Gun

this is without doubt the biggest pile of crap i have ever seen. i bought this on DVD on the strength of it being produced by Robert altman and starring such an impressive bunch of actors.i figured it much at the very least be watchable. but i was wrong, the writing was the biggest insult to my intelligence but the direction and even the acting were just as laughable. how anyone can say this series was innovative escapes me. there is no explanation of how the gun ends up in its different locations and with no obvious passage of time to allow the viewer to perhaps fill in the blanks. add to that the ridiculous plot of each story and this entire series was nothing but frustrating. using the dvds for coasters would be too good for this abomination.

It's a shame that Gun went off the air after only half a season on ABC. Every episode had different stars every week, since the only recurring character (object) was a nickel-plated pistol that changed hands every episode. Actually, I only remember watching three or so of the episodes, but the show starring Daniel Stern is one of my favorite TV episodes ever. Even though that episode was lightly based on a popular short story (I won't say which), there is no way that you'll ever see the ending coming. Gun was never really given a fair shot at being a series since it debuted mid-season and never gained much momentum (much like a great show I remember from roughly the same time on CBS titled Easy Streets). U2 performs the title song.

The show was exceptional, with unpredictable endings and a different story each time. I wish they would combine all the episodes into a movie.

I don't know whether this show was the inspiration for a similar series taking place in the old west called 'Dead Man's Gun'. Again, the only thing that remained stable was the cursed weapon.

This series is currently being rerun on the Trio network as part of their "Brilliant, but Cancelled" theme. I have no idea on what planet this series is considered "brilliant", but it was most definitely "cancelled". They are running a show on this theme, plus their show "Perfect Pitch" which attempts to describe the best way to pitch a new series and have it be made into a pilot. I'm guessing that "Gun" connects to this theme in that it had the perfect pitch -- "It's 'Twilight Zone' meets 'The Outer Limits' -- but wait, they are all linked by the same gun!" I've seen this theme so many times, most notably in that movie (whose name escapes me) where they follow the same twenty dollar bill around to different owners. The links to that twenty dollar bill were much more plausible than the links to this gun. I would only recommend watching this show if a) you are bored or b) you happen to like one of the guest stars, of which there are plenty. The episode with Kirsten Dunst and Carrie Fisher was my favorite, but I probably could have found better use of an hour of my time.

The common feature of anthology films (or series) being uneven is taken to the extreme in this series. Only the Altman segment can be recommended without reservation. Moreover, the three more dramatic segments are not very good. I think the main problem is while the direction, acting is solid throughout the series the writing is often subpar. Sadwith was the other main creative force behind this series and there is a reason his career is far smaller than Altman's; Sadwith was the main writer and it really shows. The writing is very procedural and a bit too self-serious. However, if you are a Altman fan-he is my favorite director-this is worth checking out or owning if cheap enough. Each film in the series has Altman touches and ideas; it is understandable why Altman was attracted to this set of stories. Furthermore, All the President's Women-the Altman directed film- is a really good hour of TV.

I must also note that it is annoying that you can link the gun's path through like 3 of the films *without* being to fit the other 3 in the gun's lifespan. This sort of writing gimmick you either do or you don't-going halfway is the worst of all possible worlds.