Just received the new DVD release of this Greydon Clark drive-in movie goodie. I've been reading reviews of these type of B-movies and actually watching videos of the movies for over 20 years now, and believe me, this number was rather obscure. I never heard of it until recently. But now it's available, and fans of 70's action flicks are the better for it.
This movie is very similar to the biker movies of around 1966-72, and I have seen almost all of them. Except here, the biker gang is a hot rod gang. Because none of the cars are newer than 1971, and all the gang members are dressed the same as bikers, this has a real 1972 vibe to it. I was very surprised to find out on the commentary track on the DVD that this film was actually lensed in the summer of 1977. The Farrah Fawcett hair-do on Lynn, the lead female character, should have tipped me off.
The hot rodders race for pink slips with a "local boy." The race gets out of hand, and both parties blow up after hitting a handy dynamite shack at the side of the road. Great gag, but come on! Did Wile E. Coyote live nearby? This is just a little too right out of a cartoon. Such cheesy elements only add to the fun to be had here, actually.
Anyway, the "local boy" turns out to be the son of a local bigwig, a scary dude who is "retired from back East." Supposed to be Mafia? I'm not sure. But anyway, the scary dude vows revenge. His well-paid henchmen (SPOILER ALERT!) wipe out most of the car gang, with only the two leads and their girlfriends left behind, to go on the run and be shot at by just-as-scary rednecks in beat-up pickup trucks. Our heroes regroup for a psychotically dangerous assault on Scary Dude at his house. Will they take him out and get revenge for wasting "the brothers"??
Anyway, this is not Bergman. You folks know the drill by now. What you want from a movie like this is car chases, gunplay, and fist fights. And the occasional cute chick. And this movie delivers! Great stunts, silly plot twists, cool Seventies tunes, awesome muscle cars, and hokey dialog. I love it! If you liked Smokey and The Bandit, or the original Gone in Sixty Seconds, or Macon County Line, or other car chase flicks from the 1970's, then this is your cup of motor oil. And if you like those Sixties biker movies, then this is a worthy addition to that canon. Silly fun.
This movie is very similar to the biker movies of around 1966-72, and I have seen almost all of them. Except here, the biker gang is a hot rod gang. Because none of the cars are newer than 1971, and all the gang members are dressed the same as bikers, this has a real 1972 vibe to it. I was very surprised to find out on the commentary track on the DVD that this film was actually lensed in the summer of 1977. The Farrah Fawcett hair-do on Lynn, the lead female character, should have tipped me off.
The hot rodders race for pink slips with a "local boy." The race gets out of hand, and both parties blow up after hitting a handy dynamite shack at the side of the road. Great gag, but come on! Did Wile E. Coyote live nearby? This is just a little too right out of a cartoon. Such cheesy elements only add to the fun to be had here, actually.
Anyway, the "local boy" turns out to be the son of a local bigwig, a scary dude who is "retired from back East." Supposed to be Mafia? I'm not sure. But anyway, the scary dude vows revenge. His well-paid henchmen (SPOILER ALERT!) wipe out most of the car gang, with only the two leads and their girlfriends left behind, to go on the run and be shot at by just-as-scary rednecks in beat-up pickup trucks. Our heroes regroup for a psychotically dangerous assault on Scary Dude at his house. Will they take him out and get revenge for wasting "the brothers"??
Anyway, this is not Bergman. You folks know the drill by now. What you want from a movie like this is car chases, gunplay, and fist fights. And the occasional cute chick. And this movie delivers! Great stunts, silly plot twists, cool Seventies tunes, awesome muscle cars, and hokey dialog. I love it! If you liked Smokey and The Bandit, or the original Gone in Sixty Seconds, or Macon County Line, or other car chase flicks from the 1970's, then this is your cup of motor oil. And if you like those Sixties biker movies, then this is a worthy addition to that canon. Silly fun.