REVIEWS
By: Eric M.
"Our family enjoyed this movie. I hope there will be more to come. Don't know how it could have been any better."
Would Recommend: yes
By: Sandra C.
"This was a movie I could take my children and grandchildren to and not worry about sex and bad language. There was a moral to the story. I will be telling all my friends this is a movie they need to see."
Would Recommend: yes
By: Steve E.
"This is a very good movie, I have watched it several times and shown it to my nieghbors and friends."
Would Recommend: yes
Bryce Tumlinson - Texandance Film Festival
Palo Pinto Gold to be Spotlight Film at Texandance International Film Festival in New Braunfels, Texas
"First time independent filmmaker Anthony Henslee has accomplished what so many first time filmmakers set out to do and fail at... get a distribution deal! Anthony's western Palo Pinto Gold has all the fun, excitement, and adventure of "Lonsome Dove" without all the "Pokes." A truly entertaining family-friendly film without making you feel like you are watching a silly cartoon made for kids. Palo Pinto Gold received a PG-13 for mild western violence (which I thought deserved a PG... but of course the MPAA didn't ask my opinion). Palo Pinto Gold's ability to keep my attention, without spending millions of dollars or having a cast of barely clothed women only helps prove that it is about acting, filming, and the script. It makes me ask, "why does Hollywood feel they have to throw in some boobies, monkeys making love, or a man who likes to wear women's underpants, just so they can get an "R" rating?" Or are they trying to be "Artsy" and "Politically-Sensitive?" The fact of the matter is that "famiy friendly" really does work. Case in point: Ninja Turtles Vs. 300, both of which opened on the same weekend (24.5 mil vs. 20.7 mil the first weekend). Unlike Borat, nobody in Palo Pinto Gold shows an antique picture of their son's privates next to themselves wearing a cowboy hat... and frankly... I really appreciate that!
Palo Pinto Gold (for now on known as P.P.G.) reminds me of an old "John Wayne Western" shot on modern digital equipment. Anthony Henslee shot P.P.G. on a 2/3" HD Panasonic at 720p and 24 f.p.s. to give a film like feel. The story line is so good that you get over the fact that Palo Pinto Gold was shot on video and not 35mm.
Palo Pinto Gold got the help of Roy Clark and Mel Tillis to play some "Old Bar Flies" who agree to tell the story of the "Greatest Gunfight Ever" to an anxious reporter in exchange for some hootch. I love how the film jumps from Roy and Mel in the 1930s back to the 1880s in the wild west.
While some acting in the film by supporting actors is so-so, a special mention of actress Joanna Goode is in order. First time actress, Joanna Goode was found through a local TV talent search contest, which was an extremely good move for Palo Pinto Gold, as she was some of the strongest talent in the movie. Another great move that deserves some praise was getting Texas Legend Kinky Friedman (Texas Governor Candidate and friend to both Bill Clinton and "W") to play the Texas Governor, as well as many Texas music artist like Robert Earl Keen, Jason Fowler, and Jason Allen to play the villain's hired gunfighters.... now throw in former Mayor of San Antonio Nelson Wolf and sprinkle the mix with former American football tight end who played for the Dallas Cowboys (Jay Novacek) and then you have an inexpensive "almost-all-star cast."
Not only did Anthony Henslee prove himself as a great director in P.P.G., the man can actually act! Anthony Henslee is truly a talented individual and this shines through in Palo Pinto Gold.
Being the descendent of a fallen hero of the Alamo (George W. Tumlinson), and being a filmmaker myself, I am proud to give "Palo Pinto Gold" my "Texas Western Film" stamp of approval. Two thumbs up and a "Yippee-Kayay Redneck Mother." P.P.G. is a film that is quite entertaining and you can watch it with your Mom without getting embarrased."
Bob Polunsky - Primetime Newspapers
"Palo Pinto Gold" follows the old-fashioned traditions of western movies when bad guys wore black hats and scowled while good guys wore white hats and looked stern even when they smiled. True to form, the movie reminds us that gunfire was always more meaningful than dialogue in movie westerns. The storyline is reminiscent of western movie classics (one of the characters is even named "Shane"), and the dialogue is short and sweet so it doesn't distract anyone from hearing about the historic gunfight a reporter asks about.
At the same time, "Palo Pinto Gold" coins a phrase that's bound to be used again by sheriffs, deputies and other do-gooders in future westerns. When one character asks another what they should do about the bad guys, his answer is "cuff `em, club `em or shoot `em"! It sounds like something John Wayne might have said, or, at the very least, wished he had said in one of his westerns.
The movie was filmed at the Enchanted Spring Ranch in Boerne and boasts a cast of popular pros (Roy Clark, Mel Tillis); cameo appearances by San Antonio TV talk show hostesses Shelley Miles and Leslie Bohl Jones; a spirited performance from actress Joanna Goode as the leading lady named Kayla and a memorable appearance by Texas' own Kinky Friedman as the Texas governor. He grins broadly when another character tells him he should run for president. ("Me president? Well, why the hell not!")
The plot has traces of just about all westerns inspired by the gunfight at the OK Corral as well as a slapstick tribute to "Blazing Saddles" that parodies its most famous scene. The bad guys are easily identified. They are the most ornery-looking varmints that ever rode a horse through the Texas frontier.
The film is told in flashbacks when a reporter (Rodney Lay) from Austin tries to get the "real story" behind the most famous shootout in Palo Pinto from two whisky-guzzling old timers (Clark and Tillis). They oblige him as long as he keeps the bartender coming with re-fills while they trace the origin and after-math of that shoot-out, interrupting each other from time to time to make a plot point and get a laugh to add a personal touch to the dialogue. The punch line ending itself is a surprise you won't expect.
The movie has violence, but no more than a John Wayne western. Scenes of a budding romance between bashful Jake (Trent Willmon) and feisty Kayla (Joanna Good) give us characters to cheer. Western music on the soundtrack maintains the film's pace in scenes between gunfights and fistfights. Most of the characters are stereotypes, but so are western movies themselves. "Palo Pinto Gold" is like westerns audiences fondly remember as "family entertainment."
Bob says: "Follow the guy in the white hat"