Joe Crist

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 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.

I was down to watch this movie after a friend sent me the trailer, because who doesn't want to watch a goofy western featuring a coma survivor with heavenly powers? I was hoping for something along the lines of Undead or Alive (2007), even if there weren't going to be any zombies in the saloons, and Joe Crist didn't disappoint.

I was hooked from the very start by the liberal use of the Wilhelm screams, a trick gay-run-teed to elicit gut laughs from fans of B movies. Joe comes out swingin' (or shootin'), and the action doesn't stop. With a runtime of only 53 minutes, there's no time to get bored!

While the writing isn't great and some of the delivery feels forced, both of those negatives make a positive when you're paying homage to old western films, because let's be real...we didn't watch those for the quality conversation either.

I will say that Mark Allen Michaels (writer/director/producer) has come a LONG way since Vampirez on a Boat. Joe Crist is still low budget, but it FEELS like a lot more money and time went into this project. Dallas Valdez as Joe Crist was the perfect choice; he's a natural protagonist in Michael's nutty stories. And he has a lot of hats.

If you enjoy bonkers films and can appreciate low-budget projects, definitely give this one a watch. If you don't laugh at the Wilhelm screams, we can't be friends.

"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?

You've never seen a western like "Joe Christ". Seriously. This film is NUTS. And ya really gotta hand it to the film makers for making a film that puts multiple genres in a blender and turning it into a film that entertains, has LOL moments of parody, and tries to reinvent old cliches. And it does it all in under an hour! And for lovers of bloody shoot-'em-ups, the body count is HIGH. Apparently Mr. Christ, as an agent of a higher power, possesses some super human traits that allow him to create miracles. Sprinkled throughout are Biblical references too. So here is the absolute bestestest summary I can offer: if you crave a film that is truly different, combining genres like westerns, horror flicks, action/gun play, faith-based films, fantasy, and parody, you've landed EXACTLY in the film you need!