Mule Skinner Blues (2001)

Director:

Stephen Earnhart

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

All you need is a gorilla and a dream

Plot Keywords:

Film Premiere | Dog In Freezer | Vietnam Vet | Screenwriter | Trailer Park

Cast

Beanie Andrew	...	Himself
Don Arrup	...	Satan Worshipper
Emily Brannon	...	Seductress
Holly Cavanaugh	...	Herself
Raymond Dagley	...	Himself
Matt Elefant	...	The Handsome Neck
Salvatore Froio	...	Suave Vampire
Lance Hallowell	...	Vampire Killer #2
Heidi Horst	...	Biting Vampiress
Miss Jeannie	...	Herself
Ray Lane	...	Himself
Roy Lane	...	Himself
Annabelle Lea Usher	...	Herself
Ricky Lix	...	Miss Jeannie's Doctor
Gleb Mikhalev	...	Young Boy
Amber Mizell	...	Nude Girl in Woods
Irina Palkanian	...	Dying Vampiress
Larry Parrot	...	Himself
Sol Parrot	...	Himself
Stephen C. Rhatigan	...	Dancing Cop
Stu Richel	...	Vampire Killer #1
Taryn Smith	...	Herself
Jeff Soymann	...	Miss Jeannie's Doctor
Yancy Spencer IV	...	Forest Monster
Charlene Stewart	...	Herself
Moribai Vayne	...	Whip Girls
Kendra Sue Waldman	...	Vampire Lover
Steve Walker	...	Himself
Tim White	...	Himself (in music video) (archive footage)
Angie Zander	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated R for brief language and sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Company:

Bean-Tyle Productions

Quotes:

Beanie Andrew: If you fall in the mud, you might come back as a gorilla.

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

If you liked "American Movie", you'll probably like this one too.

I am a movie addict and recently hit a wall with my massive DVD collection. It seemed that I had purchased every film worth owning. I realized this fact as I shopped Tower Records "going out of business" sale. Then I happened upon the Documentary section and realized that was a category I was lacking in. I bought every documentary that sounded interesting and "Mule Skinner Blues" was the best of the bunch. It's greatness lies in its ability to mix humor with genuine feeling. The movie shows compassion for it's low rent, trailer park dwelling characters instead of contempt. There is plenty of comedy in their drunken and eccentric behavior, but I'm sure the cast of real people are laughing along with the audience.

The film is highly stylized in the Errol Morris tradition of documentaries. It blends scenes of the film's subjects dancing on a surreal set, as well as scenes from other movies (Evil Dead 2, etc.)with actual interviews. The main "plot" is a man named Beanie and a guy named Larry Parrot writing and directing a movie about a vengeful ape-man creature and a guitar showdown between the devil and a man. It's all basically just a showcase to display some truly interesting people who live outside society's fringe. The lead guy could be Mark Borchardt from "American Movie" in 25 years. If you liked that movie, you'll most likely enjoy this one as well. The DUI video during the end credits is worth the rental price alone.