Cowboy Junction (2006)

Just rented this from the store, and I didn't really know what to expect...I don't really rent these "independent" pictures. But I was putting on my spurs and getting ready to water the flowers by the end. It was an impressively gripping and moving "classic melodrama", with acting turns that you just wouldn't expect from the genre! The impression that I got was that it was going to capitalize on Brokeback Mountain, but the plot and narrative were fresh and focused: The story of husband and wife at odds with nature (and earthly temptation) had me engaged and moved. Gregory Christian was a strong and commanding lead (a real man), and I really felt sorry for the faithful wife (Elyse Mirto). The Cowboy (James Michael Bobby) was impish at best, but I feel he did not pull his weight in what was otherwise a stellar ensemble. He would have been more believable were his accent sustained through the scenes. The production was handsomely tailored to the budget, making it a classy parlor room suspense thriller that delivered with effective directing and cutting dialogue. A shot out of the corral for all orientations, Cowboy Junction is a must!

Oh Lord...haven't we had enough??? Another predictable, stereotypical "gay" movie. Admittedly I was expecting much more from this film, based on the plot summary on the DVD case. What I experienced was a slow, painful-to-watch piece of drivel that I just couldn't wait for to end. Fortunately the film was mercifully short, and I was left with "huh???" The hit-and-run plot was so thin it was practically invisible. Couldn't they at least have provided some backstory as to why the cowboy was so distraught over the death of this unseen "boyfriend"? This movie was nothing more than the worst of the worse in soft porn, with the physical attributes of the cowboy being the only thing that this movie has to offer. NEXT!!!

I caught this movie at Laemmle Sunset 5 for a limited screening. Cowboy Junction was an intriguing piece of independent film making. I personally enjoyed the fact if felt like a play. I also found the moments of humor worked really well. I've seen a decent amount of indie films and this movie ain't bad for a first time. There were quite a few allusions to other cinema, which I didn't get, but the friend I went with did.I did have some issues with it, however. I didn't think the Cowboy's accent worked and I thought the end music was too dark. I mean, it ends on a happy note, depending on your perspective. That's just me.I read some of these negative reviews and I just thought I'd put in my 2 cents. I don't really comment on these things, so sue me.

I also saw this movie at a film festival in Philadelphia. I knew it was going to be bad when the presenter of the film described it as a "guilty pleasure." To me, a guilty pleasure is some awful movie you sit through just because one of the performers is hot. And I guess that's what happened here, except I didn't even really find the cowboy to be that hot with his fake southern accent. I think both he and the actress who played the wife are decent actors, but any actor, good or bad, would choke on the lines these poor actors were given... I wanted to walk out but had made the mistake of sitting in the middle of the row, and so to be polite to my neighbors, I sat through it all. As if the directing, writing, acting, music, sets, lighting, and cinematography all were not bad enough, this film actually adds insult to injury by introducing an unnecessary plot detail in the final moments that makes the already flimsy plot absolutely incomprehensible. Best I can say about this is that if you're in the mood for a stunningly amateur movie, this could be fun to mock, if you're not trapped in a darkened theater where you're expected to be respectful.