BONE TOMAHAWK Not pictured: Kurt Russells beard.
  • BONE TOMAHAWK Not pictured: Kurt Russell's beard.

Bone Tomahawk didn't get a theatrical release in Portland, which is a goddamn shame. But it is available on demand, and it is a pretty great movie to watch for Halloween, so this is me telling you to do that. Here's what I wrote about it in this week's Film Shorts:

Bone Tomahawk lies somewhere between western and horror, and the less you know going in, the better. A magnificently bearded Kurt Russell plays a small-town sheriff who embarks on an all-but-doomed rescue mission; along for the ride are Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, and Matthew Fox. S. Craig Zahler's film ebbs and flows, but it's strongest when relying on stark landscapes, Russell's grizzled charm, and moments of jarring violence. This thing wasn't released in Portland theaters, but if you're a fan of either of the aforementioned genres, it's well worth checking out. The most disappointing aspect is that Russell's character, tragically, is not named Bone Tomahawk. But that's okay. I hereby vow to bestow that name upon my firstborn child.

With a billion things available on a billion screens, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get people to watch a movie with the phrase "the less you know going in, the better." (Such was the case, too, with another recent underrated thriller, The Gift.) So normally I'd post the trailer for Bone Tomahawk here to help convince you, but, stupidly, the trailer gives away some big surprises in the movie. Fuck that.

Instead I'll just tell you this: If you like westerns, and you like horror, and you like Kurt Russell (EVERYONE LIKES KURT RUSSELL), and you need something to watch this weekend? Bone Tomahawk.

BONE TOMAHAWK Hi. Im Kurt Russell, and check out my beard.
  • BONE TOMAHAWK "Hi. I'm Kurt Russell, and check out my beard."