Short film dramatizes Jack Nicholson and John Belushi feud

A short film from the team that brought us the viral video starring Jamie Costa in a spot-on impersonation of Robin Williams has a new short out dramatizing a scene between Jack Nicholson and John Belushi during the making of the 1978 western Goin’ South.

The short–The Cowboy and the Samurai, in reference to Nicholson’s character in Goin’ South and Belushi’s famous samurai character on Saturday Night Live–is “based on a true story…kind of.” As per the official synopsis: “In 1978, world renowned movie star, Jack Nicholson, made his feature directorial debut, a western called Goin’ South. Against the advice of his producers, he cast up and coming comedian, John Belushi.” Costa plays Nicholson, while Sandy Danto plays Belushi.

The 12-minute short finds Belushi holed up on the set, with Nicholson taking on the task of wrangling him. Entering the room, Nicholson finds Belushi wielding a knife, singing Joe Cocker (one of the comedian’s greatest impersonations) and slinging booze. The short–essentially a two-man show–builds to an absurd showdown between, yes, the cowboy and the samurai. Although a dramatization, it ends with the following real quote from Belushi: “Jack treated me like shit on Goin’ South. I hate him. If I see him, I’ll punch him.” Hey, maybe Nicholson is just that hard to communicate with…Goin’ South, which was highly anticipated as Nicholson’s first go at directing, wasn’t as well received as expected upon release. One common criticism was that it didn’t have enough Belushi in it.

“We remained truthful to the overall vibe of who these icons are but it’s more of a fantasy. It really has one foot off the ground,” director Jake Lewis told Variety.

Jamie Costa previously played Robin Williams for The Lewis Brothers in a short that, realistically, should have fast tracked a Williams biopic. In that short, which runs just five minutes, Williams finds out about the death of Belushi from Mork & Mindy co-star Pam Dawber. Focusing on specific moments, Lewis said, is a key reason for the success. “I think our success comes from the fact that we don’t feel the need to hit every bullet point in that person’s life. We think it’s more effective to capture a person’s true character by exploring one specific, lesser-known moment and magnifying it.”

You can watch Jack Nicholson and John Belushi go south in The Cowboy and the Samurai below.

What did you think of the short film? How did the actors do as Nicholson and Belushi? Let us know below!