Tex Montana Will Survive!

Fans of Eastbound and Down might well recognize our protagonist as a distant relative of Kenny Powers, a television "survivalist" who is put to the test and found wanting in a vast nature preserve.

My favorite parts of this are the monologues to his editor, "Amanda," who he implores not to make him look stupid. Of course, the character is the definition of stupid, who, even weeks in, cannot bear nighttime because of "ghosts."

One of the unexpected virtues of this yukfest are some honestly beautiful shots of the forest in midwinter.

This is not Citizen Kane, but frankly you were foolish if you thought from the description that it was.

Well, I laughed, quite a lot.

Talk about a lot with a little. Tex Montana Will Survive is an economical picture. Squeezing out an 84 minute improvisational survival comedy on a reported $1,500 budget is no small feat. The film is made more impressive when you learn O. hannah Films went out of their way to crowdfund the money to release this movie for FREE. If that's not doing it for the art I don't know what is.

The film itself is akin to a survival documentary series--think Survivorman--featuring the blissfully stupid Tex Montana, who goes off the grid into the wilderness to prove to he's the real deal.

Things go poorly as we watch Montana use his "skill" to endure a harsh winter, dwindling supplies, and lack of overall knowledge about anything pertaining to nature or survival.

The film is entirely improvisational and your enjoyment will depend on your liking of co-director and star Jeremy Gardner in the title (and only) role. Tex Montana is pompous, ignorant, but lovable simpleton played with charisma and fearlessness.

Naturally with an improvised movie, there will be some jokes that miss their mark, but for the most part the film is funny and moves briskly. The setting and visuals are impressive for the budget and the film has no shortage of ideas. My favorite moment being Montana playing the drums with bones he says he salvaged from the remains of a dead bear cub. If that sounds funny to you, check it out.

I watch all of those above, plus Naked and Afraid. I gotta believe, based on a lot of the in jokes that Jeremy Gardner does too.

Now it does meander a bit, but Gardner's a pretty solid actor so he manages to sell it. Just when you're thinking the joke's getting old he manages to make you laugh again at some new dumb thing his character Tex Montana's decided to do.

Full disclosure though--if you're going in hoping for a sequel(in spirit even) to the Battery though, you're going to be disappointed. This isn't horror. For me, no big deal because I wasn't a massive fan of their first film. Seemed slow, but believe me I am well aware of no-budget limitations so I'm not bagging on them. Definitely had some interesting stuff.

Anyway--there ya go. You'll probably know if this will appeal to you or not. Check it out!

Ok so first please let me say this is just my opinion, second let me say this is the first time I've reviewed anything on here. But this movie is so bad I just had to say something.

The acting is terrible, jokes are repeated to death, the script if there was one is unbearable. I managed to make it most of the way through, but with just 36 minutes left of the movie I could no longer put myself through this torture.

In short I would highly recommend this movie to be permanently deleted from all records.

Independent film, about a Bear Grylls-type adventurer made on a $1500 budget, no script, just ad-lib. Sounded really interesting. It's not. Got about 30 minutes in, made it through the boy humor song about sucking orifices and gave up. Wasn't funny or appealing.