Last Night At The Alamo

A sneakily funny and highly profane night in the down but not quite out Houston bar, The Alamo, as its seedy patrons wait for their bar room hero, a character named Cowboy, to come and save the day by keeping the Alamo from being bulldozed in the name of progress, They are a pretty abrasive bunch, sounding like a buzzsaw at full blast, what with their nonstop cussing, bitching, whining and drinking themselves blind. But they also represent an authentic, rambunctious, hilarious and yet despairing look at “redneck” Americana, full of insight and accuracy, This is director Eagle Pennell’s second feature film, his first being The Whole Shooting Match, which won a special jury prize in our 1978 festival, and combined with screenwriter Kim Henkel, whose previous credit includes the gruesome The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last Night At The Alamo makes for an unforgettable film experience. In the end, Cowboy’s last stand at the Alamo emerges as a final salute to an American hangout, a place where dreams are laid to rest.