Miss Molly  (Red Elvises)
 * 18) My Love Is Killing Me (Red Elvises)
 * 19) Sacred Funeral*
 * 20) Relentless Sun*
 * 21) Over the Hill*
 * 22) Bring His Guitar to Me(Dialogue)/Sahara Burn*
 * 23) A Boy and His Spirit*
 * 24) If You Were Me, You'd Be Good-Looking (Dialogue)/Surfing in Siberia (Red Elvises)
 * 25) Draggin a Fallen Hero*
 * 26) Nice Tuxedo (Dialogue)/Showdown at Not Okay Corral*
 * 27) Bend Before the Ways of Heavy Metal (Dialogue)/Dueling Guitars*
 * 28) Dream March*
 * 29) The Great Battle*
 * 30) End of a Hero/Finale*
 * 31) On My Way to Vegas*

(*) indicates original score by Brian Tyler

Critical reception
Six-String Samurai received mixed reviews, with a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews.

Film Threat gave the film a perfect score of five stars. Leonard Klady of Variety called the film "A rock 'n' roll Mad Max served up Cantonese style, this is one wildly original and highly entertaining American indie with genuine commercial appeal." Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle commented on his review that "If the film didn't have an underlying intelligence, it would soon be irritating -- it's too cartoonish and one-dimensional. But Falcon, an ace martial-arts practitioner, is dazzling as the nerdy main attraction, equally adept at sword fighting and guitar picking." Laurie Stone of The Village Voice wrote on her review: "There's one charming sequence, with vaudeville grace and tragicomedy worthy of Beckett, but the rest of the film, even with startling visual effects and some impish humor, is repetitious and derivative, playing like an endless commercial for bullet-hole chic."

Other media
In September, 1998, a single Six String Samurai comic was released from Rob Liefeld's Awesome Entertainment. Written by Liefeld and Matt Hawkins, it featured art by 'Awesome' artists Dan Fraga and John Stinsman. A continuation rather than an adaptation, the plot summary from the comic is as follows:

"In this alternate universe, in 1957 the Russians took the United States by nuclear force. Only one piece of the American frontier remained free, a patch of land known as Lost Vegas. Through this desert wasteland wanders the 'six string samurai,' a latter-day Buddy Holly who handles a guitar or a sword with equal skill. He's a man on a collision course with destiny: It seems that King Elvis, who ruled over the land of Vegas for forty years, has finally taken his last curtain call and the throne now stands empty. But it's a rough road to the big city and the body count is likely to be high, as demonstrated in this postapocalyptic future with a beat we can dance to."

Cultural references

 * In the RPG Fallout: New Vegas, an achievement called "New Vegas Samurai" is available with an image based on Six String Samurai's movie poster. it is acquired when the player deals more than 10,000 points of damage with melee weapons.
 * The movie itself mentions a town called "Fallout", which is located 200 miles from Vegas.