Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Richard Compton
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Fox Cinema Archives)
Four recently discharged soldiers from Vietnam struggle to re-adapt to civilian life. They use their final pay to buy a beat up Cadillac which they drive to a sleepy west Texas town, but not before picking up Jennifer Billingsley for some back seat antics. However, her demands for payment lead to a tragic ending. In Texas, they stay with Joe Don Baker's family, but his father doesn't understand why he doesn't want to follow in his footsteps at the local grain elevator. They head for California to find a picture on a postcard and raise cattle, but their car breaks down on the way. They are swindled by a mechanic and run out of town by the sheriff. Out of money and patience, they end up in a New Mexico diner, where, once again dreams are dashed. They revert to their military training and take out the entire population. One of those hidden gems from the early 70s you are always looking for: character driven, slightly dated but still taps a relevant theme, downbeat ending, excellent acting. Richard Compton directed Macon County Line a few years later, then Assault on Paradise, a trilogy of sorts, all worth seeing.
No comments:
Post a Comment