Lemonade Joe

"Lemonade Joe" is one of the funniest movies ever made. Certainly it is the funnest western. It is also a triumph of expressionism.

The sequences are dazzling. The opening sequence catches you by surprise; you're watching the funniest western fight in a saloon without warning. Throughout, the film just explodes with these sequences that are hysterically funny and reflect a world gone mad.

The last third of the film begins to slow down. It also becomes very expressionistic, which annoys people who do not allow themselves to appreciate disruptions to how they process their cinema.

However, the film finishes very strongly. "Lemonade Joe" is a wildly adventurous and pleasurable experience.

Oldrich Lipsky was a Czech director who was well known in his country for unique bizarre comedies. Silly, wacky and crazy are just a couple words to describe his films. "Lemonade Joe" is a musical western comedy. It's a fun parody that pays homage to the old west, and is filmed in awesome sepia tones. The movie makes many jokes and references to western culture, such as the town name of Stenson City. I love how over the top the film is. Great music, bar fights, slapstick and cartoonish gunfights. Lemonade Joe knows that alcohol will ruin his ability to shoot, so that's why he enjoys Kola-Loka Lemonade. Did I mention the film has hot and voluptuous Czech actresses. Eastern Europe women rock!(dobre) You must Czech out Lemonade Joe. For more Lipsky madness also watch "Dinner for Adele".

Made during the "Prague Spring", which produced a burst of creativity, this movie brims with lightheartedness and wild satirical wit. It's a spoof of Westerns, not so much the John Ford type as silent-movie serials. I could go on a long time telling you my favorite jokes from it, but I won't... Lobby your local revival theater or TV station, because too few people have had the opportunity to see this utterly original movie.

An excellent satire of the Great American Way, with Lemonade Joe a "clean living" gunfighter who drinks only Kola-Loca Lemonade and convinces everyone else in town (with his gun skills) that all "real men" drink ONLY lemonade! The style of the film mirrors that of silent westerns, including humorous sped-up bar brawls and color-tinting (!). You can either root for Joe or his whiskey-drinking adversaries; it's clear that although the town "bad girl" adores Joe and wants him to "change" her, he is only using her for his cause, as indeed he is using everyone for his opportunistic goals.

Worth a look for western fans looking for a spoof that goes beyond "Blazing Saddles" and adds satire to the mix, or for anyone interested in Euro-Westerns in general for an Eastern European take on the genre.

A funny, charming, and even sometimes graceful film.

I saw this film in the early seventies with a number of friends at Portland State University. I've seen it once and only once. Still, I can easily say it is one of the ten funniest movies ever. I am amazed to find it in your database! It is indeed a broad parody of the western movie genre: cliche piled upon cliche, yet still surprising and delightful. This movie can hold its own with Dr. Strangelove and The Marx Brothers. Its that good. I don't know where PSU got their hands on a dubbed in version, but if there is one out there on video tape, I know a lot of people who would do almost anything for a copy.