Falcon Song

I just took an awesome trip to some sort of eighties film throwback. Falcon Song is a patchwork of film Americana from the old school. Sure, there is a level of cheese but isn't that part of the equation? The lack of irony is what makes this stand out from other "new" 80s films. Falcon Song has a dripping wet, retro synthesizer soundtrack to boot! Here is an example of what fills the screen: vintage cars & trucks, smokin' hot rancher's daughter, rustic country scenery, Kreese from Karate Kid, oil pumps, secret societies, cowboy hats, horses, fantasy technology, magic, pirate weapons, and that's just the beginning!! The movie deals with classic troubles of the small town lifestyle. An aging rancher (played well by James Storm of Dark Shadows) struggles to keep his property when the common forces of life close in. It never gets too deep or demented, which seems difficult to steer away from in today's cinema. Its almost plays like one of those small Disney films from way back, but skews indie at times. The two younger leads, Gabriel Sunday and Rainey Qualley seem to have a promising future.

I was lucky enough to see this film in the theater. I thought it was really fun and watching it felt like I had traveled back in time to 1986. Sadly movies aren't made like this any more, but Falcon Song proves that it is possible. You can just feel the passion behind this movie. The retro style was handled properly and didn't rely on endless pop culture references, college humor, and sarcasm like so many films do that cash in on the "80s" thing. The locations are great and it was refreshing to see that a light hearted film like this can do so well.

The story is relatively basic; a guy cruises into a quirky, small town and shakes things up. There are a good amount of kittens in this film, which is pretty high up on my list. Gabriel Sunday's acting is excellent and it was really fun to see that Martin Kove from the original Karate Kid movies can still be part of a respectable film. The Directing is solid and the cinematography is outstanding. All in all, Falcon Song is worth checking out and possibly adding to your collections of 80s movies!

This film stands out to me because of the successful creation of a story world. It seems to cut all ties from modern references in its plight to give us something nostalgic, yet entirely new. It's glossed over in a subtle way, almost like the memories of a 80's pop culture junkie, but WITHOUT any pop culture references. Falcon Song is not self aware, yet true to its cinematic heritage. This may be the film's strongest feature.

Gabriel Sunday is an explosive talent and his performance seems to charge each scene with a natural magnetism. Rainey Qualley plays it down, delivering a great opposite to Sunday and maintains this special balance as a girl with suppressed passions. Martin Kove seems to dig deeper into his character than many of his recent roles, including a humorous nod to 1930's Erol Flynn in the quirky finale. James Storm has a commanding presence and subtlety in his delivery that is solid as a rock.

The movie makes a valiant attempt at reviving a lost style. While clearly low budget, the vision is strong and true, despite its several shortcomings in the writing. Falcon Song throws away the crutches often utilized by artists in the independent arena. For this, I am left with a positive impression.

It's a light drama pulled from the recent past. Not too subtle, but the movie stays honest. I haven't seen anything like this since Dallas, Alf, and Little House on the Prairie were on TV. It's kitsch - some people get that and some people don't. It comes across like a simple film, but I think it takes a sophisticated viewer to understand the point. It was fun seeing Martin Kove again in a movie (the sweep the leg guy from Karate Kid). Gabriel Sunday was really funny, but I wouldn't say it's a "Caddyshack" comedy but these guys get goofy. Dare I say cartoon-like? That was the style of a lot of great eighties movies. Falcon Song finds something new in something old lol. I enjoyed it. Cool poster - feels like the film!

As a 1980s connoisseur, this gets my approval. If only more typical modern films could be so honest. Falcon Song painstakingly recreates the aesthetic from the era (which may be cringeworthy for some). One thing's for sure, this fantasy western is not joking around with authenticity. You'll have to grasp this concept if you want to fully enjoy. Not quite comedy, but not quite drama. It has that nice glossy cinematography, which is fairly rare in a small film like this. I felt like I was transported to some fantasy bubble where these hyperreal characters are actually commonplace. Not once did the film stop to make fun of itself (well, maybe a bit in the finale, but I won't spoil it). I'm heading to watch Uncle Buck or after this one.