Death of a Gunslinging Squirrel
| Death of a Gunslinging Squirrel | |
 | |
| Directed by | George Boy Phill |
|---|---|
| Written by | Alan Smithee |
| Release date(s) | 2007 (Intl) |
| Language | English |
Death of a Gunslinging Squirrel is a 2007 film, directed by George Boy Phill and written by Alan Smithee, about Western "Pioneer Squirrels" who flee to the Oregon Trail when the law gets too close. It is based loosely on a story called "Star Rover" (1915), written by Jack London.
The controversial film is thought to be allegorical of the early history of Mormonism, and some have suggested Phill and Smithee cast the characters as squirrels in an attempt to avoid the vast power of Mormon Families in the Federal Government.
Plot
A band of squirrels are migrating west to avoid the persecution of hunters and to reap the huge nut harvest in California and Oregon. Led by Captain Fancer they meet with trouble when Pa Fettel an intolerant latter day saint who is tired of having his temples burned to the ground and run out of town is now taking his angst out on the Pioneer Squirrels.
A band of Indians surround the squirrel's wagon train and the squirrels dig into the ground. The Indians proceed to kill many of the squirrels including a very old almost pure white squirrel named Granny White.
The boys then head into Cedar City to see what kind of help they can find.
The ghoulish slaughter of an entire family has never been cinematically portrayed with such attention to detail.
Characters
Pa Fettle
Captain Fancher
Will Aden
Abel Milliken
Timothy Grant
Laban
Cochrane
Little Rish Hardacre
Movie Clips
Small hunks of meat and gray fur fly through the air. The smell of gun powder hangs heavy in the hot air. The dry ground sucks up the blood like a famished vampire. In slow motion the scattered bits of bloody fur hit the ground and ooze red tiny pools that instantly turn into a brown mud.
Breeze blows the smell of a latrine and a tumbleweed as it carries off the smell of the rifle smoke.
"I done told that Varmit not to step foot in Treesdon, Utah," Pa Fettle drawled as he put his rifle in its case and pulled the reigns of his horse to go eat a large steak and whisky at the Saloon.