CRAZY SIX

1997 / Director. Albert Pyun. Movie #30

CRAZY SIX is a strange, surreal and mystifying film. Albert Pyun has never considered himself a conventional filmmaker and this is a film that attests to that. Set in Europe in an alternative future, the film tells the story of street level criminals who find themselves up against mafia bosses and a merciless sheriff quick on their trail. The story itself is kind of irrelevant to me because I was so taken aback by it's style and aesthetic. I think this is a very underrated film indeed. The story plays out in a strange mesmerising way. Almost every scene is lit with saturated colour schemes and shot in close up. The score is persistently hypnotic and seductive and most of the shots are cross-dissolved. The cast is strong with Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, Ice T and Mario Van Peebles playing the key characters and they're supported by Pyun regulars Thom Mathews & Norbert Weisser. I have no idea about the production on this one and I am not sure how involved Albert was in the editing process but I would guess that he had a hand in it. The unconventional and experimental nature of the storytelling has his stamp all over it and I can't recall many films that play out like this. I could understand CRAZY SIX testing the patience of average movie-goers but for people like myself, who love strong atmospheric films, this one has a heap of appeal. I would go so far as to say that it has a lot of David Lynch qualities. Sadly CRAZY SIX gets lost amongst some of Albert's lesser-received films and I think it deserves a lot more credit. 

---

The trailer really does the film a disservice.