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GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA

Here’s a fun news article that came out in association with the recent theatrical screening of the Zen Film, Guns of El Chupacabra.

Don’t blame me, I didn’t write it.

Cult Classic “GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA” Continues to Captivate Audiences with Its Unconventional Vision.

Over two decades since its initial release, the genre-defying cinematic experience, “GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA,” co-created by the visionary duo Scott Shaw and Donald G. Jackson, continues to solidify its place as a quintessential cult classic. Known for its audacious blend of martial arts, sci-fi, spaghetti western, and monster flick tropes, this 1997 independent masterpiece remains a testament to “Zen Filmmaking” and a beacon for fans of the truly bizarre.

“GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA” plunges audiences into a cosmic odyssey where Space Sheriff Jack B. Quick (played by Scott Shaw) is dispatched to Earth. His mission: to eradicate the legendary, bloodthirsty creature, El Chupacabra, unleashed by a nefarious intergalactic villain. What unfolds is an unpredictable, acid-tinged narrative that defies conventional storytelling, embracing improvisation, campy humor, and non-stop action.

Lauded by some as “Fellini meets the Coen Brothers,” the film’s unique charm lies in its spontaneous creation process, a hallmark of Scott Shaw’s “Zen Filmmaking” philosophy. This approach results in a cinematic journey that is as much about the unexpected as it is about its titular monster. From kung fu battles and monster chases to intergalactic rock concerts, “GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA” delivers a singular, high-octane spectacle.

The film boasts an eclectic cast of independent cinema icons and cult favorites, including Penthouse Pet and B-movie queen Julie Strain as Queen B, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman as King Allmedia, and the unforgettable Robert Z’Dar as Z-Man Lord Invader. Joe Estevez and Conrad Brooks also contribute to the film’s distinctive allure, making it a must-see for aficionados of unconventional cinema.

“We set out to create something truly different, unbound by traditional scripts or expectations,” says Scott Shaw. “‘GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA’ is a pure expression of spontaneous creativity, and its enduring appeal to a dedicated fanbase proves that sometimes, the most unconventional paths lead to the most unique and cherished cinematic experiences.”

Since its debut on April 20, 1997, “GUNS OF EL CHUPACABRA” has garnered a passionate following among B-movie enthusiasts, exploitation cinema devotees, and fans of Scott Shaw’s extensive filmography. Its unapologetic weirdness, over-the-top action, and absurdist scenarios have cemented its status as a beloved oddity in the annals of independent film.

About Zen Filmmaking: Zen Filmmaking is an improvisational approach to cinema developed by Scott Shaw, emphasizing spontaneous creativity over traditional scripts and rigid planning. This method often results in films that are unconventional, raw, and uniquely entertaining, fostering a distinct style that resonates with a niche audience.

For more info: Guns of El Chupacabra

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Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen

By Scott Shaw

I thought I would take a moment and write just a little bit about the Zen Film, Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen, as I have not spoken too much about the creation of this film or its follow-up, Guns of El Chupacabra 3: The Lost Interviews, (which I may discuss in a future piece).

I have, of course, written a lot about Guns of El Chupacabra and its course of creation as that was the central feature to the Guns of El Chupacabra trilogy.

I wrote about, “Chup,” as Don and I referred to the film, in the form of magazine articles, (remember those?), and discourses that have made their way into chapters in my books and elsewhere. There have also been magazine interview articles written about Chup and published when magazines were the name of the game. Plus, Don and I appeared on a couple of TV shows in association with the film.

If you’re interested, there’s a fairly extensive article about the creation of Guns of El Chupacabra up on this site, Guns of El Chupacabra: The Story of the Production. Check it out if you feel like deep-diving into this subject. If nothing else, that piece will provide you with a strong basis of understanding about this Zen Film.

Okay, here we go…

As many of you know, over the past few years, I have uploaded a number of my, (and Donald G. Jackson’s), Zen Films to YouTube. From this, a whole new audience has been exposed to these movies and documentaries. From this, I have received a whole new batch of questions. Recently, I have been asked a number of questions about, Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen. So, I thought I would take a moment to provide you, (those of you who care), with brief answers to some of these inquiries and to correct some of the misnomers circulating about this Zen Film.

As I have discussed in other places, I was away in Thailand when Don grabbed an idea I had previously suggested for a Monster Flick and went up on the film while I was gone. Don being Don, however, most of what he filmed was unusable. As soon as I had returned, Don called me up, as he knew I was the only way to get that film created. Thus, El Chupacabra was born, which evolved into Guns of El Chupacabra.

Soon after we began filming, we realized that we really wanted to make this film into a trilogy. “A holy trinity,” as Don used to like to proclaim. For you, “Knowers,” of the history of Zen Filmmaking out there, you will remember that we also planned to do this with The Roller Blade Seven. Though we never made the final film in that trilogy, The Wheelzone Warrior, (at least not yet). In any case, we always hoped Guns of El Chupacabra to be the first, and hopefully, the best film of this trilogy. Which, I believe it became.

As I have also mentioned in the past, there was a moment when Don and I were standing on top of the Broadway Building one night, on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine, (where we had a shooting stage), looking out over the city, and he looked at me, shook his head, and said, “We’ve been shooting this movie for over a year…” Yes, the Guns of El Chupacabra trilogy was a long production.

I’ve talked about this also, but during the editing process, we had rented equipment from one of Don’s friends. The only problem was, there was something wrong in that system and I had to edit every scene in reverse; from end to beginning. So, even the edit of Guns of El Chupacabra took some time.

Guns of El Chupacabra, and its sequels, were shot on 16mm and 35mm film. Equaling, this production was not cheap. We had a fairly high budget, but we did all of the filming as we always did, Zen Filmmaking style.

In association with our 16mm and 35mm cameras, we also used the just-released Sony VX1000 Mini DV prosumer camcorder for some of our TV reporter footage. Thus, I believe, there was an interesting combining of photographic mediums used to make up this trilogy. 

After we finished Guns of El Chupacabra, Don pretty much checked out on the project. He was getting very sick from leukemia, and he was not always ON. This, though we did continue to make other features. From this, it was me who moved the project(s), Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen, and later Guns of El Chupacabra 3: The Lost Interviews forward.

Some, “Reviewers,” have stated, (I know as some people have asked me about the truth in their comments), that Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen is made up of unused footage taken from the first film. This is not the case. As we were filming, we always knew that we wanted to make a trilogy, so we filmed a lot of footage guided towards that end. So yes, some, (but not all), of the footage used in this film represents establishing story development that was depicted in the original film. And yes, some of the footage takes a deeper look into some of the secondary characters presented in the first film. But, this was what we always intended to do. In fact, the subtitle of this film, “The Unseen,” expresses exactly that. But, there is so much more footage that was shot specifically for this sequel. Yet, no one seems to speak of that.

To take a more specific look into the footage used in this film, the ideal example of this comes in one of the early scenes of this flick where the characters played by Julie Strain and her then husband Kevin Eastman wake up with, “Queen B,” having a nightmare and proclaiming, “Send for the Space Sheriff.”

When we filmed those scenes, we were on a shooting stage over by the L.A. River. We shot those scenes on thirty-five-millimeter film. That footage is what you see in the original feature. As a backup, and as a means to eventually do a documentary about the creation of this film, (which we never did), we also had our videographer shoot those scenes on our Sony VX1000. When I got down to the editing of the second feature, where incidentally, I had much better editing equipment, I decided that the foundations of the story of the original Chup film needed to be retold as it was such an essential establishing factor. Thus, I decided to use the footage shot by the Sony VX1000, not the 35mm footage seen in the first film. So yes, it is the same scene. But, it is also very different.

One of the things I would do when I was teaching courses on filmmaking around that period of time, at U.C.L.A. and Santa Monica College, was to show my students the scenes from the two films and let them explain the difference. Some students were very astute, they got it right away. Others, like many/most, do not notice the difference in the filming medium. But, here’s a secret… If you listen closely to that scene in Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen, you can hear the 35mm camera running in the background.

I believe this is one of the deep truths of independent filmmaking and particularly Zen Filmmaking, there is an inner essence that must be looked for. It must be sought out. It must be studied. Though this is something that most viewers never do, if you do not quest for this, you are really missing the essence of the sublet nature of the true filmmaking process.

Also, in Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen, I decided to use footage from an interview that Don and I did. This is something that some reviewers, I am told, have criticized. Again, they are missing the point of our creative process. I did this because what I wanted to create was the question in the mind of the audience, “Are these people filmmakers or are they actually characters in the film?” Just as in the first film, it vacillates between reporters following the trail of the chupacabra, the people who are hunting it, and the world of my character, Jack B. Quick. At times, these timelines intersect. At others, they are completely different. From my perspective as the filmmaker, this interview footage combined with the story development and editing technique(s) I used pulled back one more layer and set the mind of the audience into questioning what is actually going on?  In fact, in the final scene of the film, my character is questioned, “Are you a filmmaker or are you an alien superhero?” My character pulls out a gun, points it at camera, the screen fades to black, and, “Bang.” End of movie. Leaving the ultimate question unanswered.

Another comment I am told, that some people are apparently discussing, is the fact that this film is less than one hour in length. Let me dive into the reasoning behind this... For those of you who have never been formally involved in film creation or film distribution you probably don’t know this but, during the early (modern) years of independent film creation, a film needed to be at least eight-two minutes in length to find a market. This is one of the reasons in many independent features you will see long front-end and/or rear screen credits. This was done because the filmmakers needed to extend the length of their film to get it closer to that idealized ninety-minute(ish) requirement. As times progressed, and the cable TV market grew, there emerged buyers who were specifically looking for movies just under sixty-minutes. With this, they could broadcast an entire feature, with any commercialing or host introduction, and place it in a one-hour time slot. Don Jackson and I, who both owned film distribution companies, had several requests for a Chupacabra film that would fit this time requirement. Thus, this is why Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen was created around this time length. Nothing sloppy, amateurish, or sinister there… Instead, it was a conscience choice.

So, for all of you, “Reviewers,” and/or self-proclaimed, “Film Critics,” out there throwing shade, who believe you knew what we were doing, and claiming this film is made up of unused footage or it is too short, you are wrong. Like I have said forever, “What is a film critic? With very few exceptions it is someone who doesn’t possess the talent or the dedication to actually go out and make a film.” And, if I can take this thought process just a bit further by asking the question, “Why is this?” The answer, “If they did, they would be out there making films and not wasting their time critiquing the cinematic art of others.”

…They can say or write whatever it is they think about my films and myself, be it right or wrong, true or false, doesn't that mean I can voice my opinion about them? :-)

Okay… There it is… That’s a quick overview of Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen with a little philosophy on the side. Basically, like in all the films I’ve created, and certainly with the ones I did in association with Donald G. Jackson, there is a subtle hidden meaning behind all of the story development, the scene construction, and the editing choices. You can love them; you can hate them. You can understand them; you cannot. But, always be aware that everything in Zen Filmmaking is done/is created with a very intended purpose. And, to all of the viewers out there, you really need to remember to look beyond the obvious in any movie/in any life situation you encounter to truly understand the essence of Zen.

Copyright © 2025—All Rights Reserved

This article can also be found at Guns of El Chupacabra 2: The Unseen.

For more info: Guns of El Chupacabra

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El Chupacabra A Zen Speed Flick on YouTube

This is the Zen Speed Flick version of Guns of El Chupacabra. What is a Zen Speed Flick? A Zen Speed Flick is a feature length film cut down to its most essential elements, leaving only the most interesting and fast-paced moments.

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Guns of El Chupacabra: A Genre-Bending Adventure into Cult Territory

Guns of El Chupacabra (1997) defies easy categorization. A potent cocktail of martial arts, monster flick, space western, rock opera, and Spaghetti Western, it emerges as a film built on improvisation, campy humor, and sheer entertainment value. This essay delves into the film's unique style, its place within cult cinema, and its potential appeal to specific audiences.

A Fusion of Filmmaking: Kung Fu Meets Chupacabra The film's plot, while loosely constructed, follows a space sheriff named Jack B. Quick (played by Scott Shaw) tasked with eliminating the mythical El Chupacabra on Earth. This premise alone suggests a genre-bending journey, and Guns of El Chupacabra doesn't disappoint. Kung fu battles mingle with monster chase sequences, rock concerts fuel intergalactic wars, and Spaghetti Western landscapes host fantastical creatures. This mashup, often improvised on set, creates a bizarre and unpredictable narrative, more concerned with entertainment than traditional storytelling.

Cult Appeal: A Film for the Unconventional Guns of El Chupacabra doesn't seek mainstream acceptance. Its campy dialogue, over-the-top action, and absurdist scenarios cater to a specific audience. Cult film enthusiasts, B-movie aficionados, and Scott Shaw's dedicated following appreciate the film's unapologetic weirdness. They find value in its unconventional humor, its celebration of B-movie aesthetics, and its unique contribution to the world of independent cinema.

Zen Filmmaking: Embracing the Unpredictable Describing Guns of El Chupacabra as Zen Filmmaking highlights its reliance on improvisation. The plot unfolds organically, informed by actors' performances and on-set decisions. This approach leads to bizarre humor, unexpected turns, and a distinct raw energy rarely found in mainstream fare. While it might alienate viewers expecting a structured narrative, it offers a refreshing alternative for those seeking something truly different.

Beyond the Mainstream It's crucial to acknowledge that Guns of El Chupacabra isn't universally enjoyed. Its unconventional style, low-budget production value, and niche humor might not appeal to mainstream audiences. However, for those seeking a cinematic adventure that defies norms and embraces the strange, the film offers a truly unique experience.

Conclusion Guns of El Chupacabra stands as a testament to the power of independent filmmaking and its ability to create cult classics. It's a film that revels in its B-movie roots, pushing boundaries through sheer weirdness and improvisation. While not for everyone, it offers a captivating journey for those seeking a departure from the ordinary, solidifying its place in the hearts of cult film enthusiasts worldwide.

In Brief: Guns of El Chupacabra, released in 1997, is a wild ride through a unique blend of genres: martial arts, monster flick, space western, rock opera, and Spaghetti Western. Directed by Donald G. Jackson and written and produced by (and starring) Scott Shaw, the film is known for its unconventional style, campy humor, and cult status. Here's a breakdown of the key points:

Plot • Jack B. Quick, a space sheriff (played by Shaw), travels to Earth to hunt and eliminate the mythical creature, El Chupacabra, unleashed by an intergalactic villain. • The story involves mystical elements, intergalactic battles, rock music performances, and plenty of action sequences. • Don't expect a tightly woven plot; the film embraces improvisation and spontaneity, leading to a bizarre and unpredictable narrative.

Style and Reception • The film has been described as "Fellini meets the Coen Brothers. This emphasizes its offbeat humor, visual surrealism, and improvisational filmmaking techniques. • Reviews are scarce, but the film enjoys a cult following among fans of B-movies, exploitation cinema, and Scott Shaw's work. They appreciate its campy charm, over-the-top action, and unique atmosphere.

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Guns of El Chupacabra Fan Art. Thanks!

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The Unintentional Tech Wisdom of Scott Shaw.

Here's a fun article that references Guns of El Chupacabra.

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Here in a Publicity One-Sheet used for Guns of El Chupacabra.

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Guns of El Chupacabra on YouTube.

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Guns of El Chupacabra DVD.

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Crimes of the Chupacabra is the PG version of the cult film classic, Guns of El Chupacabra. This version of the film was original released only to Asia. You can watch it now on Amazon Prime with added footage seen in no other version of the film.

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Here is the movie set to the great theme song composed for the film by Kevin Jollimore and performed by Sin City Boys.

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Ghost of El Chupacabra A Scott Shaw, Donald G. Jackson Zen Silent Flick.

Here's an interesting piece of Guns of El Chupacabra, Zen Filmmaking history for you. This is the piece that Donald G. Jackson cut from 16mm work print film to present an extended preview of the movie for buyers at the 1997 American Film Market. This was also the piece that was featured on several television interviews with Scott Shaw and Donald G. Jackson in preparation for the release of this film.

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Here’s an interesting article written by a fan of Guns of El Chupacabra. 

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Here’s an interesting article about the history of the Chupacabra where they mention the Zen Film, Guns of El Chupacabra.

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Here is an interesting article about movies that were filmed at Vasquez Rocks, including Guns of El Chupacabra, on the website, The Aqua Dulce History Project. 

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Guns of El Chupacabra Study Guide.

Here’s an interesting piece of Zen Filmmaking History written by Donald G. Jackson.