James William Guercio directs Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush and Mitchell Ryan in this counter culture motorcycle cop thriller.

Feels like exactly the kinda movie that Tarantino might have devoted a whole essay chapter in Cinema Speculation too. A movie for us short guys… I would like to think the ultimate take home is because Blake’s ambitious, hardworking runt doesn’t have the natural physique of a fascist bully, and therefore has developed his own morality and emotions, it makes his traffic cop all the better at his job in terms of keeping his cool, engaging with people and giving the local barmaid a good fuck… She, Jeannine Riley, gets a barn storming, game changing scene at the midway point, rarely afforded the T&A of such anti-establishment flicks. The cop stuff / mystery is the least intriguing part. This is a character study, a sign of the times movie, with little dedicated bursts of chase action. Conrad Hall’s interior cinematography is fantastic, memorable framing, unusual angles… the exterior stuff looks epic. Not fully sure about Blake as a leading man (there is something creepy about him… beyond his unusual for a movie star height). Still, his character proves fantastic advertising for us little guys, certainly in terms of destroying the “short man, short temper” myth. The ending elevates the movie to a whole other level… a moment where he breaks his strict code is keenly felt followed by one of the most impressive sustained shots in cinema history. A final dolly that makes you feel all the emotions. Like an empty jug, it allows you to pour everything you’ve been thinking and feeling into a safe space.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Magnum Force (1973)

My wife and I 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/