Tamra Davis’ 1992 drama about young lovers on the run from the law—her debut as a feature director after years making music videos—almost shares its title with a classic of the genre, Joseph H. Lewis’ Gun Crazy (1950), but it has never achieved the cult status of its namesake. It continues to be thought of as little more than an interesting little B-picture, which distributor MVD is emphasizing by issuing this DVD in its “Rewind Collection,” with packaging hearkening back to the days of VHS tapes.
The movie, which first appeared on cable before getting a theatrical release, is nonetheless notable for featuring a performance by Drew Barrymore that, along with her appearance in Pretty Poison the same year, definitely broke with the persona she had largely maintained since playing Gertie in E.T. a decade earlier. She is Anita Minteer, an abused teen who kills the sleazy boyfriend (Joe Dallesandro) her mother had left her with after he teaches her to use a gun. As part of a school assignment, she also becomes the pen-pal of born-again prison inmate Howard Hickok (James LeGros), who joins her after he gets out on parole. They soon become lovers who practice shooting on makeshift gun ranges whenever they can, and are married by Hank (Billy Drago), their manic, snake-handling preacher, to make them a legitimate, God-fearing couple.
But Howard explodes when Anita is confronted by a couple of lecherous classmates, and after his parole officer (Michael Ironside) threatens to send him back behind bars, he kills a policeman. That puts him and Anita on the run, though their inept efforts to evade capture and steal food and money take on a mordantly comic tone. The story eventually ends in a bloody confrontation with the law at a house the couple has broken into, a sequence that is clearly meant to recall the iconic final ambush of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), but is too sloppily choreographed to equal it.
Barrymore delivers a potent, nuanced portrayal as a girl who is at once victim and instigator, and the supporting cast—including the underappreciated LeGros—gives her strong support. Even the threadbare production is an asset, lending a feeling of gritty authenticity to a narrative that could easily be read as mere exploitation. Though unlikely to ever reach classic status, Guncrazy deserves recognition as a lesser but still intriguing entry among the many noteworthy tales of murderous lovers on the lam.
Extras include an audio commentary by Davis and Barrymore; two trailers; two “making of” featurettes, one from 1992 (20 min.) and the other newly made (89 min.); a featurette on Davis (39 min.); five behind-the-scenes clips; and a collectible poster. A strong optional purchase.