Joe Crist

The new western Joe Crist asks you, What Would Joe Crist Do?

At just under an hour of running time, Joe Crist is a crisp(!) western/morality play with very little fat. You're not bogged down with unnecessary subplots. From the opening gunshots to the closing shot of ____, Joe Crist is no brakes western entertainment.

If you're in the mood for some gun-totin' fun, Joe Crist is diverting enough to satisfy the western fans in all of you.

Some eye-rollingly heavy-handed allegory that comes close to beating your head. If that's not your thing it's easy enough to ignore and enjoy the saddles and the giant hats.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

These are not the words of Joe Crist, the notorious titular bounty hunter, born again to blow the brains out of the bad men terrorizing the town belonging to his best friends, but mirrors the spiritual sentiment of this satirical, semi-religious romp. Framing the story as an homage to all things Sergio Leone, director Mark Allen Michaels entertains the wild energy of a Western, while stripping the genre of its contemplative seriousness in substitution for something super silly.

Fully stocked with Wilhelm screams, whip style camerawork, and cartoonish sound effects to amplify the absurdity, it becomes quickly apparent that JOE CRIST intends to play as parody instead of a straight drama or stereotypical faith based movie. The opening scene makes good and sure that everyone is on the same page that this isn't gonna get played during Bible School study.

The film's religious context is on the forefront of Joe Crist's self righteous journey, but the digital blood bath painting the town red doesn't let the audience forget that violence is the real answer, even if Joe Crist may be the second coming of Christ in lightening wielding form. Because of the outright goofiness up front, it's hard to dial the tone back down, making the movie's less refined qualities more noticeable in its quieter moments - but the brisk runtime allows plenty of room for hootin n hollerin hilarity that makes still it worth a watch. The tangible chemistry of the cast feels like the folks involved had a blast bringing this film to fruition, as some scenes act almost like extended SNL sketches. Perfect to put on at a party packed with lots of booze for some guaranteed good times.

The power of Joe Crist clearly compelled them, will it do the same for you?

There was a time when movie making was an art. A time when a masterfully written script would be cast by exceptional actors and brought to life by a visionary director.

Like three peas in a pod that work together and in unison to achieve one polished finished product.

Now before everyone attacks me and gets my post deleted or banned, I am a mature Christian and have watched my fair share of "religious" themed movies. Many were bad, a few were good and mostly due to the ego centric attitudes of the writers who often think they can also direct or act at the same time.

This movie is not worth a 9 or a 10. A good idea for a script, but a very poorly written script in the end.

Acting was sub par, mostly over the top and very unbelievable and unauthentic. There was zero emotional investment in any of the characters.

Sets were ok, sound was bad in some spots. But the writing was bad, so even with the best intentions of your actors, it failed to deliver.

Directing was sub par.

So it astounds and surprises me that for such a poorly made film, we have raving 9's and 10's, must see comments. Perhaps Gone with the Wind or 12 Angry Men could warrant such high marks. This movie is a 2 at best.

Joe Crist is a Western that manages to pull off multiple things at once: It's a rollicking Western with brutal action scenes, it's got tons of humor, it's a sweet love story, and a tale about right vs wrong and not losing hope.

I really enjoyed the characters here. Dallas Valdez' Joe Crist is a wisecracking, charismatic and showy gunslinger. Carrie Keagan's Maggie is a charming bartender who captures Joe's heart and is good with a gun. Curt Lambert's Del is one of Joe's oldest and most trusted friends and always has his back. This trio has wonderful chemistry together and anytime they are on screen it's electric.

The story, while being a Western standard about a good man seeking to rid a Western town of the seedy gang who is running it, is made interesting by its execution. After awakening from a 40 day coma, Joe wakes up with Messiah-like abilities. He can touch people and see their future, he can heal the sick and even resurrect the dead. It lends the film a wonderful freshness that kept me entertained throughout.

The action scenes are fast paced, well executed and bloody. Every time a standoff happened I was excited and itching for the bullets to start flying. The ending is something that I feel might divide audiences but I found it pretty satisfying. Joe Crist is a Western unlike any I've seen before.

Joe Crist is a western film about a bounty hunter who after being almost killed wakes up from a coma to find out he has a higher purpose.

This film is well produced and has some funny moments I wasn't expecting making it the film entertaining. This was a fun watch with moments that shows the filmmakers didn't take themselves too seriously. The film was well cast, Joe Crist played by Dallas Valdez does a really good job being mysterious and humorous at the same time and his friend Del played by Curt Lambert his love interest Maggie played by Carrie Keagan are all on the same page and really play off each other nicely. The whole cast was well acted and each player brought something to the project.

This is a shorter feature and goes by pretty quick with under an hour of length and since it's uplifting it puts you in a good mood. Not a bad idea how to spend your time.