As the usage of CGI in films has increased over the last several decades, my appreciation for traditional stunt work has only grown. Stunt people largely worked unheralded as they endeavored to gift stories some realism that was sometimes beautiful, sometimes violent, and always dangerous. One such legend was Gary Kent, the focus of Joe O’Connell’s documentary entitled Danger God aka Love and Other Stunts. The film originally made the festival rounds under the latter title in 2018, but this new version incorporates some more recent footage that follows Kent in his final days (he passed just a few weeks ago at the age of 89).
Kent, like most of his colleagues, worked with little mainstream recognition. However, some of his life inspired Brad Pitt’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The most obvious example of this is all the Manson Family/Spahn Ranch stuff. Really, though, that’s only a tiny portion of Kent’s epic journey through life. Through various interviews, archival footage, and film clips, we experience a truly unique individual’s growth from a US Naval cadet in the ‘50s to a drive-in and exploitation films stunt vet in the ‘60s and ‘70s to a beloved cult figure in the ‘00s and beyond. Kent is omnipresent in the film and his rough but easygoing voice carries us through joy and heartbreak with the same reassuring, almost fatherly approach. His many tales of his experiences in low-budget films (and with LSD!) are fascinating for sure. Still, it’s the moving sequences where he talks about his third wife’s struggles with alcoholism and cancer, as well as his grappling with his own mortality, that allow us to see the man as he really was.
O’Connell’s approach to the film’s look can best be described as economical. He’s clearly interested in just staying out of the way of his subject. There are really no stylistic flourishes or fancy editing tricks. With a less compelling focus, this could’ve made for a boring watch. However, Kent (and assorted friends including folks like Bud Cardos, Richard Rush, Esai Morales, and Marc Singer) keep the film moving with endlessly captivating behind-the-scenes recollections about falling off of horses, jumping off buildings, and being set on fire.
Danger God also strives to give us some insight into the psychology of stunt people. How does someone get into stunt work? Why would anybody want to crash motorcycles or be thrown through windows for a living? How do they deal with injuries? Kent goes into detail about all of these aspects as well as certain elements of his craft. Overall, it ends up being a well-rounded piece that paints a portrait of a fascinating man while also being somewhat of a celebration of old-school practical stunts.
Joe O’Connel’s Danger God feels a bit like a retrospective that would be included on a deluxe blu ray in that it lacks a certain cinematic flair. That being said, anyone interested in stunt work, exploitation, B-movie fare, or explorations of hazardous professions will find plenty to enjoy here. The film has a runtime of 100 minutes and gives us a fairly complete portrait of a stuntman’s stuntman. Recommended for fans of Document of the Dead, Halloween: 25 Years of Terror, and Fulci for Fake. It’s available via VOD right now.
Michael Cavender