I saw Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls...

Prolific writer/director/producer Joshua Kennedy always delivers satisfying productions. For an old-timer like me, that means he understands the type of storytelling that was once employed to ensure that any cinematic product, no matter the budget, would entertain. 

Kennedy's latest endeavor, Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls, is no exception. It, like such seasoned adventures as The Valley of Gwangi and The Beast of Hollow Mountain, is an exuberant, dinosaur western.   

In this instance, we're introduced to Rebecca Crawford (Madelyn Wiley), a schoolmistress who embarks on a quest to retrieve her spouse (Jonathan Tamez), who's been snatched by (of all terrifying things) a petulant pterodactyl. To abet her mission, Crawford is joined by cathouse madame, Debbie Dukes (Haley Zega) and famed gunfighter, Bunny Parker (Carmen Vienhage). There's no guarantee that the school marm's  man will be found alive, let alone intact, and to make matters worse, there are plenty of other flying reptiles about (including a cute, wee one) to bungle the ladies' chances for success. 

Kennedy's fine-tuned script is a genuine gem on all pistol-packin' points, and his amusing sequences complement his lovely leads, who each excels in her own charming and nuanced way. To further bolster their gratifying scenarios, Hammer/007 goddess, Martine Beswick bridges events with witty narration, and scream queen, Dani Thompson fills the inviting interludes as cool-headed bad gal, Doris Yates.    

For the film's fruitful visuals, Ryan Lengyel, who crafted the stop-motion effects for Kennedy's mythology masterpiece, Theseus and the Minotaur, rises to the occasion again, presenting winged specimens that are not only threatening, but ripe with personality in the O'Brien, Harryhausen and Danforth vein. And to heighten the creatures' calamity, House of the Gorgon composer, Reger Clark bestows Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls with a catchy, cowpoke score. (His invigorating title track is one of the best compositions to grace celluloid in quite a spell.)

Though there are a number of anticipated fantasy films slated for 2021, Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls is without question the one to see. As it turns out (and as comes as no surprise), it's another towering triumph for Kennedy and his tried-and-true Gooey Film Productions. Huge kudos on another job well done, Mr. Kennedy.

FYI: Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls can be viewed on Amazon Prime, and its vibrant Blu-ray release, with plenty of edifying extras, can be purchased at https://store16974340.ecwid.com/. 

COWGIRLS VS PTERODACTYLS: FUNDING FOR KENNEDY/LENGYEL'S LATEST...

Director/writer/producer Joshua Kennedy and stop-motion-effects master Ryan Lengyel are set to create another Gooey fantasy-film extravaganza in the Ray Harryhausen/Charles H. Schneer tradition. It's called "Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls". 

As most of my readers know, I hold a high opinion of Kennedy/Lengyel's "Theseus and the Minotaur (see Dec '17 post). "Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls" is designed to capture the same imaginative flavor, but this time the action will occur in the Old West, fashioned in the crossover manner of "The Valley of Gwangi". 

The story will specifically focus on schoolteacher Rebecca Crawford (Madelyn "Slave Girls on the Moon" Wiley), who attempts to track and slay a flying reptile that snatched her husband. Accompanying Crawford on the venture will be madame Debbie Dukes Riley Masterson III (Haley "The Night of Medusa" Zega) and sharpshootin' Bunny Parker (Carmen "the Vesuvius Xperiment" Vienhage). (The test footage is amazing and even grants us a glimpse of a terrific, stand-in pterodactyl.)

Kennedy's fans are aware that he can achieve a ton on a minuscule budget, but to make this particular expedition extra-special, funding is required. 

One can view the feisty, pitch trailer and tap further info on the project at ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGWSBkNx3Ds.

Please do consider contributing what you can. I hold unconditional faith in Kennedy's directorial deftness and find Lengyel's puppet animation to be stirring and sublime. Also, the selected performers are professional and more than capable of bringing the story to convincing life. Truly, folks, "Cowgirls vs Pterodactyls" is guaranteed to be a stupendous success in every respect...

I saw Joshua Kennedy's Theseus and the Minotaur...

Writer/director/producer Joshua Kennedy has proven himself one of the most versatile filmmakers on the scene today, and with his latest Gooey Film production, "Theseus and the Minotaur", he takes his imaginative skills to even greater, spellbinding heights.

This magnificent, sword-and-sandal/peplum homage caters to (as the title more than implies) the great, Greek myth of Theseus, the Athenian who came to slay the mighty hybrid beast in its labyrinth lair. The Minotaur, as most know, was conceived as a result of an intricate (and rather perverse) path, thanks to dear ol’ King Minos' meddling ways. Out of spite, he even sacrificed warriors to the bloodthirsty creature. This legend refashioned in the film, wisely placing emphasis Minos' quest for the Sword of Zeus; his use of the dreaded Minotaur to maintain his sadistic control; and ultimately, Theseus’s journey to defeat the power-hungry despot and his mighty monster to become Athens' king. 

The cast is ideal and credible in its execution of the myth, with Marco Munoz as the charismatic and courageous Theseus; Jamie Trevino as the feisty yet coerced Ariadne; Brian Warren as the comical Backhos; Tom Pearson as his equally comical companion, Kastor; Bo Elizondo as the combative but redemptive Deimos; Michael Alebis as the doomed King Aegus; Ana Kennedy (Joshua's mom) as the maternal Aethra; Gus Kennedy (Joshua's dad) as the warm and wise Gregorios (who at one significant point does a remarkable job channeling the great Patrick Troughton); and bestowing his fans with another crisp, grandiose performance, the writer/director/producer, himself, as the crafty King Minos. (I must say, Kennedy does an amazing job, giving his character the ideal air of magical, entitled petulance, worthy of any past, peplum nemesis.) 

Story-wise, Kennedy's script covers ground well beyond the Theseus myth, giving his audience aspects of Silvio Amadio's "Minotaur, Wild Beast of Crete"; Ray Harryhausen/Charles H. Schneer's "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Clash of the Titans"; Steve Reeves and Reg Park's Hercules adventures; and all those gutsy (and for the sake of English-speaking audiences), renamed Maciste outings. Kennedy not only mimics the look and feel of those epic endeavors, but does so in such a way that his story falls flawlessly among them. In other words, "Theseus and the Minotaur" isn't just a wannabe; it's the real deal. 

To further elaborate, there's an inherent warmth (both in spirit and pigment) in Kennedy’s creations, ideally suited for the sword-and-sandal genre. Sword-and-sandal films are generally ripe in their golden-orange and purplish-crimson hues, to the point where one can't help but fall under their spell. Whether their budgets are of the Italian shoe-string sort or a Kubrick "Spartacus" stature; that sense of warmth (along with the accompanying sweat, blood and fancy decor) prevails in all instances, as does their corresponding, ethical essays on right and wrong. In this regard, the best sword-and-sandal films have no time for pretentious shades of gray or silly, school-room sorcery when a strong arm, a hefty sword and blazing cinematography can do the trick. “Theseus and the Minotaur” respects and incorporates these distinguishing elements with supreme care, and I believe that's why the film emerges as such an incontestable and successful labor of love. (BTW: From a photographic perspective, the enchanting, Siren sequence captures classic peplum in ways that no fantasy film has in years.)

What also heightens Kennedy’s throwback style is the film's use of stop-motion animation, rendered by Ryan Lengyel. Watching the Minotaur and his titanic costars move about with such tender-loving expression is something that no CGI (and that means even the best of the big-budget best) could ever hope to capture. If Hollywood weren't so marred by snobbery, Lengyel would receive an Oscar for his efforts, and in the same vein, so would Kennedy for permitting this splendid technique into his film. No doubt, stop-motion masters Willis O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen; Peter Peterson; Jim Danforth; and Dave Allen are looking down upon "Theseus and the Minotaur" with immense pride and pleasure. 

As I've said before (and I’ll undoubtedly say it again), Kennedy acknowledges the hallmarks that make movies special (or at least used to), and that’s why his films succeed in delighting those of us who know and love cinema. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for making "Theseus and the Minotaur" part of his prolific legacy and allowing it now to be part of my heroic-fantasy library. I'm happily fated to watch the titular warriors duke it out on limitless occasions, and if that's not a sign that I've gained a new, all-time favorite, I don't know what is. 

“Theseus and the Minotaur” can be purchased at oldies.com: https://www.oldies.com/product-view/1112D.html?c=gbase&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmITRBRCSARIsAEOZmr41kU-0qET3J-xE8G41ENtBiEAG_gJh4PphZEk99gnFzheMA-wU5p8aAqDoEALw_wcB.  

BTW: The DVD release also includes Lengyel's brilliant, stop-motion short, "The Night of the Beast (from Twenty Zillion Years Ago)". It brims of fun, excitement and creepy cheer: a perfect supplement for the main feature.