Sam Peckinpah Classic Screens this Week at the Original Alamo
In 1974, Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs) wrote, directed and produced arguably his bleakest film, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. It has been said that it was his favorite of the movies he made.
The film chronicles the tale of Bennie, a down-on-his-luck piano player who sets out with his girlfriend to try and collect the bounty placed on the head of one Alfredo Garcia. Garcia has impregnated a rancher's daughter, and the angry rancher wants proof that the rapscallion lothario is dead. As Bennie gets in over his head trying to play the role of bounty hunter, he begins to lose his grasp on reality, as his insanity is fueled by alcohol and violence. It is said that the character of Bennie is a largely autobiographical representation of the auteur.
In true Peckinpah fashion, the film features the director's trademark raw, realistic violence in its depiction of frontier justice. It is the last great film of this great American filmmaker, a legend who seemingly has had a huge influence on several directors of more recent years, most notably, one Quentin Tarantino; so don't be surprised if you see QT sipping on a Shiner during one of the screenings.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia screens at the Original Alamo tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday nights at 7pm.
