If ‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ is anything to go by then writer-director Francis Gallupi has a great future ahead of him. Having picked two of the great under rated actors in Jim Cummings and Richard Brake he has cast them in a tight, taut thriller that keeps a cast of characters in an A/C free roadside diner and turns up the heat.
It is Jim Cummings character known only as The Knife Salesman driving to California to see his daughter now living with his ex-wife who finds himself low on petrol and pulls into the gas station only to find that they’re waiting on the petrol delivery. And without another gas station for miles he might as well wait at the diner where sheriff’s wife Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue) works as the waitress.
Alone in the diner they are soon joined by Travis (Richard Brake) and Beau (Nicholas Logan) brothers in arms, literally, having carried out an armed robbery at a bank that’s made the news along with the car they are driving that’s also fallen perilously low on fuel. Their very presence would make anyone uneasy, Travis is a stone cold granite faced hard man whereas his brother Beau is a numb nut meathead who believes that social etiquette is wiping your armpits with serviettes before you eat. And almost immediately the tensions ratchets with Travis and Beau pulling their guns on them with the strict instruction that they’re both going to be calm or they’re both going to die whilst they wait for the petrol delivery. It’s only a matter of time before further unaware customers will arrive and the heat situation gets hotter.
Like Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight this has a group of characters temporarily trapped in a roadside hostelry with tensions rising to what will be an inevitably bloody conclusion and yet just when it does get to that point it is within the hour and there’s still another thirty minutes left with director Gallupi taking off at a tangent with more unhinged twists than might be expected.
Last Stop in Yuma County is one of those low budget films that benefits from its indy roots escaping the interference of a studio and is all the better for it. This is a terrific 90 minutes and well worth seeking out and it bodes well that Gallupi talent has caught the eye of Sam Raimi who has him on script detail for the next Evil Dead film and we’re here for it!
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We chat to Jim Cummings and Richard brake about the film…..
Here’s the trailer for The Last Stop in Yuma County…….
