User Reviews

We thought this film was a remake of the much better film noir of the same title, or as it's known in this forum, "Deadly is the Female", a 1949 Joseph Lewis' film with a screen play by MacKinlay Kantor. But no, this is another film altogether using the same title as the other one. As directed by Tamra Davis, with the screen treatment by Matthew Bright, this is a film that tries to deliver, but in the end, it's predictable, as we know the mistakes of the couple at the center of the story would work against them.

Anita Minteer seems to be a loner. We watch her in school, where she is not a popular girl in any shape, or form. Some of the pot heads from her school take her for a ride in which two end up having sex with her. Anita has been left to fend for herself by her absent mother, who has gone to Fresno to make some money and ultimately have Anita come live with her. Anita is being sexually abused by her mother's good for nothing boyfriend. The girl loves to learn how to use guns, and Rooney, who wants to keeps her, complies. A sad mistake! Her love for guns will ultimately be her downfall and that of the only person that really loved her.

At school, Anita, and her class, have been asked to find a pen pal, as part of a project. She finds one, but unfortunately, Howard, who writes to her, is in jail. Anita finds a kind garage owner, who is also the head of a weird congregation, to vouch for Howard, who is paroled and comes to work in the town. Howard, is a man who has had no luck, either with women, or in anything else. It's sort of inevitable Anita and Howard fall in love and are married by the minister. Fate is against this duo; in a series of events, Howard will go back to his old ways when forced to do so. We realize there's no way out for this doomed man, or for Anita.

The film doesn't disappoint thanks to the charismatic Drew Barrymore playing Anita. This is a girl too wise for her own good. James Legros, is as always, an interesting actor to watch. His take on Howard, is right. In supporting roles, Joe Dallesandro plays Anita mother's boyfriend, a creep that takes advantage of the situation. Michael Ironside is also seen as Howard's parole officer and Ione Skye plays his daughter, Anita's rebellious friend.

Tamra Davis directs with an eye for detail. This film will not disappoint to crime film fans.

Drew is the focus of this feature; for how old she was during the making of this film [15? 16?] she doesn't really disappoint. Her pouty beauty is on ample display in this film. That said, in a couple more years, I think she would have fit more into this role. I wasn't surprised that it was a Matthew Bright script; this has much in common with his later directorial/scripted work "Freeway" in terms of character development. (I feel Bright is an outstanding B-film auteur). Tamra Davis blew some important scenes that could have went another way, but she made up with this with some pretty inspired casting for some of the supporting roles. Ironside, Drago... and I don't remember the sleazy guy who played Drew's mother's boyfriend... but they were all in high style and rare form. You can't beat these guys when they're hitting their cues. LeGros certainly didn't embarrass himself and carved another good portrayal (this guy is a great actor!). For a film that seems to be now so cheap that it's practically in the public domain ($1 DVDs at WalMart and such...) .. I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more recognition, and I'd be sad if it was written off as badly by the producers as I assume it has been to be in such disarray marketing-wise.

Guncrazy is directed by Tamra Davis and written by Matthew Bright. It stars Drew Barrymore, James Legros, Ione Skye, Michael Ironside, Joe Dallesandro and Billy Drago. Music is by Ed Tomney and cinematography by Lisa Rinzer.

"Love made them crazy. Guns made them outlaws!"

High schooler Anita Minteer (Barrymore) is abused at home and at school and by so called friends. Seeking some sort of solace, she befriends - via letters - a convict named Howard (Legros). When Howard is paroled, the pair hook up and quickly find a loving bond. A bond that also involves a passion for guns...

In spite of reports in some quarters, this is not a remake of Joseph H. Lewis' superb film noir of the same name (though the words gun and crazy are separated there) from 1950. Whilst it's also worth mentioning that it's not a knock-off of Bonnie and Clyde (outstanding and trailblazing pic for sure), because for that to be the case we would have to ignore the fact that Lewis' film, and the likes of They Live by Night (Nicolas Ray - 1948) , were not key influences and big movers in the lovers on the lam splinter of noir. It is of course, an amalgamation of said influences, and despite a relatively average rating on the big internet movie sites, this is a neo-noir well worth seeking out for those so inclined.

Students of classic era film noir can't but help to be pulled in by the many deviance's at work, themes involving sexual abuse, promiscuity, impotence, alienation, prostitution and foolish love, the latter pitching a classic noir character into a vortex from which they in all probability know they can't return from. It's not that Anita is a femme fatale, because she's so young and isn't written as a viper type, it's that her youthful ignorance, her teenage hormones tortured by a torrid upbringing, is enough for Howard to grasp onto as a semblance of normality. They are both fools, but honest with it, it's the classic romanticised dream going sour. Again, a classic film noir trait.

Visually there is much to recommend here. The use of slatted shadows and balustrade is cunning and nods appreciatively to influences past, the inference obviously that Howard may be out of prison, but he's still behind bars. Davis throws in a number of striking scenes, a camera shot looking out as a grave is dug, our lovers close and personal (sexy) as they shoot guns, and the finale has a sad grace that, "again," noir lovers can appreciate. Matthew Bright's screenplay also has black comedy elements, the script devious with Freudian smarts, while the cast turn in performances worthy of the form.

OK! So this formula has been done better before, and yes we want more of Ironside and Drago (wonderful characters), and this may have underwhelmed those after a gun crazy action thriller - while Barrymore fans back in the day may have been bemused - but it's a very smart and neatly constructed neo-noir. 7.5/10

Drew Barrymore plays a hick-town lass in denim who meets a struggling young ex-con determined to go legit (you know he's not going to last long--the close-ups of Barrymore's pretty, dangerous smile and gleaming eyes tell you that!). Director Tamra Davis isn't interested in copying old film-noirs (such as "Deadly is the Female"), yet her original set-up isn't very intriguing either. The drowsy material at the beginning with an over-aged Ione Skye doesn't work, and Davis takes a good hour to get the energy pumping. Finally, in its last third, "Guncrazy" starts feeling a little feverish and exciting, the action sequences far out-weighing the canned dramatics. Barrymore has a lovely presence on-screen, but she needs a much tougher director to guide her through the complexities of character, not someone like Davis whose grip on this material just isn't firm enough. ** from ****

The sixteen year-old Anita Minteer (Drew Barrymore) lives in a trailer and is an easy high-school student abused since she was nine that has sex with different teenagers and men including her stepfather. When her school teacher assigns each student to find a pen pal to write, Anita contacts the prison inmate Howard (James LeGros), who is trying to regenerate. Anita is encouraged to learn how to use a revolver and when Howard is released on probation, she convinces her friend pastor Hank Fulton (Billy Drago) to give a chance to Howard in his repair shop. Meanwhile her stepfather rapes her and she uses her gun to kill him and hides his body. Howard is released and meets Anita and they immediately fall in love with each other. He also becomes friend of Anita's girlfriend Joy (Ione Skye), whose father Mr. Kincaid (Michael Ironside) is coincidently his parole officer. Mr. Kincaid is a cruel man that wants Joy to stay away from Anita and Howard. When he finds Joy in Anita's trailer with the couple, he frames Howard to put him back in jail, unleashing a wave of violence of Anita and Howard.

"Guncrazy" is the love story of the outcast Anita and Howard that have serious problems. Anita is an abused young woman and Howard is a criminal on probation with erection problem and together they try to build a new (dysfunctional) life. However their environment of violence does not give a chance to the couple that become a sort of young "Bonnie and Clyde". The flawed conclusion is predictable and poorly resolved. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Guncrazy - Howard & Anita, Jovens Amantes" ("Guncrazy - Howard & Anita, Young Lovers")

A sterling cast and a reasonably well written script lift this tale of teenagers on the run from the law into 'above average' territory. James LeGros (also memorable in Drugstore Cowboy) plays a paroled convict trying to get his life in order. Drew Barrymore is a confused teen who loves guns, and Warhol alum Joe Dalessandro is the scumbag who abuses her. When Drew and James hookup (shortly after she's offed Joe!) complications ensue. Guncrazy is predictable but entertaining and doesn't pander to it's audience, and it's a damn sight better than Natural Born Killers.

For a school project, promiscuous 15-year-old Drew Barrymore (as Anita Minteer) is instructed to find herself a pen pal. So, she begins writing to 24-year-old prison inmate James LeGros (as Howard Hickok), who is serving time for manslaughter. Through their correspondence, Ms. Barrymore falls in love with Mr. LeGros, and decides to stop having sex with the guys at school, like Rodney Harvey (as Tom) and Jeremy Davies (as Bill). Barrymore also becomes enamored with guns, and learns how to shoot, from absent mother's sexy boyfriend Joe Dallesandro (as Rooney). When Barrymore cuts him off, Mr. Dallesandro turns to rape.

Meanwhile, Barrymore is attempting to get LeGros out of jail, on parole, by convincing snake-charming preacher Billy Drago (as Hank Fulton) that the pistol-whipping prisoner has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. The parole board buys the ruse, and LeGros is good to go. Ironically, he is unable to satisfy Barrymore's sexual appetite. Still, the pair become close companions. Problems arise when Barrymore reveals a deadly secret to LeGros, and the young couple's "Guncrazy" tendencies boil over. Writer Matthew Bright's doomed characters simmer alongside director Tamra Davis' banister end. The cast is a future cult dream.

****** Guncrazy (5/92) Tamra Davis ~ Drew Barrymore, James LeGros, Billy Drago, Rodney Harvey

Drew Barrymore stars as a teenager who is left with mom's boyfriend (Joe Dalessandro) as she goes off to Fresno. He, and everybody else in town, is sexually abusing her. She hooks up with a pen pal from Chino (James LeGros), who like Clyde barrow just can't get it up. He can't do much else either as he is the worst thief I have ever seen.

She loves shooting guns, but isn't much of a thief either, giving a guys money back after he gives her a sob story about paying the rent.

Ione Sky plays her best friend, Joy, and does a good job. I always enjoy her and like to see more.

Too bad there was little action, and lousy dialog.

I just saw this movie the other night here in Sweden, and since i am a Drew Barrymore Fan, i thought this movie was good. Drew acted good and the storyline was interesting and kinda weird.It's worth seeing if you have nothing else to do or just want to see how Drew Barrymore looked when she was 17 (She's Pretty!!).

I am always excited to see the darkness of cinema's past, but continually happy with its progress and evolution over the years. If the genre displayed in Guncrazy would have remained throughout the cinematic years, I think I would have had to choose a different hobby other than film. Here we have a very gritty, very disturbing film, which just never seems to leave the hangar. I continually felt that Guncrazy was this grounded plane never geared for takeoff, which was disappointing because several times it seemed as if it was ready for lift-off. Director Tamra Davis has her work cut out for her on this picture. It surprised me that the woman who brought us Billy Madison, Half-Baked, and Crossroads would dare dabble in a project like this … yet she did, and I don't think that she succeeded. Matthew Bright, the guy who brought us Freeway, has a very crafted story, but I believe that it is Davis' direction, coupled with disappointing acting that ultimately destroys this film.

Think about this for a minute. When you are directing a film of this caliber, you as a director need to realize that it is more than just a story about sexual teens and violence, but instead a haunting image of our world, culture, and society. As I watched this film, I couldn't help but see (and sometimes hear) Bright's angst-ridden voice about our society trying to come through, but it felt that Davis was pushing that aside in hopes to give Drew more screen time. We kept scratching on the surface of guns and violence, but never quite dug deep enough. There was so much that should have happened with this story, that Bright's words were completely ignored and left for Davis to butcher. I believe that if Bright would have manned this project, we may have seen stronger characters, deeper emotions and themes, all the while exposing truths about our society. These were elements that were lacking considerably in this film. While it is said that Davis tried to avoid making a remake of Crazy is the Female, I believe that the older film spoke more about society than this film did. Davis covered up truths and intelligence with overly clichéd shock moments coupled with silly, incoherent violence.

With Davis practically missing the mark behind the camera, this left nothing for the actors. Barrymore decently tries to fill the shoes of this innocent 17-year old that only wanted love and would do anything for it, but the lacking chemistry between her and LeGros overshadows her performance. I felt as if Davis could only afford a portion of LeGros for this film and most of the time he was replaced with a cardboard cut-out of himself. He gave no emotion to his character. I realize that he was to show how corrupt the world had been to him, but does that mean he cannot smile, frown, show fear, excitement, hatred, distrust, love, or any range of emotions that come with being an actor. LeGros hurt this film. Typically, I like his performances, but I don't think he was ready, nor did it seem that he really wanted this role. This hurt the foundation of the film. Here we have Barrymore giving a decent performance, but LeGros doesn't hold up his end of the bargain, which ultimately hurts any support that we have for our heroines.

While I sternly believe that Davis destroyed the overall tone of the film and LeGros' cardboard image impeded any connection with Barrymore, there were some scenes that I thought Bright exceptionally wrote into this film. My favorite scene in the entire film was when Anita and Howard were together at the house living a life that could never be theirs. It was so interesting to see these two victims of poverty living, breathing, and experiencing a physically imaginative world. Then, a pivotal changing moment in the film occurs and it really places this film into a different perspective. I wasn't expecting this type of change in the film, and it really showcased what Bright was trying to accomplish. Another scene that I enjoyed occurred right before this monumental scene, when Hank is just about to be arrested by his parole officer. He screams down the hall of the hospital, and all Anita responds with is, "What's he yellin' about now?" This shocked me because it completely tore down any barriers that I thought I already knew about Anita and Hank's relationship. Was there a level of comfortability settling in with the relationship? Interesting turn, which captured my attention. Sadly, the remaining scenes were just a flagrant disrespect to Bright's darkening talent.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this film. I strongly suggest it to those who are big Matthew Bright fans, but we forewarned this is not as exceptional or as shocking as Freeway was. This was a film completely chastised by Tamra Davis and James LeGros. Barrymore decently carries herself, a la Reese Witherspoon in Freeway, but it just doesn't come together smoothly. The overall tone and elements are completely missing as Davis implements increasing scenes of shock value instead of stronger elements of society. It is difficult to watch, not because of what occurs in the film, but because of the lack of direction, acting, and overall momentum. The final result seems more like a cheaply tailored small tuxedo on a very large man. It covers the wrong spots. Skip it. You will live life happier.

Grade: ** out of *****

We all heard about the infamous duo of Bonnie and Clyde, in this movie Gun Crazy, the couple are a bunch of wannabes. Anita(Drew Barrymore) is a high school student who likes sex and guns. During a school assignment, she looks up in the paper ads, she contacts a a young man in prison. He is getting paroled, and he likes art. Anita lives in a trailer out in nowhere, where she does shooting practice with her steep-father who would rape her. So one day, she gets herself a gun and kills him while he's watching TV. The boyfriend, Howard(James Le Gros) and her get together, and the downward spiral begins. He kills the two young men who had sex with Anita, they robbed, tried to find the mother, and no luck. The duo tried their best to survive. Unlike Bonnie and Clyde, there was only one survivor, Anita. How's that? Unbelievable! This movie was rather cheap, tawdry, and nearly unpredictable. It needed a lot of improving, and more character to the story. I wanted more. 1.5 out of 5 stars!

Occasionally, I like stupid movies for stupid reasons. This happens to be one of them. Any movie that has someone eating a Hostess pudding pie (remember those?) in under two seconds gets at least two stars from me. The most memorable scene of the movie. Rating: ** out of *****.

Funny, all the time while I was watching this Bonnie & Clyde wannabe how similar it was to 1997's Freeway... after it had finished I looked up the credits and found out they were by the same writer.

Comparing the two films though, is like contrasting the first draft of a screenplay to the final product, since Freeway does a lot of the things Guncrazy attempts so much better, and Drew Barrymore's performance (although pretty good) is blown away by Reese Witherspoon's masterclass in the later movie.

Still, this is by no means a bad film... it captures the bleakness of 90's poverty-stricken white America perfectly with it's disgusting trailer parks, drugged-up teenagers and baffling obsession with guns (hence the title).

Barrymore plays a high-school girl who goes on the run with her convict penpal after the two of them blow away some perps, most of whom quite honestly deserve it.

It's difficult to imagine something like this being made this days, especially during the intimate scenes with a 16-year old Barrymore cuddled up with an actor pushing 30.

Nevertheless, there are a few good moments... most of which revolve around her attempts to escape her depressing dead-end life, not to mention when she takes revenge on those who regard her as nothing more than a sex object.

The script meanders though; especially towards the end, where we get a lot of scenes that could quite easily have been cut out (I'm looking at you, impromptu trip to Fresno) and an abrupt ending which frankly leaves more questions than answers.

Like I said, this is okay if you want something that'll pass the time in an undemanding way, but for the ultimate experience of this idea... seek ye out Freeway (though NOT the sequel). 5/10.

This is a nice movie reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde love. Lots of action, good script and great acting. Very much worth watching.

Anita Minteer (Drew Barrymore) is bored with high school. She lives in a trailer with her absentee mother's drunken boyfriend Rooney. She has sex with him as well as many of the boys at school. The teacher assigns the kids to be pen pals and she finds prisoner Howard (James Le Gros). After getting raped by Rooney, she kills him. Howard gets released from Chino. Anita convinces snake preacher and mechanic Hank Fulton (Billy Drago) to give him a job. Mr. Kincaid (Michael Ironside) is his parole officer. Kincaid's daughter Joy (Ione Skye) is Anita's best friend. Anita marries Howard and together fall into violence and mayhem.

This is an exploitation movie with gun, sex and violence. I have trouble with the star-crossed lovers. Their chemistry doesn't quite work. Their age difference is a big part of it. I think Howard should be more of a juvenile criminal. Howard is around the same age as Rooney and that annoyed me. I like Anita's explanation that Howard's letters gave her the confidence to stand up for herself. That is a great basis for their relationship. His age and James Le Gros' looks make them a problematic couple.

There's so many scenes in this film that are used in NBK and Pulp Fiction. Yes, Tarantinos scripts are better formed and ideas expanded on...but every idea has a nucleus.

So, early nineties, female director, new boundaries. It should have been given more respect, plus its got one of the guys out of Point Break playing opposite Drew! But I guess it kinda slipped into the cracks of just another coming of age, badlands story.

Saying that, it does seem this is a rinse and repeat, every generation needs young lovers rebelling against the system...Romeo and Juliet, with nipples and small arms fire.

amateurish dribble from beginning to end. drewsky pouts her way through a shameless parody of cissy spacek. calling martin sheen. the duologue could have been written by a high school wannabe and the story line is nothing short of embarrassing. snakes in the church.. you can only hope it was done for laughs though i doubt it. the most gratifying moment in the film was watching those two teenage excuses for actors getting blown away. a little more cringing might have helped. probably the most ridiculous scenes of the tortuous ninety three minutes. i'm embarrassed for the serious reviewers who have actually praised this mess. the only correct decision concerning this so-called film was burying it on Showtime.

When I ran across this movie on Tubi of all places I was thinking along the lines of Mad Love, another Barrymore movie. I was definitely mistaken on that assumption. I adore Barrymore in anything she does. With her quirky attitude and genuine anything is possible outlook what's not to like.

With Anita, the whole white trash, mom gone so boyfriend abuses circumstances automatically making her the town slut didn't sit well. One does not naturally equate to the other. Howard was very forgettable as soon as he stepped off the bus. Perfect example, when trying to find money for food, Anita and Howard notice their car is about to be towed. After failing to get the tow driver to realase the car, he pulls out a gun and mumbles something blah blah I'll blow you away. The delivery was such that a viewer may laugh or posdibly feel sympathy for the other cast members and director.

This movie is easy to pass up as you wouldn't be missing much. But it's also perfect for background noise on any kind of lazy day. The fact that you don't have to actively watch the movie to figure out what's happened should you decide to is ridiculous. That fact is also a true testament of a crappy script that should have stayed in a drawer. The director, Tamara Davis, stated in an interview that her direction did not include the desire to romanticize the gun. She stated, "I wanted to show that America is obsessed with guns, and that if you have them around, bad things can happen because it only takes a second to pull the trigger. Well, Im sorry for Director Davis as this film was an ultimate failure in capturing and meeting that goal. It would be like the director of Natural Born Killers insisting the desire to not romanticize psycho behaviors or murder spree killing.

When making a movie about guns, shooting people and lots of killing you have to own both sides of the possible outcome or fallout after public viewing. The director's failure to do so left me with a different type of dislike for this movie overall. Definitely something other than just a viewer's opinion of dislike for an overly bad movie.

Long before Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers', 'Guncrazy" explored the emotions of two young people caught up in a whirlpool of sex and violence they were hard-pressed to control.

Joe Dellasandro was in Andy Warhol's 'Dracula' and was physically attractive at that time. "Time wounds all heels!". Two bullets take care of him.

It's one of the few films that features Billy Drago where he's depicted as a "nice person". He's one of my favorite villains! Check out his filmography.

If you like 'Guncrazy', you will probably also like 'Badlands', an early Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates crime drama.

Enjoy!

"Guncrazy" is a mediocre movie at best, unfortunately. However, if you want to see a 17-year old Drew in (yet again) sexual situations (none of which are good), then this is the movie for you.

It combines the "I married an ex-con", "I like guns", and "I'm a sexually troubled girl" plots into yet another movie.

Directed by Tamra Davis, who made at least one pretty good movie ("Skipped Parts"), so she is not totally without talent. The movie was written by Matthew Bright, who wrote "Freeway" a few years earlier, so he has talent as well. Included are Drew Barrymore, Ione Skye and a couple other notable names, however, they display no real talents here.

I guess the dialog is the weakest link, here. Some of it just sounds bad or out of place.

There are no extra features, but the DVD is available for about $7.99. You could do worse, but not by much.