Set in the 1930s, Bullshot follows the absurd adventures of Captain Hugh "Bullshot" Crummond, a dim-witted but overconfident British hero, as he attempts to rescue Professor Fenton and stop the evil Count Otto von Bruno and Lenya von Bruno from stealing a secret energy formula. A parody of vintage adventure serials, the film features exaggerated heroics, slapstick comedy, and spoofed melodrama. Crummond ultimately defeats the villains and saves the day with the help of Rosemary Fenton.
The film was produced by George Harrison's company, HandMade Films. It was adapted from the stage play Bullshot Crummond, originally performed by the Low Moan Spectacular theatre company. Alan Shearman, Diz White, and Ronald E. House reprised their roles from the original stage production.
Principal photography took place primarily at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England, with some location shooting in and around London. The film was shot mostly on studio sets designed to mimic the exaggerated and stylised look of 1930s adventure serials. The production sought to retain the theatrical and spoof-driven tone of the play.
Colin Greenland reviewed Bullshot for Imagine magazine, praising its energetic and comedic style. He described the film as "pell-mell, hammer and tongs, hell for leather all the way through a plot that gets more deliciously ludicrous by the second". Greenland highlighted the "superb (over-)acting in spiffing costumes on scrummy sets", noting the abundance of laughter-inducing moments and memorable comic cameos by Billy Connolly, Mel Smith, John Wells, and 'Legs' Larry Smith.[2]
The film received mixed reviews from mainstream critics. Some praised its affectionate parody of 1930s adventure serials and the performances of the lead actors, while others found its humour uneven and overly reliant on theatrical farce.[3][4]
Retrospective audience reviews often emphasise the film's cult appeal and status as a comedic pastiche. Viewers have described it as "a wonderful little film with all kinds of tongue-in-cheek references to British culture", comparing its tone to P. G. Wodehouse, "although a little more over the top".[5]
References
↑ Sellers, Robert. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The Inside Story of HandMade Films, Metro 2003, pp. 131–138
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