"Hold on baby, this is a rollercoaster ride..."
Saddle up, motor heads, because someone finally (thankfully) saw fit to release one of the classic high-speed car chase films of all time onto DVD in that of Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)...and who doesn't love 93 minutes of high octane, exhaust pumping, tire squealing, rubber burning, celluloid muscle car mayhem? Well, probably any number of people, but who cares? There's plenty out there to keep them happy...like The Piano...one of my girlfriends favorite films...shudder...anyhoo...this wonderful bit of Americana was directed by...an Englishman named John Hough, who made his initial mark directing the very popular early 60's spy show `The Avengers', before moving on to such feature films as Twins of Evil (1971), The Legend of Hell House (1973), and Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)...I think this was actually the first American film he directed...starring in this film is Peter `Heavenly Blues' Fonda (The Wild Angels, Easy Rider, Race with the Devil), Susan George (Fright, Die...
Finally preserved on DVD
This is one of those small classics that demonstrates it's worth as a sort of time capsule. Thank goodness the DVD format is being used to preserve such great old films that would otherwise simply deteriorate in a film vault..... and this looks like a nicely done transfer with good picture quality. If you enjoy such films as "Bullitt" / "The French Connection" / "The Seven Ups" (finally to be released on DVD!) / "Charlie Varrick" / ETC, then I'm sure you would be delighted to add "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" to your collection. (Yes the car chase sequences are brilliantly done and very real.)
This film has genuinely exciting action sequences that rival many modern action flicks with their less than involving computer generated images.If one can get over the cringeworthy nature of some of the groovy dialogue and fashions, one finds a window into another era. Exciting, tough, fast paced entertainment...... and what about those fabulous old American Muscle Cars. In the words of Peter...
One of the ultimate chase movies
: Chase movies were all the rage during the 70's but this action B movie probably is the ultimate in the genre. Larry (Peter Fonda) and his partner Deke (Adam Roarke) rob a major supermarket and hold the manager's (Roddy McDowall in an uncredited role) family hostage as part of a scheme to finance their dream NASCAR vehicle. They end up on the run with Mary (Susan George) who had a one night stand with Larry.
While "Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry" isn't a great drama, it's a fun free wheeling chase movie that helped redefine the genre with its hair raising stunts. John Hough's sharp direction keeps the film from becoming just another low budget exploitation flick. 30 years on it's astonishing that many of these dangerous stunts were accomplished. While many of the newer films (the remake of "Gone in 60 Seconds") that mine the same genre cave may have more flash, they can't compare to this film for sheer inventiveness when it comes to the outrageous stunts performed for this...
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