The Gunfighter

'The Gunfighter' is pretty refreshing little movie. Mysterious gunfighter walks into saloon, and then a voice (smooth and cool narration by Nick Offerman) warns him about creeping danger. Or does it? As all the people in the saloon can hear the voice thus they can hear eachother's thoughts and most deepest secrets, it is soon clear that the mysterious voice just wants to see the bloodbath. Can the saloon patrons out smart the voice and each other?

The jokes are are all shot into the same spot - mostly they have something to do with sex. As the film is barely 9 minutes short the jokes don't get repetitive or stale. Great short film that is definitely worth your time.

I'm not a big fan of narration in films since too often it seems to be a tool to tell the audience what the film isn't able to deliver without help. In this case we have a gunslinger enter a saloon in the ol' West – he does so and is surprised to find that his every thought is being spoken out loud by an unseen voice. The narrator continues this with the others in the saloon, which seems only to increase the tensions and the chance of a balletic shootout of death occurring.

There is really one joke to this short film and it becomes very clear early on what that joke is. Basically we have the narrator talking through everyone's intentions as if he were writing them and providing the context and detail only an author would know. This means the intentions of those in the saloon start to come out – so for example when a character denies planning to kill someone, the narrator adds "he lied" at the end. So this is the joke and looking at the 10 minute running time, I did wonder if it could make it, since I saw that I had 'got it' only 3 minutes in.

Fortunately the film is funny enough and creative enough with the idea that it makes it work for the whole time. The breaking of the genre and fourth wall plays very well as it manages to have its cake and eat it, with a genre heart while the rest break convention in various ways. It helps that it plays it well as a western, with a good feel for the genre and a professional production all round. The performances make the most of the well-written material but it is the unseen Offerman (Parks & Rec) that gets the best of it, and his delivery and timing is really well done (although of course the timing is helped by the edit). Those in the scene play it out well, with comedic performances and generally good delivery of their lines.

It may be one joke but it is a joke that is played with and delivered in a creative and engaging way, making it a funny and entertaining short film with good solid laughs throughout.

Cowboys have never been known to be intellectuals but when a voice tells them what to do you know the stereotype is pushed even further. Frisky gunslingers, a black bartender and a lady of the night are the cast in this funny Western where individuals rail against their fate and end up inevitably in a situation they've been trying to avoid in the first place. Clocking in at a little under ten minutes, this short is a giggle of a nugget.

I watched something on youtube and then this popped up as a suggestion with one of those ridiculous click-bait titles like "FUNNIEST THING EVER" which I know to ignore. But I was bored so I hit play.

It's a simple set up; a western where a guy walks into a bar while a narrator explains his purpose. Only everyone in the bar hears the narrator. From there it just gets crazier and crazier, and is super funny and clever. It really is one of the best shorts I've seen on YouTube.

Browsing Amazon Prime Video I came across this brilliant gem. I thought it was a movie and wondered how they could keep the premise going, but sadly it's a short 9 minute film. The whole thing is hilarious from start to finish complete with the trope of a stranger walking into town, the reward for the capture of someone in the saloon, the standard saloon prostitute, the bartender, the token black guy. It's worth a watch and I'd love to see more.