Champagne and Bullets belongs on the Mount Rushmore of bad movies
Discover Champagne and Bullets, a one-man indie passion project that rivals cult classics like The Room and Troll 2.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Champagne and Bullets was written, directed, and starred in by John De Hart.
- The 90-minute runtime features a staggering 12 minutes of sex scenes.
- The plot includes rogue cops, bizarre cults, and a satanic coven.
- It is currently available to stream on Hoopla, Amazon Prime, and Tubi.
There is an undeniable charm to movies like The Room, Troll 2, or Fateful Findings that makes them entirely irresistible. These so-called "so bad they’re good" features stand out as marvelous curiosities where ambition vastly outweighs resources, technical ability, and self-awareness, ultimately resulting in something far greater than its individual parts. Champagne and Bullets—which has also circulated under the titles GetEven and Road to Revenge—is a motion picture that sits comfortably alongside those celebrated outsiders of cinema.
The film is essentially the singular vision and execution of John De Hart, who wrote, directed, and starred as protagonist Rick Bode. Early in the runtime, Hart even performs a bizarre musical number titled "Shimsee Slide." During this sequence, Hart—reportedly dosed up on painkillers after throwing out his back—is completely stiff, darting his eyes around the room as though performing under direct threat of violence. Incredibly, this lifeless rendition of a cringeworthy country-rock tune is hardly the most awkward moment in the feature.
The phenomenon of "so bad it's good" cinema usually occurs when an auteur pours unbridled passion into their art despite lacking proper funding or technical training. This raw sincerity and lack of ironic self-awareness create a unique form of entertainment that polished, high-budget blockbusters can rarely replicate, establishing an enduring cult following.
Character dynamics and interactions throughout Champagne and Bullets remain just as unnatural and inexplicable as those found in Tommy Wiseau's masterpiece. Bode and his partner Huck Finney lose their badges within the opening five minutes of the story, triggering an alarmingly rapid psychological spiral for Finney, who is simultaneously dealing with a messy divorce after uncovering his wife's infidelity. He resorts to firing a handgun through household bills, drinking bleach to evade imprisonment, and seemingly establishing a makeshift cult.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Plot-wise, a significant portion of the narrative revolves around the return of Bode’s former girlfriend, Cindy, who is desperately fleeing a satanic coven that allegedly "sacrificed a human baby." Despite ostensibly being marketed as an action thriller, fight sequences are remarkably sparse and choreographed with all the convincing power of a theme park stunt show, as Hart clearly preferred focusing his lens elsewhere.
Hart appeared much more interested in cramming in gratuitous nudity, featuring three uncomfortably prolonged sex scenes alongside costar Pamela Bryant, who plays Cindy. All three sequences are underscored by songs sung by Hart himself. Combined, they consume a full 12 minutes of the film's total 90-minute runtime. One specific sequence set inside a jacuzzi reportedly prompted Hart’s real-life girlfriend at the time to break up with him. (Note: One separate scene not involving Hart and Bryant explicitly depicts sexual assault.)
For dedicated fans of outsider cinema, midnight movie nights, or the How Did This Get Made podcast, checking out Champagne and Bullets is practically a rite of passage. The feature is readily accessible to stream on Hoopla, Amazon Prime, and Tubi.
Source: The Verge
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