A new western blazes across the screen: Gunfight at Rio Bravo, directed/produced by Joe Cornet, written by Craig Hamann and helmed by bodybuilder thespian/producer, Alexander (Moscow Heat) Nevsky.
The convincing, no-nonsense Nevsky plays a Russian gunfighter named Ivan Turchin, who's in actuality a former Union, brigadier general. He assists a by-the-book sheriff, played with stealthy valor by the aforementioned Cornet, and a heedful mayor, played with mercurial edge by Lee Dawson. Misfortune befalls the trio when they receive a stayover protagonist named Colonel Ethan Crawley, portrayed with icy contempt by Matthias (I Come in Peace) Hues. Crawley awaits his grudge-prone, Confederate, Hellhound gang to break him out of the town's humble jail: a sure-fire setup for disaster.
The superb supplemental cast fortifies the leads, with John Marrs, Oliver Gruner, Curt Lambert, John Fallon, Christopher Beeman, Bill Fortenberry, Natalie Denise Sperl, Anna Ornis and Kerry Goodwin (among a number of effective backgrounders), enhancing the calamitous splendor. On special note, my ultra-talented, Facebook friend, Maria Paris (aka Rita Guida!), stands out as a beautiful but deceptive insider.
The tension mounts as the story progresses, as any quality thriller should, nurturing all those fine traditions that western buffs love, where bravery, strength and duty rise to the forefront. Sean Murray's grand, ominous score augments these commendable traits, as does Sam Wilkerson's vibrant, in-sync cinematography.
Cornet's direction and Cody Miller's editing are tight and trim as the movie weaves its many elements: something that most modern, Hollywood-peddled products fail at, if only to pad their running times. Gunfight at Rio Bravo paints an identifiable picture with a nuanced ensemble that adheres to the fable's unswerving purpose, all under ninety minutes. (BTW: Hamann's focused screenplay was inspired by the real-life, Union general, Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov/John Basil Turchin, who marched a bold, if not controversial path during the Civil War.)
Gunfight at Rio Bravo is available for viewing through Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, Redbox and Roku. The movie can be purchased on disc, as well, through Shout! Studios. Embrace this fine, morality tale and come away a better person for it.
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