Sam Peckinpah directs Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw and Ernest Borgnine in this action road comedy where a group of truckers begin protesting on the roads after getting a raw deal from the cops.

Bar fights. Sexy hitchhikers. Police brutality. This would have been marketed as a family movie back in the day. There’s a certain good ole boy bonhomie that is effective and some truly chaotic vehicle stunts. Feels a million light years away from what kids and adults get spoonfed as blockbusters now. The political and social commentary aspects are done better in things like Being There or The Sugarland Express but at least they are still present… you’d never imagine such a subplot in a Fast and Furious’s movie. Yet for an auteur film based around a novelty country song this is full of spunk and can be surprisingly hard hitting. I hear Peckinpah didn’t fully direct this one (one for them), allowing James Coburn to earn some behind camera experience while he went on coke and booze benders in his caravan. Fair enough, doesn’t show.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Duel (1971)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/