Western Religion (2015) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

The town of Religion, Arizona, is on the verge of fiscal ruin, but founder Harvard Gold (James Anthony Cotton) assures his wife that’s about to change because he’s hosting a world championship poker tournament, with a gold cross as the top prize.

The event grabs the attention of a colorful cast of characters, not to mention a big-town newspaperman from back East. It also fuels the dreams of saloon girl Boostrap Bess (Holiday Hadley), who yearns for her own hotel, and the traveling carpenter, Bobby Shea (Sean Joyce) who falls for her and enters the tournament to give them two chances of winning.

They’re joined at the poker table by a flamboyant hedonist named Salt Peter, a magician named Raven McCable, a young gunslinger raised by Indians named Waylin Smith and two mysterious men, Saint John and the dressed-all-in-black Anton Stice.

Seems Saint John is a former outlaw who found himself trapped in a bank during a robbery gone bad. He sold his soul to Anton Stice in return for escaping with the loot and his life.

Now he’s journeyed to Religion where Anton hopes to collect more souls with tempting offers of all the wordly delights one could imagine.

Sean Joyce as Bobby Shea in Western Religion (2015)

Holiday Hadley as Bootstrap Bess in Western Religion (2015)

Review:

Okay, this idea of a high-stakes poker tournament has been used as a plot device many times before. Anyone remember “Maverick?” Or “The Gambler?” Or, before that, “A Big Hand for a Little Lady?” All are way better than this film.

The opening lacks focus. We’re introduced to a handful of characters with no idea who’s important and who isn’t. I still can’t fgure out what Chinaman Dan added to the plot. Or why a little girl is suddenly such a fan of Waylin Smith that she wants his autograph.

Eventually, the main characters start forming allegiances, in hopes of taking the golden prize. And Anton Stice gets around to tempting others to take an easy path to a fortune, if they’ll sell their souls.

Louie Sabatasso, a co-producer, has the most interesting role as Salt Peter, a colorful character who’s so self-indulgent that even the devil has little to offer. Add a couple of unexpected plot twists at the end, and you have the highlights of this indie film.

Claude Duhamel as Anton Stice in Western Religion (2015)

William Moore as Raven McCabe in Western Religion (2015)

Directed by:
James O’Brien

Cast:
Claude Duhamel … Anton Stice
Holiday Hadley … Bootstrap Bess
Sean Joyce … Bobby Shea
Louie Sabatasso … Salt Peter
William Moore … Raven McCabe
Miles Szanto … Waylin Smith
Gary Kohn … Saint John
Peter Shinkoda .. Chinaman Dan
Merik Tadros … Prince Zain Mohammed
James Anthony Cotton … Harvard Gold
Melissa Strom … Roberta Gold
Peter Sherayko … Southern Bill
Scott Donovan … Marshal Stone
Sam Bearpaw … Ironwolf
Tony Herbert … Edward James

Runtime: 94 min.

Gary Kohn as Saint John in Western Religion (2015)

Louie Sabatasso as Salt Peter in Western Religion (2015)

Memorable lines:

Harvard Gold: “This town’s gonna be bigger than God’s illegitimate son.”

Saint John: “Men change.”
Saloon keeper Southern Bill: “Only change men make around here is from the living to the dead.”

Southern Bill: “This Anton Stice, he’s a pretty serious competitor.”
Boostrap Bess: “Just another man with two legs and something danglin’ between ’em.”

Salt Peter, after Anton Stice is shot, but not wounded: “What kind of magic was that?”
Raven McCabe: “Black.”
Salt Peter: “What color do you practice?”
Raven: “Gray.”

Salt Peter: “I embrace my addictions. They are my traveling companions.”

Bobby Shea: “It can’t be. The devil? Here in Religion?”
Anton Stice: “Is there a better place to be?”