Everyone loves a good action film, especially in this day and age when that film is led by a female as the kick-ass protagonist. Myself, and many others, typically also like the horror films of director Gregory Lamberson such as “Johnny Gruesome” which he wrote and directed. But my admiration for Lamberson’s storytelling became even greater when he ventured out of the straight horror genre and into a ghost story/thriller with “Widow’s Point” which he directed with a screenplay based on the excellent novel by Billy and Richard Chizmar. (If you haven’t read the book or seen the film, I highly recommend both.) So I was more than excited to see what Lamberson could do with his first real foray into action with GUNS OF EDEN.
Unfortunately, there are times when a filmmaker needs to stay in their known lane and not stray elsewhere. GUNS OF EDEN is one of those times. A film that comes out guns blazing, literally and figuratively, catching our attention and immediately drawing us into the story, then woefully falls apart thanks to ridiculously hokey dialogue and extremely bad acting on the part of the supporting players. And that’s not to say that there wasn’t effort and/or thought put into the story and the actual production. Clearly, Lamberson took a gamble with hot-button topics of far-right militia extremists, bad cops, diversity, a confusing religious aspect, and the strongsuit of a female protagonist. It just didn’t gel in the end.
With the opening frames of GUNS OF EDEN, we meet Buffalo police officers Megan and Jeremy quickly making a collar of a perp after a pursuit. It doesn’t take long before downtime finds them hitting a convenience store for snacks when an armed robbery takes place. Jumping into action, the two thwart the robbery but in the process, Megan shoots an on-duty police officer who responds to what was probably a silent alarm by the store clerk. Needless to say, Megan gets put on administrative leave during the investigation into the shooting; something that doesn’t sit well with her – a woman who is all about the job.
Up until this point, the story is tight, believable, and engaging thanks to crisp editing by Phil Gallo, some nice lens work by cinematographer Chris Cosgrave, and solid performances by Alexandra Faye Sadeghian and Peter Johnson, as Megan and Jeremy, respectively. Notable is that Sadeghian has all the makings of an action star should she choose to stay in the genre.
But then everything goes to hell in a handbasket as Jeremy convinces a reluctant Megan to join him and his friends Blake and Gabriella for a weekend camping trip in the woods. Once in the woods, Megan and Jeremy witness the execution of a drug trafficker by the local Sheriff Preacher and his deputies. With no cell service and no weapons, Megan and Jeremy know that they have to get off the mountain. Rounding up the clueless and befuddled Blake and Gabriella to make a run for it, escape plans go awry as Preacher and his deputies have not only sealed off the mountain, but Preacher called in his armed militia pals to hunt down the foursome.
And this is where the film falls apart thanks to some of the worst acting on screen this year, surprisingly including Bill Kennedy who has appeared in multiple films over the years, always in very small roles though and often without dialogue. Here, as Preacher, he is almost comical in his performance and dialogue delivery. Hordes of folks, male and female, fill out the background roles as Preacher’s deputies and militia and are no better than Kennedy; they are actually much worse. A saving grace among the cast beyond Sadeghian and Johnson is veteran Lynn Lowry who truly elevates the film as local longtime resident Frances who has no patience for Preacher and the militia. The overall film would have benefitted from more screen time for Lowry who doesn’t show up until about the 50-minute mark and serves only to move Megan’s on-the-run escape along.
If you can make it through the bad acting and dialogue, there are some terrific elements to the film that are more in keeping with what one expects from Lamberson, not the least of which is the location. With more than 60 minutes in the woods with militia hunting down Megan, Jeremy, Gabriella and Blake, location is critical and Lamberson chose perfectly.
Making use of all aspects of the wooded and forested areas, we are treated to plenty of foliage and massive trees, cliffs and sheer rock formations, a small lake and waterfalls, and all in the prime of spring or summer given the beauty of the greenery. Complementing Mother Nature is Cosgrave’s lensing who not only showcases the region, but incorporates the natural terrain and topography into scene blocking for chases, hiding, and fight sequences. And this lends itself well to a few killer overhead shots of Sadeghian two-fisting guns and spinning in a circle with guns rapid-firing. Very geometric and eye-catching a la Busby Berkeley.
There are some actual comedic moments that come during fight scenes with militia shooting each other, whether inadvertent or intended, I do not know. Fight choreography is uneven, particularly a third act knife fight involving Megan, which is made worse by Foley that doesn’t necessarily match the slaps and “punches”. And I’m not certain if it’s the actors or the fight choreography itself that causes the unevenness as many of the Megan-on-Militia sequences have all of the basic pieces for the stunt thanks to fight choreographer Alexander McBryde, but the militia participants don’t measure up to what Alexandra Faye Sadeghian brings to the fore. There’s a disconnect.
Great credit goes to editor Phil Gallo who keeps the film moving at a quick clip and thanks to Cosgrave’s lensing is able to edit extended sequences that don’t require dialogue.
Disappointing is the overall sound mix and score, the latter a big surprise considering what composers Armand John Petri and Joe Rozier delivered for Lamberson with “Widow’s Point”. Disjointed techno drumbeats that suddenly stop leaving us in silence or meld with a composition that can’t make up its mind between sounds of the Old West, 1970’s and 80’s hyped-up television action shows, and even cheesy royalty-free type motifs. And hand in hand with the score are issues with sound, most notably intermittent hollowness, and an uneven mix.
I can see the work Lamberson put into GUNS OF EDEN, particularly thanks to Cosgrave and Gallo, but the word that comes to mind at every turn of this film is “uneven”. Two solid leads, one very strong supporting player (Lowry), excellent cinematography, location and staging, and editing are what save this film from itself and its poor dialogue and acting by the bulk of the cast. Lamberson definitely has the potential for directing action films and I would welcome the chance to see him behind the camera again in this genre, perhaps directing someone else’s script.
Written and Directed by Gregory Lamberson
Cast: Alexandra Faye Sadeghian, Peter Johnson, Bill Kennedy, Lynn Lowry
by debbie elias, 12/01/2022
