Written by / 12/07/2011 / No comments / , , , , , ,

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW

year: 1976 cast: Marjoe Gortner, Lynda Carter, Merrie Lynn Ross, Belinda Balaski rating: ***
B-Movie director Mark L. Lester makes his own BONNIE AND CLYDE, and it's hit and miss... but even the misses hit the mark occasionally.

The first twenty minutes, as rogue "outlaw" Marjoe Gortner (fastest draw in a Wild West sideshow) and carhop/waitress Lynda Carter hook up, is somewhat forced and the acting isn't great i.e. the performances, while fitting the low-budget exploitation genre, don't live up to the performers.

But when Bobbie's stripper sister Merrie Lynn Ross and her spontaneously lethal husband Jesse Vint join the renegades, aided by Belinda Balaski as Bobbie's dorky waitress friend, things pick up as the gang travels from one bank job to the next.

The bank heists are involving, providing our antiheroes a platform to rile customers and really take charge. Here we learn which member of the gang is fit for the life of crime. While on the outside realm, Gene Evans lends merit as the silly... but ultimately dangerous... Sheriff: the closer the cops move in, the more intense things get.

There's funny banter between the bank robbing antagonists, an eclectic lot sharing stuffy motel rooms along the lonesome highway, leading to some fantastic moments, especially with Vint's constant adlibs.

Despite being Gortner's film, Jesse steals this road show. His character, being the loose-cannon with his mouth and gun, provides an unpredictable factor essential in any exploitation with a vibe of underlined violence. And while Lynda Carter is the mainliner in the female department, and looks as incredible as ever, Merrie Lynn Ross, reminiscent of a Film Noir gun moll, is a far more interesting character (she also produced the film).

Mark L. Lester's direction during action scenes are top-notch, the shootouts (including tons of slow-mo) are Peckinpah-inspired. And the rambling country music keeps things rolling nicely in this decent shoot-em-up drive-in flick.
Share This Post :
Tags : , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

All Time Popular

Featured Post

RALPH BAKSHI BLAXPLOITATION-ANIMATION OF 'COONSKIN'

Title: COONSKIN aka STREET FIGHT Director: Ralph Bakshi Year: 1975 Rating: **1/2 After HEAVY TRAFFIC where cult director Ralph Bakshi inser...

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM
Movie Reviews, Interviews, Articles and Pop Culture from White Heat to Blue City

RIP ACTOR KEN HUTCHISON

TOTAL HITS

Popular Trending

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE
RANDOM QUOTE: "When I'm paid, I always see the job through." Lee Van Cleef in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

FILM NOIR & NEO NOIR CRIME

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)WHITE LIGHTNING 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE BREAK 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)SANDS OF THE KALAHARI 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)IMPASSE 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6) CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER

BRITISH NEW WAVE CINEMA

RARITIES AND EXPLOITATION

HAMMER HORROR & THRILLER

Popular This Month

CHARLES BRONSON CINEMA

CINEMA OF DANA ANDREWS

WESTERN GENRE REVIEWS

PEAKING INTO THE SIXTIES

KICKING IN THE EIGHTIES

TALES AND REFLECTIONS

REVVING THE SEVENTIES

Most Popular Last Year