Several years before she became TV mom to the LSD taking Heather Webber on "General Hospital", Lieux Dressler played the screeching owner of a freeway roadhouse in this AIP programmer which is actually the front for a racket for hookers and grand theft. Alice Grant on "GH" (1978-1983) was sweet but neurotic, and even (accidentally) committed murder to protect her daughter. Anna might commit murder, but it would be for her own benefit in this rip-roaring, funny, tacky action exploitation movie that had me roaring with laughter while holding my nose at its extreme awfulness.
Dressler is "den mother" to these truck stop girls (including a daughter, Claudia Jennings) who may not be collecting before providing, but thanks to her well hooked up camera equipment, she's able to find out exactly what the drivers are hauling and get the goods herself before they even have their pants on. But the mob has discovered what her racket is, and they want to take over. She's one tough mama (up there with Shelley Winters' "Bloody Mama" and Angie Dickinson's "Big Bad Mama"), and she's a lot of fun to watch.
There's plenty of female nudity (tastefully done for that sort of thing), lots of violence, and a chase scene with two trucks that's filled with a ton of thrills. But the dialog is trite and the story derivative, the morals low (small racket fights against big organized crime), and most of the acting truly silly. Someone at the beginning of the film warns about female hitchhikers, and indeed, these ones are quite ruthless, but not very convincing. Dressier looks like she's having a blast, and for fans of "GH" during its front page national headline era (Luke and Laura era), it's a great surprise.
Dressler is "den mother" to these truck stop girls (including a daughter, Claudia Jennings) who may not be collecting before providing, but thanks to her well hooked up camera equipment, she's able to find out exactly what the drivers are hauling and get the goods herself before they even have their pants on. But the mob has discovered what her racket is, and they want to take over. She's one tough mama (up there with Shelley Winters' "Bloody Mama" and Angie Dickinson's "Big Bad Mama"), and she's a lot of fun to watch.
There's plenty of female nudity (tastefully done for that sort of thing), lots of violence, and a chase scene with two trucks that's filled with a ton of thrills. But the dialog is trite and the story derivative, the morals low (small racket fights against big organized crime), and most of the acting truly silly. Someone at the beginning of the film warns about female hitchhikers, and indeed, these ones are quite ruthless, but not very convincing. Dressier looks like she's having a blast, and for fans of "GH" during its front page national headline era (Luke and Laura era), it's a great surprise.