7. Jack Sikora - Il Mio West/Gunslinger's Revenge (1999)
This strange Italian Western co-stars Harvey Keitel as a formerly notorious gunfighter, Johnny Lowen, who has decided to retire and live out the remainder of his life in peace, in the company of his estranged family, none of whom are pleased to see him. Why? Well, he wasnt the best of fathers but its probably more to do with the fact that his life of violence isnt through with him, even if hes through with it. Just shy of an hour in, that life comes back to haunt him in the devilish shape of appalling killer Jack Sikora (Bowie), a psychopath with a six gun and a small posse of likeminded crazies. Sikora is on a mission to push Lowen into duelling him, and willing to hurt or kill anyone else around him to make that happen. I said this was a strange film: the abrupt shift in tone from gentle family-centred narrative to brittle Wild West violence isnt just a function of the plot. The second that Bowie turns up on screen the entire style of the movie takes a sidestep to the left. The production value hikes up a notch; the art direction changes tack; the camera follows him and his quirks and tics around like a lovesick teenager, and with good reason. His presence in the film in this role is probably director Giovanni Veronesis best chance at making a decent profit. Some have taken issue with Bowies elaborately southern-fried accent in this film, but lets not forget that, as an Italian movie dubbed into English, accents are very much a moveable feast. More than that, though - the voice and mannerisms feel like a conscious choice on Bowies part, as though Sikora himself is playing a part, sadistically hamming it up for the benefit of the terrified audience around him. Proof positive comes when Sikora sings an off-kilter version of The Battle Hymn Of The Republic to unnerve the townsfolk: legendary singer Bowie plays him tone deaf.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
