Stolen equipment was secured. Money for film was begged and borrowed. The rag-tag crew (including a young
Peter Bogdanovich) roamed all over the New York environs, shooting off-the-cuff, shoplifting food, being chased from locations by over-zealous cops. By the end of their journey, they had created a portrait of an America on the brink of apocalypse, by means of intertwining stories of two couples, one white, one black, who try to make sense of it all. Featuring the
Brando-esque
Ben Carruthers, acclaimed for his role in
Shadows, and voice-over poetry by
Allen Ginsberg,
Guns would prove daring enough to earn Mekas a visit from the FBI.
Not on video!
Winner of First Prize at Porretta Terme, Italy, 1962
