I have very fond memories of and a fondness for 70s movies.
Either mainstream ones seen on TV as the Sunday night movie, like Dirty Harry or James Bond ones,
or the less mainstream, counter-culture specials aired on Saturday afternoons- like Vanishing Point or Two Lane Blacktop.
After a great job as James Bond, in a completely under rated Bond film which can only be faulted for people mad he was not Sean Connery, he took this role.
A pre-Rambo non-over-the-top special operations vet (much like Billy Jack the Vietnam Ranger/Green Beret), he plays Ryker.
I infer that he was an Australian SAS Vietnam vet with a few more years of merc work and arms dealing under his belt. I say infer because the whole movie is less coherent than the New Orleans portion of Easy Rider.
Now in his thirties, he has an unease with his past. He shacks up with a clichéd (well, now anyways, maybe not in '71) hippie chick that gets her groovy vibe on in decorating his flat, meditates in the way of him, gets him to take out his TV CRT and plant a flower in it, and do "shotgun" hits of grass with her using his .45.
The deal he abandoned when he decided to drop out has left some unhappy associates. The try to do him in. They turn the tables. He ends up with an anti-hero ending at the hands of the corrupt, establishment, industro-military representatives of "the man."
This summary is far more coherent than the actual movie. Despite being a fan of the late 60s and the 70s film of this type, it just did not do it for me.
There was a car chase, but without American cars of the era I was just not into it. There was a fight, but he did not get his kung fu on in a way I was hoping- or at least bring on the nerve wracking serious of some of the old school but less skilled fight scenes we have seen.
The quality of the visuals and sound was a confounding factor. The lack of coherence as well. The non-familiar (to an American) setting was not made up for by beautiful women, exotic scenery, etc. like some other films of this era.
This could have become a cult classic or hidden gem with just a touch more "viewability" that would not have required any more budget.
Either mainstream ones seen on TV as the Sunday night movie, like Dirty Harry or James Bond ones,
or the less mainstream, counter-culture specials aired on Saturday afternoons- like Vanishing Point or Two Lane Blacktop.
After a great job as James Bond, in a completely under rated Bond film which can only be faulted for people mad he was not Sean Connery, he took this role.
A pre-Rambo non-over-the-top special operations vet (much like Billy Jack the Vietnam Ranger/Green Beret), he plays Ryker.
I infer that he was an Australian SAS Vietnam vet with a few more years of merc work and arms dealing under his belt. I say infer because the whole movie is less coherent than the New Orleans portion of Easy Rider.
Now in his thirties, he has an unease with his past. He shacks up with a clichéd (well, now anyways, maybe not in '71) hippie chick that gets her groovy vibe on in decorating his flat, meditates in the way of him, gets him to take out his TV CRT and plant a flower in it, and do "shotgun" hits of grass with her using his .45.
The deal he abandoned when he decided to drop out has left some unhappy associates. The try to do him in. They turn the tables. He ends up with an anti-hero ending at the hands of the corrupt, establishment, industro-military representatives of "the man."
This summary is far more coherent than the actual movie. Despite being a fan of the late 60s and the 70s film of this type, it just did not do it for me.
There was a car chase, but without American cars of the era I was just not into it. There was a fight, but he did not get his kung fu on in a way I was hoping- or at least bring on the nerve wracking serious of some of the old school but less skilled fight scenes we have seen.
The quality of the visuals and sound was a confounding factor. The lack of coherence as well. The non-familiar (to an American) setting was not made up for by beautiful women, exotic scenery, etc. like some other films of this era.
This could have become a cult classic or hidden gem with just a touch more "viewability" that would not have required any more budget.