Two Lane Blacktop

That's right - the 1971 muscle car movie of the year. "Esquire" director Monte Hellman brings you the classic drag racing drifter film. A Pontiac GTO and a 55 Chevy battle across the back roads of America for possession of each other’s "pinks." Car hops will enjoy this VERY rare film and film buffs who enjoyed Director Monte Hellman's pictures (The Shooting, Flight to Fury and producer of Reservoir Dogs) you know who you are and why you love this type of film. It also dates back to a time of other muscle car films Vanishing Point, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Gone in 60 Seconds (the original) and Mad Max. Yeah, you know the classic cool stuff. This film stars singer song writer James Taylor and Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson in their only film roles and Warren Oates (Dillinger, The Wild Bunch ). Rip Roaring Fun!!!!!!!!!! Five Mad Movie Stars.

Switchblade Sisters 1975

Jack Hill’s Switchblade Sisters is a MAD MOVIE MUST SEE for his fans.  Seriously, what’s not to love about this?  Did you know Jack Hill interviewed girls from actual girl gangs at the time?  The idea of a movie about girl gangs seemed preposterous whether they were beauties or not. I am happy to say most of the female persuasion in this film are very easy to look at and exciting too.  It stars Robbie Lee (Big Bad Mama) as cute as she is dangerous, Joanne Nail (Full Moon High) as the new girl on the street falling into dangerous territory with the outrageous gang of hoodlums, and Monica Gayle as a somewhat loyal second in charge.  Co-starring is Asher Brauner, Kitty Bruce, Janice Karman (voices the chipmunks in Alvin and the Chipmunks), Marlene Clark (Sanford and Son), Don Stark (That 70s Show) and Bob Minor (The Swinging Cheerleaders).  You are in for some trashy fun as this film has a mix of sex, jealousy and hot women brandishing blades and guns - Get ready for a wild time.  Robbie Lee stands out giving a MAD performance as the vicious gang leader.  This in my opinion was the peak of her short career.  MAD Movie fans of the genre can thank Quentin Tarantino for releasing this film several years ago on VHS and DVD with his Rolling Thunder Pictures.  He adds his personal intro and closing comments before and after the film with a history lesson on Jack Hill films.  This is a five star MAD movie MUST SEE.  

The Swinging Cheerleaders 1974

Director Jack Hill (Coffy) is at it again! This time it’s his first picture since breaking free from B-movie producer Roger Corman, who produced some of Jack Hill’s earlier work such as The Big Doll House, The Big Bird Cage, Coffy and Foxy Brown. This time Hill presents the film under his own company name Centaur Release.  Jo Johnston, Rainbeaux Smith, Colleen Camp and Rosanne Katon are the hot beauties starring in this hilarious tale of campus life. A reporter for the campus paper The Underground goes undercover to expose female exploitation in their contemporary society.  She finds out she is in over her head/covers (however you look at it) in this world of pompoms and blockhead jocks where corruption ensues.  Welcome to the drive-in era - one of the 70’s greatest subversive favorites. The Swinging Cheerleaders fits in to the B-movie category but it is a fun movie to watch and the girls are easy to look at.  Playboy Playmate Rosanne Katon (Bachelor Party), Colleen Camp (Wayne’s World, Die Hard With A Vengeance) the late Rainbeaux (Cheryl) Smith (Caged Heat) and Jo Johnston never acted again.  Also co-starring Ric Carrott, Ian Sander and Bob Minor (Foxy Brown, Coffy).  This one is very rare.  True fans of Jack Hill’s daring film making will enjoy………you know who you are.

Coffy is the movie one must see! it is in a class all by its self

Revenge genre fans will love Coffy.  Pam Grier (The Big Bird Cage) is at her best as a ruthless yet sexy avenger out to seek justice for her little sister who is overdosed by the greedy drug pushers and pimps. This 1973 revenge movie was truly one of the first of its kind. What stands out to me is the style and suave of each character in the movie with their own sense of cool. Pam Grier’s character Coffy is super cool and bad ass all in one and VERY sexy. Co-starring  Booker Bradshaw, Robert Doqui and Alan Arbus, with a stand out performance by Sid Haig (The Big Bird Cage) as Omar. It should be duly noted that this film inspired Quentin Tarantino, who we all know, and it is interesting to watch the characters and compare the dialogue to that of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.  Each one has a style all their own that makes each a standout so that you can’t wait to see how they end up. Some may call Coffy a “sexploitation movie “; I strongly disagree. Director Jack Hill (The Big Bird Cage, The Big Doll House) is best known for these works with Pam Grier - the movie Foxy Brown would follow a year later.   Jack Hill directed these and others that I will soon post as well.  Coffy is a must see if you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino and possibly his mentor (weather he knew it or not) Jack Hill.  I give this one five MAD stars.  Fans of the genre…you know who you are.   

TARGETS

TARGETS (1968) is the subject today - a look back at the directorial debut of Peter Bogdanovich (the Last Picture Show). This film was a shocker then but even more relevant now by today's standards of “oh my god look at what he just did!” type of movies. Movie icon Boris Karloff stars in one of his last major studio performances as an aging horror film star conflicted with thoughts of retirement as his young assistants and screen writers try to talk him out it. A parallel story shows an apparently average young man (played by Tim O'Kelly) accumulating an arsenal of rifles before embarking on a horrific shooting spree. The separate plots ultimately converge, culminating in a shattering climax at a drive-in theatre. This one is a MAD cult classic in my opinion as it shows how calculating the villain is and how real the hero/main character is. The movie co-stars Nancy Hsuer and Peter Bogdanovich in an unaccredited role, and look for Frank Marshal as a ticket boy - he would later produce over 90 major motion pictures in Hollywood - Indiana Jones and Back to the Future just to name a few. Also look for Mike Farrell (MASH) as the phone booth victim and Gary Kent - B-movie actor/stuntman of the 60's and 70's. Some say Randy Quaid, better known as cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon Vacation movies, appeared in his first ever film role as an early victim. Is it him? In my opinion, yes. Other’s will argue he could have used a stage name for the credit. A MAD movie indeed but that's what I like about it as will fans of the genre. Truly one of a kind classic and those who agree…you know who you are.