Tex Montana Will Survive! (2015)

the audience applauded

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Blistering performances.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Talk about a lot with a little. Tex Montana Will Survive is an economical picture. Squeezing out an 84 minute improvisational survival comedy on a reported $1,500 budget is no small feat. The film is made more impressive when you learn O. hannah Films went out of their way to crowdfund the money to release this movie for FREE. If that's not doing it for the art I don't know what is. The film itself is akin to a survival documentary series--think Survivorman--featuring the blissfully stupid Tex Montana, who goes off the grid into the wilderness to prove to he's the real deal. Things go poorly as we watch Montana use his "skill" to endure a harsh winter, dwindling supplies, and lack of overall knowledge about anything pertaining to nature or survival. The film is entirely improvisational and your enjoyment will depend on your liking of co-director and star Jeremy Gardner in the title (and only) role. Tex Montana is pompous, ignorant, but lovable simpleton played with charisma and fearlessness.Naturally with an improvised movie, there will be some jokes that miss their mark, but for the most part the film is funny and moves briskly. The setting and visuals are impressive for the budget and the film has no shortage of ideas. My favorite moment being Montana playing the drums with bones he says he salvaged from the remains of a dead bear cub. If that sounds funny to you, check it out.

Well, let me at least start out with the fact that I am knot a troll, or full time movie reviewer. I am no Siskel and Ebert. However, I wanted to write a small review, because this movie was such a surprise for me. I clicked on it, thinking, eh I will get bored and turn it off, but let's at least give it a moment to see what it has to offer. This really was pretty great. Tex Montana was just great, and hilarious. As the movie moves forward he really gets in touch with himself and the ***spoiler*** lies he has protrayed. I think if you give it a chance, you'll like it, perhaps not. I see there are quite a few ppl on here that do, indeed, enjoy it, so I know I am not alone. Great flick, thanks for sharing it with us, Gardner.

So, I watch a lot of movies. Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Dramafever, Fmovies.... A lot. Always looking for that thing, willing to watch lower level movies if needed because, well, I watch 20-30 movies a week. Plus TV eps. And don't get me started on GOT. ANYWAYS>>>> This movie delivered for me on so many levels. It starts off innocently enough, decent premise, and then just gets better all the way through. The main character reveals who he really is in stages. It's kinda cathartic. All the while it's very funny. It borders on too far nicely, but never crosses the line. It's kinda my perfect movie right now. Love it and Jeremy Gardner in general (am researching this amazing dude). A Smart, Clever, Modern movie with deep intelligence and meaning behind it. Enough said, just watch it and enjoy.

Gardner is one of my favorite directors. Battery and Spring are wonderful films.I picked up a copy of Tex from Youtube (odd distribution model discussed in other reviews) .... and was hooked.I "get" that in many ways this is a pure vanity project. But, if you have the talent, and you can deliver the goods, why not? Gardner has the talent. First, he set out to make what I call the "Holy Grail" of film -- one man acting as writer, actor and director locked in closet with a camera who successfully produces a decent film. Can it be done? Gardner did not use a closet, he used the outdoors --- and, in my view, he pulled it off.Funny! Just to be clear, prior to watching Tex, I was watching Lewis Black's latest special, Black to the Future, and found that Black was becoming less funny from special to special. I did not even watch to the end.Was the problem the performer or the audience? Was I losing my sense of humor? Turns out my sense of humor is just fine, thank you. As Tex picks up steam, I found I was laughing aloud more often. By the time we get to the 1:07 mark -- where Tex tells the camera that he may be having a stroke because his eye is blinking uncontrollably and trying to send him a message in Morse Code, not knowing that he himself does not understand Morse Code -- I am on the floor.Just after that bit Tex, clearly depressed, gives us a quick lesson on the best way to shoot yourself in the head with a gun after you have been lost in the forest for more than two months and have clearly lost your mind.Beware the haters.This kind of film, ironically, does to the artist much the same thing that happens to the character (Tex) out in the wild. It leaves him exposed and vulnerable. Basically, Gardner knows that you know what he is attempting, and he is using every ounce of talent he has to keep you entertained and engaged.I say this project works, and Gardner is still very much a genius. Pound for pound, and scene for scene, I found Tex funnier than Borat (2006) which was an international hit and launched Baron Cohen into the stratosphere.Don't look a gift horse (or baby bear, or woodpecker) in the mouth.Highly recommended.