Thomasine & Bushrod

This movie is very dated. It is so corny that we found ourselves laughing at the attempts to be "cool". The worst scene was when the couple played in a muddy river I expected to see them running through a grassy field in slow motion next. There isn't any resemblance to Bonny and Clyde except for the fact Thomasine is a female and Bushrod is a male. You might enjoy watching it as an example of the use of stereotypes in a movie or as a lesson in cinematic history. The photography was better than the rest of the movie.

Max Julian probably got this screenplay of his produced because of his success in "The Mack" the previous year, though the studio seems to have still had some reluctance because it was obviously made with a limited budget. Julian himself doesn't help things; he gives a really bland performance here, enough so that it may explain why he didn't act again in a motion picture for more than 20 years later! Vonetta McGee shows talent, though she never really gets to break out, even though the screenplay focuses much more on her character than Julian's. Perhaps she was beaten down by the drab storyline; there's not much exciting or really interesting here. Possibly it was originally even more long and dull, since the movie seems to have been extensively reworked in the editing room (take that long sepia-colored montage sequence, for example.) Pretty unmemorable - goes to show it's not always music rights that have prevented a video or DVD release of a movie.

..... that from his first line uttered, the lead character played by Max Julien isn't doing much acting.

Without commenting much on the movie itself, with its limited resources and production values, Max's character and that of the lead actress are, however, attractive and likable enough.

But I just don't see any talent or anything that moves me to get into his character. In fact I'm almost dumbfounded by the lack of aparent talent.

And I'm not that picky- it's just a movie that came up on Cinevault, and I'm just looking for a little entertainment.

Perhaps it's somewhat the result of his being involved in the script and production, wherein the acting direction was left out, but this is not a good movie. A poor Bonnie and Clyde genre flick.

I see here that he got good reviews elsewhere, but I can't give them here.

Wow, this movie is far, FAR better than I expected.

First of all, it has been referred to as being of the "blacksploitation" genre. This is not appropriate, IMO. It has none of the braggadocio of that genre, nor does it portray whites as complete bumbling idiots. This is simply an excellent western that just happens to have two black leads. (FWIW, I'm white.)

There is plenty of action, but much more emphasis on the characters feelings, as any good movie should have. This isn't a zany romp, like (say) Buck & the Preacher, but a serious look at two complicated individuals.

The film is excellent. It reminds me more of Butch Cassidy than Bonnie & Clyde. The two leads are excellent actors, and have great chemistry between them. Vonetta McGee literally gives an Oscar-worthy performance. Seriously. She pulls a great range of emotions out of what would otherwise be an average script.

The plot is well worked-out, considering the genre, with no clichés to be found. The cinematography and score are both first rate. While I wouldn't call this a "must see" film (how many of those are there, really?) it is a fine piece of work.

I gave it an 8. If the screenplay had been just a little better (the low-point of the entire production) this could have been a 9 - 10.

Don't pass this up if you get a chance to see it.

Set in 1911 Texas this is a tale of female bounty hunter Thomasine and bandit Bushrod who team up, robbing from the rich and generously giving to the poor, Robin Hood meets Bonnie and Clyde. It is a mixture of black exploitation, Western, action and humour, though don't be fooled into thinking that this is a spoof. It does have some funny moments but this is more than counter balanced by racist language and violence. Max Julien not only stars as Bushrod but he also wrote and co-produced this movie, obviously a talented guy. His character is wanted for murder but he has a good heart. His partner (in more ways than one) Thomasine is played by the very attractive Vonetta McGee, their onscreen magic no doubt helped by the fact that the two were in a real life relationship. I felt that the movie started off really well, then it slows down for a while before culminating in a very powerful finale. Very catchy theme tune that stayed in my head long after the closing credits.