Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane (July 22/03)

Based on Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane, it's a wonder that Joe Carnahan was able to find a second gig. Carnahan's subsequent film, Narc, won him accolades and kudos with the majority of critics (including this one), so imagine the disappointment that goes along with discovering how terrible his first effort is.

Reportedly shot for less than $10,000, Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane tells the story of two incredibly aggressive used car salesmen that are trying desperately to keep their business from going under. Sid (Carnahan) and Bob (Dan Leis) are facing stiff competition from the powerhouse dealership across the street run by Mr. Woo (Dan Harlan), but a chance to save their business soon appears. They're told that if they just hold onto a particular car for 48 hours, they'll receive $250,000. Complications ensue in the form of a crazy redneck sniper (played by Kurt Johnson) hired to protect the car, along with several FBI agents on the trail of a murderer that's offing anyone who has a connection to the automobile.

The jittery, gritty style that Carnahan employed to such great effect in Narc is also on display here, but it just doesn't work this time around. While Narc made good use out of the shaky-cam effect in its various foot chases and intense police interrogations, Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane uses the technique for dull conversations about selling cars - the end result of which is a seriously nauseating experience. Not helping matters is Carnahan's pseudo-Oliver Stone approach to the material, which involves frequent jumps to black-and-white and bizarre camera angles. Carnahan's overly enthusiastic directorial flourishes are more than likely a necessity due to the low-budget, but still, his relentlessly flashy technique wears thin very quickly.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the film is saddled with a storyline that's incomprehensible to the point of aggravation. The script (written by Carnahan) throws in a variety of elements - a pony-tailed serial killer, that hillbilly sniper, the FBI agents, etc - without bothering to explain their purpose until the very end, a device that's more irritating than anything else (and by then, it's impossible to even care).

Along with writing and directing the flick, Carnahan also stars as one of the two hyper car salesmen. And while he's not bad, neither he nor Leis are able to create characters that the audience cares about even a little. These guys are obnoxious and loud, and clearly, there's a reason filmmakers don't tend to make movies about used car salesmen.